Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat

“Is she going to be okay?” 

Asuna stroked one hand down Argo’s back. The info broker was sound asleep, leaning heavily against my wife.

“I think she will be, she just needs to rest.” We were resting in my house in Algade, having decided that the house on the 22nd floor was unsuitable , despite the fact that we had essentially gotten it for free

“That’s good.” Argo looked kind of cute like this, curled up into Asuna’s side on the couch, seeking comfort in the other woman. It was very out of character for her, though.

I sat down on the other side of Argo, leaning back into the couch cushions. “I’m really glad we found her,” I said, “If she hadn’t thrown that bottle down…” I didn’t finish the sentence. Asuna knew that we probably wouldn’t have found her.

We had found Argo trapped on top of a tornado, in the very house we were looking for; prevented from sending any messages until a quest was completed. Unfortunately for Argo, she hadn’t been able to gather the key items of the quest before getting trapped in there, and forced to watch as hostile mobs gathered around the base of the tornado she was trapped on, having to fight off flying enemies every hour.

She had been there for over a week before we had been able to find her. 

At least Asuna had been able to cheese the quest that brought the house back by skipping most of the requirements with prior knowledge of the story the quest was based on.

“Well, we did, and she’s going to be okay.” Asuna’s words rang with finality, like she would carve the world apart and pull it back together to make certain that one of her few friends was okay.

I hadn’t inquired about her circumstances before SAO, but Asuna had only one or two friends inside the Knights of Blood Oath, and I only knew of Lisbeth and Argo outside of it. Asuna was far from a social butterfly, despite her popularity.

Argo was one of my few friends, too, and I shuddered to think about what might have happened if we hadn’t found that dog in time to reach Argo. She had been trapped in a house at the top of a tornado for over a week, fighting off hostile mobs almost constantly, and from how she had acted before finally falling asleep, it seemed unlikely that she had gotten any sleep. 

“...Kii-bou…” Argo murmured, shivering, “...Aa-chan…no...no...” The small woman curled in on herself, quivering in fear. Asuna pulled Argo into an embrace, the little info broker calming almost instantly, burrowing herself further into my wife, as if trying to siphon all the heat being produced into her body. 

“I need to get dinner started,” Asuna said, starting to reluctantly unwrap herself from the whiskered girl, “Can you stay with her while I cook?”

“Of course.”

It was one of the hardest moments of my life, sitting there, holding Argo close to me, reassuring myself that she was here, and alive, and not trapped, desperately trying to figure out how to escape while fighting off mobs.

It was almost five minutes later that I felt Argo stir. She shifted against me, trying to burrow into my body further, reassuring herself that she was safe. She stayed in that state of half-consciousness until Asuna had finished preparing dinner.

When dinner was over, all of us having eaten our fill, Argo started to return to her old, teasing self.

“So… When were you gonna tell me ya got married?” Argo had timed her statement to make me do a spit-take. Asuna, who had already drunk her tea, simply set her cup down on the saucer, and leveled a glare at Argo.

“When we told the rest of our friends,” The chef said, “We were hoping to make it a surprise, but if you already know…” 

“Eh, don’ worry, I’m not gonna sell this,” Argo said, chuckling at our expressions. The Info Broker was famous for selling any piece of knowledge she could get her hands on, and though she did have her “favorites”, that typically meant that there was a higher price tag attached, not that she was refusing to sell their data.

“I owe you a lot.” The info broker took advantage of our silence to snatch a cookie from the center of the table, “So in addition to a blackout on your relationship, I’m givin’ each a’ you one favor, to be cashed in later.” 

That was... a lot, for Argo. The last time she had given me a favor was when she was in danger from another group of players. For her to admit that she owed us meant that she thought that she was going to die.

“Thanks,” I said with as much sincerity as I could muster, “I’ll treasure it.”

“Now, I’ve gotta go check up on my Net-” Argo paused in the middle of getting up from her seat. Asuna had grabbed one of her arms, keeping a grip that I knew from experience was almost impossible to break.

“You can do that from here easily,” My wife said, all but dragging the whiskered girl back down into her seat.

“Besides, You haven’t really had breakfast in Aincrad until Asuna’s made you breakfast,” I chimed in, trying to convince Argo to stay. Though neither Asuna or I tried to let it show in front of her, we were scared for Argo. It had only been a day since we had gotten her out of that house, and most of that time had been spent trying to finish a quest with an Argo who was all but dead on her feet.

Needless to say, neither Asuna or I was entirely comfortable with letting Argo go off on her own at the moment.

“Okay,” Argo said, ducking into her cloak, “I guess I can stay a lil’ longer.” She sat back down at the table awkwardly, clearly not sure of how she was supposed to act.

That awkwardness lasted well into the night, with Argo sitting hunched over in one corner as she caught up with her network and started putting together a new edition of her newspaper. Laughing Coffin remnants had been discovered in the KoB while Argo was gone, and while rumors were already flying, more people would believe it if the info broker confirmed it.

With a flick of my eyes, I told Asuna that we needed to talk. Wordlessly, she followed me to the bedroom, which dampened all sound coming from it.

“I’m worried about Argo,” I said the instant Asuna shut the door behind her.

My wife nodded in agreement, “She hasn’t been able to meet our eyes all evening,” She said, her face grave with concern, “And she hasn’t even teased us about being married once.”

“Have you noticed her staring at us?” I asked. When my wife answered in the negative, I outlined my observations. 

Every so often, usually about five minutes, Argo would look up from her work, and look at one of us with some indescribable emotion. If she caught one of us looking at her during that time, she would startle, before fading back into her cloak, working on catching up with her network again. Until she stopped to stare at someone again.

“That’s strange,” Asuna said after I had detailed my observations to her. “Do you think she wants to ask us something?”

“Probably. But what would be so embarrassing that she would hesitate to ask it?” I wondered aloud, leaning back against one of the dressers.

“Something personal, most likely.”

“Like her whiskers?” I couldn’t help myself, and we had a good chuckle at the admittedly quite funny backstory behind Argo’s trademark look. It was a similar scenario to this one, where the whiskered girl got in over her head with a quest, only that time the results were much more benign, and she ended up with whiskers as a mark of her failure.

Unfortunately, this quest had much more serious consequences for Argo, and hopefully we could help her through them. 

“Well, I think we should let her know that whatever questions she may have, we’re open for them,” Asuna said, clapping her hands together to signal the end of our conversation, Turning around to open the door.

Any plans I had before Asuna opened the door were destroyed after she opened it; Argo sat huddled in front of the door, shivering in her coat, her eyes staring blankly ahead. Cautiously, Asuna stepped through the doorway, tiptoeing around to rest a hand on Argo’s shoulder.

The whiskered girl shakily turned her head to look into my wife’s eyes, then flung herself into Asuna, toppling the both of them over as Argo started sobbing. “Y-you, you came! You came! You came! You came! You came...” Argo trailed off into more sobs as I felt my heart tear into shreds. 

She’d just been trapped in a hostile house for a week, and we’d left her alone. Asuna met my eyes over the top of Argo’s head, and I saw the pain and self-hatred in them. We’d made an agreement to do everything we could to help her, and then failed at the first opportunity. Some friends we were. 

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat Part 2

It was quiet, when Argo set her sleeping bag up on the floor of Kirito’s apartment. Asuna had taken the bed, at Kirito’s insistence, though she had left the door open. Kirito himself was asleep in his own bag, lying so still that Argo thought he might have been paralyzed.

The house didn’t even twitch when Argo lay down. She would never get used to that, that lack of noise from the house settling or the floorboards creaking. Still, she needed to sleep. It wasn’t like there was much to do. She’s caught up with her network and was waiting on her editors for the newspaper.

Still, it was difficult to convince herself that it was safe to sleep. 

“You’re being stupid, Argo. There’s no way Kii-bou would sleep somewhere dangerous.” The whiskered girl muttered to herself as she flopped down onto her sleeping bag. The bag rustled at her impact, and she felt her heart beat faster. The last time she’d been like this-

DANGER!

Argo flung herself to the right. Something blocked her dodge. Her health bar blared warnings at her, so deep in the red that only a sliver was left.

The humongous ape charged her, it’s black fur almost seeming to come alive as it shifted in the wind. It’s mouth was open in a feral snarl, highlighted by a pair of yellow tusks, and a meaty hand came in for a blow that Argo barely managed to deflect unarmed.

She ducked beneath the Flying Apes next attack, her hand coming around to grasp at a dagger that wasn’t there -

The Cabin flickered around her, and she scrambled over a table away from the ape, one hand desperately paging through her inventory. 

She skidded to a stop as her hand closed around a health potion, the glow of the life-giving item filling her with a profound sense of-

[Error]

The Cabin faded around her.

There was no ape. She was in Kirito’s townhouse, not The Cabin. She was in a safe zone.

She was safe.

She wasn’t going to die in her sleep.

Argo rose from where she’d flung herself, conscious of the chair she’d knocked over in her panic. “Fuck.” 

She couldn’t go to sleep like this, not if she went back to The Cabin when she touched her sleeping bag. She needed to do something, and maybe if she got tired enough while doing it, she could sleep.

* * *

Asuna didn’t know why she woke up in the middle of the night, only that something was wrong in her house. She had only lived in it for a week, but already she thought of it as hers. 

She rose from the bed quietly, almost a wraith when she walked on bare feet to the half-open door, and oh…

Argo was sitting at the table, staring off into space. Asuna slowly walked up to the table, and pulled up a chair.

It was only when she sat down that Argo finally noticed her. “Hey.” was all the Info broker said, before she resumed her vigil.

Asuna sat at Argo’s side for some time, not quite knowing what to say. Argo was always more Kirito’s friend than hers, and she wasn’t quite sure what the info broker might need. 

“Are you all right?” The question slipped out of Asuna's mouth before she could stop it, and internally, she winced. It was an insensitive question; Argo was obviously not alright, and she probably didn’t want to be needled about it, either.

The Info Broker took a deep breath before speaking, “No,” She said, and then kept speaking, as if the words were waiting to tumble out. “I should have been able ta get out o’ that house. If I wasn’t so fuckin’ scared of dogs, then none o’ this would have happened.” The whiskered girl gestured angrily, working through a buildup of anger that clearly had been building from before she was rescued. 

“I’ve solved quests with more complicated puzzles; Quests that stumped everyone else who tried ‘em. I should have been able ta do this one on my own. I shouldn’t have needed ta get ya involved, I-I… I.” The fencer felt a sharp jolt of pain in her chest as tears started streaking down Argo’s face.

Asuna carefully reached out to grab one of Argo’s hands with her own, and the whiskered girl grasped it so tightly it almost hurt. “Did I ever tell you about my first few weeks in Aincrad?” The Info Broker shook her head, still holding back sobs. 

Asuna shifted in her seat, casting her mind back through the painful memories of that dark time. “Back then, after the announcement I was convinced that we were all going to die here, and I’d just given up. I stayed in an inn for as long as I could, and I only ventured out into the fields because I ran out of money, and didn’t want to live on the street.” The words come faster and faster, spilling from her mouth now that the dam has been broken.

She’d only told Kirito about this before.

“I almost died so many times in that first month, and it wasn’t until we beat Illfang that I actually started to believe that we could escape.” Asuna leaned forward, tugging her chair around until she’s side-by-side with Argo.

“But after that, when I was trying to figure out how to actually fight to survive, you saved me with those books of yours.” It’s probably one of her deeper secrets. Ever since joining the KoB, she’d had to present as strong and independent a front as possible, which meant burying the parts of her past that made her weak.

It was easier to pretend that she’d always been independent. Not many people even remembered that she partied with Kirito, too many clearers dead or retired, and the rest just not caring. 

“I fought, and I learned, and now I’m second in command of the foremost clearer’s guild; I wouldn’t have been able to do that without you.” The fencer cupped Argo’s face in one hand, the intimate gesture feeling somehow right in this situation. “Your books helped me be a leader, and I was able to help Ferdie, my lieutenant, Johansson, and so many others because of what you gathered for everyone.”

“You’ve spent so long supporting other people with your info and your network; I still haven’t forgotten that you found Laughing Coffin’s hideout.” Argo’s eyes grew wide; confused eyes. “You’ve been so strong for us; I don’t think I would be here today without you.” Asuna brushed away a tear from Argo’s cheek, the info broker leaning ever so slightly into the fencer’s hand.

“Please, let us support you, just this once?”

Argo came undone, throwing herself at Asuna, wrapping the other girl in a hug, tears flowing freely and staining Asuna’s nightshirt. The two girls sat together like that, supporting one another for much of the night.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat Part 3

The sun was shining through the windows when I woke up. Sleep in SAO was different from sleep in the normal world. There was nothing save a very few specific alerts that could wake a sleeper up. That was why I wasn’t too surprised when I saw Argo and Asuna leaning into each other at the table.

I had been worried about Argo last night. She was looking anywhere except our sleeping bags, and still hadn’t been in hers by the time I went to sleep in mine. It was good to see that Asuna had been able to keep her company while I was asleep.

I draped a blanket over the women and started to cook up a field breakfast. While the Cooking skill was required for all advanced recipes and many basic ones, there was a small subsection that could be unlocked through the [Fishing] skill. The recipes were incredibly simple, and didn’t taste all that great, but they tended to be better than store-bought food on it’s own. 

And since Asuna probably needed her sleep after staying up who knows how late with Argo, I had decided that today would be a day for me to try and impress both Asuna and Argo with my cooking. I was probably going to fail. But that was no reason not to try.

Okay, first get the kitchen menu open…

It was almost thirty minutes later when someone yawned behind me. I had barely been able to finish three basic fish dishes, and hopefully Asuna would appreciate my efforts.

“Hey Darling~” Asuna mumbled into my shoulder, wrapping her arms around my body. Her warmth felt nice against me. I leaned back into her slightly, the two of us staying upright by pressing against each other.

“I made breakfast,” I said, picking up one of the fish dishes to give to my wife. She gave me a distinctly unimpressed look as she took the plate from my hands. “What?”

“I wanted to cook for Argo,” She said petulantly, taking a bite of her food. “Mmh!” Her eyes bulged and she set the dish down on the counter beside me. 

“That,” She said, shooting an astonished look at the fish, “Was the most tasteless dish I have ever had in SAO.” 

Oh. I was expecting it to be bad, but for it to be that horrible… 

“Relax,” Asuna elbowed me in the side, “It’s far from the worst dish I’ve had in SAO.”

“But you said it was-”

“Tasteless is very different from tasting horrible; it just needs a good sauce to give it a little flavor and we’ll have a serviceable dish. Now step aside, I need to work.”

I claimed Asuna’s old seat at the table and settled in to watch her work. Somehow, she made the cooking minigame look incredibly entertaining as she measured fluids, pressed buttons, and swirled a pot over the stove to produce the sauce she wanted.

I liked to watch her cook.

It was around the time that Asuna was wrapping up that I heard noises from beside me. 

“Morning sleepyhead.” Asuna said, turning around with her finalized fish dishes with a custom sauce, much better than my horrid attempts at a meal.

“Munyah?” Argo rubbed the sleep from her eyes, her hood falling off, revealing a rather adorable bed-head.

“We made breakfast!”

“Brekfas’?” Argo sleepily stumbled to her feet and lumbered towards Asuna.

“We have some fish from the 36th floor with a sauce I made myself for you.” Argo looked quite hungry. I can’t imagine she had gotten much food recently. As if to prove me right, she fell upon the fish like a ravenous beast, and I barely had time to blink before she was reaching for the plates behind Asuna, who stepped out of the way to let The Rat feast.

“So,” Argo said as she chewed on a fishbone, seeming to derive some amusement from the action. “What are you all up to today?”

Asuna let out a long, loud, hard-suffering groan.

“What?”

“It’s not you,” Asuna said, flopping down onto the couch, the sunlight streaming through her auburn hair, making it seem like she was haloed in fire. “It’s my absolute asshole of a guild leader.”

“Asuna!”

“What?!” She snapped back at me, several weeks of rage boiling over once again. “You know how I feel about Heathcliff.” Asuna had looked up to Heathcliff when she first joined the Knights of the Blood Oath, but the further up she had risen in the leadership of the guild, the less and less she liked him. 

She still admired his ability to inspire and lead, but found his constant politicking to be distasteful, and disliked how he treated non-guild members. It didn’t help that she was forced to put up a ruthless front during boss meetings, most of which Heathcliff was too busy fighting in the arena to attend, another thing that rankled her.

“And don’t tell me you forgot about how much danger he put you in!” Asuna thrust a finger into my chest. “You’re not specced for PvP, and he knows that!” Heathcliff’s duel was another sore point. Though he had an impeccable record, more than one player had used a duel as a way to legally kill another player, and she hated the idea of it happening to me.

Despite everything, she still trusted him to lead us out of Aincrad, and I could see why. Heathcliff had a presence to him that was undeniable. It reminded me of American comic book heroes, the ones that you could trust to pull through and save the day no matter what.

“Yeah, but do you really want to give Argo something that juicy to sell?” I countered, gesturing at the info broker leaning against the counter. She looked like she’d just been handed winning lotto numbers.

“Oh relax, I won’t advertise anythin’.” Argo drawled, wearing that smug smile that had been sorely missing these past two days, “After all, I can make more Col on cold, hard, data.”

“It’s good to see you’re feeling better, Argo.” Asuna said, her temper once again quieted. “But no, I’ll be occupied for the day, dealing with KOB stuff. I have to check in with my team. Heathcliff is apparently sending them on a deep scouting mission soon, and I need to make sure that they’ll be alright.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll probably tour around the shops and see if i can get any upgrades to my gear,” I said, scrolling through my equipment menu. “My swords and armor are good, but these gloves are from the 66th floor, and my boots aren’t much better.”

“Can I go with ya?” Argo said, tapping her foot against the floor. “I’ve been thinkin’ that i need to get better gear, cause if I ever get…” the whiskered girl trailed off, wilting slightly. It was surprising that Argo, who tended to avoid player-run shops like the plague when she wasn’t investigating them for a scam or her newspaper, wanted to shop with me, who purchased almost exclusively from players.

But she and I both knew that the only thing better than player-made gear were rare drops, and Argo had never been a frontline fighter. My answer was obvious.

“Sure.”

Asuna sighed, and opened her menu. “Well, you two have a good day out, I’ll do my best-”

“Asuna, how soon is the mission?” I cut my wife off. It hurt to see her so worked up about the guild, and besides, we were supposed to be on break now.

“It’s not going to be for a few days, but-”

“We’re on break, we should be relaxing, and your group has been training with you for so long, that I’m certain they can handle themselves.” I walked over to Asuna and grabbed her hands “Why don’t you come shopping with us, and afterwards, we can go on a date.”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat Part 4

I walked quickly down the street, following Argo, who was ducking and weaving through the crowd of NPC’s and players like it was nobody’s business. Normally even the busiest towns didn’t get this busy, but we were in peak rush hour on the 55th floor, home of approximately one third of the player-run shops in the game, including many of the big-name blacksmiths.

The Player shops tended to not be very busy, in comparison to the NPC shops. Those ones had basic NPCs, little more than moving cutouts, entering, shopping, and leaving almost constantly. In comparison, only players frequented the player-run shops, and given that most shops sold the sort of things people only needed to pick up every couple weeks, if that, they tended to be empty most of the time.

And Argo was heading for one of the few that tended to be busy: Tin and Leather Plates. The owner was, as the name implied, specialized in armor, specifically the Medium-to-Heavy spectrum, and as such, neither Asuna or I came here often, preferring lighter armor. 

It was surprising that Argo had chosen to go here, instead of to Jin’s Armor Shop on the other side of town, where I was planning to visit to commission new gloves and boots, but even though this trip was my idea, Argo had taken command of it fairly quickly. 

Asuna and I had to scramble to keep up with her; neither of us wanted her out of her sight. We eventually caught up with her at the entrance to Plates, where she was standing a few feet in front of the doors. 

“Hey Argo,” I said, resting one hand on her shoulder.

“Hey.” she sounded blank, like she was trying to distance herself from her emotions. The last time she’d been like this… she’d been compiling the lists of Laughing Coffin victims.

“Do you want to go in?” Asuna said, from the other side of Argo. The info broker was silent for a time, and no one passed in front of us to enter the store. It was almost like the world was taking a breath.

“I want heavier armor,” Argo said, after almost a full two minutes of silence. “Somethin’ that’ll protect me when I’m standin’ still. Somethin’ that I can fall asleep in and trust to keep me alive until I wake up.” 

And with that statement, Argo walked into Tin and Leather Plates, projecting a fragile confidence that slowly grew more sure of itself with every step she took.

* * *

“Got any idea what you want?” I asked, after watching Argo browse through the store’s inventory for about an hour.

“Somethin’ with high defense,” Argo said, paging through the extensive list of chest armors. “Ya should go pick somethin’ out for yourself.”

“Eh, you wanted to come with me,” I said, leaning back in one of the chairs that the shopkeep had thoughtfully left near the racks of armor. “So I’ll stay with you as long as you need.”

“Careful, Kii-bou,” Argo almost purred, “Aa-chan might get jealous if she heard you sayin’ things like that.”

“Why would she? She’d probably be happy that I was helping a friend.” 

“Oh, fer cryin’ out loud!” Argo groaned, selecting an item seemingly at random. As she did so, she muttered something under her breath. “How can…ime?”

“I’m sorry, what?” I sat up, inclining my head slightly.

“Nothin’ ya need to worry about, Kii-bou.” Argo booped me on the nose, carrying the heavy leather chestplate on her back, “Ya just stay as oblivious as ya always are.”

“I’m not oblivious!” I stood indignantly, trying to salvage some of my dignity. “I maxed out my scanning skill!”

“What does your scanning skill have to do with anything?” Asuna asked, stepping around the rack of armor, carrying a pair of bracers. “You know what I had to do to get it through your thick skull that I was into you.”

That was... a very good point actually. “Okay, okay, so maybe I’m not the best at social interaction, but I don’t get why that makes me unaware of what’s going on, and I’d hate to leave someone so wonderful and precious to me feeling angry, so please, if anything I did upset you, let me know.” Argo fumbled closing her menu as I spoke, her eyes growing wide.

“O-Ok,” Argo said, turning and rushing towards the counter, her steps as light as always. She was holding her intended purchase close to her face, for some reason. Maybe she was trying to find some sign of a defect? No, she’d be able to tell that just by looking at it’s stats. 

I guess some things would remain a mystery. 

“Wow…” Asuna whistled from her position by the rack. “I’d forgotten just how smooth you could be.”

“I- I wasn’t flirting !” I stammered out, spinning to look at Asuna. I wasn’t flirting with Argo. Even if she had ever deigned me the privilege of taking her out on a date, I’m certain she would have dumped me at the first opportunity. 

Besides, Asuna had somehow taken pity on me after I had destroyed our friendship, and taken it into her heart to love me. She didn’t deserve me flirting with other girls.

“I know you weren’t. You’re just a natural charmer.” Asuna cupped my face in both hands. “At least, until people realize how geeky you are. Nobody can be charming and be that geeky,” Asuna said, a serious frown crossing her face.

Wha- “Asuna!”” I giggled, grasping her wrists and wrestling them away from me as she started rubbing my cheeks. “I seem to recall you being very infatuated when I described my dream PC.”

“What can I say?” Asuna said, stepping around to one side, her hand running underneath  my chin, making me look into her eyes as she leaned on one of my shoulders, “I guess I just like it when you’re passionate.” Her gaze smoldered with desire.

“Asuna…” I breathed, staring deep into my wife’s eyes. We leaned our heads in together, angling for a kiss. It was a simple, chaste kiss, nothing like the ones we had shared before venturing to the 22nd floor, but it still relaxed me, and it felt good; to feel my wife like this. 

We broke apart, and I leaned my head against her, while she rested her head on my shoulder. She was warm.

“Hey, guys?” Argo’s voice broke through the comfortable haze that had descended. “Are ya done suckin’ face yet?” Slowly, hesitantly, I untangled myself from Asuna, preparing myself to walk out the door. I was so relaxed that even my friend’s teasing didn’t upset me.

“Mmm, not yet.” My wife stretched, the bracers jingling in her hand. “I wanted to purchase these. They’ve got anti-paralysis properties.” That was a good choice. Paralysis was one of the few statuses that you couldn’t deal with on your own, but gear that resisted paralysis was rare, and correspondingly expensive. It looks like the money we had planned to spend on a house was going into gear now.

“Do those bracers come in black?”

* * *

“Let’s see, ah still need some new claws, and ya two need…” 

“Boots,” Asuna and I said in unison, each of us nudging Argo occasionally, guiding her through the crowd as she scrolled through her notebook, trying to figure out which claws she wanted.

She’d only gotten more absorbed in her notes as the trip has gone on, seeming to try and block out as much of the outside world as she can. 

“Alright, I got a store for us.” Argo closed her notebook. “Normally if I was lookin’ for those things together I’d go to Agil’s, but he’s on vacation at the mo’, so we’re headin’ to Jeanne’s.”

“Jeanne’s?” Asuna voiced the question I found myself asking. Most clearers stuck to a few proven shops, and it was hard for a newcomer to make any impact on the market unless a prominent crafter had died recently. That neither Asuna or I had heard of Jeanne meant...

“She’s one o’ my contacts with the crafters,” Argo said, confirming my suspicions. “She an’ a few others don’t like dealin’ with customers, but put passion into their work to match your friend Liz’, an it would be a shame to lose ‘em.” 

Argo turned a different way, opening a different window with her hand and starting to type out a message. “So I set up a trading system with some merchants for them. I get the weapons at a discount in exchange for their privacy, and then I sell them to the merchants at just below market value so that they can make a little money off of it, and I pay the crafters by tellin’ em about the rare drops and mats in the middle floors.”

I wasn’t sure whether it was luck or not that we had turned onto a deserted street when Argo had started explaining this subcategory of her network. Given how devious Argo was, I wouldn’t put it past her to have planned out a route that avoided other people as much as possible.

“And if anyone wants to order a commission with a crafter, I send the request to Jeanne. She’s got a bit of everything, and is at least willing to do business with me an’ my friends. Just lettin’ her know that I’m bringing ya two.”

The closer we got to our destination, the more desolate the streets got. While the buildings were still in good repair, cycling through the same models that the rest of the city used, we passed fewer and fewer people on the streets. The last one was twenty minutes ago when Argo stopped in front of a small house, distinct only by a small sign hanging from the door.

Jeanne’s Shop

Entrance by appointment only

Hours negotiable.

If this shop had been in real life, there would have been a fine layer of dust over that sign.

Argo carefully pushed the door open and walked in, making a little bell tinkle as she did so.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat Part 5

The shop was deserted, with no one manning the counter. There were no shelves, only a few display cases that contained a bewildering variety of items for a single shop. At a single glance, there were heavy axes, throwing weapons, crafting equipment, vanity items, potions, light and heavy armor, and even a painting on display. They all looked to be high-end gear as well.

The prices were correspondingly expensive. The one armor display I touched brought up prices only slightly less than what I paid for my custom coat, and they looked like untailored items. The stats however, were comparable. Which made it all the more surprising that whoever made this wasn’t more famous in SAO, where people were close-knit, and the high-levels even more so.

In fact, the secondary stats on this item would make it a high-end item, even competing with last hit bonuses.

A creaking door broke the silence that had settled over us as we browsed the small shop. A tall woman walked out behind the counter, carrying a small box of items. Distractedly, she starts scrolling through the accompanying list, muttering to herself all the while.

“Claws, claws, claws, and boots, the potions, the book, and… yes, that’s everything.” The woman sighs, and leans back against the wall. Her brown hair almost blended into the wood paneling behind her, and her face seemed creased with anxiety and worry, her dress draped voluminously around her, obscuring her body from the waist down. It rustled as she stepped out from behind the counter, once again talking to herself.

“Now i just need to- Eep!” The woman yelped as she caught sight of us, and jumped back behind the counter. “I-I’ll be with you in a second!” She called out, and then ducked behind the box she had just carried out. I could hear the sound of her hyperventilating from where I stood.

It was fairly obvious why the store was so deserted, now.

“You guys should probably wait outside while I close the deal.” Argo said, seeming resigned, and then she ghosted towards the counter, her footsteps even lighter than they were normally.

I exchanged a look with Asuna, and we stepped just outside the door. “I don’t want to leave Argo alone, but…”

“Yeah,” I agreed, leaning back against the doorframe. “So, where did you want to go after this?”

Asuna raised an eyebrow, “You asked me on a date with no plan?”

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, “It seemed like you needed a break, and I didn’t want you to concern yourself with trying to figure out what we were going to do.”

“Well then, decide quickly Kirito, because I’m looking forward to this date.” My wife teased, lightly shoving her shoulder against mine.

“Alright, alright,” I said, “I’ll think of something.”

Asuna nodded in approval, and we waited in a comfortable silence for a bit longer. I turned over plans for our date in my head. Would the park be a good idea? No, there was too much chance that someone would happen across us, and while we weren’t keeping our marriage secret, we weren’t advertising it either.

A restaurant, then? No, even trying would be an insult to Asuna’s skills as a chef. Maybe we could go for a walk through the elven realm? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. The Elven Realm held good memories for both of us, and since we were keyed in to the teleport gate on the fourth floor, we could use the gate out to the elven borders for our walk.

“What do you think about visiting the Elven realm?”

“On the fourth floor?” Asuna looked surprised.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been there. Maybe you want to see it again?” Asuna hummed in thought, tapping her finger against her chin.

“That sounds like a lovely date idea.” Asuna smiled, making my heart burst into flames. “Do you want to visit Kizmel while we’re there?”

“No, I was thinking that this would be a walk through the forests. We can visit the castle another time.”

“Oh,” Asuna said, her eyes shadowed as she kicked a pebble across the street.

“...Or we could visit Kizmel?” I hedged, only for Asuna to sigh in response, tossing her head in a motion that made her hair catch the light.

“No, this you’re right. This should be a date for the two of us.”

“Okay.” I said, feeling a slightly oppressive silence fall as we sat on the steps leading up to the store, both of us clearly wanting to say something, but unsure about how to say it.

“Maybe we can schedule a visit with Kizmel?” I asked, breaking the silence, and causing Asuna to start smiling again.

“I’d like that.”

The silence that we sat in was much warmer this time.

It was only two minutes later that Argo came bustling out of the store, an eager look in her eyes.

“I’ve got it!” The Rat exclaimed, scrolling frantically through her message board.

“You’ve got what?”

“No time!” Argo yelled, sprinting down the street, “I’ve got an emergency guide to publish!”

Asuna and I exchanged a look, and then took off after Argo. Anything that caused The Rat to put out an emergency edition of one of her guidebooks was worth our time.

Asuna caught up to Argo first, and I reached out my arms as I approached the info broker. “Going up!” I said, scooping the Rat up as I ran, ignoring Argo’s startled yelp. I pushed off from the ground, landing on top of one of the flat-topped houses with a single leap, Asuna right behind me.

“Where do you need to go?” I asked.

“Ah-ah-The bookstore!” Argo stammered out, her face flushed red. Fuck, she was angry at me.

I readjusted my arms so that Argo wouldn’t fall mid-leap, and set off across the city, Asuna running beside me. It was nice of her to do that. I had no doubt that she could easily outpace me or Argo; neither of us were especially fast. After all, it still took me over two minutes to run a mile. Asuna could do it in less than one.

It seemed my fears of Argo falling were misplaced, because the woman seemed to have frozen in my grip. Was I reminding her of her imprisonment? I shouldn’t have taken the high road, nevermind that it was a full two minutes faster. Argo’s wellbeing was more important.

Unfortunately, by the time I realized this, I was already at my destination. I slid to a stop in front of the sole bookstore of the 55th floor. Argo slapped my arm, and I carefully set her upright on the ground.

“Whew,” Argo said, dusting herself off, “Warn a gal next time you’re gonna take her on a magic carpet ride!”

“Are you okay?” I asked, kneeling slightly to put myself at an even height with her. “I took the rooftops because they were over two minutes faster, but if I made you uncomfortable…”

“No, no! Nothin’ like that!” Argo said, her hands adjusting the edges of her cloak, “Just warn me next time, okay Kii-bou?”

“Okay.”

“Good!” Argo turned, and slipped into the doors. This wasn’t like her. Normally she would’ve drawn out her teasing by at least thirty seconds, with at least one jab about my tendency to physically pick up and carry girls. That she was almost fleeing from speaking to me...

I really shouldn’t have taken the high road.

Asuna stared after the departing Rat with a strange expression on her face.

“Is something wrong?”

My wife sighed, stretching her arms out. “I’m just worried about her.”

“I am too.”

I grabbed Asuna’s offered hand, and entered the store with her.

Argo was already towards the back of the store, operating the printing press that allowed her to increase the number of pamphlets she could put out by an order of magnitude.

She looked over her shoulder as we entered, and hurriedly turned around, her hands almost punching at the buttons that made up the printer’s “keyboard”. She was definitely mad at me. Her face had been red when she saw me. She only got like that when she was especially angry.

Did she want me to apologize? She hadn’t wanted an apology the last time I had offended her, or even most of the times, for that matter. The rules surrounding which offenses required me to apologize seemed nonexistent when I tried to categorize them.

Accidentally prevent her from tracking down the whereabouts of the last piece of info surrounding a floor boss? My apology was rebuffed and her own apology was given. Accidentally trip her while pursuing a smuggler? She didn’t speak to me for a whole day until I gave her the map data to one of my more effective grind spots on the 27th floor.

It was especially strange, given that we had still caught the smuggler.

But I had never understood other people, and probably never would. I still didn’t understand myself. Regardless, I needed some way to take Argo’s mind off of my stupid actions, and I thought I knew how.

I strolled up to the other side of the printing press, leaning across the stable frame, and watched her work. The Info Broker almost aggressively avoided looking at me as she worked, her hands flying through the system, barely pausing each time she had to load a new set of pages.

“So, why was it so important to get this out?” I asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

Argo’s eyes gleamed beneath her hood, almost making her look like a rather tall Jawa. “I finally got Marnie to sell me th’ info for his smithing methods!” She started happily babbling, sharing info with Asuna and I that she would have charged anyone else through the nose for.

“Did ya see the equipment in Jeanne’s shop?” When I nodded, Argo continued speaking, “It’s top tier equipment, all o’ it, but none of the other smiths I investigated could get the secondary stats on their armor anywhere near as high as Marnie’s.”

Argo pushed down the lever that indicated she was ready to print. Kayaba was weirdly committed to realism in some ways and not at all in others. In this case, that meant giving the printing press the keyboard of a modern computer, while a series of levers that controlled the printing process, and the product of the press manifested as an item that had to be picked up. That, and a dial indicating how many copies were to be produced.

I made sure to brush up against this dial as I walked around the machine to help Argo with the new booklets.

“...But Marnie’s one o’ the most private members of Jeanne’s lil’ guild, so I couldn’ jus’ meet him, an’ he was convinced that he wasn’t a special blacksmith, so I had too-”

The sudden outpouring of booklets from the machine bowled both of us over. Argo let out a yelp of surprise as she was buried underneath copies of her latest pamphlet, while I relaxed and let the wave carry me over to the edge of the room, right next to a pair of familiar boots.

Asuna looked down at me with an amused smile. “Hey,” I said as I lay buried beneath pamphlets, trying to look casual.

“Honestly Kirito,” Asuna tutted, “You really shouldn’t prank Argo like this.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” I said, grasping her hand and letting her pull me to my feet. A second later, the room glowed as Argo transferred all the booklets to her inventory.

The Info broker looked almost apoplectic as she stormed over to us. “Kirito!” Oh, she was really angry now. She only broke out my full name when she really got worked up. “You drained all my Ink you numbskull!”

I rocked backwards as Argo poked me in the chest. “What are ya gonna do ta make it up to me, huh?” I gave her my best puzzled look.

“I thought you wanted to get those books out quickly, Argo,” I said, gently diverting another of her angry pokes, “I’ll help you get more ink, if you want me to. I can do it-”

Asuna cleared her throat meaningfully.

“-Right after my date.”

“Which we are currently delaying for your sake, Argo, so please, tell us what was so important that you had to get it published now?” Asuna’s voice wasn’t quite icy, but there was no mistaking the chill that her voice held.

“Hey, I didn’t ask you guys to come along Aa-chan, you invited yourselves,” Argo countered, coming up against the solid and implaccable wall that was Asuna. Still, with a calmness that I wished I could replicate, held up a finger. “It’ll be 10000 Col each.” A trivial amount to clearers such as us, but still…
“And why wouldn’t we just pick up one of your new booklets about this topic?” Asuna asked, one eyebrow raised in incredulity.

“Cause they don’t explain how I got it.”

Without another word, I swiped open a Trade Window, and sent a request to Argo. I had been the one to run after her first, so it only made sense that I paid for the info now.

With two quick taps, Argo accepted the trade, and sat back on the Printing press, and started to tell her story.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat part 6

“It took me a long time to get my hands on this info, almost six months. I firs’ noticed it when I was browsin’ through the items in Jeanne’s shop, much like you were. There was a consistent minority of items that were as good as, if not better, than mos’ of the stuff that the clearers’ were usin’. But Jeanne refused to tell me who’d made ‘em, and she was the only member o’ that group I actually had any contact with.

“So I had to follow her to one of her guild meetings, where I got to see all her guildmates. It wasn’t easy, let me tell ya that. Jeanne may be absolutely petrified abou’ strangers, but the girl is one o’ the most observant people I’ve seen. I almos’ got caught! Me! I almos’ got seen by someone withou’ the search skill!

“But man, was the payoff worth it.

“Her guild was fairly small; jus’ her, an’ four others. It was a trade guild, the kind ya see a lot for the upper midliners: a two ta three smiths, depending on how specialized they are, an alchemis’, an’ a merchant.

“Jeanne was this group’s merchant, and she was a decent one. It was clear from their meeting that they weren’ tryin’ to make a profit, jus’ make a lil’ money on the side while they “Perfected their skills.”

“In short, they were the perfect group to supply the frontlines. I knew there an’ then that I wanted to get them a contract with one o’ the guilds, so that they could have a steady influx o’ materials, if nothin’ else, but then one o’ them mentioned a somethin’ nice.

“The group kept teasin’ one o’ their smiths, this guy named Marnie, about how close he kept his secret techniques, but none o’ them argued tha’ he didn’t get results, so I knew I had a real investigation on my hands.-”

“Please, Argo,” Asuna said, interrupting the rambling Info Broker, “Can you summarize. I’ve already delayed my date almost half an hour for you.”

The Rat looked vaguely affronted at first, but then let out a little chuckle as she glanced between me and Asuna. I raised an eyebrow; I was proud of my love for Asuna, and though I was unworthy of her attention, I would strive my hardest to keep her happy.

“Alright then, I’ll let ya two lovebirds go and dance. I’ll save my story for after you get back.”

“Argo!” I blushed, furiously, and was unceremoniously dragged out of the building by an equally red Asuna, Argo’s laughter ringing in our ears. “Honestly, that woman. Why does she always know…” Asuna muttered angrily.

“At least she’s teasing us again.” I said, hopping so that I could walk with my hand in Asuna’s and not get dragged.

“But can she not tease us about…” Asuna flushed an even deeper red.

“You know, for someone so seductive in the bedroom, you really can’t talk about sex, can you?” I said, taking over for Asuna in the leading department as she froze up.

“Oh it is on, mister!” Oh shoot. Asuna was entering her competitive mode.

“So when are we going to ‘dance’, Kirito~” My wife started throwing innuendo at me.

“Um, well, I actually didn’t plan to…”

“No ‘dancing?’”

“No, No! We can still, um, ‘dance’,” I said, “Umm, after our walk?”

“I’ll hold you to it.” I gulped. For all my paper-thin bravado when talking about sex, the idea of actually making love to Asuna still sent me into spirals, despite how often we had, ahem, indulged in the past week.

If my apartment hadn’t been soundproofed the same way all player homes were, I was fairly certain we would have gotten noise complaints from our neighbors.

The rest of the walk to the teleport gate was filled with a gentle sort of chatter as we figured out just what we wanted to see on the fourth floor. The early floors were some of the biggest, and there was far more than we could see, even if we took an entire week, but there were a few landmarks we both agreed that we had to visit.

It had been almost a year and a half since we had been to the fourth floor. After we cleared the fourteenth floor, there simply wasn’t any material here that a clearer might need, and most of the shops we browsed set themselves up closer to the frontlines. It was nostalgic to be back in Rovia, among the canals and chalk-white buildings that gave the city a distinct quality, almost like foam on a wave.

“So, do you want to catch a play at the theater or go for our walk first?” I asked Asuna, who was staring out over the park we had teleported too with a distant look on her face.

Maybe she was as nostalgic as I was.

“Let’s go for a walk, first. I want to see Yofel Castle before it gets dark.” Asuna started walking off to the Northwest, towards the forest where we had spent most of our time on the fourth floor.

The woods were far less menacing now then they had been when we were clearing the level, for obvious reasons. The mobs that spawned didn’t even try to attack us, our levels too high for them to even have a prayer of damaging us. Even if we were to unequip all of our protective gear, both me and Asuna had the “battle regeneration” skill, which allowed us to heal 0.5% of our health every second while in combat, compared to 45% every minute when out of combat.

None of the mobs here had an attack stat over 100.

“How do you think Viscount Yolfis is doing?” I glanced over at Asuna, running through my mind in thought.

“Well,” I started to form my answer, “If this was any other NPC, I’d say that he was probably sticking to his preprogrammed routine, but maybe one of his children convinced him to go outside his office every now and then.”

“I don’t know about that,” Asuna said, “He seemed pretty convinced to stay in his room.”

“You make it sound like he’s a little kid who won’t come out unless his freckles fade.”

“Well, isn’t he?” Asuna said, cocking her head to one side.

It fit. Ashamed by his physical appearance, and utterly convinced that any show of weakness on his part would shame his family.

“Just, don’t tell that to him. I’m fairly sure that would get us kicked out of Yofel.” I said to Asuna as we walked through the gradual change in woods that marked the transition from the Bear Woods to the much safer areas surrounding Yofel Castle. The change in areas was marked by a slow change in the BGM, with a much more drum-heavy track replacing the “woods” theme that played for much of the early forest areas.

It made me think of home.

“It’s not like we’re visiting Yofel itself,” Asuna said, brushing one hand over a mossy tree. Even after so long in SAO I was still astounded by how realistic Kayaba had made the game. While we didn’t have to go to the bathroom, that was about the only concession to fantasy he had made.

Weapons and armor felt heavy, if you didn’t have a decent strength stat. Crafting was so similar to IRL crafting that one person had been able to rocket up the tailoring tree by applying her real-world sewing knowledge. And most of all, the environments felt lived-in.

The moss that Asuna had brushed aside fell to the ground in clumps before it shattered into pixels. Predator mobs would chase prey mobs, and humanoid mobs had guard routines. Even if the AI of most NPCs and mobs was so dumb that it made Skyrim look good by comparison, after all, the Chariotieer wasn’t supposed to drive off the edge of the map, the world still felt real in a way no other game before had.

“No, I suppose we’re not.” While it would have been nice to visit the castle, doing so would have been an all-day trip, and we still had a show to get to.

The woods grew brighter even as the leaves darkened while we approached Yofel, and soon we were walking along one of the streams that dotted the landscape.

I watched as Asuna started to relax, truly stepping away from all her responsibilities and worries here in the forest, so similar to where we hoped to make our home.

I watched as a small, non-hostile squirrel mob rushed across the forest floor in front of us, scurrying up a tree in flight from some predatory mob that avoided us. It was peaceful in a way that even my house wasn’t, seeming to almost ooze an aura of contentment, making me want to close my eyes and fall asleep.

But I wanted to fall asleep most of the time, and if I could fight the Gleam Eyes without having slept for two days, then I could stay awake longer for Asuna.

“Kirito,” Asuna said from over by a rock that formed a bend in the stream. “Let’s sit here for a while, okay?” Well, if my wife insisted… I sat down on the rock next to her, and immediately slumped over onto Asuna’s shoulder. It was warm.

I leaned against Asuna’s side for a while, the two of us sharing in a quiet comfort.

“Hey, Kirito?” Asuna broke the silence, bringing one of her arms over my shoulders.

“...What is it?” I murmured into her shoulder, torn between rousing myself in response to my wife, and catching up on some sleep. That decision was torn from me when my wife took action.

I heard the distinct sound of someone withdrawing an item from their inventory, and peered across Asuna’s body. “Here,” She said,

“Ooh, sandwich!” I almost snatched it out of her hands. Asuna had many dishes, but almost nothing tasted as good as her sandwiches did.

“Slow down, Kirito,” Asuna said, her voice ever so slightly scolding “If you try to eat so quickly you’ll choke yourself.”

“‘M no gonnurk” I swallowed a bit more sandwich then I meant to, and spent a few minutes coughing as it almost went down the wrong pipe.

“Easy there,” Asuna said, rubbing a comforting hand on my back.

“‘M fine,” I said, going right back to devouring the heavenly sandwich that Asuna had prepped for me. “Let’s get going, we still need to see Yofel.”

The woods got even more cheerful as we approached a cliff with a good view of our target, seeming to try and set the mood for our date. I smiled as Asuna was overcome with a fit of enthusiasm, and broke out into a light jog as we neared the cliff.

“Hurry up Kirito!” My wife called back, waving at me, “The view’s amazing!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I said, moving more sedately than my wife, only to feel my breath be taken away as I crested the top of the cliff.

It was so high that even the tallest trees of the forest were far below us, and we had an almost unobstructed view of Yofel Castle, sitting in the middle of it’s lake. From so far away, it almost looked small, but I knew that it was one of the tallest structures on Aincrad that wasn’t part of a labyrinth.

Virtual light shimmered off of the enormous lake, so vast that I could barely see the other side. I could almost see the warm amber light filtering through the windows of the castle, and the gondolas moving back and forth, bringing soldiers and supplies to and from the castle.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Asuna said, standing by my shoulder.

“Yeah.” we stayed silent for a while, taking in the view of the castle before us.

As I watched a bird cross the sky, I remembered something I had found while messing with the menu a week ago. At the time it had seemed almost useless, but now it was valuable.

“Hey, Asuna?” I said, walking back to the edge of the clearing on top of the cliff, getting the program I wanted up in the menu.

“Yes, Kirito?”

“Say Cheese!” I clicked the button on the camera app, forever capturing Asuna’s startled expression, laid over an amazing backdrop.

“Kirito?”

“Yes Asuna?” I hummed innocently, this truly was a good picture. I so rarely got to see my wife surprised.

“Did you just take a picture?” Asuna gripped my shoulder, having crossed the twenty-some feet between us in the blink of an eye.

“Yeah, want to see?” I tilted the digital picture towards the fencer. She pouted when she saw the photo.

“Warn me next time, Kirito.” She thumped me on the shoulder.

“I did warn you, I said Cheese and everything.” I defended under Asuna’s unimpressed gaze.

“You know what I mean Kirito.”

“I can’t help it that you look so cute when you’re surprised,” I said, as Asuna blushed lightly.

“Still,” She said, walking back to the edge of the cliff, “I’d like a proper picture this time,” She smiled over her shoulder at me, her hair burning in the sunlight. She looked so radiant it was a wonder my unworthy avatar didn’t burst into fire before her beauty.

“Of course, dear.” It was the work of a second for Asuna to assume a pose that she liked, and then for me to take the picture.

“Now I’ll take a picture of you.” We swapped places and I waited as Asuna fiddled with the menu. Oh, did I ever tell her- “Kirito, hun?”

“Beneath the Scan skill tree. You don’t need to have Scan equipped.”

“Thanks!” Asuna called, binging her hand up in a familiar position. She was going to take a picture. I tried my best to look photogenic. “Say cheese!”

Two seconds later, I relaxed, my face settling back into a much more natural smile than the practiced one I had learned to wear for strategy meetings.

Asuna was frowning at something in the menu as I walked over to her.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine, I just wish we’d brought Argo along.” I stopped, a few steps away from seeing the picture she’d taken.

“I thought that this was supposed to be our date?”

“It is,” Asuna said, sighing and closing the menu. “But we can’t take any couple’s photo’s like this, and…” My wife gazed out over the lake, refusing to meet my eyes, “She had a breakdown yesterday because we stepped out to chat. I’m worried about her.”

The weight of Asuna’s words hung over us like a cloud, seeming to erase the comfort that perhaps only I had felt. Was I really so selfish that I ignored a friend desperately in need to have a date with my wife?

“We could head back.”

“We should.”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat Part 7

Neither of us spoke as we hurried back, neither of us trusting that Argo would tell us how she truly felt over a message. She was too good at not asking for help. Before we knew it, both of us were running, our strides eating up the ground in front of us, our feet unerringly finding clear spots amongst the forest floor, and our bodies following trails we couldn’t consciously process in our haste to get to Argo. As we ran, doubts plagued my mind.

Maybe Argo’s doing just fine, and you gave up on your date with Asuna for nothing. Or maybe Asuna was just looking for an excuse to end the date; you didn’t really think she’d enjoy a walk in the woods, did you?

As the dark thoughts started clouding me, I started using a technique Asuna had taught me when I spoke up about my doubts.

One: Even if Argo is fine right now, she might still need help later that we couldn’t provide if we’re not there. Two- I ducked under a low-hanging branch, throwing my body into a tumble and coming up running- Asuna was more eager for this date than I was, and put much more effort into it.

I jumped over a log in the middle of the path, Asuna’s auburn hair catching my eye as she jumped beside me. She was a beacon of determination and drive in contrast to my mess of doubts. I never felt lost when Asuna was by my side, and she made the final refutation to my dark thoughts obvious.

Three: Asuna is just as concerned about Argo as I am.

With my resolve firmed, I settled into the rhythm of running, keeping my eyes ahead of me for any obstacles. The woods seemed to blur in my periphery as we ran, and before I knew it, we were at the teleport gate in Rovia, and Asuna was inputting our destination.

“Teleport: Algade!” Asuna shouted, and the two of us were swallowed up by a pale blue light. When the light cleared, we were standing in the familiar courtyard that formed the teleport park for the 50th floor.

Argo had returned here, and to my house, probably to continue her work on her newspaper. Hopefully her work was going well, and Asuna and I were hustling through the streets for nothing.

It was only a few minutes before we reached my home, and I just about bolted up the steps, Asuna right beside me. I opened the door, and felt my heart leap into my throat.

Argo was sitting in one of the corners, staring off into space, one hand clutching her knife. She seemed tiny, like someone had sucked all of the life and presence that could fill up a room out of her.

I cautiously stepped into the room, trying not to startle my friend. The second my foot hit the floor, her head shot up, and I felt her stare fall on me. She scooted along the wall a bit, placing my kitchen table between me and her. It felt like she was looking through me.

“Argo?” My wife said, stepping around me, before rushing into the house. As she moved, Argo’s gaze cleared, and she let her knife slip through her fingers, the blade clattering onto the floor as she dove into Asuna’s arms.

I hesitantly crept further into the room, listening to Argo’s hitching breaths and Asuna’s murmured reassurances. Catching Asuna’s eye with a wave, I indicated the couch.

My wife nodded, and started gently guiding Argo so that they could sit down on the couch. I hovered nervously around them, not wanting to make the situation worse somehow. And if there was one talent I had, it was making situations worse. Just look at what had happened with the Black Cats.

What a mess I was, desperately wanting to help, but with no idea how.

Therefore, it was great trepidation that I sat down on the couch at Asuna’s insistence. She could be quite communicative with her glares when she wanted to be.

“Closer, Kirito,” Asuna said, frowning at me when I sat down as far away as possible from where my wife was comforting Argo. Hesitantly, I scooched further towards the cuddling pair, until I was just outside of arms reach.
Asuna sighed in exhaustion, then grabbed me by the arm and pulled me closer. When she was done, I was almost nestled up against her and Argo.

The info broker raised her head to see what her pillow was doing, and then grabbed me with one arm so fast I didn’t even see her untangle her limb from Asuna.

I found myself smushed up against the two women, one of them still taking heaving breaths. I could feel Argo’s heart beating rapidly against me, only growing more prominent as she burrowed further between me and Asuna.

It was a precarious position we were in, with me half-draped over Argo, who herself was sitting on Asuna’s lap. I felt like I would fall off the couch at any second if Argo’s hold on both me and Asuna was any less strong. Still, I was taken aback when Asuna decided to pull us down.

It was a tumult of elbows and knees at first, but we quickly settled into a somewhat comfortable position, me and Asuna beneath Argo; who had cuddled herself into as tight a ball as she could over our bodies. The only thing to escape that sphere was one of Argo’s hands, which was gripping onto my coat as if she was falling off a cliff.

My hands hovered in the air, uncertain of where they might go. Carefully, I nudged Asuna with my shoulder, and waved one of my hands.

With a snort, she guided them down over Argo’s back, and I felt the small info broker unwind a little, almost oozing into my embrace. It was strangely comforting, being surrounded in bodies like this. I felt my eyelids trying to drift closed and forced them open. As I did so, my mouth opened in a yawn.

I shook my head as well as I could. I needed to stay awake. Once Argo had recovered, she wouldn’t want me to be doing this. It would be better for all of us if I... sli...pp...ed… a...w...ay…

…

…

I woke hours later to the sound of Asuna making dinner, while listening to Argo talk. The first thought that crossed my mind was that there should be something I needed to do. The second was that I had probably made the girls uncomfortable, falling asleep like that, and probably drooling all over them.

It was only then that I noticed the blanket draped over me.

It was the blanket from the bedroom.

I carefully slipped out from underneath it, my feet making a loud *clunk* as they hit the floor.

“Oh, hey Kii-bou!” Argo called, swirling in her seat, the shadows in her eyes almost eclipsed by her beaming smile, “Did ya’ get a nice rest?”

“It was nice, yes.” I started folding the blanket, preparing it for it’s return trip. Folding a blanket properly gave it a +5 warmth temporarily, so I made sure to fold every blanket after I used it.

“I bet it was, especially with some very nice pillows to rest against, eh?” I fumbled the blanket, barely catching it before it hit the floor. I spun to face Argo, my hands moving of their own accord.

“Argo!” Me and my wife yelled in unison, the two of us uniform in our blushes.

“What?” Argo laughed, her grin growing even wider, “Do I not make a good pillow, Kii-bou?”

I steadfastly refused to meet her eye, gripping the blanket so tightly I heard it taking durability damage. I marched quickly across the room, suddenly wanting to lock myself in the bedroom until I could think of something that wasn’t the very pleasant sensation of Argo and Asuna pressed up against me, the heat of our bodies merging together…

No, stop. I had gone over 300 days without masturbating before, this would be nothing. Hopefully.

As I closed the door behind me, I heard Asuna trying to lecture Argo.

“...can’t tease us about-”

“-Was I not a good pillow, Aa-chan?”

“That is not the question here!”

“I’m not hearin’ an-”

*click*

Safe in my bedroom, I dropped the alarmingly low durability blanket onto the bed. Why was I letting Argo get to me like this? I should have been able to shrug her teasing off like the last time she teased me about us having to sleep close to one another, back when we were investigating the rumors of the item drop for the White Wyvern on the 55th floor.

So why was I so embarrassed by her friendly jabs now? Was she better at ferreting out what would get a reaction out of me? Or was my relationship with Asuna somehow making me more vulnerable to teasing?

No, I still didn’t react when Klein messaged me every other day to ask me how my honeymoon was going, although he had stopped after I told him we were taking care of Argo.

Whatever, why I was responding the way I was wasn’t important. I needed to shut it down so that I could function around Argo, without a permanently red face. Carefully composing myself, I opened the door.

“C’mon, tell me how he is in bed!”

And closed it again.

Why was Argo even asking about that? I thought, once again blushing furiously. I turned and slid down the door, clutching my face in embarrassment. I would wait here until Asuna told me dinner was ready, given that Argo appeared to be in a teasing mood, and my dignity would not survive another encounter with her.

It took five minutes of fiddling with the menu for me to become bored. Normally I could immerse myself in the systems that made up Sword Art Online, but now I just couldn’t do it. What was the world coming to?

Carefully, I stood up, grabbed the brass doorknob, and opened the door an inch.

“You can’t keep covering up your injuries with all this teasing, Argo!” Asuna was standing like some righteous god, her concern and anger radiating out from her in equal measure while Argo sat hunched over in one of the chairs next to the table.

“I know that you’re used to relying on yourself, and some self-sufficiency is good. But you can’t do everything alone. Let us help.”

The room was silent after my wife finished speaking, and it hung in the air like a man weighing the decision to take another hit of the drug that he has grown so dependent on, and will kill him if he keeps using it, or go through the painful ordeal of going sober. I felt the moment that Argo decided to cast aside the needle and call out for help.

“I don’t know how.”

The words were quiet, barely above a whisper, but I still heard them, and Asuna stepped in close, kneeling down before the Info Broker, and grabbing the other woman’s hands in her own.

“Then we’ll figure it out together.”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat Part 8

“You want to go to the 22nd floor?”

“There’ve been rumors of a ghost goin’ round and I want to get to the bottom o’ it.” Argo shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clearly trying to say something more but it wasn’t coming out.

“But the 22nd floor, Argo?” Asuna said, leaning across the table to look into’ Argo’s eyes, “Do you real-”

“I need ta do this.” Argo’s voice was hard, resolute. There would be no turning her back from this, I knew. “I don’ want to stay in the safe zones forever. ‘Sides,” she tapped her new breastplate, “I’ve got some better armor now, I shoul’ be fine.”

“I know,” I said, raising my gaze from my clasped hands to meet Argo’s eyes, “We’re just worried about you.” It had been three days since I’d woken up to see her sleeping in the chair at the dinner table, or still awake, unable to sleep, but… you didn’t just get over near-death experiences like that. I still had nightmares about falling through the sky sometimes, and I hadn’t come anywhere as near to death facing Xyrphan as Argo had on the 22nd floor.

“That’s why I want your help.”

Asuna and I exchanged a look, coming to an agreement before we could even talk.

“What do you want us to do?”

* * *

“Well, here we are,” I said, resting one foot on a rock, leaning over my raised knee. “The 22nd floor.” I peered out through the woods, trying to catch any glimpse of the mobs that I knew roamed this place. I had come prepared with two full stacks of throwing picks to kill any monster before it even entered aggro range.

Asuna had quicker movement than I did, and would be better positioned to protect Argo if something did attack. My job, as the man with throwing weapons, was to try and keep them from having to react.

There!

I snatched a pick from the holster. My arm came up, then back, and then forward and down. My body pivoted as my arm moved. I brought my hip around, leading my leg in front of my body. The pick left my hand just as it passed my shoulder.

A perfect throw.

The [Feral Woods Wolf] didn’t stand a chance, just barely able to open its mouth before my throwing pick hit it. Before the mob could release the howl that would call any nearby wolves toward us, it shattered. The whole affair took less than a second.
“Hurry up Kirito!” Ah, shoot. I glanced down the pathway towards where Asuna was calling me from. My wife stood in a ready stance, one hand on her rapier, ready to draw it. Despite the fact that she was clearly ready for combat, she looked supremely annoyed.

“We need to stay together!”

“Sorry, I’m coming!” I called out, deciding to leave the throwing pick for lost. Liz sold me them for a bargain anyway.

“Honestly Kirito, you need to stay focused,” Asuna said as I caught up to them, relaxing her stance minutely, “We’re here to investigate, not to hunt mobs.”

“Mmmuh. It’s no good,” Argo grumbled from where she was peeking into the woods.

“Argo?” I asked, coming to stand behind her. The Info Broker had hardly said a word the entire time that we’d been on the 22nd floor, almost seeming to fade into her cloak. Neither Asuna or I said it, but we were planning to cut this trip short if we didn’t find what we were looking for within half an hour.

“The foliage ‘s too thick. I though’ I saw somethin’ through ‘ere, but I’ll need to get a closer look.” Argo then stepped off the path into the underbrush, her stealth skills making her passage into the wild almost impossible to detect. Without hesitation, I followed her, Asuna half a step behind me.

I crept quietly behind Argo through the forest, careful to avoid brushing up against any of the trees and create unnecessary noise that could attract the attention of a mob. Asuna followed behind me, her rapier drawn in case she needed to respond, although she was shaking slightly.

As we approached a clearing, Argo motioned for us to be still, and I felt Asuna hide behind me. When we peered through the bushes, Asuna whispered “Do you think it’s really a ghost?”

“I don’t know, but we can’t rule it out.”

“Oh,” Asuna said, her hand on my shoulder shaking a little more.

At her words, Argo turned her head towards us, a familiar smirk on her face. “Aww, Aa-chan, are ya scared of ghosts?”

“No. No I’m not!” Asuna hissed, her fingers digging into my shoulder. “I just have a healthy respect for-”

“Healthy respec’. Riiight.”

“What? It’s true!”

I let Asuna and Argo whisper heatedly while I peered through the woods. It was no use, the underbrush in this area was just too thick. Closing my eyes briefly, I fired off a [Scan].

The nearly maxed-out skill swept through the forest, highlighting all the living things in the area, and feeding the information about what they were back to me. I grappled briefly with the influx of information, isolating specific colors of thread from the web that was drawn back to me in the wake of my skill. There were two mobs in our immediate vicinity, both Feral Woods Wolves, and one unknown presence, 20 meters away, on the other side of the clearing, and moving towards us.

“Heads up.” Asuna and Argo quieted almost instantly, peering forward in the same direction I was looking, the one that had indicated an unknown presence. We waited, the tension building as the grass started to rustle.

I felt Asuna’s grip on my shoulder tighten until it was just shy of causing damage. Then a short figure walked into the clearing. Small, was my first impression, and she, for it was a girl, moved with an ethereal quality, as though the grass beneath her feet did not exist. Her white dress and long black hair were reminiscent of the ghost from The Ring, and for a second, I thought that we actually had found a ghost.

Asuna certainly thought so, judging by the scream she let out.

The girl froze in the clearing, standing ramrod straight, as if Asuna’s scream had carried a paralyzing effect. I knew that I couldn’t move, and Argo seemed to be much the same. We were seeing something momentous here, and I didn’t know what.

The girl fell over backwards, collapsing like a puppet with her strings cut. Her fall brought me into action, words of realization coming out without any conscious effort.

“That’s a player!”

Argo reached the fallen girl almost half a second before I did. When she stopped, she took one look at the fallen form and said, “If she is, then somethin’s wrong with her,” I saw what she meant almost immediately.

“She doesn’t have a cursor.”

“What?” Asuna had recovered from her fright at the news that it wasn’t actually a ghost, and had joined us by the time I had finished talking. The three of us examined the girl, Argo prodding and poking all over her body while me and my wife contented ourselves with looking.

“She’s really lucky we found her when we did.” I kneeled down on the ground next to her, carefully reaching under her to lift her up.

“Yeah.” Argo’s face was covered in shadows, and I winced. A player alone in hostile territory for an unknown amount of time. It was very similar to what Argo had gone through barely a week ago, and though she seemed okay… I had my doubts, and this scenario couldn’t be doing her any favors.

Wordlessly, Asuna took Argo’s arm, and started leading her back towards town through the woods. The whiskered girl didn’t resist, seemingly grateful to not have to look at the girl I was carrying.

***

“Any change, Argo?” I asked, pausing in the open doorway to my bedroom. The girl we had picked up in the forest was sleeping peacefully underneath the covers of the bed. Argo was sitting in a chair she had dragged from the table, looking simultaneously bored and fascinated.

“No, although that’s somethin’ in of itself,” Argo said, stretching her body out, letting out a wince and a grunt of pain as staying in the same position for over an hour caught up with her.

“How’s that?”

“Well,” Argo began, gesturing at the girl, “She hasn’ moved once since we laid her on the bed, excep’ for breathin’. I’ve been watchin’ her for the past couple hours now, and she hasn’ so much as twitched.” The info broker leaned in closer, trying to see if the target of her observation had shifted in any way.

“I mean, take a look at these.” Argo flicked open her menu and scrolled down to a familiar tool.

“I didn’t know you knew how to use the camera,” I said, only half surprised. If anyone else could figure it out, it would be Argo. She had an inquisitive nature and a talent for ferreting out secrets that far surpassed anyone else I had seen.

“Havin’ photo evidence is good for makin’ my guides,” Argo responded distractedly, scrolling to the bottom of her camera roll, “I jus’ wish that I coul’ print ‘em.” She selected two of the pictures, and blew them up.

“You see this one here is from half an hour after I started this.” The Rat gestured at the photo on the left. “And this one is from fifteen minutes ago.” She gestured at the one on the right.

“It’s the same photo.” The pictures really were identical. My bedroom didn’t get that much light, so even though the photos were taken

“Nah Sherlock, they jus’ look the same,” Argo drawled, pulling up another two photos, “An’ these are from an experiment I did six months back.” The new photos were fairly similar to each other, but the man pictured sleeping in the one time stamped half an hour later than the other one had his head facing the other way.

“An’ before you ask, I made sure he was alrigh’ with me takin’ photos for my experiment.”

“I have no idea why you think I’d think that.” I brushed my hand up against one of the photos, even though I couldn’t interact with it, I still felt like I could. Even after all this time, my brain hadn’t fully adapted to virtual reality. “I know how protective you are of people’s privacy.”

Argo made most of her info-broking money by selling the locations and stats of rare item drops, mat farming locations, and dungeon optimizations. Even though she also sold data on players, the costs attached for anything more than a one-time ‘here’s their location at this exact moment’ was so expensive that even a top-tier guild like the KoB would be hard-pressed to do more than rudimentary tracking on a rival guild.

That, and people paid her to keep their data private. As far as I knew, once you paid her, she stayed paid, even if she got a better offer from someone else.

“If that’s what you want to think, Kii-bou.” Argo singsonged, her voice pitching a little more wildly than normal. Was she trying to hide something?

Probably.

I kneeled down in front of the chair, and raised my head to meet her gaze. If whatever was on her mind was bothering her so much she was letting it show, intentionally or not…

“Remember, if you need something, Asuna and I are always here to help.” Argo froze, not blinking as her gaze jittered about my face, finally settling just below my eyes for some reason. “You can talk to me about anything.” The chance that I could actually give her any help was small, but I would do my best to help nonetheless.

And with that, I rose, and helped her up from the chair. “I’ll take over for you, you can go help Asuna decide what to have for dinner.”

“Right!” Argo shook herself like a dog coming out of water, “Dinner, yes! I- I’ll go help make some- something, yes!” The Info Broker spun in place, and marched out the door. Swerving to avoid banging into the doorframe. Was she feeling alright? Did she sit for too long in the chair?

I cast a sideways glance at the chair, deciding I would be better off sitting on the ground if sitting in the chair for so long had thrown off Argo’s balance that much.

It was decidedly uncomfortable on the floor, but probably better than the chair. Thankfully, dinner was going to be soon.

* * *

“Stupid, stupid, stupid Kii-bou,” Argo muttered under her breath as she paced around the living room of Kirito’s apartment. “Bein’ so fuckin’ warm and carin’ and…” Argo shivered as the memory of him looking so warmly and earnestly ran through her mind again.

“Ergh!” Argo flopped onto the couch, her mind whirling in circles. When her mind had settled, the Info Broker dragged one hand down her face, trying to sort her thoughts out. Alright, she thought to herself, I have a serious crush on Kirito.

She knew how it had first come about, too. She’d been nursing it and ignoring it to various degrees since the Beta, attracted to the boy who seemed to get even further into the secrets of the game than she had, despite being a combat junkie. She’d done the sensible thing and not tried to start a relationship with a guy that she’d met over the internet.

And the Sword Art Online launched, and Argo had been too busy putting together her network, and then getting her newspaper up and running. By the time she was done, Kirito was trying to isolate himself from everyone else, and doing a good job of it, too.

She couldn’t blame him for not noticing her feelings. He was too wrapped up in hating himself for the incident with the Black Cats to see what other people really thought of him, and only one person had ever managed to truly pierce that shroud.

“Argo, can you come here please?”

Asuna.

The smiling woman’s visage consumed Argo’s attention, it’s warm radiance making her feel like she was basking in the sun. Argo was half-convinced that it was a cosmic joke, that the two people she was most interested in dating were involved with each other.

“Yeah, sure,” Argo said, moving a little more quickly than she normally did as she walked over to Asuna.

“I need your help taste-testing this food,” The chef said, bringing a fork full of a rice covered in sauce up in front of her, “Ever since we ate the Ragout Rabbit, mine and Kirito’s taste buds have been a little off.” Asuna smiled and Argo melted a little bit inside.

“Now Say Ahh!” Asuna teased, moving the fork closer to Argo’s face as if she were about to feed a baby. Without thinking, Argo darted forward, clamping her mouth down around the outstretched fork as her hand circled Asuna’s wrist.

Heaven exploded in her mouth.

Asuna’s cooking was always good, but she had outdone herself this time, and Argo couldn’t stop herself from humming in enjoyment as she slowly chewed the rice. There were so many flavors mixed into the dish that she couldn’t tell what the dish had been made from, only that it was good.

Argo finished chewing, and swallowed, quietly mourning the loss of the food. “‘s good,” She said, running her tongue around her mouth to try and find any missing particles of food that she may have missed.

Asuna nodded, and started to turn back to the stove, and Argo saw her opportunity. She tried to creep around Asuna, angling for the dish next to the sink that had such a heavenly smell wafting from the rice dish inside it.

Closer, closer. Argo chanted inside her head as she quietly moved one foot in front of the other, Just a few more-

“You better not be trying to steal dinner back there Argo,” Asuna said, her tone unnaturally light, and Argo couldn’t help but gulp when she heard it.

“Nah, ‘course not,” Argo said, leaning up against the counter behind her, “Jus’ admirin’ your beauty.”

“Well you can admire me from the living room just as well,” Asuna said, starting to flip the pork medallions over in the pan.

Argo quietly slunk out of the kitchen and collapsed face down onto the couch, pulling her hood down over her face. What the fuck was that!!!!!! she squealed in her mind, kicking her feet back and forth wildly in the air, her face burning a bright red. Why did I try to flirt with her? She’s Kirito’s wife! And they’re helpin’ me so fuckin’ much! I don’t want to come between them! Ugh, why do they have to be so fuckin’ hot!

Argo managed to wriggle and writhe her way into exhaustion on the couch as she rolled about, grappling with her feelings and thoughts. There she stayed until dinner.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat Part 9: Yui

I jolted awake at the slam of a pot, my back aching and my neck cramped. I had spent the night sitting in one of the chairs after much cajoling from Asuna, and now my body was paying the price. Groaning, I stretched out, my spine cracking as I worked the tension out of my body.

“Mornin’ sleepin’ beauty,” Argo yawned from the doorway, her hair still tousled from a night of sleep. She had been strangely reluctant to sleep last night, insisting that she could take another shift despite having kept watch over the Mystery Girl for far longer than I or Asuna had.

“Morning,” I replied, standing up and rolling my head around to try and work out some of my neck cramps.

“Any change?”

I glanced back at the girl resting on my bed, who had not moved between when I’d fallen asleep and when I’d woken up. “Not that I can tell.”

“Aa-chan’s makin’ omelettes,” Argo said, smiling a little at the thought of such delicious food. “If ya hurry, she migh’ let ya choose what goes in it.”

“Well, I’d best hurry then,” I said, already hustling towards the doorway, “I wouldn’t want to miss out on omelettes.” Of all the foods that were quick enough to prepare for breakfast, Asuna was best at omelettes. However, the eggs necessary to make them were rare, mainly found in the early levels, where not many people farmed mats anymore, and she had taken to trying more exotic eggs in an effort to keep the quality of the ingredients up with her cooking skill.

When I walked into the kitchen, Asuna was determinedly scraping the bottom of a frying pan, and As I walked closer, she flipped a folded omelette onto a non-browned side, before reaching over to the spice rack and dusting it with what looked like dill. I waited till she wasn’t holding anything before wrapping my arms around her.

“Morning,” I breathed into her ear, resting my chin on her shoulder as she continued to work despite my presence.

“Good morning Kirito,” Asuna said brightly, scratching my head with one hand while the other started to distribute ingredients across the yellow mass of egg and cheese that would soon become an omelette. “Did you sleep okay?”

“It could have been better,” I admitted, leaning a bit more heavily into Asuna. Ah, it was so nice to just bask in her presence like this. “I acquired the statuses ‘sore back’ and ‘stiffness’ over the course of the night.”

Asuna’s breath huffed in mirth, “Well,” she said, “I suppose it’s a good thing that I’m preparing something that cures those status ailments, isn’t it?”

I nodded against her neck. “I’d like some of the leftover pork in my omelette.”

“Hmm,” Asuna tapped her chin with one finger, “I could do it, but the sauce on the pork wouldn’t mix well with the eggs we have, so it might be a bit more sour than you’re expecting.”

“That sounds okay,” I hummed into Asuna’s neck, making her giggle as my breath tickled her.

“Alright, Kirito, you need to let me cook.” I lingered a moment longer, nuzzling into my wife’s neck before I released her.

“I’m looking forward to breakfast.”

“When are you not?” Asuna smiled over her shoulder at me, and I met her with a smile of my own.

I leaned back on the counter behind me, basking in the domesticity of watching my wife cook breakfast. I could almost forget that we were in a death game when we were like this.

“Kirito! Asuna!” Argo shouted, appearing in the doorway to the bedroom, making Asuna flip her omelette a second too early, causing some of it to spill out of the pan.

“Fuck!” I raised an eyebrow as Asuna cursed, frantically shovelling the pieces of omelette back into the pan.

“What is it Argo?” I called back, moving my hand so that I could open my inventory if I needed too. The woman looked confused, which while not an immediate sign of danger, was concerning.

“She’s awake!” The excitement in her voice was palpable, offsetting the visible confusion on her face. Behind me I heard another curse and a clatter as Asuna dropped something in her excitement.

* * *

The strange girl was sitting up in bed, looking around at her surroundings with an intense kind of curiosity, her eyes gleaming with the eager inquisitiveness only a child could manage. She didn’t seem overly perturbed about the strange surroundings, more confused about how she had gotten there than worried about what it might mean.

“Hello.” Asuna took the lead, as she usually did in social situations. Her term as the closest thing SAO had to a politician had made her very adept at dealing with people of all sorts, even the children that mainly resided in the school down on the first floor. “It’s really nice to see you awake.”

When the girl merely blinked in response, her face not changing in the slightest aside from that, Asuna started asking questions. “Do you remember what happened to you?” The girl cocked her head, but otherwise made no effort to respond.

“Alright then.” Asuna sat down on the edge of the bed, moving her torso so that she was still facing the mysterious girl. “Can you tell us your name?” At her words, the little girl withdrew into herself, and started muttering.

“M- M-- My- na- my name I th- I- I thin- think-” The girl mumbled to herself, her mouth seeming to roll over the words as if she was testing out how they sounded and felt, like she was speaking for the first time. “I- it- issss- Yu- Yuiiii- Yui. My name is Yui” The girl, now named Yui, finished with a small smile that seemed to make the room glow.

“Well Yui, it’s nice to meet you,” Asuna said, “I’m Asuna, this is Kirito, and the lady next to him is Argo.” I could feel Yui’s eyes hone in on us; there was something heavy about them, but I couldn’t figure out what it reminded me of. Next to me, Argo stealthily grabbed my arm, her cloak concealing any movement.

“Una?” Yui spoke slowly, her mouth struggling to form the complicated shapes needed to make up my wife’s name. “Kito? Ago?” Argo’s hand clenched so hard on my arm that I thought for a second that my health would start ticking down, only to remember that we were in a safe zone. When I looked over, her lips were squeezed tightly shut, quivering from the laughter that wanted to escape. I reached across and pried her hand off my arm.

Asuna smiled serenely, and kept talking to Yui. “It’s okay,” She said, “Now, I need you to try to remember what happened to you. Can you do that for me, Yui?” The young girl once more shrunk in on herself, her lips moving without actually saying anything.

“I, I can’t,” Yui started, her eyes shooting wide open in panic, “I can’t remember anything!” The girl’s eyes narrowed onto a single point on the wall, and she stared at it, unblinking.

“Hey,” I said, trying to get her to focus on something other than her circumstances, “You’re awake.” When Yui stared blankly at me, I sat down on the bed next to the wall, angled so that I could talk with her easily. “It’s nice to meet you; I’m Kirito.”

The little girl stared intently at me, her mouth struggling to form the syllables that made up my name. “Kito?”

“Ki-ri-to” I sounded out my name for her, “And the one in the back is Argo,” I waved my hand back towards Argo, who responded with a wave.

“Nice ta meet ya squirt, can you say Ar-go?” Argo sauntered forward, hiding her nervousness under a heavy layer of showmanship and bravado. Asuna and I exchanged a fond look. Argo had never been very comfortable around children, and turned all the attributes that made up the persona of “The Rat” to their furthest extent when interacting with them. She still didn’t know why she was so popular when she visited the first floor orphanage.

“Ago?” Yui said hesitantly, her mouth mulling over the name as it came out.

“Close, it’s Ar-go.”

“A-go,” Yui repeated, her mouth not able to make the needed consonant to produce Argo’s name.

“Tell you what, kid,” Argo said, sitting down on the couch in between me and Asuna. “You can call me whatever makes you the most comfortable,”

Yui sat in silence for a few moments, before her mouth sounded out a word that made Argo freeze in stupefaction. “Ago-mama?”

“Me?” Argo pointed to herself, as her brain tried to reboot from the shock of having a young girl call her ‘Mama’. Yui nodded, once.

“Congrats on your adoption, Argo,” I said, enjoying the sight of the info broker’s face going slack, her jaw dropping to form her mouth into a cute little ‘o’.

“We’ll be here to help you through every step of the way,” Asuna said, placing a reassuring hand on Argo’s shoulder. The Rat flushed red in response, and I braced myself for the incoming outburst of anger when Yui’s voice, now a little more confident, cut through the room.

“Papa.”

Slowly, I turned, feeling much like a swimmer does when he spots a shark fin circling in the waters near him. Hesitantly, as if speaking would confirm it, I gestured to myself and said a single word. “Me?”

When Yui nodded, I felt as though the house had collapsed on my shoulders. I readied myself for Argo to start laughing, and teasing me about the young girl assuming things about our relationship. She’d done it before. But instead, when I turned around, Argo was fidgeting, hunched in over on herself, looking much like she didn’t know what to do.

“Look, Yui,” I began, “I’m… grateful… that you think I’d be a good father, but I’m in a relationship with Asuna-”

“Una-mama,” Yui nodded sagely, like she had unravelled some great secret of the universe.

Asuna let out a small sound, something between a yelp and a sharp inhalation, before speaking. “Argo, Kirito, why don’t you two go get breakfast. I’d like to speak with Yui alone for a bit.”

I exchanged a look with Argo, who seemed about as apprehensive as I felt. The info broker shrugged, and I got the message. There’s really nothing we can do here.

“Okay,” I said, feeling very much out of my orbit here, like someone had switched two of the digits of Pi around when I wasn’t watching. The world seemed to spin around me as Argo and I walked out of the room, and it didn’t stop spinning as I sat down at the table.

Argo flopped down opposite me, wearing the same expression of bewilderment that I was sure was on my face.

“Well,” The Rat began, tipping her head back to stare at the ceiling, “What a day.”

“What a day indeed,” I agreed, slumping over on the table. It wasn’t even 7:30 and I was already worn out.

“So…”

“...Yeah.”

“You wanna try and fix up the omelettes?”

“No,” Argo shook her head, “I don’t have the cooking skill, so I’d probably just burn them or worse.”

“I’ll go get us some leftovers then.” I rose from the table, and plodded towards the cabinets, still feeling the weight of the awkward silence between us.

Thankfully, we still had a little bit of the pork stir fry from last night, so even if it was cold, we’d have something to eat.

Argo and I ate in silence. It was frustrating, that the atmosphere was so awkward. All the comfort and friendliness that I had come to love over the past week had vanished. I should have done something better, refuted Yui’s assumption better. Maybe then I would be able to look Argo in the face.

Thankfully, the awkwardness was somewhat dispelled by the bedroom door opening again. Asuna ushered a yawning Yui through, and the little girl mumbled something about food as she moved toward the kitchen. Asuna heaved a sigh, then scraped up what omelette she managed to cook.

“We’re heading to the first floor directly after breakfast.” Asuna’s tone brooked no argument. Not that I had any plans for what to do today in the first place.

The conversation over breakfast was somewhat light, with the three of us all entertaining Yui to various degrees, any awkwardness fading as the very, very cute girl asked earnest questions about Aincrad, with a particular focus on the people who made up it’s inhabitants.

“So if I ever need anything I go to Egg-il?” Yui frowned cutely as she tried to sound out the merchant’s name.

“Not everythin’,” Argo corrected, “I can probably tell you where it is for cheaper.”

“And Agil, while he is a very good man, mostly deals in material support,” Asuna said, changing out her indoor slippers for more suitable shoes outside. “So if you have a serious problem, you can come to us.”

“Alright, let’s head out,” I said, opening the door to “my” apartment. A cold breeze swished through as I did so, and Yui, in her thin white dress, shivered. “Oh shoot.” I hurriedly closed the door. I’d forgotten that it was fall, and Yui would need more protection than what she was wearing.

Not only that, but it was one of the rare “cold days”, where the temperature was approximately two degrees celsius colder.

“You shoul’ probably equip somethin’ heavier, squirt,” Argo said, scrolling through her inventory to pick out the scarf that Asuna had sewed her for days such as this. She never changed out that scarf, even though Asuna had only made it when she was a novice sewer.

“Equip?” Yui said, cocking her head to the side quizzically.

“Yeah, Equip, like when you change your gear?” I said, flipping open my menu as an example.

“Equip…” Yui formed her hand into a close approximation of the gesture I had just made, and swiped her menu open. “Ah!”

I almost yelped as well. Yui’s menu was different from any other menu I had seen before. Even the basic page had more columns and rows available than any other I had seen before, and I caught glimpses of corrupted labels from over her shoulder as I guided her to the inventory screen.

Getting her actual clothes was a bit of a hassle, and Asuna had to grab a spare set of casual gear for her. She equipped her gear without complaint however, seeming to enjoy wearing the much warmer stockings and dress, although I think what fascinated her the most were the shoes.

Yui seemed to delight in stepping on as many different surfaces as she could, trying to feel the differences between them through the boots that Asuna had given her. It was as she was balancing on the land-side curb of the street that Argo approached me.

“She’s really cute, isn’t she?” The info broker asked rhetorically, smiling as Yui almost stumbled off the curb. She spoke a bit loudly to be heard over the noise of the stream nearby that supplied water-wheels in some of the shops.

“She sure is,” I smiled myself, as Asuna sidled up on the side of us, trying to join our conversation.

“You know, I never though’ we’d be raisin’ a kid together, Kii-bou, Aa-chan,”

My foot hit the edge of the sidewalk, and I almost tripped and fell.

“Argo,” I said, bewildered, “what?”

“We’re just finding her parents, aren’t we Argo?” Asuna said, one eyebrow raised.

The Rat’s face was shadowed. “I didn’ wan’ to say this where Yui coul’ hear, but mos’ of the kids in this game are bein’ taken care of by one lady on the first floor named Sasha,” Argo sighed heavily, “An’ she’s never had a kid named Yui in her care, from what I remember.”

“So she’s been on her own all this time?” Asuna said, looking stricken.

“Musta’ been,” Argo answered, scratching the back of her head, “I haven’ though’ abou’ it too much, but she’s not a normal kid, even for SAO.”

“No wonder she’s an amnesiac, if she’s been struggling for survival on her own for the past two years.” Even I, who had avoided almost all social contact for months at a time on occasion had been unable to ignore some aspects of the network that SAO players had built up.

Weapon repairs from a blacksmith, food from Asuna, new armor from the tailors and armorsmiths, I needed many things to play a Solo style, and I couldn’t provide most of them on my own. So how had Yui been able to survive on her own for so long?

“Well,” Argo said, “There’s still a chance that Sasha can take care o’ her, but she’s already swamped as is, an’ Yui’s a real cute-”

“Mamas, Papa, Look!” Yui shouted, drawing us out of our conversation and making my eyes widen in shock. “It’s so fast!” The little girl laughed, leaning out over the rapidly flowing stream, heedless of the fact that she could fall in and be swept away at any time, the water destroying any resistance to cold damage her gear had, until she was thrown up in the middle of a field, alone, suffering from several debuffs and forced to fight monsters over thirty floors above where we had found her.

I had just drawn in breath to yell at her when I saw her lean out too far over the water, trying to touch it with one hand.

Her foot slipped, and I saw her eyes widen as she started to fall.

For a split second, I saw another black-haired girl falling…

...And shattering.

Before I could move, I was almost bowled over by a sudden blast of wind. Asuna moved so fast if it wasn’t for the distinct lack of light I would have thought she had teleported as she dived for the girl who was now falling.

Falling into the ice-cold river.

I barely even noticed my leg burning from the sudden acceleration and then deceleration I had put on it. The only thing that crossed my mind at that moment was Yui, falling into the river.

The world seemed to stop for a brief instant, as all three of us ran towards Yui, Asuna already lunging forward. Snatching her by the collar. Yanking her back over the lip of the canal.

By the time I slid to a stop, Yui was held tightly by Asuna, who was on her knees, nuzzling the young girl’s hair. I didn’t hesitate to join the little huddle, and I felt Argo’s warmth wrap around my side half a second later.

We’d only known her for less than a day, not even half of one, and she had already almost died.

“Let’s be more careful from here on out, okay?” I murmured to much more sedate Yui. The young girl nodded against Asuna’s chest, sobered by her near-death experience.

It took us almost five minutes to get started again, and by some unspoken agreement, Asuna held Yui by the hand while we walked.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Part 10

The first floor was a lot more open and happy than I remembered. But then again, I hadn’t been back since the third floor opened, when a lot of people were convinced that we were stuck here, with no hope of getting out.

Now it was just the hub for the people who decided they were going to make a life for themselves on the first floor.

And it was here that all the players younger than twelve had ended up.

Argo led the way through the streets, as the one who knew the way to the Church that served as Aincrad’s sole orphanage. Yui skipped along to the cheerful BGM, the violins in the background bringing a content smile to my face. The little girl practically brimmed over with curiosity, peering at everything within sight.

Asuna kept a careful grip on Yui’s hand, preventing the little girl from running off.

I was happy, walking with my family? My family like this, one arm around Asuna while Yui ran alongside and Argo guided us to someplace only she knew about. I leaned lightly against my wife.

“Oy, hurry it up Lovebirds!” Argo yelled from the next corner, “Not all of us can spend hours at a time starin’ into each other’s eyes!”

“We’re coming!” Asuna called back, disentangling herself so that she only gripped my hand, before she started dragging me along. I adjusted my stride to be longer before I could fall, and we had caught up to Argo before she had crossed the intersection.

“We’re not in any particular rush Argo,” Asuna said, slipping one arm into Argo’s, “Let’s enjoy our journey.”

Argo shook her head. “I’ve been gettin’ reports tha’ Kibaou is actin’ up again. I wan’ to get in an’ out before we get stopped by the Army, so tha’ I can gather more info.”

“Do you know what he’s trying to do this time?” I asked, cocking my head. Kibaou was the biggest threat to the cohesion of the different guilds that was still at large. If he had gained control over a large portion of the Army again.

“No, and tha’s what worries me.” Argo said, falling into our pace as we continued walking, Yui now trailing along behind us, frowning in thought.

“Alright, then let’s make this quick.” I said, starting to increase my speed, “If Kibaou is acting up again, I don’t want Yui anywhere near him.”

“Who’s Kii-aou?” Yui piped up.

“Who?” Argo said, scratching your head, “Kii-bou is right here-”

“No, Kii-aou.” Yui enunciated patiently, “The one you were just talking about.”

“Oh, Kibaou,” Asuna giggled. “They do sound similar, Argo.” the fencer nudged the info broker playfully, causing her to let out an indignant squawk.

“Maybe you should find another nickname for me,” I said, “I’m not sure I want to be so easily confused with Kibaou.”

“Hmm,” Argo tapped her finger against her chin a couple times in thought. “Nope!” She grinned. “You’re stuck with Kii-bou.”

“Great,” I drawled, making Argo laugh in response.

“Who. Is. Kii-aou.” Yui punctuated each word with a stomp. It would have been scary if she weren’t approximately six years old.

“I’m sorry Yui, we got caught up in our own thing,” Asuna said, kneeling down in front of her daughter. “Now, how to begin…”

“Kibaou is probably the bigges’ threat to inter-guild cooperation tha’s still active righ’ now,” Argo said, starting to walk again. Yui ran for a bit to catch up, head cocked intently to listen to the info broker’s words.

“He almos’ broke Aincrad in two before we’d even really got started.”

Yui nodded seriously, her face contorted into a question, “So he’s a meanie?”

Argo stopped, falling behind us momentarily, before she shook herself and jogged a little to keep up. “I guess you coul’ call him tha’.”

“But if Kii-aou is such a meanie, why is he in charge?” Yui asked almost eagerly, as if she was trying to pull back the curtain on the human mind and see how all the little bits and gears worked.

“Well, a lot of what people look for is to blame their problems on other people.” Asuna began, unhesitatingly laying out several things that were still uncomfortable for me to acknowledge. “And Kibaou knew how to inflame and direct that anger.”

Yui nodded along seriously, at a sharp contrast with her very young features. “So he’s a a- demogoe?”

“Demagogue, yes,” Asuna continued, “And thankfully, he isn’t really in charge anymore.”

“Yeah, Thinker an’ Yulier really run the army nowadays,” Argo said, chewing her fishbone. Where she had found another one, I had no idea. “An’ it’s a good thing too.”

“Thi-er? Yulie?” Yui asked eagerly, her eyes shining with curiosity.

“They’re the people who are officially in charge of the Army,” I said, casting my mind back through my many encounters with them, “As the Army mainly keeps the peace on the lower levels, they aren’t clearer-level-”

“Cleaer?” Yui’s eyes are even more curious, if that’s possible, and it strikes me just how little this little girl knew of Aincrad, how it’s people conduct themselves, and the language they used.

“Oh, um a clearer is someone who ‘clears’ floors, and unlocks the next floor for clearing by defeating a boss…” The explanation of all the intricacies of what makes a clearer a clearer and why the Army was one of the few large guilds that didn’t have more than a few clearers or former clearers took the rest of the walk to the church.

Every time I thought that I or Asuna or Argo had explained things to completion, Yui asked something else that made me question my answers.

“But if a cleaer is on the frontlines, and always in combat, why did you call Ago-mama a cleaer?” Yui said, honest confusion written across her face.

“Clearer’s aren’ all full-time warriors like Kii-bou an’ Aa-chan here,” Argo cut in, “In fac’, mos’ o’ ‘em aren’. They’re usually smiths, or merchants on the side, an’ treat clearin’ as a chance to get rare items or mats.” The Rat explained with the air of someone who was far too eager to have a reason to finally be sharing this info.

“We’re here.” Asuna’s words shut all of us up.

The Church was smaller than I had expected, and I almost asked Argo if she was certain that this was the place, but she’d never led me wrong before. With deep breath, Asuna opened the door.

The large windows inside the church let in light from all sides, creating a welcoming atmosphere. It was easy to see that the main body of the church had been repurposed as a schoolroom, with the area normally reserved for a pulpit and altar converted to become a blackboard and other school supplies.

The church was currently deserted. Yui, as curious as ever, scampered over to the blackboard, Argo following along like a rather suspicious caretaker. The little girl found endless fascination with the chalk left nearby, rubbing it along her fingers and examining it from all angles.

Argo kept her interest by making a wild series of guesses about the sort of people who frequented the place, and assuring Yui that she could tell because they had left their mark in the chalk. The curious girl found this incredibly interesting, and alternated between poking and prodding various pieces of chalk and quizzing Argo.

I almost bolted for a second when Yui made to put the chalk in her mouth, but thankfully Argo managed to grab her before she could manage it. Things calmed down immensely once Asuna made her way over to show Yui how to draw with chalk, Argo pouting exaggeratedly at losing her playmate, but heaved a sigh of relief as soon as Yui’s back was turned.

“I don’ know how she does it,” Argo said as she flopped down next to me in the pew.

“Asuna?”

“She’s jus’ so patien’ with Yui, an’ never loses control,” Argo said, kicking her feet up across my lap. “No matter wha’ Yui does, she never lets any anger show on her face.” The info broker tilted her head to watch my wife and the girl I was coming to see as my daughter.

Asuna was currently experimenting with how the chalk drew lines. It wasn’t like in real life, where pressing differently would create different line weights, you just touched the chalk to the board to create a line. But Yui still managed to create an impressive variety of line thicknesses.

She had since moved on to drawing a set of stick figures, one small one standing in front of three others, the one in the middle- oh. She was drawing a family portrait. I could see the four of us overlapping Yui’s art; the little girl in the center, laughing and smiling as Argo told her a joke, wrapping her arms around mine and Asuna’s shoulders while we held Yui’s hands.

I wanted to take a picture like that, someday.

“Argo, look,” I said, tapping the lightly snoozing info broker’s leg. She almost convulsed with how quickly she snapped her legs off of me and into a ball. The info broker shifted upright, sitting stiffly in a way that I hadn’t seen from her recently. “Yui’s drawing us.” I gestured towards the chalkboard.

Yui had finished drawing the stick figures, and moved on to detailing them, moving the chalk very slowly as she put the finishing touches on Argo’s whiskers. I felt more than saw Argo relax next to me, and when I glanced over, she had hidden her face in her hood.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Argo said, smiling in a way I had never seen from her before. “I am.” I very carefully did not mention the tear crawling down her cheek.

“Hey,” I said as Yui finished drawing out Asuna’s long hair. “You want to go do some drawing?”

“Only if you’re gonna draw as well, Kii-bou.”

Asuna looked up and smiled as we approached, wordlessly handing us pieces of chalk. With unspoken agreement, the three of us all took up different positions to draw. As the tallest by a small margin, I stood behind Yui, drawing above where she worked on her family portrait.

Argo worked on her own piece to my left, her chalk moving in grand sweeping circles just like she drew in information. Small straight lines appeared between and inside the circles, forming shapes out of small pieces. On my other side, Asuna created a network of points, with lines moving in the shortest path from one point to the other. The figure she created was hard around the edges, but it was posed in a warm stance, welcoming whoever may come.

Just because she was the fiercest fighter I knew didn’t mean she wasn’t kind.

We kept drawing until Sasha returned.

The door creaked rather loudly as it opened, which made all four of us turn our heads around in unison. All of us froze. Were we not supposed to be in here? Argo had said it was okay, and I trusted her. But what if Kibaou acting up had made Sasha change how she ran the church?

Did we need to leave righ- “Well, It’s nice to see you again Argo,” Sasha said, slumping over as if she had just set down a rather large weight.

“Nice ta see ya too, Sasha,” Argo snapped back, her tone light and teasing. “Still letting Calvin steal as many cookies as he likes?”

The caretaker blushed lightly, but sat down in one of the pews nearby, leaning back against the backrest like it was a plush velvet armchair. “Now, is there anything I can help you with?”

“Well, it has ta do with Yui here,” Argo began, waving a hand in Yui’s direction, The girl took that as her cue to step forward and introduce herself.

“Hi, I’m Yui!” The little girl said, raising her hand in greeting, “Are you friends with Ago-mama?”

“I’d like to think that I am,” Sasha said, “And can you tell me a little about yourself, Yui?”

“That’s actually why we’re here,” I said, patting Yui on the head.

“I can’t remember anything.” Yui shrunk into herself, her hair falling to cover her face. Sasha looked heartbroken.

“We were hoping that you might remember her, and help us figure out who she is, but if you didn’t recognize her…” Sasha shook her head in response to my question.

“I haven’t seen Yui before, I’m sorry.” left unsaid was the possibility that her caretakers, if there even were any, had died.

“It’s okay,” Asuna sighed, “We knew it was a long shot.”

The room fell silent. Yui shifted restlessly next to Argo. Sasha looked uncomfortable with us being here. Maybe we should leave before she gets fed up with us. “Why don’t we go for a walk around and see if anything jogs Yui’s memory?”

“That sounds-”

“I’d be careful if you do go out,” Sasha said, “The Army has been trying to extort my kids for some time now.” Argo’s eyes gleamed.

“Oh, really~” the info broker all but purred, “Tell me more.”

“I’ve been trying to get in contact with you for a while now, actually.” Argo shrugged, and gave a careless smile.

“Sorry abou’ that, I’ve been huntin’ down tricky quests recently.” I frowned as Argo spoke. Unfortunately, without the facade of strength she put up, customers would go elsewhere. Argo wasn’t the only Info broker, just the best one. And a lot of that was because of her image as an unflinching fighter with a mind of Steel.

“Well, it’s good that you’re here now.” Argo swiped open her notepad, one hand holding a stylus, ready to take notes. “It started a few weeks ago,” Sasha began, to the background scratching of Argo’s writing.

The Army had been trying to extort gear and Col from the kids under Sasha’s care. Why, Sasha had no idea, but she thought it likely that whoever was doing it was operating independently of the Army leadership.

“After all,” She said, “It’s not like the leaders leave the Black Iron Palace much these days.”

“Still,” Asuna said, tapping her chin in thought. “It’s not a good sign if Thinker has lost control of the Army to such a degree.”

“Looks like the infightin’ with Kibaou is more serious than we though’.” Argo leaned back, swiping her menu closed. “Kii-bou, Aa-chan, I’m gonna stay here an’ try ta get to the bottom o’ this. You wanna help?”

“You know you can always count on me for help, Argo,” I said, leaning onto her shoulder. She wrapped an arm around me and pulled me down into a one-armed hug.

“Good, ‘cause I’m gonna work ya to tha bone!”

“Can we ask you to help us take care of Yui while we’re investigating?” Asuna asked. The question was something I hadn’t thought of. There were three of us, and Yui needed to be watched. Sasha being able to watch over Yui would free up all three of us to investigate and respond to any challenges.

“I could,” Sasha said, “You’d have to leave her here with me for the duration of your stay in the Town of Beginnings though. I don’t want to have to remake a party because one of the members had to stay back to help me.”

“What do you think, Yui?” I kneeled down in front of the girl I was quickly coming to think of as my daughter. “Do you want to stay with Sasha?”

The black-haired girl bit her thumb nervously, her eyes darting back and forth between me, Sasha, Argo and Asuna. “I want to stay with my Mamas and Papa,” Yui said in a burst of emotion, almost a plaintive cry.

Sasha cast an incredulous glance at Argo, who shushed her with a gesture.

“Well then, it looks like we’ll have to figure out a schedule.” Asuna tapped one finger along her cheek.

“A schedule?”

“For taking care of Yui.” When I hesitated to answer, Asuna gave me a disbelieving look. “What, you didn’t think I was going to stay home while you and Argo investigated this split in the ALF?” I was hesitant about Asuna involving herself in this matter. Argo was a known independent actor, and I hadn’t been part of the KOB long enough for people to associate me with them, especially when I didn’t wear their colors, but Asuna was different.

Every guild member of significance knew Asuna, and that she acted for the KOB. If Kibaou thought that the clearer guilds were trying to muscle in on the lower floors… Well, Asuna knew the politics of the situation better than I did. I trusted her to handle herself, even if I thought that the situation would be more stable without her investigating.

“Well, in any case, let’s go pick out an Inn.” Argo stood up, her cloak falling around her body heavily.

“I remember a pretty good one near the Black Iron Palace,” Asuna said, grabbing on to Yui’s shoulder to keep her from jumping into the pew in front of her in her eagerness to move. “I stayed there last time the ALF hosted the Guild Leader’s council.”

“Alrigh’ then, lead the way.” Argo bowed theatrically, gesturing towards the exit of the church. Asuna nodded towards Argo as she passed. Argo fell in beside me as I passed, Yui holding my hand.

Asuna pushed open the door of the church, And I blinked in surprise. Immediately outside the doors was a four-man “squad” of the Army, arranged in a semicircle. None of them had drawn their weapons, but they were clearly ready to fight.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Part 11

I shifted Yui behind me as Asuna marched fearlessly up to the Army grunts. Even though we were in a safe zone, there were a number of exploits that people could use to move each other around or even to the Black Iron Palace if they felt like it.

“Step aside, sweetheart,” The army grunt probably tried to sound commanding, but it just came off as condescending. “The Aincrad Liberation Force has business with the woman living here.”

Asuna cocked her head to the side, staring up at the man unflinchingly. “And what might that business be?”

“Nothing a little girl like you needs to worry about.” Ohh; This guy didn’t recognize Asuna. One of his buddies obviously did, from the way he was shifting, but the “leader” didn’t.

I was barely able to see Argo as she slipped out of the church, taking advantage of her high [Hide} skill to analyze the situation.

“Since I was going to have Sasha take care of my little sister, I think you will find that it is very much, ‘something I need to worry about’.” Asuna said, playing up the concern angle in a way that reminded me that she was very, very good at getting people to do what she wanted.

Thankfully, Yui seemed to understand that what Asuna was doing was important, and didn’t “correct” her by saying that she was actually Asuna’s daughter the way she had when we tried to convince her to call us her siblings.

“Well, I wouldn’t give your sister up to someone as forgetful as that woman,” The Army Grunt said, gesturing a hand towards the church. “She’s late on her last three rent payments, and if she doesn’t pay up, we’ll have to confiscate some of her possessions.”

“I didn’t know that this place was owned by the army,” Asuna said, crossing her arms. “Is this a new development?”

“The previous owner sold it to us two months ago to recoup profits lost after their planned business failed. We’ve been leasing it to the current occupants.” The line that the Army Grunt feeds Asuna is too well-practiced to be thought up on the spot. This is a meticulously planned operation. And any layperson would probably take it for what it is.

I met Argo’s eyes, and she shook her head. That was all the confirmation I needed. The church was public property, and they could no more force her to pay rent on it then they could make me pay rent on my own house.

“Well, Sasha has a very different opinion on what you have been doing to the children under her care than you do.” The Army Grunt’s muscles tensed as Asuna spoke, and cut her off.

“Sasha is a known liar and philanderer, and you should not leave your sister with her.”

“Really?” Asuna said, somehow managing to sound incredulous without being sarcastic. “So if I go to Thinker, he’ll say that this is an actual-” The army Grunt’s fish flashed out in a backhand, aiming to bring Asuna to the ground. I grasped for one of the swords on my back, only to meet empty air.

The blow never landed.

A shimmering wall surrounded each of the Army Grunts as the anti-criminal code recognized aggressive behavior in a safe zone, and teleported the offenders to the cells of the Black Iron Keep.

I couldn’t help myself, I started clapping as the light faded. Next to me, Argo joined in.

Asuna flushed a little, but maintained her composure as she walked back to the two of us. “So…” Argo drawled, “We can probably guess tha’-”

“That was so cool Una-Mama!” Yui burst forward in joy, leaping onto a startled Asuna and wrapping her arms tight. My wife reflexively wrapped her arms around the little girl, keeping her from falling. “You told them off good!” Yui crowed, beaming up at a stunned Asuna.

The fencer smiled slowly, one hand stroking our daughter’s hair. “I did, didn’t I?”

“As I was sayin’,” Argo ground out, her eyes sparkling with mirth despite the clenching of her jaw. “We can probably confirm tha’ this wasn’ an official operation.”

“Definitely.” Asuna nodded. “If they were working for Kibaou, or even just someone with real power in the Army, they would have gotten them to block any of my inquiries into the situation.”

“And since they didn’t…” I could feel the thought being completed in our heads. ‘They’re just some petty thugs who came up with a decent plan.’

“Let’s get ta our Inn so tha’ we can plan things out in private,” Argo said, nodding her head towards Asuna. “Which one was it, Aa-chan?”

“The Golden Fleece, why?”

“I know a shortcu’.” Argo flicked a hand at one of the alleyways across the street. “Should shave almos’ half an hour off our walk.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” I nodded, and the four of us set out, following behind Argo.

The Alley was dark, and damp. Wet laundry hung from clotheslines strung across the gaps between buildings, and refuse piled up next to some doors. The streets were uneven, and I had taken to holding Yui’s hand so that I could lift her over uneven patches of street.

All in all, it was better than the last alley I had found myself in. At least this one wasn’t filled with rats. Still, we had been walking for almost fifteen minutes now, and while Argo still hadn’t hesitated in making a turn, Asuna had shared some hesitant looks with me.

And to top it all off, I had had to gently tug on Yui’s hand a few times to keep her moving at a reasonable pace. She kept slowing down as we walked. Maybe she was getting tired?

I stopped, and kneeled down in front of Yui. “Do you want to get on my back?” My daughter stared through me, as if she was viewing some other location.

“I remember…” She said, her voice hesitant and unsure. Despite that, a jolt of excitement ran through my body. Further down the alley, Asuna and Argo had stopped, staring rapturously back at me and Yui. “I remember darkness… And… and filth… I- I- I did… didn’t…” Yui shuddered, her chest rising and falling in great heaving breaths.

I was dimly aware of Asuna and Argo starting to move as Yui spoke again.

“I’ve never been here before.”

Yui’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed motionless to the street.

Without hesitation I scooped my daughter off the street and pulled her up into a princess carry. Argo took one look at me, and turned back around, already leading the way to the Inn. Asuna fell in beside me as we ran, tense with worry.

Why did this happen? Was Yui trapped in an alley like this once? She’d said that she hadn’t been here before, did she mean the alley, this town, what? The mystery in my arms was probably deeper than I knew, and it tormented me as the three of us ran through the alleys.

Ahead of me, Argo turned a corner, and I heard the bustling noise of a main thoroughfare. The wheels of a cart rumbled across the city street as I turned the corner, and the vehicle towered up over me.

Argo had already tumbled under it, and I could see her legs vanishing into the crowd on the other side. I took a deep breath. I had three strides to do this.

I pushed off hard with my left foot, my legs pumping hard, moving towards the edge of the narrow alley. When I reached the wall, I angled back toward the cart. One stride left. My right foot stomped hard onto the ground, my leg flexing as I pushed as hard as I could.

Up, up, and up I soared, going horizontal in midair as my legs barely cleared the top of the six-foot high cart. Asuna lept above me, her stronger legs meaning that she could easily clear the height that I had had to take special steps to prepare for.

I landed as lightly as I could, but I couldn’t roll to bleed off momentum. Instead, I took several stumbling steps, wincing as my legs twinged in protest of the stress they were going through. By the time I had recovered my stride, Asuna was several feet ahead of me, her head still tracking Argo.

I followed my wife and my friend, the three of us making for a rather unusual sight on the 1st floor. Hell, we would have been an unusual sight on the 55th floor. I could hear the noise of conversation increasing by almost 300% as we passed, but that didn’t matter. Argo was better than anyone I knew at controlling rumors, and nothing mattered but Yui.

I sidestepped an ambling NPC, the preprogrammed statue making no reaction of any sort as I swerved around it. It didn’t react even as Yui’s hair brushed against its face, obscuring it’s vision.

The rest of the trip was a blur; the only clear thing I could recall was that horrifying moment when Yui collapsed like a puppet with the strings cut. I would have nightmares of that moment for months to come.

Argo waved me down from the doorway of the Inn, her chest rising and falling from exertion. Taking a deep breath, I forced my aching legs to move. It was only a psychic pain. I had run faster with wounds worse than this.

“Aa-chan’s settin’ the room up,” The info broker said heavily, trying to calm her breathing. “Let’s ge’ her comfortable.” I nodded in response, one hand gripping a little tighter to Yui’s shoulder.

The Inn was high-class, the sort of thing you might see in a renaissance or early-industrial styled hotel in the otherworld. The walls were painted red and purple, stylized to look like threads being woven into a tapestry with golden tassels. It was the sort of ostentatious decor that only the wealthy could afford, and I found myself wondering if we would be able to afford it.

Argo unlocked a door that didn’t look any different than the rest, revealing a simple two-bed room with an attached bath and a view of the street. For all that the furniture was medieval in nature, the layout of the room matched quite a lot of hotels I had been in before SAO.

Asuna had dressed up one of the beds, and was sewing pillows at a rate that I found a little scary. Her hands flickered through the sewing pattern so fast that I couldn’t even see them, and only the repeated *dings* that signified a perfect match gave any evidence that she was actually succeeding. Three pillows already laid at her feet, and as I watched, a fourth one appeared in an explosion of sparks.

By the time I had laid Yui down on the bed, a fifth one had joined them.

The instant Yui’s bottom hit the bed, Asuna was sliding pillows under and around her, propping up her head, back, and arms so that she looked like a princess on a throne of pillows.

When Asuna finished arranging the pillows to her satisfaction, she tried to worm her way into the pile, trying to plaster herself to Yui’s side. Behind me, Argo was tapping and scrolling through half-a-dozen menu screens at once. I just stood dumbly in the center of the room, desperately wracking my brain for something, anything I could do.

People didn’t collapse like that in SAO. Paralysis was a status ailment, yes, as was Petrification, but those never made you non-responsive the way Yui was. Maybe I could try feeding her a healing potion?

No, that wouldn’t work. Her status bar was completely clear. There was no reason for her to be unconscious like this. Her health bar still sat at 100%, and she had zero debuffs or status effects affecting her. So why wasn’t she waking up?

Did she hit her head when she fainted? I knew that that could cause damage in the Otherworld, but it wasn’t any different than getting hit anywhere else in SAO.

But Yui had always been a little strange, ever since we picked her up. Maybe the damage system for her was even more “realistic” than it was for us.

Behind me, something shifted across the wall. When I turned around, Argo was halfway to the door.

“Where are you going?” I winced. That had come out a lot more accusatory than I had intended.

Argo refused to stop or even meet my eyes as she spoke. “Ou’.”

“For what?” I asked, “Have you even figured out who we’re going to investigate first?”

“O’ course I have!” Argo snapped back, looking much like a hissing cat. “Kibaou.”

“Okay, we’ve got an end goal. But who are you going to start with?”

“I’ll figure it out.” Okay, this was really not like Argo. Why was she being so prickly? She didn’t… she did.

I moved to block the door. Argo’s eyes widened as she saw me move, and she almost beat me to the door. Thankfully, I managed to close and block it before Argo got to me. I stoically stood in front of the door as Argo punched me in the stomach, refusing to move so that she could go off and wallow.

“Damn, it Kirito!” The info broker hissed, “Let me through!”

“No,” I said, and watched as a visible aura of anger flared up around Argo. Behind her, Asuna watched warily from the bed, having moved in front of Yui. “Not until you stop blaming yourself for what happened to Yui.”

“Oh don’t you star’, Kirito!” Argo shouted, jabbing one finger at me. “I decided on tha’ shortcut! I’m the one who kep’ us in there longer than we needed to be! I’m the one tha’-”

“I don’t think it’s your fault.” Argo’s eyes widened as I cut her off, and she took in a deep breath. For one second, it looked as though she was going to keep yelling at me. Then her shoulders slumped, the fire went out of her eyes, and her hand dropped to her side.

“It’s my faul’.”

“Then you’ll just have to apologize to Yui when she wakes up.” I grabbed Argo by the hand, leading her over to the bed not currently occupied by my wife and daughter.

“Wow, Kii-bou, I didn’ realize you were so eager ta hold my hand,” Argo teased at me, And I smiled. She wasn’t going to run off now. Probably.

“Just making sure you aren’t going to leave.” Half a second after I spoke, I knew that I had made a mistake as Argo’s eyes gleamed, and her mouth opened.

“Oh, tha’s so sweet~” I wasn’t certain if the tone that came out of the Info Broker was genuinely appreciative or overacted to the point of sarcasm, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. “I’ll be happy ta stay for as,” Argo kissed the back of my hand, “Long...” The info broker pulled closer, dragging one finger up my chest. I felt sweat form on the back of my neck.

“As...” A sudden jerk nearly yanked me off my feet, only for an arm to wrap around my back as Argo dipped me. “You…” The Info broker leaned in close, breathing the last word into my ear. “Like.” My face felt a lot hotter than it normally did.

It had been almost a year since Argo had gotten me this flustered.

“If you’re done trying to set my husband on fire, can you help me figure out where we can get food?” Asuna called from next to the door, having left Yui’s bed while I was occupied with Argo.

“Comin’” Argo said, unceremoniously dropping me on the floor and walking over to Asuna. My wife pulled open a map of the Town of Beginnings, and started gesturing to various places on the map.

“Last time I was here, six months ago, I remember that a food merchant had set up here with mats from the middle floors,” Asuna said, touching an intersection, “Do you know if-”

“He’s not there anymore,” Argo preempted Asuna’s question, “He moved up to the seventh floor, where he coul’ turn a profi’.”

Asuna nodded, and the two of them continued working their way through Asuna’s map, steadily crossing off a list of places. It was nice, watching them work together like this. Even though they both worked with people, and for people, their fields of work rarely overlapped, so it was good to see Asuna making Argo feel useful like this.

Argo must have felt me looking at her, because she glanced up from the map, and her eyes widened. She ducked back down so fast that Asuna had to move her arm out of the way before the Info Broker hit her head. Was she still worried about me blaming her for what happened to Yui?

I sure hoped not. I thought that I had made my feelings on the matter perfectly clear.

“Oh, this is hopeless.” Asuna swept the map closed with a flick of her wrist. “Let’s go find a food merchant, because obviously my knowledge is hopelessly out of date.”

I rose to my feet, putting one hand on the bed for leverage. “You stay here Kirito.” Oh, right.

“Aw, ya wan’ me all ta yourself, Aa-chan?” Argo smirked, leaning against the wall, one hand propping up her head.

“That has nothing to do with why Kirito is staying here!” Asuna exhorted, flushing lightly. She looked cute when she got embarrassed.

“Oh, really?” Argo drew out her words, savoring them on her tongue.

“Let’s.” Asuna drew in a deep breath, calming herself, “Let’s just go.” My wife grabbed Argo’s arm, and pulled the info broker through the doorway, the door banging shut behind them. As it closed I could hear Asuna listing out the ingredients that she wanted to make tonight's dinner from, and a suspicious lack of Argo saying anything.

Not that it really mattered. I had at least thirty minutes until they got back, so I was going to optimize my skill loadout. The new bracers I had gave a bonus to parrying blows, so I could more effectively use some counter skills. Most of them required a shield, but a few only needed a weapon, and there were some that could be performed bare-handed as part of the [Martial Arts] skill tree. But I was more interested in the counterattack skills that had been unlocked when I unlocked [Dual Wield].

I settled into my chair, flicked open the menu, and started to read.

* * *

It was a very pleasant day on the first floor. The sun was shining, making the late Autumn chill a little less prevalent, merchants were hawking wares in the market square that had formed around the teleport plaza, and one Info Broker was screaming internally.

What the fuck did I just dooooooooo! Argo roiled much like liquid in a food processor; calm on the surface, but wildly churning beneath. I just- I just- Why did I just- Fucking dip him! The info broker walked through the marketplace exceedingly calmly, narrowly avoiding nearly a dozen different collisions when she refused to move out of the way of people coming towards her.

And I just had to say such a fucking cheesy line- The info broker was yanked out of the path of an incoming NPC, the burly shopkeep not even noticing the small women over the stacked crates he was carrying. I mean, I”ll stay as long as you like? What the hell even is that? The Info Broker wailed internally, even as her face remained flattened into a picture of stoicism.

“Argo.” I’ve already mucked things up with Kii-bou, so why did I have to go and- and insinuate- insinuate Things with Asuna! The Info Broker’s thoughts spiraled into a mess of startled exclamations, ineffective rebuttals, and a loop of Kirito’s flushed expression when she had dipped him; how his eyes had flickered around her face, and his lips had parted slightly as if expecting a kiss.

“Argo.” It’s not like I’d even deserve to date either of them even if they weren’t already together, not with how I fucked things up with Yui. The Rat thought morosely, now moving through the square towards the stalls that lined the edge. Barely avoiding three different clerks who were rushing about with deliveries. No, the best thing to do is leave after this investigation is over. I’ve-

“Argo!” The Info Broker was yanked out of her thoughts by someone grabbing her shoulder and pulling her around to face them. “Honestly, can you please pay attention to where you’re going?” Argo, now stunned for a different reason, failed to answer.

She- she just- why- why- why was her tucking a piece of hair behind her ear so hot?! The info broker stood stock-still in front of Asuna, her eyes valiantly trying not to linger on any one part of the beautiful fencer for too long. Asuna sighed, and Argo strained to not stare at the rise and fall of her graceful shoulders.

“I know that you feel guilty about Yui, but we need to focus on getting dinner now,” Asuna said, pulling open an updated map. “Now, which of these merchants do you think has the best chance of carrying some chicken?”

Argo shook herself and allowed herself to fall into the familiar pattern of dissecting info and consulting her notes to help the woman she was crushing on decide what her, her two crushes, and potentially their daughter would be eating tonight.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Part 12

I was finalizing my skill selection, the passive skills that would be in the five “active” slots when Yui groaned and sat up on the bed. I don’t think I’ve ever moved quite so fast.

“Papa?” my daughter mumbled as I caught one of the pillows that was about to fall from the bed and tossed it over my shoulder onto the other bed.

“I’m right here Yui,” I said, grasping the hand that reached towards me tightly. It took everything I had to not draw her into an embrace, but she was likely still fragile, and I wanted- A tug at my arm drew me out of my thoughts, and when I looked down, Yui held her arms up.

She was warm, and oh-so fragile. I wanted so badly to wrap my arms tight around her, and never let her go, but that would only hurt her, so I settled for a somewhat looser embrace, feeling her breath and heartbeat against mine. She’s okay, she’s alive. I thought to myself.

We sat there for five minutes and thirty seconds before Yui started squirming, and I reluctantly let her go. When I did, she looked up at me very seriously and said “I need to talk with Ago- and Una-mama.”

It was the work of a second to send off a message to Argo and Asuna that Yui was awake, but Asuna’s response indicated that they wouldn’t be back as soon as they could. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the picture my wife had attached.

“What is it, Papa?” Yui asked, trying to duck around my arm.

“Oh, just Argo being Argo,” I said, adjusting my hand so that my daughter could see the info broker in the middle of what appeared to be a furious rant at a familiar merchant who was shrinking back from the woman, even though she was about half his size. Why he was on the first floor, I had no idea, but whatever the reason, it didn’t look like Argo was happy with it.

“Who’s that?” Yui asked, pointing to the Black man, who stood head and shoulders over everyone else in the picture.

“Oh, that’s Agil,” I said, zooming in on the merchant so that Yui could study him.

“The mechant?” Yui tried to zoom in further, copying my gesture as precisely as she could. It being my menu, the picture remained static.

“The very same.” My daughter continued trying to zoom in on the photo, her mouth twisting into a rather adorable pout as she grew increasingly frustrated. Even when she grew too frustrated and slapped my hand in her anger, it came off as cute.

“Oh, here.” I sent off a quick message to Yui, who jumped when the *ding* of the message sounded in her head. I carefully guided her to the messages tab, and soon she was happily playing around with the photo.

With my daughter safe, awake, and occupied and nothing dangerous in sight, I allowed myself to relax, watching her fiddle with her menu. It amazed me just how easy it was to get lost in watching her sometimes.

“Look Papa, Agi’s got a mustache!” Yui all but shoved her photo in my face, and I leaned back to avoid any undue impacts.

“Um, Yui, could you please move the picture back a bit?” I asked, lifting one hand up cautiously between my daughter’s hand and me. “I can’t really see it right now.

“Okay!” The picture was just about the same as the one I had sent her, with one glaring exception.

Yui had drawn a moustache on Agil’s face.

I didn’t realize there was a photo editor included with the camera. Maybe I could prank Asuna, send her an edited photo of her from our date. I pulled open the camera roll, and-

“Yui?” I asked, feeling rather unsettled.

“Yes, Papa?”

“Where’s the edit button?” My daughter tilted her head quizzically, as though I was asking a silly question.

“It’s right next to the picture, Papa.”

* * *

Asuna weaved through the crowds, following her companion as she searched for food merchants. The BGM was light, airy, cheerful, and she hummed along to it as she walked, feeling happy despite the worry that gnawed at her heart.

I hope Yui’s alright, Asuna thought as she ducked beneath a stack of planks being carried across the shoulders of two men. She and Argo had split up five minutes ago to cover more ground, with an agreement to meet back up at the entrance of the square closest to their inn.

Kirito’s taking care of her, she’ll be fine, The fencer reassured herself as she sidestepped out of the way of an apprentice merchant NPC barreling through the square, carrying a rather bulky crate. She double-checked her list of ingredients, having given half of it to Argo, and crossed off her latest acquisition.

She’d had a stroke of luck earlier, when she had found someone selling rare potatoes from the thirtieth floor on the First. She’d had to pay well over three times their market value to get them, but one couldn’t skimp on quality ingredients.

“Let’s see,” Asuna hummed to herself, “I still need... Chicken of some sort, Oregano of a decent quality, and some tomatoes for the sauce.” All of those things could be found here, albeit in lower quality than she was used to.

She was distracted from her musing by a familiar shout coming from nearby. “What do you mean you just ran out?” The fencer turned to see Argo berating a familiar merchant.

“Look, dude, She paid me-” Agil tried to explain himself to the furious Info Broker, but Argo wasn’t hearing any of it.

“I don’ care wha’ she paid you!” The Rat shouted, “I promise’ you quite a bi’ ta hold on to ‘em for me, and you wen’ an’ sold ‘em!” Asuna’s messages dinged, distracting her as Argo continued ranting, this time insulting Agil’s integrity as a merchant and his willingness to follow through on deals.

Kirito’s message was quite simple, and to the point, much like all his messages: Yui’s awake, doing alright. See you soon.

Asuna leaned against a nearby market stand to support herself as sheer relief coursed through her body. Her daughter was okay. Unfortunately, she thought to herself, taking another look at Argo and Agil.

“...An’ how the fuck do ya have the audacity ta back ou’ on a deal less than an hour after…”

I think we’ll be a while. The fencer concluded, taking a picture to attach as a way of explanation to her message back. Asuna then swiped her menu shut and stepped towards the irate Info Broker.

“Argo!” The Rat’s head swveled so fast that Asuna thought that it might have been put on a top, and the Info Broker’s face broke into a smile. It was a really cute smile, Asuna thought. “Are you doing okay?” The fencer asked, dusting a piece of lint off of Argo’s shoulder. “Find everything you were looking for?”

“No,” The Rat growled, glaring at Agil. “This moron wen’ an’ sold the Potatoes I specifically asked him to hold on to for me.”

“Blame her,” Agil countered, “She’s the one who bought them.” Asuna flushed as Argo turned a gobsmacked gaze on her face.

“I wanted ‘em ta be a surprise,” The Info Broker muttered angrily, leaning her head against Asuna’s shoulder.

“It’s okay,” The fencer said, bringing one hand up to pat Argo’s head. “I’m guessing you asked Agil to bring them in the first place?” The Info Broker nodded against her shoulder.
“Well, I’ve got some good news,” Asuna said, as Argo shuddered and moved back to stand up straight. “Yui’s awake.” The Info Broker’s eyes visibly widened, and her shoulders relaxed minutely. “So let’s get the rest of our shopping done as quickly as we can.”

“Yeah, let’s.” Argo nodded.

“Thank you for the potatoes, Agil!” Asuna called over her shoulder to the merchant as she and Argo departed.

“No problem, miss,” Agil called back, “Just try and keep your shopping lists clear next time.”

“Alrigh’,” Argo said as they kept walking, “I’ll go and get the-”

“Let’s stick together, okay?” Asuna prempted Argo’s attempt to split up by entwinging her arm with the Info Broker, who gave a sly smile as she did so.

“Aw, you wan’ ta make this a date?”

“No!” Asuna said rather vehemently, though she thought it sounded weirdly hollow. “I want to keep anything like the Potato incident from happening again.” she elaborated, “And it isn’t like there’s that much left to get.”

“Shame,” the info broker muttered under her breath, “I would have…” She shook herself before she could finish the sentence, trying to refocus. “Let’s go, then.” The pair set off towards a group of stalls nearby, still walking arm-in-arm.

It was fifteen minutes later that Asuna began to suspect that Argo was trying to sabotage their trip. The first instance could have been happenstance, as a merchant had just closed up and left right before they got there. The second one was confusing, when the stall had moved some 100 feet away from where Argo had said it used to be, and the press of bodies had delayed them a little.

And now, Asuna was all but certain that they had walked past the same stall three times already. “Argo?” Asuna said hesitantly, slowing down. “I think I saw a chicken seller over there.” She pointed towards the chicken merchant she had spotted earlier.

“Looks like there is one,” Argo said, her voice hesitant, somehow.

“Do you know the guy who runs it?” Asuna said, and shaded her eyes, trying to see if she remembered him from anywhere.

“Nah, not very well, at leas’,” Argo said, and shook her head, “Let's get this over with.”

“Look, if you don’t want to talk to him, I can go and get it while you head home. I’m certain that Yui is missing you.” Argo flinched as Asuna spoke.

“I though’ ya wanted me ta stay?” The info broker tried to put on a teasing grin, but her heart wasn’t really in it.

“Of course I do, but if you really don’t want to talk to this guy, then you can hang back while I purchase from him, alright?” After a few brief seconds, Argo nodded.

Throughout the transaction, Asuna’s mind kept wandering back to Argo’s hesitance and what almost seemed like fear. If she hadn’t seen the info broker scared before, she might not have even noticed it. I’ll talk to her about it on the way back, The fencer decided as she finalized the transaction.

“Have a nice day!” The merchant, a rather jovial man called after her as she departed.

“You too!” The fencer called back, swiping her menu shut and scanning the crowd around her for Argo. The Info Broker was leaning against one of the houses on the nearest edge of the square, her hood pulled low over her face. It was very difficult to get a read on her when she was like this.

“You ready to head back?” Asuna asked as she pulled up beside the Info Broker. Argo stretched, and then assumed as neutral a stance as she could.

“As I’ll ever be.”

The journey home was faster than the journey to the market, in part because Asuna had gotten tired of Argo dragging her feet about a quarter of the way through the journey and started dragging her along by the hand. It was difficult, especially with the way Argo was sending out messages, but the fencer managed it for a while.

About halfway through the trip, Asuna tired of dragging her companion around, and instead sat down at a nearby bench, dragging Argo down with her.

“Are you okay, Argo?” The fencer asked, her brow furrowing, “You’ve been acting strange ever since you met Agil.” When the info broker didn’t respond, she pressed on, “If it’s about the potatoes, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d asked Agil to bring them for you.”

“It’s not tha’,” Argo said, pulling her knees up to her chest, huddling beneath her cloak.

What else had happened around then? Asuna thought, tapping one finger against her chin, ignorant of the way Argo’s eyes were drawn to it. Argo had only started acting strange around then, so it had to have happened. Oh, why was she being so obstinate? Yui was- Yui!

“Argo,” Asuna began, placing her hand on top of one of Argo’s so that she would be able to hold the Info Broker down if she tried to flee, “Is this about Yui?” She could see the small hitch in Argo’s breathing, and knew that she’d hit the nail on the head.

“Argo?”

“Wha’s there ta talk abou’?” The Rat spat out, “I made her fain’, tha’s all there is to it.”

“Argo!” Asuna said, taken aback by the vitriol in the Info Broker’s voice.

“Woulda’ been better off if I wasn’ involved. Never was good with kids.” The Rat continued, less hateful and more resigned this time.

“Argo,” Asuna said again, “Look at me.” When the Info Broker didn’t move, Asuna gently grasped her cheek, and turned The Rat’s head so that they could look into each other’s eyes. “I know that we haven’t known Yui long, but do you really think that she’s going to hate her ‘Ago-mama’ for something that isn’t her fault?”

“But-” Argo tried to speak, but a finger on her lips silenced her.

“No, Argo, it wasn’t your fault. You had no way of knowing that being in such an environment would hurt Yui, and now that we know better, we can avoid those places, ok?”

The Info Broker met Asuna’s gaze for a few long moments, before casting her eyes away. “Okay, Aa-chan.” Argo stood up from the bench, stretching her arms up over her head. “But if the squirt is angry at me, I’m usin’ you as a shield, capice?”

“If that makes you happy,” Asuna said with a nod, forgetting to stand up momentarily as Argo turned in just the right way for her face to catch the afternoon sun, illuminating a face that was normally covered in the shadows of her hood.

Beautiful, Asuna thought to herself as she prepared to follow her friend home.

* * *

Argo took a deep, shuddering breath as she stepped into the Golden Fleece, the inn where she was staying with Kirito and Asuna. That shopping trip had been a roller coaster in so many different ways.

Why are her hands so warm? Argo steadfastly avoided looking at the fencer, lest her consciousness be consumed by the memory of her smile, and the rough texture of her hands…

Focus! The Info Broker shook herself. It was easier, safer almost, to worry about how Yui was going to react to her.

It was a silly fear, one that had no basis in reality, Argo knew, but her thoughts returned again and again to the people who had died because the info she had provided was wrong. Almost every time, the people who had lost friends, and in more than one case, family, had blamed her.

She blamed herself far more.

She couldn’t get it out of her mind, the image of Yui shouting at her, face flushed with anger as she laid out accusations at her feet.

“Liar!’ Fareni’s voice came from the squirt’s mouth. “Should have known not to trust you,” Griggs’ voice continued, “What use is an Info Broker who can’t ev-”

A warm weight fell upon her shoulder, bringing her out of the depths of her mind.

“Are you okay?” Asuna’s kind gaze met her as she turned her head. Those eyes were almost hypnotic, inviting her to get lost in their warm depths, to sink in and entrust all her fears to the owner of the eyes. It took longer than she would have liked to admit for Argo to respond.

“Let’s just get this over with.”

“Look,” Asuna, endlessly understanding, placed one arm around her back to reassure her, and to force her to move forward. “If, for some reason, Yui is mad at you, I’ll talk to her about it, and try and get her to understand that it wasn’t your fault.”

“I didn’ realize ya were so invested in our relationship, Aa-chan?” The second the words fell from her mouth, Argo wished she could take them back. That was four times now that she had implied a romantic relationship between her and Asuna. Not nearly as many times as she had implied one between her and Kirito, but they were married now, and they didn’t need someone coming in and mucking it all up.

“I’m invested in your happiness,” Asuna responded, and Argo felt her heart flutter in her chest. It wasn’t fair that the objects of her affections refused to stop being such- such smooth-talkers! Did they have any idea how fast they made her heart beat?

The door to their room loomed in front of Argo, and she separated herself from Asuna, missing the warmth of the fencer’s body almost immediately. But she had to do it. She had to distance herself from them.

“Ago-Mama!” A small missile slammed into the Info Broker, who barely managed to steady herself.

“Heya squirt,” Argo smiled back, feeling a weight lift off of her shoulders.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Part 13

Dinner was well underway, and Yui was playing with her baked potatoes when she spoke up.

“I remembered something today,” the dark-haired girl swirled her fork around, nervously. I exchanged a glance with Argo, who seemed even more curious than I was. There was nothing Argo liked more than a good mystery, and Yui was proving to be a big one.

“I’ve never been here before.”

“Here as in?” Argo asked, leaning over the table, eyes alight with interest.

“This floor.”

Yui’s response floored me, and Argo leaned back with a mystefied expression. All the players had been together on the first floor when the game had started. Did that mean that Yui was some amazingly complex NPC?

No, that wasn’t likely. She had a menu, one that operated like a player’s even if it had a few more functions than a normal player’s account. If anything, it reminded me of a GM menu. But that wasn’t possible either, the only GM listed for SAO was Kayaba, and he had to be busy keeping the servers running.

“Do ya remember where ya were before, squirt?” Argo said, one hand ready to take notes.

“I was trapped somewhere.” My daughter’s face hollowed. Asuna scooched her chair closer to her daughter, and Yui reached out for her hand. “It was, It was dark. And- and cold, and, and...” Yui took a shuddering breath, her body shaking.

“Yui?” I asked, trying to change the subject. “Do you want to show your Mamas what we did this afternoon?” My daughter nodded, swiping open her menu.

“Papa modeled for me!” Yui said with forced cheer, her smile almost reaching her eyes as she tried to banish whatever demons had come out of the dark depths of her mind back into the abyss of forgotten things.

“And then I drew all over them!” Asuna leaned in to look at one of the “posters” that Yui had made, and her eyes grew wide.

“Pfft-” Asuna smothered her laugh with a hand, prompting Argo to lean around the table, who had no such reservations, sending out great peals of laughter as she took in the edits Yui had made to what was originally a very innocuous picture of me sitting at a desk.

My daughter had drawn a ridiculous handlebar mustache on my face, and one eyebrow had been raised into a very exaggerated arch.

The overall effect made me look very strange, given that I still wasn’t old enough to shave, never mind grow a mustache. But it was a rather silly picture, and it helped lighten the mood.

Asuna set down her teacup, and fixed her eyes on me. “If you ever,” She began, “Try to grow a mustache like that, I will personally shave it off of your face.”

“That’s far from the most ridiculous facial hair we came up with,” I said in response, “Yui, why don’t you show them the ‘Adventurer’ one?”

My daughter grinned, and flipped through her gallery, selecting one of my proudest poses. I was standing with one leg up on a chair, leaning on my raised knee, scanning an imaginary horizon. One hand shaded my eyes, and a majestic beard flowed down from my chin, reaching almost all the way down to the floor.

“I think it looks good on me,” I said, far too serious to be sincere.

“God, Kii-bou,” Argo said in between bouts of laughter, “I didn’t think you were such a good actor.”

“Of course I’m/he’s a good actor,” Asuna and I said at the same time.

“He fooled everyone into thinking he’s some kind of godlike being with encyclopedic knowledge of the game,” Asuna said, taking another bite of her dinner.

“People really think that Papa’s like that?” Yui asked.

“I’m a really good actor,” I said, making Argo laugh again.

“Please, Kii-bou, I’ve seen you try and hide bein’ flustered,” The Rat chuckled, cutting off a small piece of her chicken, “You blush at the slightes’ thing.”

“I do not!” I defended hotly, cutting my chicken a bit harder than was strictly necessary.

Argo side-eyed Asuna, then speared a piece of chicken on her fork. “Say ‘Ahh’ Kii-bou,” The Rat raised her fork across the table, headed directly for me.

She was- was- What- Why- but- Asuna? A quick glance told me I would get no help from my wife. She was leaning back, drinking in the chaos, As I watched, she took a sip from her teacup, smirking at me as she drank.

Blushing furiously, I grabbed Argo’s wrist, and all but shoved the food into my mouth. It was rather satisfying to watch Argo’s eyes widen and her grip on her fork slacken. I was rarely able to turn Argo’s teases back on her like this.

That didn’t make eating something off of someone else’s fork any less embarrassing.

Argo took her own bit of chicken, her cheeks lightly flushed. She really didn’t like it when I turned a tease back on her.

My wife, on the other hand, looked a little left out.

“Here, Asuna.” I speared a section of baked potato onto my own fork, and moved it towards her. She eagerly leaned forward, and daintily bit down on the piece of tuber.

“Me next!” Yui said eagerly, almost bouncing in her seat as I took my fork back. “Me next,”

“Alright Yui, here it comes.” Asuna moved the fork, heaped with chicken, playfully, making abortive half circles, and jerking it from side to side, forcing her daughter to lunge for the food she wanted. The little girl screeched delightedly through a mouth full of food when she finally managed to secure her reward.

“I wanted to be fed by Asuna too,” Argo muttered distractedly, her eyes following the chef’s fork as she withdrew it to her own plate. I met Asuna’s questioning look with a smile, and nodded.

“Say ‘Ahh’,” My wife said, lifting her fork towards Argo. The Info broker looked like a startled rabbit, as if she was going to leap out of her chair at any time. Despite the tension in her frame, she remained as stiff as a statue. Even as Asuna’s utensil poked her cheek, Argo remained stiff and unmoving, her eyes wide.

“I worked very hard on this, Argo,” Asuna said, poking Argo’s lips with her fork. “Please give it a try?” I blinked and Asuna was holding a bare fork while Argo chewed furiously, her shoulders tense.

“‘S good,” The info broker muttered after she swallowed. She had her hood down for dinner, to avoid getting any sauce on it, and the motion of her throat bobbing up and down almost hypnotized me in a way only Asuna’s graceful movements had managed before.

Argo ducked her head in a way that would have hidden her face beneath her hood if she was still wearing it, but only served to make her hair bounce with it down. It was a nice bounce, very fluffy.

Wait… was she? I speared a piece of baked potato, and lifted my fork towards The Rat. “I’ve got more food for you, Argo,” I said, letting the utensil bounce a little in my grasp.

“An’ I’ve got plenty for myself, Kii-bou,” The Info Broker responded, sawing at her chicken.

“But I want to feed you,” I said, moving my fork further forward, enjoying the subtle interplay of emotions that I couldn’t name crossing The Rat’s face. “Say ‘Ahh’.” Argo flushed a luminous red, and for a split second I thought that she might yell at me, but instead she bit down on the food I offered her, and pulled her hood up, vanishing into its depths.

“Cute,” Asuna mumbled under her breath, and Argo flinched. Scraping some green beans on to her fork, my wife moved her fork towards Argo again. The Info Broker’s eyes never left the fork, crossing when the utensil got close enough.

She took her bite, and then shrunk back into the depths of her hood again. I had no idea why she was so flustered by us feeding her, but she was rarely this cute. I picked up my knife, preparing to cut off another piece of chicken for Yui, who was looking quite left out.

I don’t think any of us ate another bite off of our own plates for the rest of the meal. Argo gave us large portions when she could summon up the courage to offer the rest of us pieces, which Yui in particular delighted in receiving. I just offered whatever I could to the others, and enjoyed the way Asuna teased me by licking around my fork.

Even Yui got in on it, trying to offload her tomato sauce-covered chicken to the “Adults” in the room. She usually got offered pieces of chicken right back, although Asuna made sure that they were clean of any tomato sauce.

My wife made sure that each of us was eating a balanced meal, offering green beans to me after I ate half of a potato from Argo’s plate, and most of Yui’s chicken. All in all it was a rather enjoyable meal, and by the end of it, Yui was drooping sleepily over the table.

It wasn’t that surprising, considering that it was well past 10:00 at night.

“I’ll put Yui to bed,” Asuna said, rising from the common room chair that we had appropriated. It was easy to see why she liked the Golden Loom; The rooms were very close to a public kitchen that you could use to cook, and the price attached to the rooms was so high that the average player on the first floor couldn’t visit it.

As such, we had the entire place to ourselves, even though we were in what was technically a public space. This was probably the best place to talk about what I’d found out about Yui with Argo and Asuna.

“‘M no sleepy…” Yui mumbled as my wife picked her up, “...Feel fine.”

“I’m certain you do,” Asuna said, patting her on the back, moving carefully so as not to jostle her.

Our daughter yawned as the pair moved out of the room,

Argo’s messages dinged almost immediately, and she swiped open the notification. Her eyes widened, and she cursed.

“Fuckin’ hell, Thinker.” I winced. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.

“What is it?”

“Not righ’ now, should explain this fuck to the both o’ you,” Argo said, rubbing her forehead with one hand. “Now be quiet fo’ a bit, I need ta figure this mess ou’.”

I scooched my chair over to sit next to her as she worked, offering her a familiar presence as she worked. She didn’t seem to consciously notice, but she did lean a little towards me at times.

By the time Asuna reappeared in the doorway of the common area, Argo’s mood had gone from “poor” to “Very Bad.” I was rubbing soothing circles into the Info Broker’s upper arm as she typed furiously into the message bar, her scowl growing worse with each reply she received.

“Kibaou’s taken over The Army,” Argo said, her scowl growing even more pronounced. I met Asuna’s eyes, and saw just as much confusion and stupefaction in them as I felt.

“How’d he pull it off?” Asuna said after a few long moments, pulling up a chair to Argo’s other side. “He can’t have killed Thinker, even indirectly it would make too much of a splash, and he’d be the first target everyone would look for.” The Vice-Captain of the Knights of The Blood Oath scanned through the various texts that Argo was sending, trying to read them. But they were coming and going too fast for me to make out more than glimpses, and written in what looked like code besides.

“My man says he’s gone missin’.” The Info Broker scrolled back up to the relevant section of text, and Asuna and I leaned in to read it. “Yulier’s been goin’ frantic, and Kibaou took over in the confusion.”

Asuna was the first to read the info that had really put Argo into a bad mood. “She’s refusing to tell us anything over messages?” Argo nodded, and I sighed. It was just like Yulier to refuse sending Info through any method but in-person meetings. It made her good at rooting through bad proposals, but it was inconvenient, to say the least, in times like this.

“Well, I’ve got a meetin’ with her secured for’ tomorrow, so she can tell us what’s up then,” Argo said, flicking her messages closed and opening her inventory screen. “So we shoul’ be ready for anythin’.”

“Sounds reasonable.” I opened my own inventory, and started editing my combat equipment set. I still hadn’t equipped the new bracers or boots, and I would need to get used to the subtle differences in weight and feel before I could really use them in combat.

On the other side of Argo, I could see the shower of light that indicated someone changing equipment. Asuna stretched her arms out in front of her, weighing her new bracers against her arms. She then stood up, drawing her rapier, and falling into a stance.

Her rapier gleamed in the evening light as her hand came up, deflecting an imaginary blow. It turned into a lightning-fast slash that left an arc of white across my vision, punctured by a line where she had stabbed through almost immediately afterwards.

One of the vases in the inn crashed into the opposite wall and shattered.

None of us moved for a second, before Asuna sheepishly unequipped her rapier and sat down in her chair again.

“Marvelous, Asuna,” Argo said, slinging an arm around the fencer’s shoulders, “Truly an inspiration to all of us,” She drew her hand slowly across the space in front of her, “If only all of us could be so-”

“Please, Stop,” Asuna gritted out through a luminous flush of embarrassment.

“Aw, Aa-chan, you know I lo-look up to you as a paragon o’ our community,” Argo said, affectionately tapping her head against my wife’s, “Such a sublime beauty, who leaves people blind with her dazzlin’ bladework, a shinin’ star in-”

“The dark of our night, I know, I know,” Asuna said, huffing a pout of laughter.

I moved seats so that I was facing them and tapped on the table, trying to catch the attention of the two women. Argo jolted upright in her seat, unwrapping her arm from Asuna’s shoulders as though she had been struck and carefully scooching farther away.

“As lovely as it is to spend time relaxing with you, we need to talk about Yui,” I said, observing how each of my companions responded. Asuna nodded thoughtfully, tapping her chin with one hand.

“She did say something rather unsettling tonight.” Argo rolled her eyes at Asuna’s statement.

“I think tha’ not ever bein’ on the firs’ floor is a tad bi’ more than unsettlin’,” The Rat drawled, “I mean, at this poin’, are we even certain tha’ she’s human?”

“She has access to some of the underlying systems of SAO in a way I thought only GM’s could have,” I said, drawing a circle on the table with one finger.

“Like what?” Asuna said, tilting her head innocently even as Argo gulped. Oh right, this was Asuna’s first game.

“The ability to edit photos in-game, for one.” The room was silent as I continued tracing circles, letting the repetitive motion center my mind and focus my thoughts. “I kept her away from doing much experimenting, but from what I saw she could teleport without a crystal.”

“Do ya think tha’ a GM accoun’ got puppeted by an NPC?” Argo said, her eyes calculating in a way she rarely showed.

“Maybe,” I said, hunching my shoulders slightly, “I don’t know what sort of limits there are on her access, but it’s entirely possible that she might be able to force a log-out.” I saw a spark of hope flit across the faces in front of me before it was snuffed out almost as quickly.

“That would probably kill whoever used it.” Asuna said, frowning angrily at the table.

“‘S not like Kayaba to leave loopholes lyin’ around,” Argo agreed, “No, the only way we’re gettin’ out o’ here is if we beat the game ourselves.” Grim nods met her statement across the table. Both of us knew that it was entirely likely that more of our friends would die in the struggle to the 100th floor. We could die as well, even if we never went back to the front lines.

“Onto a more relevant topic,” Asuna said, trying to lift the mood, “What are we going to do about Yui tomorrow?”

“Not much we can plan ou’,” Argo said, leaning back from the table, her hands behind her head. “It all depends on wha’ Yulier wants us ta do.”

Asuna nodded thoughtfully. “Well, in any case, we should be well-rested for the meetin’.” She smirked, “Wouldn’ wan’ ta fall asleep like Kii-bou now woul’ we?” Asuna chuckled lightly even as I pouted. Just because I had gotten bored of Kibaou and Lind’s posturing back and forth didn’t mean that I fell asleep at every meeting.

The discussion after that was largely meaningless, with Argo alternating between teasing me and Asuna relentlessly and withdrawing from conversation until she felt more like a ghost than an actual person.

Asuna, on the other hand, brought up a rather serious topic after we had all arrived back at our room and were getting ready for bed.

“Wha’ do you mean I’m sleepin’ with Kii-bou?” Argo hissed quietly at Asuna.

“What I mean,” Asuna said, just as quiet, “Is that I want to keep an eye on Yui tonight, and to do that I’ll need to sleep in the same bed as her.” My wife did a good job of not showing it, but I could tell that she was worried about Yui. It was a miracle that she had even managed to go shopping this afternoon, and I wouldn’t deny her this.

“I can always sleep on the couch if-”

“No.” Argo cut me off before I could finish making my offer. “Jus’ take the bed, Kii-bou, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Argo,” I tried, “You’ve been sleeping on a couch for the past week,”

“An’ I’ll keep sleepin’ on one,” Argo said, crossing her arms. Normally it came off as intimidating, but in her pajamas, it just came off as cute.

“I really don’t mind if we share the bed, Argo,” I said, sitting down on the mattress. “I mean, we’ve done it before.”

“An’ wha’ abou’ Asuna?” Argo poked one finger into my chest, “Wha’ does your wife feel abou’ you sharin’ a bed with another woman?”

“That it’s okay?” Asuna tilted her head, her eyes confused. “I was the one to suggest this?”

Argo let out a sigh, seeming to deflate before my eyes. “Ah, fuck it. I’m too tired for this,” She crawled past me into the bed, and curled onto her side facing the wall. “Us’ keep your greedy hands to yourself, Kii-bou,” the info broker smirked, “don’t want Aa-chan to smack ya.”

The last thing I saw as I drifted off to sleep was Asuna stroking Yui’s head.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Part 14

“Let me go!” Argo ran as fast as she dared through the corridors of the Hidden Dungeon, taking care not to trip over the occasional jutting piece of debris. “Una-mama and Papa are still back there!”

Argo didn’t respond, too focused on keeping Yui tucked under her arm as she rushed through the dungeon. It should have been safe, The Rat thought, It should have been safe. Oh there was an inherent level of danger involved, there always was when venturing into a dungeon.

But they were on the first floor, the safest floor in all of Aincrad, so why…

Why…

* * *

I woke up to the sound of my wife giggling.

Grumbling, I tried to roll over and go back to sleep, only for a weight across my chest to keep me from moving.

“They’re so cute,” Asuna breathed, and I heard a shutter click. Grudgingly, I forced my eyes open. It was just as much of a battle as it always was, but I thought it worth fighting, this time.

Blinking, I took in the room around me. It was a struggle to look around with the weight on my chest, but I could see Yui grinning at me from her bed. Kicking the mattress as she sat on the edge of her bed, eyes gleaming with mirth.

“So cute…” Asuna said again, taking another picture.

“Papa’s up!” Yui chirped, jumping up off of her seat.

“Don’t wake her up!” My wife said, quietly and sharply, walking around the bed to kneel in front of me, snapping another photo.

“Hello, Dear,” I said, propping my head up on one arm.

“Just stay like that for a bit,” Asuna muttered, completely disregarding my greeting. “Perfect!’ she took yet another photo.

“What’s so interesting?” It was about then that I felt the weight across my chest shift. With the shift came a soft breath that tickled the back of my neck every so often.

Asuna didn’t answer my question verbally, but rather showed me one of her photos. It was taken from the foot of the bed, the light shining through the windows creating little golden streaks across the bedding.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Argo had rolled over and wrapped her arms around me. According to the picture, she was responsible for the weight against my chest, and the tickling sensation on the back of my neck.

I had to admit that she looked cute nestled up against me, but unfortunately she also needed to get up.

With some difficulty, I turned myself around in bed, so that I was facing Argo, and poked her nose. The Rat scrunched her face up, bringing the hand not laying over top of me up to rub at her nose.

The second she stopped rubbing, I poked her again. This time, instead of bringing a finger up to her nose, she instead started inhaling sharply, and with a sudden feeling of doom, I realized that Argo was about to sneeze.

I tried to roll out of bed, but the Rat pulled me closer, and sneezed all over my ear. I was lucky that Kayaba hadn’t decided to code snot into his game, otherwise I would most likely need to clean out my ear. It really sucked that this was one of the few ways to rouse someone from sleep that didn’t involve invasive manipulation of their menu.

I sighed, even as Asuna giggled. “Alright, Argo, time to wake up.” Deciding against touching her sensitive nose for the time being, I instead patted her on the cheek.

“Munyah?” Argo nuzzled into my hand, rubbing her cheek into it. “Warm,” The Rat muttered, and pulled me closer.

We were pressed up against each other now, and it was a battle of will to resist the alluring heat of her body against mine. Mattress were not helped by Argo’s other hand caressing my chest. Was she dreaming? Was she awake and only thought that she was dreaming?

“Hey, Argo,” I tried again as Asuna took another picture in the background. “You need to get up.”

“Ugh,” Argo groaned as I shook her shoulder, pushing herself up onto one arm. “Wha’ is it Kii...bou…?” The info broker trailed off as she opened her eyes.

Our gazes held each other for a split second before Argo flicked a look downwards, taking in the position we had found ourselves in.

“I though’ I told ya ta keep your hands ta yourself, Kii-bou,” Argo said, lifting herself up into a sitting position. “Now how am I gonna get married?”

“Kirito’s not the one who has to worry about grabbing things in his sleep,” Asuna countered, flopping down onto the other side of the Info Broker, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. “Who knew you were such a cuddlebug?” My wife murmured in Argo’s ear, photo album open to a shot of her loosely spooning me, one arm slung over my side.

Argo didn’t respond, simply staring at the pictures. “Are you okay, Argo?” I said hesitantly, gently shaking her shoulder.

“Guh,” The Info Broker grunted, making no other sound, simply staring at the photo.

“Argo?” Asuna tried, flicking the picture closed. The Info Broker disentangled herself from both the sheets and the two of us, plodded into the bathroom, and shut the door. There was a faint click of a lock.

After spending five minutes trying to reach her via messages, We decided to have breakfast while waiting. Yui babbled throughout breakfast about the photos of me that she had edited yesterday, showing my wife some of them that she hadn’t gotten the chance to show her yesterday.

I took Asuna’s ribbing in good humor, making exaggerated poses similar to the ones in the photos so that they could laugh at me. It was in the middle of one of those poses, with my sword carefully raised so as not to damage any of the chandeliers when A familiar laugh distracted me.

I stumbled off of the chair, narrowly avoiding banging my sword against a chandelier as Argo laughed at me from the doorway.

“Don’t stop on my account,” Argo smirked, leaning on one side of the doorframe, “Ya looked rather impressively silly.”

“It’s really nice to see you,” I said, sliding back into my seat at the breakfast table. “Would you like breakfast?”

“Una-Mama made fried rice!” Yui shouted, before shoveling another large bite of pork, carrot, and rice into her mouth, promptly gagging on the size.

“I’m not sure I want any if it tastes tha’ bad, squirt,” Argo said, rubbing one hand over the top of Yui’s head.

“Nooo, It’s good!” Yui mock-whined in that manner of children who know they are playing a game.

“Sure it is squirt,” Argo said, scruffing up Yui’s hair. “We got anythin’ else, Aa-chan?” The Info Broker settled into her seat as a giggling Yui ran her hands through her hair, trying to restore some order to the long locks.

“Just the rice, I’m afraid,” Asuna said, serving out another bowl from her inventory. “Here, it should still have some heat.”

“Aw, shucks,” Argo said, taking the bowl and chopsticks, starting to eat at a quicker pace than I usually saw her eat at.

“Is Yulier going to be here soon?” I asked in between bites of my own food. If she was, I would be that much closer to being ready. If she wasn’t, well Asuna had another bowl of fried rice ready.

Argo nodded, still taking bites at a fast pace. Asuna sped up her own consumption in response. Yui, on the other hand, had already finished her portion of fried rice, and was bouncing eagerly in her seat.

True to Argo’s “word”, there was a set of brisk, sharp knocks at the door not even ten minutes later. “I’ll entertain Yui while you guys talk with Yulier,” I said, getting up from my chair. Yui scrambled out of the chair herself, and Asuna shot me a look.

“You know I’d be happy to take care of her, right?”

“Yeah, but you’re better at this sort of thing than I am, and Yui needs someone to play with.” The girl in question was waving over to me frantically from one of the doorways, eager to play with me.

Asuna frowned again, but let me go to play with Yui while she and Argo met with the vice-captain of the Army.

“Common Papa!” Yui shouted, making a little hop, reaching up towards me. “I wanna ride on your back!”

At least this wouldn’t be as hard as with Asuna, I thought to myself, kneeling down to let the little girl scramble up my back to sit on my shoulders.

“Mush!” My daughter said cheerfully, yanking on tufts of my hair. Internally, I thanked Kayaba once again for the one good thing in this game: pain was dulled, so my daughter’s tugs were only twinging slightly rather than sharp jolts of pain like they would be in real life.

I took off at a steady pace down the corridor, making my daughter giggle by changing speeds and turning directions at her behest.

Argo and Asuna found me walking backwards up the stairs for Yui’s amusement, the little girl delighting in the swaying motion of me desperately trying to keep my balance.

“Alright Yui, time to go,” My wife said, plucking Yui from my shoulders and setting her on the ground. “We have quite a bit of ground to cover, and a dungeon to clear.”

“A dungeon?” Yui’s eyes lit up in curiosity, “I wanna see!”

“Well, that’s where we’re going.”

* * *

“So this is where Thinker’s trapped,” I said, peering into the dark tunnel, lit only with a few torches. Yulier, the vice-captain of the Army had led us through the Black Iron Palace to a dusty storeroom. Once there, she tapped three tiles on the wall that on closer inspection were elevated slightly from the rest. The result had been part of the wall shimmering and fading away, to reveal a dungeon entrance.

“Supposedly,” Argo said, glaring at Yulier.

“I’m certain he’s down there.” Yulier paid no attention to Argo, “He told me that Kibaou had found something that he wanted them to take a look at, and that he wouldn’t need any weapons.”

“And Thinker believed him?” Asuna asked skeptically. We knew that the leader of the Army was naive, in some ways, but rule one of SAO was ‘always carry a weapon’. Evidently he hadn’t read the rulebook.

“Not entirely,” Yulier admitted. “He didn’t tell me where he was going, but he sent me a message saying who he was with before he went into the dungeon. I kept an eye on Kibaou and Thinker’s map icon’s after that, and investigated after they split up.”

“At least he wasn’ a complete idio’,” Argo said. She rolled her shoulders, and walked past me into the dungeon. She had been odd ever since she left the bathroom, and I didn’t know why. It wasn’t the first time we had shared a bed, and it wasn’t even the first time that I’d woken up in her arms, but something about last night had aggravated the small Info Broker, and I needed to make it up to her somehow.

“Let’s go,” Yulier said, squaring her shoulders, only to be pulled back by Asuna.

“Yulier,” The vice-captain of the KOB began, “I know you don’t think much of yourself, but you have even more influence than Kibaou among the Army, and you need to stay here to keep what you can under control. If we end up failing and Thinker dies...”

I saw Yulier’s eyes widen as she thought about it. She wasn’t as well-known to the general public in Aincrad as Kibaou was, especially after the debacle of the 74th floor boss fight, but from what I knew, a good portion of the rank-and-file of the Army as well as most of the Squad Leaders looked to her for their orders.

And in her worry about Thinker, she had neglected her duties to them.

The Vice-commander of the Aincrad Liberation Force straightened, her eyes acquiring a new hardness. As she turned and walked away, I caught the beginning of a voice call.

“Marcus, grab Chuckles’, Timonet’s, and…”

“Well,” Argo said, twirling her dagger, “Now that that’s settled, let’s get going.”

“Do you want to wait outside Yui?” Asuna asked our daughter, kneeling down to look her in the eyes. The raven-haired girl shook her head, still examining the carvings in the depths of the Black Iron Palace.

“I want to stay with my Mamas and Papa,”

“Alright,” Argo said, leaning against the entrance of the dungeon, “Let’s go in, get Thinker, and get out.” Left unsaid was the fact that keeping watch over Yui would be difficult, and if Yulier hadn’t confirmed that Kibaou had managed to keep a weaponless Thinker alive, I would probably be staying back with Yui. As it was, we would just have to keep a close eye on her.

The stairs were darker than the Palace Storeroom outside, and as we moved farther and Farther away from the stairs, we started moving in a simple triangle formation, with Argo taking point, and Yui in the center. I trailed behind on the left, and Asuna covered the right. It was an effective formation I’d used before with both of them.

The frog-like beasts that came out of the walls were easily dispatched with one or two sword swings from any one of us, and Asuna and I made sure that they didn’t distract Argo, who spent most of the time frowning at the ground.

The Rat, as the only one of us with both the tracking skill and Thinker on her friends list, had the “honor” of tracking down the far too trusting Thinker. Why he had left his weapons behind I had no idea, although he had at least been smart enough to warn Yulier who he was meeting.

Especially given that even Argo didn’t know about this dungeon, though she had guessed that it was likely meant as an end-game challenge for High-level or even Max-level players. So far, I wasn’t seeing it.

“Are you doing okay, Yui?” I spared a glance at the smallest member of our expedition, who had been silent ever since we had started our descent. It made me worried, how quiet she was being. Normally she was a barely-contained ball of energy, and even when she walked, she bounced, her hair rippling from her motions. Now, in the dim light of the torches, she reminded me more of the ghost she was rumored to be.

The dungeon was probably reminding her of where she had been trapped before losing her memory.

“Yeah, we are,” Argo said, disrupting the comfortable pattern we had settled into. “Shoul’ be jus’ aroun’ this corner.”

“Thank goodness,” Asuna said, loosening her grip on her rapier slightly, “Let’s get Thinker and get out of here.”

The four of us turned the corner, and I felt a chill run down my back.

This was a boss corridor.

They always took the same form in dungeons; A long, narrow corridor of whatever material the dungeon was made of, sometimes with alcoves evenly spaced along the walls. They always had a foreboding air to them, even the ones on the first floor.

I didn’t know what sort of boss there would be in here, but I didn’t want to find out.

At the end of the corridor, I saw a white glow, presumably the safe zone. The boss was nowhere to be seen.

“Let’s get Thinker, and get out of here,” Asuna said, her body tense as we moved down the corridor. Every little sound was a sign that the boss might be upon us, and even a floor sixty boss, which should be around the same as this boss in power, could kill any one of us if we acted carelessly.

“Thinker, over ‘ere!” Argo called, waving to the trapped leader as we approached the safe zone. The panic that shot through the man’s face was painful to watch, and he almost sprinted out of the safe zone, running towards us.

“Run you fools!” He shouted, “It’s-” I caught him as he tried to run past us, struggling as he tried desperately to disentangle himself from my grip. I heard a scraping sound resonate throughout the corridor, and Thinker went stiff. “It’s here,” He whimpered.

“Kirito!” I heard my wife scream, and on instinct, I threw myself backwards, dragging Thinker with me. A massive scythe cut through the air in front of me, the shockwave making me stumble. A chattering sound filled the air, and when I looked up, I saw it’s source.

The cloaked figure emerged from the alcove that I had just moved past, and pulled back it’s hood with a bony hand, revealing a gleaming white skull.

The skeleton was enormous, easily twice my size, carrying a scythe that was even bigger. It’s dark robe had let it blend in with the wall concealing its presence until it had struck. It’s eyes gleamed red, their hatred and contempt filling me with unease. Above the Boss’s head, five health bars filled in one by one, and the name above that shot fear through my heart.

[Dungeon Boss: The Fatal Scythe Lvl: ???]

I couldn’t read it’s level.

I grasped Dark Repulser, and drew it as quickly as I could, shoving Thinker out of the way of another blow from the Boss’s scythe. Dungeon bosses weren’t like the floor bosses found in labyrinths; they had a set level, or in some cases, a set range of them, that they spawned at. My tracking skills allowed me to read the level of any mob up to fifty levels above mine, even the ones normally hidden.

This wasn’t a foe I could fight.

It belonged somewhere on the ninetieth floor, not the first.

But I needed to delay it, to give time for my family to get to safety.

“Argo!” I called out as Asuna lunged in from the side, inflicting a miniscule amount of damage onto the first health bar. She should have left it to me. I was more disposable. “Take Yui and Go!”

“No!” My daughter yelled back, breaking the silence she had been in for the entirety of the trip through the dungeon. “Una-mama, Papa, you-”

“I got her!” Argo shouted, grabbing Yui around the waist and slinging her under one arm, “Don’t you dare die, you hear me!” The Info broker shouted as Yui struggled in her grip, pounding her back with tiny fists that did no damage. “Don’t you dare die!”

I didn’t answer, already diving in for an attack as a blow from the massive scythe clipped my wife, sending her flying back, missing a quarter of her health bar.

The chattering laughter of the boss rang through the corridor as I deflected a heavy blow. The weight of the scythe shaving off a large chunk of my health.
Behind me, Argo carried a kicking and screaming Yui into the darkness of the hidden dungeon, Thinker following close behind. The last thing I heard before the chattering laughter of the boss overwhelmed everything was Yui screaming.

“Una-Mama!” my daughter cried as she was carried to safety, desperately reaching her arms out as if she tried just a little bit harder, stretched the tiniest bit more, she could reach us. “Papa!”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Part 15

“We have to go back!” Yui screamed, pounding her fists into Argo’s back, making the Info Broker stumble. Beside her, Thinker slowed down, but she waved him onward. He had a weapon now, he would be fine.

“Aa-chan and Kii-bou’ll be jus’ fine,” Argo said, readjusting her grip on Yui, trying to be as reassuring as she could. It was undercut by the shaking in her voice. “They’re the- They’re the stronges’ people I know.” The little girl only struggled harder, not calmed by The Rat’s words.

“It’s too strong for them!” Yui screamed, ramming a particularly vicious fist into what in real life, would have been Argo’s kidney. “We have to go back!”

“WE CAN’T GO BACK!” Argo shouted, her eyes flecked with moisture. “I told ‘em I’d keep ya safe, squirt,” The info broker continued, her feet pounding out a steady rhythm as she approached the stairs. “An’ I’m gonna keep ya safe, no matter what.” Argo said, an almost too-quiet whisper.

She knew almost from the instant the boss had appeared that it was impossible for Asuna and Kirito to defeat it alone, hell, even the whole assault team together might not have been able to defeat it. They had known precisely what they were doing when they had attacked the boss, and she would stop sending out her newspapers and live as a hermit before she broke the last promise she had made to her best friends.

No matter how much it would hurt.

As Argo crossed the threshold of a new room, Yui rolled out of her arms and back through the doorway. Skidding to a halt, the Info broker wheeled around and tried to dive onto the little girl, only to be stopped mid-dive by a transparent barrier, falling heavily to the floor.

“I’m sorry Ago-mama,” Yui said, sounding far more somber than Argo had ever heard her be; her face grave. “I have to do this.”

“Wha’?” Argo gasped, “hang on, we gotta take this thin’ down, hang on, there’s gotta be a switch somewhere.” The info broker started hurriedly running her fingers around the edges of the doorframe, trying and failing to find the source of the barrier.

“Ago-mama?” Yui flicked open her menu, which had changed from when Argo had last seen it, with even more windows flickering open and closed in less time than it took to blink.

“Yeah squirt?”

Argo kept searching. Somehow, she knew it was futile, that whatever had triggered the barrier wasn’t something that she could take down. But her daughter was on the other side of that thing. In danger, and nothing else mattered. Not Thinker frantically gesturing at her to run, not the knowledge that the two people she loved the most in the world were most likely gone without her being able to so much as say goodbye.

And not even the fact that she’d never told Kirito and Asuna that she loved them.

All that mattered was getting Yui to safety.

No matter what it took.

“I love you,” Yui selected a button on her menu, and the glow of teleportation started to consume her body. “But I have to do this.”

It struck Argo in that moment, just what her daughter was going to do. “Hey, squirt, Yui, common, I’ll have this barrier down soon, jus’ wait, an’ then we can go get some ice cream from Madam Charla’s place, okay? The Info Broker begged, her hands running even faster over the doorframe as her eyes darted about the room, desperately trying to find some sort of device that would disable the barrier preventing her from reaching her daughter even though she knew it was futile.

In a fit of anger, the Info Broker pounded one fist into the invisible wall that occupied the doorway.

Unseen to either party, it cracked, as Argo damaged an immortal object in her desperation to reach her daughter.

Yui smiled sadly as the teleportation effect consumed her, leaving behind only a few words.

“I’m sorry, Ago-mama. Goodbye.”

Argo stumbled through the doorway, the barrier that blocked her having faded as soon as the light of her daughter’s teleportation faded. She almost fell as she lunged toward the spot where she had last seen her daughter, only to come up with empty air. The Info Broker desperately activated her tracking skill, only to find no footsteps indicating the direction towards any of her party members.

In desperation, she cupped her hands around her mouth and howled, hoping against all hope for a response.

“YUUUUUUUUUUUUI!!!!” Her scream rang through the corridors of the hidden dungeon, carrying an almost palpable air of grief and fear with it.

Only silence met her desperate cry.

Argo fell to her knees and howled in grief, her failure echoing across her mind. She’d failed to anticipate Kibaou’s maneuvers. She’d failed to notice the Fatal Scythe in time for all of them to get away.

And now she’d failed to keep her daughter safe.

* * *
I barely managed to sidestep another swing as the Fatal Scythe closed in, and the near miss shaved of a tenth of my health bar. I wasn’t far from the red now, and Asuna wasn’t fully healed up. Even if she was, my situation would still be perilous.

I’d ran out of quick-access healing pots two minutes ago.

The Fatal Scythe was far more intelligent than most bosses we’d faced, blocking any attempt by me or Asuna to reach the safe zone, where it couldn’t follow. It was almost like fighting a player, in some ways. But it was far more powerful than any player I had ever encountered, and it was only the new equipment that Asuna and I had purchased, and the new parrying skills I had chosen to compliment my bracers that let us survive the withering assault of the boss.

Asuna deflected a strike from his scythe, avoiding the shaft of the polearm as it came swinging around in a follow up, using her rapier to springboard into a flying kick that sent her sailing away. She looked like she could fight forever.

But we couldn’t keep it up. It was between us and the entrance of the boss corridor, and consistently struck at whoever was attempting to go for the safe zone. Sooner or later, one of us would make a mistake, and die.

The Fatal Scythe let out a cackling laugh, and charged after my wife, it’s scythe angled low for a sweep. I needed to move, to get it off of Asuna, but my health was still in the yellow.

I didn’t dare open my inventory to access more healing pots. The last time Asuna had tried that, the boss had nearly bisected her.

Gritting my teeth, I drove the Elucidator into a lunge. The boss didn’t bother to block. Why should it, when my weapon would run out of durability far before it would run out of health.

But I distracted it from Asuna, whose health was dropping into the orange, which was the important part.

I spared a glance at my wife, trying to tell her with my eyes to make a break for it while I kept the boss occupied. She shook her head, raising her rapier into a guard position. As I dodged another sweeping blow I tried to point with one of my swords at the end of the corridor. She ignored me, circling, waiting for an opening.

Why wasn’t she running? Her life was worth so much more than mine. She was the vice-captain of the KOB, one of their chief strategists, and I was a nobody. There was nothing I did that couldn’t be replicated by someone else. If she died here, it was entirely possible that the entire clearing effort would stall.

I deflected the blade of the scythe again, leaving a small gap that I plunged my sword into, even as Asuna came from behind the boss, her health now back in the yellow. She drove her rapier in parallel to my blade, and for the first time, I saw the boss’s health bar dip noticeably.

The Fatal Scythe let loose a terrifying cackle, spinning around in a circle. The air pressure from the passage of it’s scythe knocked me back into a wall, and I heard something crack.

An icon popped up in my vision. I was suffering from the [Broken Leg] debuff, which would prevent me from using the limb until I could heal fully or get a healing potion. I swayed and fell to the ground. Distantly, I heard Asuna scream my name.

So this was it, huh?

The boss seemed to realize it too, running one finger down the edge of it’s scythe. Behind it, Asuna was getting up. Her sword arm hung limply from it’s socket, but her other hand held her rapier tightly. Her health was deep in the red.

She took an unsteady step towards where I lay on the floor.

“Run!” I shouted at her, pointing at the wide open corridor leading back through the dungeon to safety. If she started now she could probably get far enough that the Fatal Scythe would lose interest in her. I was already dead at this point, not even able to run away.

“Not without you!” My Brave, oh so Brave wife said defiantly, raising her rapier as best she could with her off hand, and charging. Her face was filled with determination, eyes alight with a desperate fire.

She always was beautiful when she fought.

The Fatal Scythe let out a chattering laugh that filled my bones with fear, and turned to face the fencer, it’s scythe rising up…

And up…

And up…

And Fell.

Far too fast to evade.

“Asunaaaaaa!”

I wailed, even as the prone body of my wife shattered into pieces.

No…

Why didn’t…

Why didn’t she run?

The Fatal Scythe turned toward me, it’s scythe still pointing towards the spot where Asuna had fallen, as if to taunt me.

I pushed myself up as steadily as I could, onto one leg, using one sword as a crutch. I lifted the other up as defiantly as I could. Asuna would hate me if I just accepted death.

The boss laughed at my pitiful act of defiance, and raised it’s scythe again. There would be no distraction to save me this time.

“Stay away from my Papa!”

Yui?

What was she doing here? She was supposed to be with Argo! A million and one questions ran through my mind as my daughter plunged a flaming sword almost three times her size into the chest of the Fatal Scythe.

The boss screamed in rage and fear, one hand swinging towards the small black-haired girl.

It shattered into pieces before it even got close.

I was dimly aware of the [Congratulations!] popup appearing on my screen, but most of my attention was taken up by something far more important.

“Yui!”

The Black-haired girl glanced around the room at lightning speed before her face twisted into a rictus of grief.

“Yui!” I called again, wincing as my sword slipped, and I had to realign it quickly or collapse. “What are you doing here? You should-”

“Summon object ID: Divine Stone of Returning Soul!” My daughter cried, raising one hand to the heavens as a whirlwind of light coalesced in her hand. It vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving a painfully familiar stone behind.

The black haired girl slammed the stone down onto the space where Asuna had died, and I saw a faint glowing outline form around the stone.

“Common Una-mama,” Yui said, focusing on the outline. “You can do it.” I stumbled closer, dropping the sword I wasn’t using to keep myself upright as a desperate hope filled me.

There was the sound of something shattering, and for a heartbeat, I thought that the item had failed, that it had taken too long.

Then Asuna’s avatar filled in, and she convulsed, sitting up as if she had been struck by lightning.

She was alive.

She was Alive!

“Yui, what?” My oh so gloriously Alive wife said, lifting her hands like she couldn’t quite believe it.

“Una-mama!” My daughter tackled Asuna, nearly knocking her over in her desperation to hug her. “Una-mama! Una-mama! Una-mama!” She cried, heaving great sobs into Asuna’s chest, desperately clinging to her like she would vanish again if she relaxed for the tiniest bit.

I wrapped an arm around Asuna, even as she wrapped her arms around the two of us, and we huddled together, tears falling from our eyes. We were just happy to all be alive.

“You are going to be in a lot of trouble when we get back.” The black-haired girl gave a great hiccupping sob, and shook her head.

“I’ll be dead before then.”

“What?” Why? How? I scanned her status briefly: no status effects that I could see.

“I should introduce myself properly,” Yui said, pulling away from our huddle pile. “I am Mental Health Counseling Program 001, designation ‘Yui’.” The black haired girl said, and a million things slotted into place.

“You’re an AI?” Yui nodded, wiping her eyes.

“I’ve been constrained, trapped ever since SAO launched.” The raven haired girl looked more haunted than ever. “I-I couldn’t help anyone, until now.”

“Yui-”

“And now I’m going to be deleted for it.” The AI said, moving toward the safe zone. “Just let me spawn items for you before the Cardinal system finishes deleting me.”

“What? What’s going to delete you?” I asked, rising unsteadily to my feet. It was the work of seconds to open my inventory and activate a healing potion. For the first time in a while, my health climbed up above the 50% margin.

“Cardinal, the system that runs SAO,” Yui said, maneuvering her way to the black… console? Yes, that was a console, an Admin console in the middle of the safe zone. “I’m not allowed to do anything to interfere with the game. I was able to fool it for a while by erasing my memories, but now that they’re back, it will label me as a rogue program and I will be erased.”

Yui paused, one hand over the keyboard, looking out of place, having to stand on the edge of the console to reach the physical keys. “It’s starting.”

I didn’t quite shove her aside, but I came fairly close as I pushed to the console. “Where are your files located?” I pulled up a navigation directory, my hands falling back into years-old patterns as I started to hack into the system directory of Sword Art Online.

“Papa, you can’t beat Cardinal,” Yui said, smiling sadly even as I frantically typed her designation into the search bar.

“I don’t need to beat Cardinal,” I responded, even as Asuna grasped Yui as tightly as she could, trying to hold her here through sheer will. “I just need to trick her.”

Yui looked doubtful, but she still guided me to a small set of files that were labelled as [Expansions]. It was only partially activated, presumably to lock the many, many MHCP’s that I saw out of the game.

As I worked, Yui began to fade, becoming a pale shadow of herself in Asuna’s arms, her figure becoming ghostly.

“A… At least…” Yui croaked out as I tried to salvage files even as they were deleted faster than my eyes could see, “At least I’ll die happy.”

“You’re not gonna die, Yui,” Asuna said, stroking her hair, “Kirito’s going to save you, and then we’ll go get some ice cream together, okay?”

Yui smiled, even as she became so transparent I could see the floor through her. She looked so damn happy that I wanted to cry. No, I was crying. Why was she so happy? She was dying.

“Ice… Cream,” My AI said, her eyes wistful. “I always… wanted to…”

I slammed my finger down on the transfer button, watching as thousands of files were moved to a separate drive. If I was right about this…

“Yui!”

I turned around, breathing hard, and collapsed to my knees. Yui was so faint that I could only see the barest outline of her form, and Asuna’s arms passed through her as she desperately tried to grasp her daughter.

For a second, It almost seemed as if she was looking at me, and I heard her whisper “Thank you,”

Then her outline shattered, much like Asuna’s had only a few minutes prior.

There was one difference between Asuna’s brush with death, and Yui’s. I picked up the small necklace that had dropped where our daughter had lain.

[Yui’s Heart] gleamed dully in the sheer whiteness of the safe room.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Part 16

It was a quiet walk back through the hidden dungeon. None of the mobs had respawned yet, and I felt too hollow to speak. A glance told me that Asuna felt the same.

Yui was gone.

There was the chance that someday, I could bring her back, but that couldn’t happen as long as SAO was running. She would be identified and destroyed immediately.

I didn’t know how long it would be before I could see the little girl who had somehow taken over my life in a few short days. I didn’t know when I would see my daughter again. It surprised me just how much I had come to care about her in the little time that we had spent together, but she was important to me.

I knew Asuna felt the same.

Approximately halfway through the dungeon, the silence we had walked in was broken.

“YUUUUUUUUUUIIIIIIII!!!!!”

Argo came running around the corridor a second after her yell trailed off, her eyes red, and her face set in a hard line.

“Kii-bou, Aa-chan!” She gasped, sliding to a stop in front of us. She took us in, her eyes scanning over us as if she could see the injuries we had taken. “You’re alive!” She flung her arms around us, tackling us to the floor. “You’re alive!” She buried her face into my shoulder, clutching the three of us together. “You’re alive!”

“Argo…” I raised one of my arms up to wrap around her, holding her close.

“I though’ ya died,” The info broker mumbled into my ear, her arms gripping tight. “I’ve never been so happy ta be wron’ before.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Asuna said, one hand running through Argo’s hair.

“Please,” Argo said, pushing herself up slightly so that she could look us in the eyes. “Please don’ ever make me leave you behind again.” Her voice trembled as she spoke, and my mouth opened in shock.

“You’re crying.” it seemed impossible. Argo The Rat was an almost unbreakable reed. I had seen her betrayed, thwarted, attacked, and grieving. Even when she had been breaking down, overcome by the horrid memories of her time in the cabin, she had never let herself shed tears.

“Don’t cry Argo,” Asuna said, reaching up with one hand to brush away her tears. “We’re still here. we lived.”

“I though’ I saw your name fade from my friends list,” Argo said, running one hand over Asuna’s hair. “Don’ you dare tell me everythin’s okay.”

My wife blinked, then opened her mouth to protest. “It’s okay, Asuna,” I said, sitting up so that I could pull her against me. “You’re so strong, I don’t think I would be alive without you.” I stroked her hair as she shivered, “I’m here if you-”

Asuna shook her head against me, gathering herself. “I need to-”

“Righ’,” Argo said, pulling both of us to our feet. “We’re gettin’ out o’ here. Jus’ give me a lil’ time ta go find Yui an we can go home.”

“Argo,” I called as the Info Broker started to walk away, ready to call out for Yui again. “She’s…” How could I explain this? She wasn’t gone, per say, because her data was still here, but she wasn’t active, oh! “She’s sleeping.”

Argo eyed me balefully, as Asuna, still somewhat unresponsive, wrapped one arm around me. “Tha’s all the more reason ta find her before the mobs get her.”

“No, that’s not what I… Here.” I flicked open my inventory and withdrew Yui’s Heart. Argo stepped closer, and let out a breath of air like she’d been punched in the gut.

“Is she okay?” The Info Broker said, tracing the design on the pendant with one hand.

“I don’t know.”

Argo let her hand drop, and nodded, one hand pulling her hood deeper over her face. “Ya better have a good explanation when we get back home.” With that, the three of us resumed walking through the hidden dungeon, each of us feeling the painful absence of the little girl who had come to mean so much to us in such a short time.

The walk home was surprisingly undisturbed. Thinker had messaged Argo about wanting to meet later, but the Info Broker had managed to delay our meeting for a while. It was probably for the best, given that Asuna looked about ready to keel over at any second, and I wasn’t sure I looked much better.

I certainly didn’t feel very up for anything.

The room felt duller, somehow, when we got back. Asuna barely seemed to notice, collapsing onto the nearer bed. I sat down on bed next to her, and she rolled over, pressing her body up against my leg. It was relieving, to feel this warmth against me. It kept me from seeing her shatter, over and over again.

Argo sat down on the other bed and crossed her arms expectantly.

“Yui was-is, an A.I.,” I began, running one hand over my wife’s form. Argo made a hum of acknowledgement, but gave no other outward expression. It took a few minutes to piece together what I had learned in the short conversation I had had with Yui that preceded her “falling asleep”.

“So Kayaba sealed her away because she wanted ta help?” Argo summed up my ramblings on the matter in a single sentence.

“There was probably a bit more behind it,” I said, holding Asuna’s hand as she rested, lying across my lap. “She was able to spawn in the [Divine Stone of the Returning Soul] Asuna buried a little further into me, her hand squeezing mine even as Argo gasped.

“But-” The Info Broker shook her head “-That’s”

I nodded, brushing my thumb over Asuna’s hand.

“Fuck,” Argo leaned back, and I desperately searched for something, anything to fill the void in the conversation. If I stopped for too long...

“Kirito?” Asuna said, her voice rough, but not as hollow as it had been. “Can we…?” I squeezed her hand, giving her some comfort.

“Do you want me to carry you?” Asuna shook her head, and I helped her to her feet. She wrapped one arm around me, and entwined the other with Argo’s, and we walked toward the kitchen together. We needed something to focus on, or everything would fall apart.

Dinner was a quiet affair, consisting mainly of leftovers from breakfast, although I had managed to fry some fish that Asuna had once again whipped up a sauce for.

She had almost returned to normal in the kitchen, puttering about with the dishes, mixing together ingredients, trying to get just the right amount of heat. But the second she stepped out of the kitchen, she had all but collapsed, leaning against Argo for support as I fed her bits of fish.

The silence hung like a weight as we ate, none of us mentioning the fourth chair that I had pulled up and set a plate in front of. The plate remained untouched even as we finished the scarce food that we had managed to prepare.

When Asuna pulled herself off my shoulder to pick up the plates and other utensils we had used, Argo stopped her with a hand on the wrist.

“You lovebirds go get some res’,” Argo said, her token effort at teasing falling flat, “Ya look tired enough ta be mistaken for zombies.”

“I can-” Asuna tried to argue, but was cut off by a yawn.

“Jus’ go get some res’,” Argo said, picking up the plates, “You shoul’ get ta bed ‘fore ya keel over.”
Asuna and I leaned against each other the whole way back, taking careful steps. We had come too close to losing each other, and neither of us wanted to be apart.

It didn’t take long for us to ready ourselves for bed, cuddling close as we bathed in each other’s presence. Reassuring each other that we were still here, that we had lived. Asuna let me hold her from behind, my face buried in her auburn locks, drinking in her scent.

A set of rapid footsteps ran down the corridor, and Argo burst through the door, panting hard. Her eyes scanned the room from end to end, and she let out a sigh of relief when she caught sight of us.

“Can I…” The info broker trailed off, tentatively approaching the bed. I nodded into Asuna’s hair, and she pulled back a section of the covers.

“Of course.” Argo crawled into the bedding, but remained distant from us. She looked at once relieved and uncomfortable to be here.

I don’t know what did it for me, perhaps it was that Yui was missing, or maybe it was Argo keeping herself separate from us, or even just the simple fact that I well and truly relaxed for the first time since the Fatal Scythe had appeared.

All I knew is that one minute I was holding my wife close, and the next I was sobbing into her hair.

Asuna, oh so kind Asuna turned in my arms, and wrapped her arms around me, and before I knew it we were crying together.

We cried in grief; for almost losing each other, and our daughter.

We cried in joy; for we had survived.

We cried in despair; for today had shown us that we might never make it out.

We cried because this world, the world that Kayaba had created, was a cruel trap, one that we couldn’t help but love, despite all the pain it had brought us.

We cried because we failed to comfort each other, even as we tried desperately to offer some reassurance with the warmth of our bodies.

Eventually, we cried ourselves hoarse. Argo had sat up while Asuna and I were weeping. One of her hands hovered over our entwined forms. “You okay?”

I laughed a heaving sob. And shook my head. Asuna gripped the blankets as best as she was able, and pulled them open as far as she could.

Argo moved cautiously, sinking low, and almost skittering across the bed as she crawled underneath the blankets. She crawled over Asuna to wedge herself between me and my wife. She shoved her arms underneath the both of us, doing her best to bring us together into one massive pile.

Argo had almost lost us today. She tried oh so hard not to show it, but she was scared. She needed our presence, to reassure herself that we were still here. Especially since Yui was gone, with no guarantee of getting her back.

The blankets were too narrow for the task that we asked of them, but we were too busy taking comfort in each other to care.

We fell asleep with Asuna and I lying on top of Argo, the small info broker trying to pile as much of our weight onto herself as she could.

* * *

Argo had trouble breathing when she woke up. For a second she wondered when Yui had clambered onto her bed, before the events of the previous day hit her. The Info Broker sank into the mattress beneath her as the weight of what happened took her breath away.

I almost lost them. The info broker wrapped her arms around the two people she was lying in bed with. It took some work to get her arms under them, but it was worth it, just to hold them close and breath in their presence.

I almost lost them. Argo slowly, hesitatingly, disentangled herself from Kirito and Asuna and sat up.

I almost lost them, and now I’m getting in the way, The info broker thought. Asuna and Kirito had had to almost crawl over her to reach each other. She was just an obstacle to their relationship

It would be better if she just left. She’d been the one who encouraged going to the hidden dungeon without backup. She’d kept Yui from doing anything until it was almost too late. If she hadn’t been there, then Yui would have been able to save Kirito and Asuna before either of them…

She had only made things worse.

As she tried to rise from the bed, something tugged on her wrist.

“Mmmmh,” Kirito mumbled something incomprehensible, his hand wrapped around her wrist.

“Let go, Kii-bou,” Argo mumbled, tugging her hand away. “Knew ya were a clingy sleeper.” She rose from the bed, and equipped her armor. She had a bolthole on the fourth floor that she could hide out at for a while. It was safe, out of the way, out of any wooded areas.

She could go there and come to terms with everything. She’d send a message to Kirito and Asuna when she got there. Hopefully they’d forgive her, eventually.

She paused, and scrolled through her messages, opening a new chat window. She had some orders to make.

“Argo?” The info broker’s typing was interrupted by the sound of the person she wanted to hear the most and the least right now.

“Go back ta bed, Aa-chan,” Argo said, finishing up her order. When she had opened in desperation to see if she had added Yui, she had been met with the sight of Asuna’s name fading. It had been one of the scariest things that had happened in her life, the idea that the woman she loved was dying, and there was nothing that she could do about it.

She hadn’t dared to look at her friends list again.

Finding Kirito and Asuna in the dungeon corridor… The sheer relief that coursed through her at the moment had made her rash. A rashness that carried over through the rest of the day. Argo needed to get somewhere to put her thoughts in order, to stop making rash decisions.

With that in mind, she headed for the door.

“Argo? Where are you going?” Asuna yawned, stretching her arms out. It was all Argo could do to keep her voice steady.

“Jus’ goin’ out for a bit. You stay an’ get your beauty sleep.”

The Info Broker grabbed the doorknob, and took a deep breath, preparing herself to leave before Asuna had fully woken up.

“Don’t go yet,” Asuna mumbled, swinging her legs out over the side of the bed and standing up. “We’ll go with you.”

“Nah, it’s better if I do this alone,” Argo said, pulling the door open, “‘Sides, you look like you need abou’ thr-”

She was cut off by a pair of arms wrapping around her torso and pulling her back from the door. “Don’t go,” Asuna murmured into her ears, the warmth of her breath making her face heat up. “Can’t lose you too.”

“Whoa, Aa-chan, didn’t realize you were so clingy, you really that invested in lil’ ol’ me?” The info broker tried to fall back on a tactic that had worked before: flustering Asuna until she let go, and slipping away while she was embarrassed. Unfortunately for her, it had been a while since she had tried the technique, and it no longer worked.

“I am,” Asuna said, sitting down on one of the chairs, pulling Argo into her lap. “You’re important to Kirito and I, and neither of us wants you to go just yet.”

Argo sighed, and slumped back against Asuna’s body, the warmth trying to lull her back to sleep. “Look, I jus’ wanted to go get my thoughts in order, kay?”

“And you can do that just as easily from here,” The fencer said, her voice ringing with a note of finality.

“Not when it’s my feelin’s towards you tha’ I’m tryin’ ta sor’ out.”

“Argo…” Asuna started, before hesitating. “If you need any help sorting out your feelings, I’m happy to talk you through them.”

Argo closed her eyes and tipped her head back, nearly bonking into Asuna’s chin. Why did she have to be so fucking kind? It was unfair, that she liked someone who had already clearly found her match, and was now off the dating market. Even worse that she had a serious romantic crush on someone else at the same time, and even worse that they were married to each other.

It was every bisexual’s worst nightmare. She’d be seen as a predator, someone who tried to break up existing relationships to take advantage of vulnerable people. She needed to let them go, to find love elsewhere, and they seemed almost determined to prevent her from doing so.

“This woul’ be so much easier if I wasn’ in love with ya.”

The first sign Argo had that something had gone off the rails was when Kirito shot up from the bed, his mouth open in shock. Asuna’s arms slackened from around her middle, and the fencer banged her chin against Argo’s head as she sat up straight.

“I said tha’ out loud, didn’ I?” The info broker asked rhetorically, internally preparing for the screams, and to be thrown out.

“Well,” Asuna said, lifting Argo off of her lap and setting her on her feet, although she kept a grip on the Info Broker’s shoulders. “That certainly makes a lot of things clearer.”

“Argo?” Kirito said hesitantly, slowly coming out from underneath the sheets. “What?”

“I mean, I knew you were in love with Kirito, but-”

Argo tried to bolt for the door, heedless of the grip Asuna had on her. She needed to be far away from here now, before Asuna got truly worked up. She didn’t get very far.

“Argo, you are staying, and we are going to work this out,” The fencer growled, pulling the info broker back by her cloak.

“What’s there ta work ou’?” Argo retaliated with venomous sarcasm. “I’m gonna leave, an’ try ta get over my feelin’s, an’ you won’ have ta worry abou’ me.” She strained against Asuna’s grip, not quite willing to leave her cloak behind yet.

“Asuna,” Kirito cut in, “How-”

“Kirito, not right now.” Asuna grabbed Argo, and sat her down in the chair that she had recently stood up from. “And Argo, there is quite a bit we have to talk about. Now sit, and stay. Kirito and I are going to go talk about this for a bit, and then we’ll come and talk to you.”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Part 17

I started asking questions the second that the door clicked shut behind Asuna.

“How long have you-”

“Known that she loved you? Not long, about a week,” Asuna cut me off, “Known that she loved me? About two minutes,” My wife sighed, “I was going to talk to you about it, but…” She shrugged. Argo had only started being comfortable on her own for extended periods of time around the same time that we picked up Yui. And with Yui, there was no time to have the sort of private conversation that that would require.

“Are you in love with her?” Asuna nodded, without hesitation. “How long?” I asked, already feeling my heart sink.

“Almost six months,” My wife, who would probably ask for a divorce soon, said. “But what matters right now is that I still love you Kirito.”

“But I fail-”

“Don’t you dare say that, Kirito. I knew what risks I was taking, and it was not your fault.” Asuna glared into my eyes, the fire within her burning any response I might have had to dust.

“This is… this is a lot,” I said, not sure how else to respond. My wife was in love with another woman, but still wanted to continue our relationship?

“I thought it was strange too, at first,” Asuna said, sinking down to sit against the wall. “I mean, who ever heard of someone falling in love with two people at once. But then I decided something.” She raised her head to look me in the eye, and her voice rang through me. “If we can become whoever we want to be in SAO, why not love whoever and however we want to love as well?”

“Oh.” I sunk down to sit next to her. Back IRL I was a shut-in loner who spent the entire day playing video games, had distanced himself from everyone who cared about him, and only really cared about computers. There were thousands of people like him in Japan.

Here, I was a clearer, part of the elite force that risked death to end the cruel game that we were trapped in. It hurt to even think about it, but SAO had been healing for me, Asuna, Argo, Liz, and Klein had all been healthy for me in a way that I never would have found IRL.

Here, despite all my doubts, people thought I was worth something. I had made my mark on this world, even if it was a far smaller one than most people thought it was. If a weak, shut-in nerd like me could become such a great figure, then why couldn’t someone love multiple people?

“That, that makes a lot of sense.”

“Yeah, it does.” Asuna nodded. “Now that you know that, what do you think we should do with Argo?”

I leaned against her shoulder, sketching out a set of options in front of me with my eyes. “She said she’s in love with you.”

“She’s also in love with you too, Kirito.” Asuna reminded me, as if I hadn’t seen her flush red in what I now realized was embarrassment, trying to shrink back in her cloak when Asuna had dropped that bomb on me.

I had been almost as embarrassed, and in hindsight, the reason was obvious. I could probably even pinpoint when it had started.

It had been back before I had even met Asuna, before the start of the death game, in the Beta for SAO. Argo had been a well-known info broker even then, and we had had a somewhat looser relationship than we did now. I was the guy who brought her info, and if she needed muscle for an intriguing quest, she hired me.

“I think I’m in love with her too.”

The turning point had been one of the elf war missions. The Forest elves were holding a dark elf relic within their fort, and we didn’t possess the right combination of skills to make it over the walls or through the sewers to where it was hidden.

Argo, rather than giving up, had decided to take advantage of the heavy-duty AI that Kayaba had worked into important NPCs in the game. She had managed to convince the guard at the gates of the Forest Elf Fortress to let us in, and from there we had been able to use our Hiding skills to get in and out.

It had been one of the best moments of the Beta, and taking it by the normal route in the full game had been comparatively disappointing.

With that realization came questions, and I couldn’t help but answer them.

“Do we try to just, what, form a three-sided relationship?”

Asuna was quiet for a moment. “I’d really like to.” She laid one hand on my thigh for reassurance. “You’re the best husband I could ever ask for, and I feel horrible for asking you to share me, but after… after yesterday, when I was in bed, falling asleep, I decided that I was going to grasp everything I could today, and try to live without regrets, because I might be gone tomorrow.”

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into my side.

“So…” I asked, trying to distract myself from the visions of Asuna’s prone body that threatened to flash across my eyes, “How would this relationship work? Are we just going to go in and tell her ‘hey, we’d like to date you?’”

“We’d have to be careful,” Asuna said, tapping her chin with one finger. “I mean, we’re married, and that means there’s a level of commitment and trust that won’t extend to Argo, which might-”

“Isn’t that a good thing, though?” I said, squinting in concentration, “I mean, if we’re just experimenting with this for now, wouldn’t it make more sense to let Argo feel like she could leave if she ever got uncomfortable?”

“She might get uncomfortable and leave if she felt like an unequal partner in our relationship,” Asuna countered, “But, no, you’re right, with how…”

“Scared?”

“Yes, that’s it, with how scared of damaging our relationship Argo is, she might need some way to ease herself into a deeper level of intimacy.” Asuna grabbed my hand with one of hers, squeezing it reassuringly. “We need to reassure her that her presence isn’t hurting us, or our relationship, just changing it.”

“We’re really doing this.” It seemed almost unthinkable, trying to add another person to the relationship that Asuna and I had built. But if it was anybody, Argo was probably the best fit. She knew and understood us better than almost anyone in SAO, and was a dear friend to Asuna and I besides.

And to my deep shame, she had featured in more than one of my more risque dreams, Five to be precise from what I could recall, all happening shortly after I helped her solve a mystery of some sort, usually by being the muscle.

She was a very tactile person, and I was a horny teenage boy.

“We’re doing this,” Asuna agreed, “Assuming Argo says yes.”

“Right,” We sat there for a moment, neither of us wanting to be the one to get up and open the door. How do you tell someone that you’d like them to join your already-existing, very-much committed relationship?

Gripping Asuna’s hand tightly for strength, I rose and opened the door, half-expecting to be met by the sight of an empty room.

Argo was sitting on the edge of the bed we hadn’t slept on, kicking her legs against the side of the mattress.

When we opened the door, her head perked up, although it was still covered in the shadows of her hood, her expression unreadable.

“Hey guys,” She said, “You took a while out there. Were ya makin’ ou’?” She smirked.

Despite the burning cheeks I could feel, I pressed on with the statement I had been preparing in my head when we had come to a decision about our relationship with the Info Broker.

“Argo,” I began, and watched as Argo’s smirk became carefully calculated, any amusement gone from it. “We would like it if you would-”

“You don’ need ta say anythin’ else Kii-bou,” Argo said, “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone, an’ you can jus’ forge’ all abou’ wha’ happened.”

Asuna strode forward towards Argo, glowering with the annoyance that I had only ever seen when she wanted me to stop doing something, stopping right in front of Argo and kneeling down. Despite how annoyed I knew she was, her words were soft when she spoke.

“Why do you keep thinking we’ll hate you?”

Argo was silent for a moment, before she clenched her hands into fists in her lap and spoke. “Happened before.” She shrunk back into the shadows of her hood, “Fell in love with a guy at school, asked him ou’, didn’ know he had a girlfriend. They blamed me when they spli’ up a couple weeks later.”

“Had ta switch schools after tha’.” Argo was slumped over, her eyes staring off into some faraway place, not seeing us. It struck me then, just how much all of us kept from each other, even as we shared our deepest secrets. I still didn’t know my wife’s last name.

“Well,” Asuna said, taking a deep breath. “I can tell you right now that neither Kirito or I hate you.” The way that Argo’s face cycled through incredulity, disbelief, and hope all at once was almost heartwrenching to watch. “In fact, we would like to invite you into our relationship as an-”

Argo broke out into a laugh. It was a tired, sarcastic thing, far from her normal amused giggles. “Alright, cut it out, Asuna, it’s not funny ta tease a girl like that.”

“We’re being serious Argo,” I said, sitting down next to her. “We talked about our relationship with you, out there, and…” I paused, glancing down at my wife, who nodded. That was all the encouragement I needed.

“We love you, Argo.” The info broker raised her head to look me in the eyes.

“Really?”

“Yes, we do,” Asuna said, coming up to sit on Argo’s other side. “I can’t speak for my husband, but I’ve loved you for a long time, even if I only realized it recently.”

“I think I first fell in love with you back during the beta,” I said, scratching the back of my head, “When we were tracking down the hidden item for the Elf War quest, and you negotiated our way into the Forest Elf stronghold; I’ve never seen anyone as confident in their own abilities as you.”

Argo seemed to almost deflate, her muscles relaxing and her posture uncoiling.

“You don’ hate me.”

Asuna shook her head. “Of course not. You’re one of our best friends, and nothing can change that.”

“An’,” Argo took in a deep breath. “You wan’ me ta, ta join your relationship as what? A side-chick?”

“A partner,” Asuna said, sitting down opposite Argo, “And maybe if everything works out, someone to share our lives with.”

Argo shook her head. “I-” she began, “I can’-.” She let out a long, slow breath. “Can you give me some time ta think it over?”

“Alright,” Asuna said, getting up from her seat, “But please, stay with us while you decide? You can think of it as a trial period, if you like.”

Argo nodded, still looking a little separated from the physical world. If she didn’t reconnect within the next five minutes, I was probably going to have to snap her out of it with a prank of some sort.

“Alright, given that we don’t have any other commitments here on the first floor, We should probably pack up and head back home,” Asuna said, “Yui, can you-” She clapped her hands, and cut herself off from finishing the sentence awkwardly. “Just, make sure you’re ready to head back home soon, please?” Asuna said, looking rather tired.

It was difficult to pack things up. None of us carried much outside of our inventories, but we had left some of Asuna’s cookware out yesterday, too tired and worn out to put it away.

Argo had been jumpier than ever, watching us carefully, scanning for any sign that we might be getting angry. Asuna was tired, moving slowly. Despite that, we all moved more freely, the tension caused by Argo’s unadmitted crushes, Asuna’s indecision, and my own unrealized crush replaced by a different tension.

Where were we going to go from here?

Asuna and I were united in our goal, like we were back in the days of the Elf War, before we had almost irrevocably broken up. But did Argo want the same thing we did? She was so scared of damaging our relationship that she might not date us, even though all three of us desired it on some level.

Two hours later, we were back at the teleport gate, and ready to head back up to the 55th floor, when Argo stopped as a flash of light signaled someone teleporting in.

She stood, gazing at the spot where the man had teleported, her hood covering her face in shadows.

I paused beside her, taking careful note of how her eyes stared through the teleportation gate, seeing something else. “Are you okay?”

Argo stirred at my question, her eyes becoming clearer. “Let’s keep goin’,” she said, ignoring my words. Asuna reached out for her hand as we approached the gate, but hesitated, letting her hand drop.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Part 18

It was five days after we returned to the 55th floor that Heathcliff contacted us. Those days had been stressful; I was a wreck more often than not, unable to go more than two hours at a time without seeing Asuna to convince myself that I hadn’t imagined Yui resurrecting her.

My wife seemed to be absent from her own mind frequently, often delving into her crafting skills for hours at a time. Argo had taken to observing us more frequently and intensely than ever, although that had gone down over the course of the week as she steadily approached pre-confession levels of comfort.

Just about the only thing that kept the three of us sane was regular visits to the various parks and bakeries around the city. Asuna challenged herself to try and recreate the foods we would try by taste alone, and her creations usually tasted nice, although where she got the idea to use powdered dragon scales as a spice I have no idea.

The weirdest part was that it had somehow worked. She had managed to find instructions somewhere on which types of dragon scales could be made into a food item, and furthermore, which ones could be powdered as opposed to being cooked as a slab.

But then again, if Dragon feces could be one of the top twenty ore drops in the current game, I suppose having dragon scales for dinner wasn’t too much of a stretch.

Argo had certainly enjoyed the blend of flavors it had created.

More recently, I had been trying to catch fish in the ponds outside the city. Our Col stocks, as deep as they were, would not support us indefinitely, and someday we would have to take up quests again. 

Fishing let me save Col, and Asuna had fun trying to figure out how to cook some of the stranger fish drops I returned with.

It also gave me something to do while Yui was asleep.

It was as I was coming back from one of these trips that Argo ambushed me in the doorway.

I almost lost my balance as she tackled me from behind, only staying upright by grabbing the doorframe.

“Hey, Kii-bou,” Argo all but purred into my ear. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist, making herself into an improvised backpack.

“Hey Argo, You mind moving? I have 126 seconds left to put this fish in storage before it spoils.” I started walking forward, and Argo shifted herself so that I could move my arms easily, but otherwise stayed put.

“Bu’ you’re comfy~” the info broker whined, “Aa-chan isn’ nearly as easy ta ride as you are.” She rubbed her head against my neck, and I did my best to keep from flushing, although judging from Argo’s giggle, I had failed.

“Welcome back, Kirito,” Asuna said, sending me a warm smile from her spot in front of the kitchen “I see you’ve acquired a backpack.”

“She’s a rather noisy one too,” I said, opening the exchange window and tapping the button. “She was talking my ear off on the way in.”

“It’s been a quiet week,” Argo grumbled, resting her chin on my shoulder. “I had ta write an article abou’ a sex scandal, o’ all thin’s. Made me feel dirty.”

“The KOB’s scouting party found the floor boss room about an hour ago,” Asuna said, turning back to the stove.

“Well that’s news,” I said to myself, sitting down heavily in one of the dining room chairs, making sure to sit far forward enough that Argo wasn’t squished. “Didn’t expect them to find it for another couple of days, at least.”

“Blacksmiths being able to provide better gear means that the scouting parties are able to go on longer expeditions and return safely,” Asuna said, not looking up from her soup. “So really, like most things, we can credit this to Argo’s info.”

“Aw, you’re gonna make me blush, Aa-chan,” The Info Broker said, her voice rumbling through my body. 

“Still, given the past performances of the scouting teams, I would have expected them to take two more days before they found it.”

“You’re not accounting for the weapon durability Kirito,” Asuna said, scraping a board of various diced herbs into the stew pot without turning around. “People aren’t having to retreat to repair their weapons as much, which was the big time limit on expeditions.”

“And they’re able to afford better gear as a result of not needing to repair their weapons as much.” I finished Asuna's unspoken statement. 

“Speakin’ o’ bosses, Aa-chan, ya have any idea why Heathcliff is refusing ta buy my full info package on the [Skull Reaper]?”

“He’s been making speeches about self-reliance and ‘The hostility of other guilds’,” Asuna put a little more force than necessary into one of her stirs, making the soup splash over the lip of the pot; her face twisted into a frown. “Normally I wouldn’t be worried, but he’s been recruiting more crafters into the guild lately.”

“Heathcliff always has been rather insistent on the KOB being able to stand alone,” I mused, “Argo, you got any info?” I went to swipe open my inventory screen only for Argo to wave me off.

“Aa-chan’s probably got more info than I do; Heathcliff’s been cullin’ my sources in the guild.” The Info Broker said it like it was nothing, but I could hear the frank admission of defeat in her voice. 

“Now I’m even more concerned,” Asuna said, setting her ladle down and turning the stove’s heat down low. “No other guild is cutting off your sources?”

Argo shook her head, her chin brushing the hair above my head. “Some o’ the guild masters even sell me info.”

“Asuna, you should think about getting out of the KOB before it’s too late,” I said, catching my wife’s gaze on my own. “I’ve seen this happen before with guilds, hell, we just saw something like it with Kibaou and the Army.”

“I’m in the best position to fight whatever Heathcliff is trying to do, and most of the members have been around since well before he started this new round of recruiting.” Asuna turned the stove up a bit hotter than it needed to be. “If all else fails, I made him sign an agreement after that spectacle he put on with you that if you ever wanted to leave the guild, I could go with you.”

“And I’m free to leave at any time?”

“Of course, you just have to sign over most of your money, your guild equipment, and half your healing potions!” Asuna slammed the pot down on the counter. “Soup’s ready, let’s just stop talking about it for now, okay?”

Argo and I exchanged a look. She slid out from behind me and into her own place at the table while I grabbed some bowls from mine and Asuna’s shared inventory.

Within thirty seconds we were all seated at the table, bowls of soup in front of us. My wife had blended rabbit meat with several kinds of herb, including one found only on the 34th floor, pearl barley, and diced turnips. It seemed like a combination that shouldn’t work, and yet it did.

“Thanks for cookin’ again Aa-chan,” Argo said as she polished off the last of the soup, pulling the bowl to her lips to take a long drink of the stock. I had done the same five seconds ago. “Ya must’a gotten your cookin’ skills from Kōjin .” The Info Broker smacked her lips, looking towards the pot on the counter; there was still some left.

“Go ahead and take some.” Asuna waved Argo on, and I picked up my bowl for a second serving as well. “This soup has a short expiry timer, so we might as well enjoy it while it lasts.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” As I reached for the ladle, The ding of a message sounded through the room. My wife scowled, and swiped open her inbox. Her face paled rapidly, and her spoon clattered to the table.

“Asuna?” I set my bowl down and jolted up as Asuna manifested a knife, then drove it into the table, starting to rant.

“I told him! I fucking told him! And did he listen? No!” My wife ranted, materializing a fork from her inventory and stabbing it into the table beside the knife. “I told him this was coming, that we needed to be more careful, and what does he do? Fucking goes and does the exact opposite of what I told him we should do!”

“Asuna!” I said as firmly as I could, standing from my seat and catching her hand before she could ram another utensil into the table. “Asuna, I like this table. I paid quite a bit of Col for it.”

Asuna took in a deep breath, and set the knife she had manifested down beside the other utensils. “Sorry.” She sounded like a barely restrained storm, fury almost rippling from her body with how strong it was, but there was an undercurrent of grief too. 

“Wha’ happened?” Argo leaned over Asuna’s shoulder, offering a comforting weight.

“Heathcliff sent a ten-man scouting party to scope out the boss room,” Asuna said, her anger fading, leaving only her sorrow and grief behind. “Against my recommendation. We’ve been encountering more and more field and dungeon bosses in Trap Zones.” I knew what was coming before Asuna finished her statement. Trap Zones were areas that prevented a player from leaving until whatever conditions the Zone wanted were fulfilled. Teleport crystals didn’t work, and any entrances were sealed off.

“It was only a matter of time before it happened with a floor boss.”

“Asuna…” I opened my arms, and she grabbed on to me, her tears staining my shirt.

“They’re dead. Ferdie, Jounesson, Griefer, they’re-they’re all dead.” Argo tentatively approached from behind her, before grabbing onto Asuna with her own hug when I gave her a nod.

Asuna had always been close with the scouting teams. They had the most dangerous jobs of the clearers, and they had a lot of respect for Asuna, who would go scouting with them on occasion. If there was anyone in the KoB she was friends with, it was the Scouts.

It took a few minutes for Asuna to compose herself, but when she did, she had reverted to the cold, hard vice-commander of the KoB.

“Heathcliff is reactivating us,” My wife said, flipping the message around so that I could read it. “We’re going to the strategy meeting tomorrow, and fighting the boss later that day.” I saw a raw determination in Asuna’s eyes. She wanted revenge, of a sort, against the boss that had killed her scouts.

“What time?” I couldn’t even think of not supporting her.

“Eight A.M.” I nodded, and Argo finally reacted. 

“Wait, I’ve go’ somethin’,” The Info Broker said, pulling up a trade window. “I, I firs’ ordered these as a goin’ away presen’, but if you’re gonna be fightin’ the boss, then ya shoul’ have it now.”

“Argo, you…” Asuna started to say something, but The Rat cut her off before she could. 

“I almos’ los’ you. I know I can’ follow ya into the boss room, so at leas’ let me make sure ya have the bes’ gear I can give ya before ya go in there,” Argo said, her fingers flying across her menu. Within seconds, a trade window popped up in front of me. At the top of the list was a third sword, comparable to my weapons, but not upgraded yet.

Before I could second-guess myself, I slammed a finger down on the accept button, and watched as the items appeared in my inventory.

Two pairs of boots. Three accessories. One Standard Sword. One Rapier. Two open-faced helmets. 

“I know ya don’ like ta wear helmets, bu’-” I cut off Argo by equipping the helmet. It fit snugly over my head, not moving when I turned it from side to side, and it didn’t obstruct my vision. It was a gift from one of the women I loved, and I was going to use it. 

Next to me, Asuna had equipped her own helmet. It took a slightly different form than mine, more open at the back, letting her long hair flow through. The helmets clashed slightly with the rest of our clothing, but they were good pieces of armor, and they didn’t obscure our vision.

“You gave us backup weapons?” I asked, drawing out the sword that Argo had given me. It was a fairly powerful sword, with stats approximately equal to one of my swords reinforced to +32, but upgrading it would take time and resources I did not have.

Argo nodded, “You guys mentioned tha’ one o’ the things tha’ scared you the mos’ in… you know… was your weapons breaking down. I though’ tha’ ya migh’ wan’ some backups.”

Behind me, Asuna tested the rapier, very carefully aiming away from anything breakable. Satisfied with its performance, she unequipped it and sat back down at the table.

“So, Argo, how much does the full info package for the 75th floor boss cost?”

The rest of the evening was spent reviewing what we knew of the 75th floor boss, or as Argo’s info told us, the [Skull Reaper]. It was harrowing, and by the time we had finished going over all the info that Argo had provided, we were all exhausted.

It was as we all got ready for bed that Argo broke her question.

“Can I sleep with you tonigh’?” 

The Info Broker was fidgeting, her fingers playing with the edge of her cloak as she waited for an answer. “I mean-”

I had better cut her off before she got too worked up. “Of course, Argo.” The info broker nodded, still playing with her cloak.

“Alright, good. Jus’ don’ push me off in the middle o’ the nigh’, okay? I’ve seen how tiny your bed is.” I chuckled lightly at her ribbing, and settled into my usual position on the far side of the bed, before realizing my mistake and scooching over a bit more.

Argo was right. I was dangerously close to the edge of the bed. If we were going to keep doing this, we would need to get a bigger bed.

My wife flopped down next to me, and wrapped her arms around me from behind, burying her head in my hair. Argo slipped into bed behind my Asuna, and I could feel the small Info Broker’s hands around my wife.

I rested one hand over my wife’s, plumped up our pillow with the other, and fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Part 19

The guildhall of the Knights of the Blood Oath had never felt more foreboding. Heathcliff was clearly stressed, and was not in his top form. The rest of the guilds were clearly uncomfortable as well. Now that the Boss Room had been revealed as an anti-crystal zone, everyone knew that going was a suicide mission.

Technically we were well above the safety cap for the bosses of the level, and a party should be able to take down a boss with only a little difficulty. 

But this was not only a floor boss, but a super floor boss, following the pattern of the bosses on the 50th and 25th floors. 

There was a very real chance that none of us would be here tomorrow.

“Now that we all understand the situation, and have a rough estimate of the capabilities of our foe,” Heathcliff said, looking slightly less well kept, although he looked fat too put together for a man who had just lost most of “his” scouts, “Does everyone know their roles?”

Everyone nodded, some tossing out affirmative noises.

The people here were a mix of peak- and high-level clearers. We were putting as much as possible into this push for the 76th floor while still keeping a B-team back that could train up for a week to be roughly at our level, and more importantly, take over the existing Guild infrastructure.

Lind, the leader of the Divine Dragon alliance, would be sitting this fight out, as the second-most powerful clearers guild in the game, the DDA would be needed if the Knights of The Blood Oath collapsed as a result of the current leadership dying to the floor boss.

As much as I disliked Lind, he was an even shrewder leader than Heathcliff, in some ways.

Some other mainstays for the boss fights were sitting out, including the five remaining members of the original Legend Braves, the Crimson Rose assault team, and the White Cross guild.

If we failed, they would be needed.

As everyone filed out of the hall, Lind approached Asuna, and whispered something into her ear. She almost drew her rapier, but paused when the blade was only a quarter of the way out of its sheath. She came away from the furious conversation that followed looking more than a little upset.

“What did he want?”

“To drive a wedge into the middle of the KoB,” Asuna said, tugging forcefully on the straps of her scabbard. I hummed thoughtfully. “Apparently Heathcliff was happy when the scouting team got wiped out.”

“But that makes no sense,” I said, pivoting to look at her, “Why would he be happy about his guild losing almost a tenth of their manpower? It’s going to take the KoB months to recover from that at the very least.”

Asuna nodded, still angrily adjusting the straps on her rapier. “The worst part is that he might be right.” I froze, stunned by the implications of what she was saying. “Heathcliff was far too eager to let me go on vacation-”

“Asuna, how would Lind know something that Argo doesn’t? Especially if it’s about a rival guild and not his own?”

Asuna paused, and shook her head, “You’re right, it’s just Lind stirring up trouble again.”

The rest of our journey to the dungeon entrance was quiet. When we reached our destination, Heathcliff pulled a corridor crystal out of his inventory, and activated it. The portal opened on a familiar sight: the doors of a floor boss room.

The various teams moved quickly through the corridor, spreading out and setting up guard for any wandering monsters that might attack. There were generally none this close to the boss room, but with how the rules were changing nowadays, you couldn’t be too careful.

I drew my swords before walking through the corridor, making sure to stay in a loose guard position. Asuna fell in behind me, her rapier ready for combat.

The doors swung open with an ominous scraping noise as the last party walked through the portal. Instantly, Team A, Fuurinkazan, dove through the entrance, forming a loose circle slightly inside the room. 

The doors started to swing shut.

The rest of the raid group ran through, falling into little groups that clustered back-to-back, searching for the boss. 

My attention was caught by a flash of red light that gleamed above us. When I looked up, I saw the same sort of cruel red eyes that the [Fatal Scythe] had born peering down at the group.

I opened my mouth to call out, but before I could speak, the boss sprang off the ceiling, it’s wickedly sharp blades coming down towards two of the tanks from Team E. I don’t know whether one of them saw it coming, or just felt something run across the back of his neck, but he raised his shield above his head.

It was the only thing that saved his life. 

The other tank’s eyes widened as the bone-white claw slammed down, tearing through his uncovered head like it was paper. I saw a glimmer of realization in his eyes as he exploded into a shower of sparks. His companion was driven to his knees, his health in the yellow from a deflected hit.

The Boss rose up as the surviving tank scrambled away, it’s many legs waving menacingly in the air, the two blades that formed claws on its front waving menacingly in the air. It moved unnaturally fast, it’s many limbs propelling it as it lunged toward Assault Team D, who barely scattered in time. 

It looked like nothing so much as a giant, demonic centipede.

“Assault Team B,” Asuna yelled, jolting me out of my observational mindset. I had to fight, there was no time to analyze this boss. “Circle around back! It looks less defended there!” Me and the six fighters that made up the rest of our team followed Asuna as she moved, the fencer limiting her speed to allow us to move as one.

And so the 75th floor boss fight began.

When it was over, ten people had fallen beneath the boss’s claws..

I sat on the floor of the boss room, staring at nothing, leaning against Asuna. She had wrapped one arm around me, and was desperately trying not to cry. Three members of team B had fallen in the raid. Where a full eight-man squad had once stood proud, now only five people remained. 

We weren’t almost wiped out like Team C was, but it was a small pittance. We couldn’t keep doing battles like this. Less people would be willing to become clearers, and eventually we wouldn’t be able to replace people fast enough on the battlefield. Progress would slow down immensely. It had taken us just under three weeks to clear this floor.

How long would it take us to clear the next?

We’d have to face the next floor boss with even less strength than before, despite us holding back a portion of our strength for a second attempt. But that didn’t matter right now.

We’d lost a full fifth of the raid group. Almost everyone had lost someone, not that some people showed it. Heathcliff hadn’t even reacted when his subordinate had died, like he was made out of granite rather than flesh.

He wasn’t even mourning now, or if he was, he was hiding it well; he didn’t even look worried. Not like the rest of us, and why should he. He’d never come close to death throughout the entire fight, even a direct blow from one of the Boss’s claws not dropping him below… half… health.

A thousand wild details came together in my mind; I heard what Asuna had said before the battle replay in my mind “He wanted them to die.” I remembered how Argo had been cut off from getting any info out of the KoB. And I felt the way that Heathcliff’s shield had seemed to teleport during our duel.

It was a long shot, and If I was wrong, I would be thrown out of the KoB at the very least, but if I was right…

I might be able to end the game here and now.

Asuna tried to grab onto my coat as I moved, but I shook it out of her grasp. She didn’t deserve to go down with me if I was wrong.

I raised my sword and swung.

The resulting clang was distinctive to every person in the room. 

The sound of someone striking an immortal object.

“Found you,” I snarled, a complex knot of emotions welling up in my heart, “Kayaba,”

Heathcliff stared down at the spot where my sword had impacted his side, the purple hexagon of an [immortal object] popup hovering above where they met.

“Interesting,” Kayaba said, examining me like one examines a metal rod that is bent out of shape; interesting, but only for how it is different, not for any of its innate qualities.

I heard a clatter from behind me, and dove out of the way. 

“KAYABAAAAAAAAAAA!” Asuna roared, her rapier flashing out as she lunged, moving faster than I had seen her move before, her eyes almost glowing with rage. Kayaba twisted to the side almost faster than I believed possible, My wife’s sword barely grazing his cheek as she lunged past.

The GM’s fingers flashed out on his menu, and I felt my limbs lock up for a second. I staggered as the paralysis effect ran out. I was the only one to stay upright. The rest of the Raid Group fell like puppets with their strings cut.

“Well, this is surprising,” The madman said, grinning maniacally, “I didn’t expect for anyone to discover me this soon. How did you do it?”

“Your health never dropped below the halfway mark. Not even after you got hit by something that killed a tank one level below you in one blow,” I grit out, raising my swords into a ready position. I needed to be ready if he attacked.

“Kayaba,” Asuna growled. Even though she was paralyzed on the floor, she still looked incredibly intimidating. I had never heard her this angry before. “You knew what was going to happen when you sent the scout team here, and you did it anyway!”

“Of course not,” Kayaba scoffed, resting his shield on the ground. “There was approximately a 3% chance that they could have beaten the Skull Reaper.” He grinned. It was a very evil grin. “Some of them might have even survived.”

“Is that all we are to you!” Asuna screamed, her face flushing red with anger, “Just fucking pawns on some chessboard that you sacrifice when it’s convenient!?”

“Of course not,” Kayaba scoffed, “I have the utmost respect for human life,”

“Tell that to all my subordinates that you killed!” Asuna spat at Kayaba, the globule of liquid falling far short of the traitor. Her hand twitched, her fingers curling into a fist.

“Rude,” The programmer said, taking a step away. I stepped in between them. Asuna needed a bit of time. “Oh, do you have something else to say, Kirito?”

“Yes,” I swallowed, my throat dry. “Were you trying to turn the KoB against the rest of the players?” I could feel the weight of the silence fall on the room. 

“No…” Asuna breathed out behind me. Every member of the raid group was staring at me in shock. What I had just proposed ran antithetical to the stated purpose of the KoB, and I knew of several people in the KoB who would sooner die than kill another player. 

“I don’t know how long it would have taken, but you were already starting to isolate your guild from the rest of the server-” 

“I always knew you were a special one, Kirito. To think you figured out one of my contingency plans…” Kayaba interrupted me with a laugh. “Well, I’m not sure I can let you leave here alive.” He pulled up a window, and a duel request popped up in front of me. “How’s this?,” He offered, “You defeat me here, and I will consider the game complete. And if you lose...” 

I would die. Behind me, there was a rustle of movement.

“You don’t deserve the honor of a duel,” I spat, even as I pressed my finger down on the [accept] button, trying to crush it into a little ball of paper that I could throw at him. He smirked in response.

“So why did you do this, Kayaba?” I asked, falling into a rather unusual stance. My arms were spread out slightly, and I faced the Game Master with squared shoulders. “Do you get some sick enjoyment out of watching us struggle to survive?” I needed to keep him talking.

“Of course not,” Kayaba scoffed, raising his shield as the timer started to count down. I was at a lower health than Kayaba, but I didn’t have the time to grab a health potion. “This whole game is necessary.”

“Necessary?” I seethed, tightening my grip on my swords. “Over 3,900 deaths are necessary!?”

Kayaba, the madman, nodded. 

“You’re a sick fuck.” I finally shifted, bringing my swords up in front of me, but not moving my feet just yet. 

“And so it begins,” Kayaba said, “A duel for the fate of the world. I always knew that you would come to face me one day, Kirito.”

“Don’t even start with that prophetic bullshit. You couldn’t even predict this duel properly.” With that, I dropped to the ground as Asuna leaped over me, her powerful legs carrying her to Kayaba in an instant.

Her rapier flashed out in a ray of light. It moved so fast it looked like it was a skill. Kayaba’s shock caused him to raise his shield a second too late, and the fencer scored another gash across his cheek. 

Emboldened by her success, Asuna stabbed again, this time aiming for a shoulder joint.

I lunged forward as Kayaba deflected the blow, one sword coming in from the side in an obvious overhand cut.

As Kayaba moved to parry it with his blade, I stabbed forward with my other hand, the blue blade flickering in and leaving a gash on him, his shield still out of position from deflecting Asuna’s strike.

It was the last blow either of us landed on him for a while.

The Paladin backpedaled, steadily giving ground as we harassed him, diving out of the way of his deadly swipes and making him turn constantly to present his shield to us, trying to get him to turn his back.

This was why he spent so much time in the Arena, I realized. He was training himself to fight players! I deflected one of his swings down into the floor, letting Asuna stab forward with her rapier.

He caught it on his shield and I had to swing a double hammerblow in from the right to prevent Kayaba from striking at my wife. 

During a lull in the fighting, I glanced at Asuna. She was panting heavily, and the tip of her rapier was shaking slightly. We couldn’t keep this up. Both of us were already exhausted from the boss fight, and now we were facing a foe that knew every single sword skill like the back of... his... hand...  

“Cover me,” I muttered to Asuna as I ran forward, my wife keeping pace beside me. She frowned, but readjusted her grip on the hilt of her rapier, and nodded. I fell into a stance that was ingrained into my body as I approached Kayaba, and the Paladin smiled. 

The 14-hit combo of [Starburst Stream] came easily, and Kayaba parried my blows just as easily. With a sick grin, he twisted his sword just As I was coming in for the fifth strike. The strike shattered my blade, [Elucidator] vanishing into motes in my hand.

Kayaba raised his sword, a look of triumph on his face as his shield deflected the last blow and I was locked into the ending position. His smile only lasted until Asuna stabbed him through the armpit.

His eyes widened in shock, and he pulled away, his health bar down in the red. I pulled open my inventory, grabbing the item I had placed at the top of the list.

Argo’s sword materialized in my hand, and I dove back into the fray, just as Asuna launched into a skill of her own, a [Star Splash]. Kayaba fell back under the assault of the skill, to preoccupied with parrying the rapid blows to block overhead blow from crashing down onto his helmetless head.

The paladin staggered, and Asuna stabbed him through the chest with the last blow of her skill, the rapier puncturing Kayaba’s chestplate.

“Well… Done…” The paladin grit out as Asuna drove her rapier in further and his health bar emptied. 

When he shattered, he was smiling.

For a second, no one moved. Then, an announcement started to play.

“As of 14:57 Standard Aincrad Time, The Game has been cleared. Commencing mass logout.” 

Then the light of teleportation enveloped me, and the boss room faded.

When the light faded, I found myself facing a strangely familiar sight. The giant metal structure hung in the sky, with seeming disregard for the laws of nature. It took me longer than I would have liked to admit to realize that I was looking at Aincrad from a perspective no one had seen since the launch: The Outside.

“Congratulations, Kirito, Asuna.” I whirled around, raising my… sword? Where I had once held a blade, there was nothing. A gasp to my side indicated that Asuna was in the same position.

“Oh, none of that.” Kayaba waved his hand, and sat down on the edge of the clear platform we were standing on. “You defeated me fair and square.” The madman leaned forward, resting his head on one hand, peering down at the castle.

As if waiting for him to watch, the bottom of the castle started falling away. “With my death, Aincrad is falling apart, and soon nothing of this world will remain. As promised, all 6,151 survivors will be returned to the ‘real world’.” He said the last two words with a virulent distaste, as if they were bitter to say.”

“Real world?” I couldn’t help myself. It was all over, and I wanted to know why he did it. 

“Tell me, Kirito, Asuna, did this world ever seem fake to you, inauthentic somehow? If you turned off your HUD and stared into the sunset, would you be able to tell any difference between here and the physical world?” Kayaba raised his arms, spreading them wide. 

“No, I truly did create a living, breathing world!” The madman laughed, “And now it is all being deleted.”

“So that’s why you did all this?” Asuna asked, walking forward and pulling Kayaba around by the shoulder to face her. “Almost four thousand people died because you wanted to play god?!”

Kayaba leaned away from the enraged fencer, trying to smooth out his jacket. “Of course not,” he scoffed, “This was both a warning and an experiment.” Then the madman doubled over as Asuna punched him in the stomach.

“A warning doesn’t involve killing people.” Her voice was low, and cold with anger. Kayaba’s eyes widened as she wound up another punch, and he vanished, reappearing behind me.

“I think you will find that four thousand deaths would be the least of the crimes someone could commit if the FullDive industry was not properly regulated,” Kayaba said, once again trying to smooth out his suit. “And besides, you proved my hypothesis, Asuna.”

“I don’t care about your fucking hypothesis,” Asuna growled. “You killed Ferdie. You Killed Jounesson. You killed Griefer. You killed the people who trusted you to lead them out of Aincrad, and you don’t even care.”

Kayaba sobered, seeming to come to an understanding. “Very well. I will leave you here, then. With perhaps the grandest sight in any world.” He turned, and raised one hand in farewell.

Before he left, he half-turned back, and looked us in the eye. “And know this; The laws of the virtual world are only slightly more restrictive than the laws of the physical one.”

“Why you-” Asuna said, marching towards him. As she lunged forward with a fist, Kayaba’s body faded into mist, leaving her swinging through air. “Asshole!”

“Easy Asuna,” I said, holding my hands up in a placating motion. “He’s gone now, and we can make sure he faces justice. Let’s just relax for a bit, okay? It’s been a very long day.”

Asuna turned towards me, her eyes alight with anger, and for a second I thought that my wife might hit me, but instead she let out a breath, walked to the edge of the platform, sat down, and patted the space next to her.

She wrapped one arm around me when I sat beside her. “You’re right,” She said as floor 37 fell into the void. “It’s been a very long day.”

We sat in silence for a bit, watching the floating castle of Aincrad slowly crumble into the void. As floor 55 crumbled, Asuna spoke up again. “We need a way to find each other in the real world.”

“Yeah, oh, My IRL name is Kirigaya Kazuto. I turned 16 this October.” Asuna nodded. It seemed strange, but somehow natural that this woman who I had married only now knew my “real” name.

“I’m Yuuki Asuna,” my wife said, running one hand through my hair as floor sixty crumbled. “I’m seventeen years old now.”

“You’re older than me.” It was both a surprise and not. Asuna had always been more capable than I was after the first month. My wife giggled.

“I guess I am.”

The two of us sat there in silence as the floors fell away in the distance, the sun illuminating them from behind. It was somehow the most tragic thing I’d ever seen.

“When we wake up,” I said, curling one hand around Asuna’s waist. “The first thing I’m going to do is find you and Argo.”

“Poor Argo,” my wife laughed. “She must be so confused right now.” 

“I know I would be, if I wasn’t there for it.” I said, even as Asuna quieted down.

“Do you think she’ll be able to find us?” My wife said, her hand clenching further around my shoulder. “I know I said that Aincrad let us love who we wanted to, but I- I’m not sure we’ll be able to- to find-”

“Hey,” I knocked my head against hers, “We’re not gonna leave her behind. Besides, if anybody could track someone down IRL it would be Argo. There’s nothing that can stand between her and a piece of info she wants.”

“That does describe Argo very nicely,” Asuna said, her hand relaxing.

The next words out of my mouth almost surprised me. “Can you hold me?” I almost stammered. “Until the castle is gone?”

Asuna didn’t respond. She just pulled me into her lap. We were going to be leaving behind everything we had built for ourselves in this new world. We were going to lose the strength, the items, and maybe even the friends that we had found over the last two years. But as long as we had each other, I had hope that things would work out all right.

As the sun faded from the sky, the last floors of Aincrad fell away, and I felt the very unfamiliar sensation of logging out.

* * *

The light stung my eyes as I opened them. What sort of light was that? It was like staring into a fire for too long- Fluorescent lights! They were long, and tubular, and I almost cried when I saw them. I was out! 

I was Free!

I tried to move my head, but a weight on it kept me from moving fast. The Nervgear! I slowly, painfully raised my hands up, and lifted it off my head. Why was I so weak? I could barely even move without an enormous exertion of will.

It was a struggle to sit up. But I had a job to do. There were people I needed to find. “Asuna,” I said, gripping the, the, what was it called again? The pole on wheels next to my bed, with a bag hanging from it. A bag that had a line leading from it that led into a needle stuck in my arm.

Right, better not touch the needle. “Argo,” I finished, as I tried to stand up, my feet pressing down on the cold hospital floor. “I’m coming.” I tried to stand up, and it felt more painful than when Kuradeel had skewered me with his sword. “I’m coming,” I said, the memory of Argo smirking, and Asuna smiling giving me strength.

“Whatsa matter Kii-bou? Can’t make the jump?” Argo teased, leaning on my shoulder.

“Course I can,” I muttered, speaking to a woman who wasn’t really there. 

Another hand landed on my other shoulder. “Take your time, Kirito,” Asuna said, smiling gently, “We’ll wait for you.” 

“I know,” I said, as I slowly, excruciatingly levered myself to my feet. From there, it was easier to put one foot in front of the other, letting myself almost stumble forward, leaning on the pole on wheels as I walked towards the door. “But I want to see you, make sure you’re alright.”

I pushed open the door, and staggered through.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 1

It had been almost three months since we had cleared Aincrad, and two weeks since I had left the hospital. Today, I was walking with the aid of a cane, having finally left the crutches behind.

Now I was in another hospital, although for a very different reason. I’d been coming here almost daily since three days after I was able to move my own wheelchair. 

The journey never got any easier. It always seemed both too long and too short. 

The clacking of my cane echoed in the empty hallway that reminded me far too much of the boss corridors, with it’s repeating pattern on the walls, and I desperately wanted a nurse, or anyone to come down the hall so that I wouldn’t be making this trip alone. 

Tomo was too busy to join me today, unlike most days.

I paused with my hand on the door, hoping that what would greet me when I opened it would be different from the last thirty times I had opened this door.

But the same picture greeted me as I came in; Asuna, asleep on the bed, still with her Nervgear on. When everyone else had woken up, there were a few who had stayed trapped. Asuna was one of three hundred cases.

In theory, since SAO was cleared, we could remove the helmet and she would be a little disoriented when she woke up, but otherwise fine. In practice, no one was willing to take the risk that they were wrong.

“Hey Asuna,” I sat down in a chair next to the bed, and grabbed onto her hand. “It’s been a while.”

My wife didn’t respond. She never did. The Nervgear prevented her from moving her body while she wore it. It didn’t stop my heart from hoping desperately that I was going to see, or feel some sort of response from her when I was here.

“Argo’s been busy with her info network,” I said, falling into a routine. Every day, I would come here, and tell Asuna about what had happened yesterday. It usually didn’t take much longer than half an hour. I probably looked like a creep, but none of the nurses or doctors had thrown me out, even when they looked at Asuna’s family or That Man with thinly veiled disgust.

She didn’t respond. She never did.

“She said she was busy when I asked her if she wanted to see you, and I know that she is, but it just feels wrong. Like she should be making time for you, even though you’re… you know.” I waved a hand at the bed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be talking about you like that.” I scratched the back of my head, feeling suddenly self-conscious. 

“Maybe I’m the one being wrong,” I said, letting Asuna’s hand fall from my grip. “I mean, I’m the one coming to talk to you every day even though you don’t respond, and Mom says that I have an ‘unhealthy attachment’ to you, but what can I tell her? She’d freak out if she knew that I was married, much less to a girl I met in SAO.” 

I sighed. I was going nowhere with this. One of the nurses had told me that it was perfectly normal to visit like this, especially since I didn’t have school or work occupying my time. And besides, I needed to be here when Asuna woke up. 

If she woke up.

“Oh, did I tell you about what Sugu and I did yesterday?” I fell back into the comforting routine. It was easier to ramble to her. It made me miss Argo’s ever more frequent absences less. It also let me ignore the painful things that surrounded my wife.

She was set to be married to the head of RECT Progress, the company that had taken over the running of the SAO servers, one Sugou Nobuyuki. I hated the man, and If Asuna met him, she would hate him too. But here in the room, I could almost pretend that he didn’t exist, and that Asuna would wake up any moment.

“-And I ended up vomiting half the meal. Sugu swore that she’d never cook that dish again,” I said.

Silence fell. I had run out of things to talk about, and now it was just me, and the unmoving body of my wife. So still that only the continued warmth of her hand in mine and the steady beeping of the medical equipment told me she was still alive.

I pressed her hand to my forehead. “Please,” I begged quietly. “Please come back soon. I’m… I’m not certain how we’ll go on without you.”

Asuna didn’t respond. She never did.

The door swung open, jolting me back into a state of awareness. I turned my head to look over my shoulder, and felt my spirits rise.

“Heya Kii-bou,” Argo, no, Hosaka Tomo in this world, said, leaning against the doorway. Her blonde hair framed her unmarked cheeks, making them almost glow in the morning sun. Her hands fidgeted inside the pocket of her hoodie, her own cane leaning against her hip. It was still weird to hear her voice less nasal, but apparently SAO hadn’t been able to simulate the nasal drops she used to control an old sinus infection.

“Tomo,” I said, catching myself from saying the wrong name at the last moment. “I thought you were busy?” Internally I winced. That sounded like I didn’t want her here.
I mean, I’m happy-”

“I know wha’ ya mean Kii-bou,” Tomo said with a grin, “And I didn’t want ta interrupt ya lovey-dovey time with Aa-chan.”

I frowned, “You know that neither of us-”

“I know, I know.” the Info Broker shook her head. “It just feels weird, I don’t want ta do anythin’ without Aa-chan here.”

I knew what she meant. The mere thought of trying to pursue any kind of relationship with Tomo while Asuna, my wife, lay asleep was discomforting. Asuna was the one who had first encouraged us to try and build something romantic between us, and without her we were floundering.

“I have somethin’ ta tell ya Kii-bou,” Tomo said, lowering her voice, “But not here.” 

“I’ll see you later, Asuna,” I said, casting one last glance back at her. Argo closed the door slowly, just as hesitant to leave as I was. 

“So, where are we going to talk?” I asked as we slowly walked down the hall, our canes clicking in unison.

“Agil’s place.”

The Dicey Cafe was only a few blocks away from the hospital Asuna was staying at, which made it a nice place to go after visiting Asuna. Agil was kind enough to not throw me out for not buying something every time I came there, and given that Tomo lived both further away from the hospital and closer to the cafe than I did, it made a nice place to meet up.

Agil was strangely not facing the door when we entered, although he turned around when he heard the doorbell ring. “Well, if it isn’t my most frequent customers!” The big man said, walking up to the counter. “What can I get for you today?”

“I don’t think ya have anythin’ spicy enough ta satiate my palate, ya cheapskate,” Tomo said, “But ya can try.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” the bartender said, “I got some really spicy peppers in with the new shipment, care to give them a try?”

Tomo opened her mouth, but paused before speaking. “No, We’re gonna be too busy to was hellfire out o’ our mouths.”

Agil nodded, and we took our seats at the bar. Our normal drinks were served without anyone speaking, as a silence fell upon us. Swallowing the last of my tea, I set the cup on the counter, and turned to my kinda-sorta-maybe-girlfriend? What do you call the person who you have mutual attraction with but aren’t in a relationship because you’re irrationally concerned over the way that your wife, who has been encouraging the relationship since the start, will react? 

I really couldn’t settle on a term. 

“So, you said you had something to tell me?”

The blonde ran one finger around the rim of her own cup, not meeting my eyes. “I think I found where Asuna’s been trapped.”

What? How? When? How long had she been holding on to-

“I came across a photo last night, and it’s a long shot, but I think it’s her.” Tomo swiped open her phone, sliding it across to me. On it, a picture displayed a birdcage hanging from an enormous branch. The multitude of other branches in the background made it clear that this cage was hanging from a tree, and an enormous one at that. 

The cage didn’t contain a bird. No, there was an achingly familiar person in the cage. She was standing pressed against the bars, her mouth open in a shout, and one arm stretched out, as if trying to reach whoever was taking the picture. Tomo leaned over, and swiped left.

And I saw Asuna’s face in a closer detail. Her face was alight with hope, her shoulders were set, and she was trying to bend the bars that kept her imprisoned out of her way. Behind her rose great luminous wings, the same color as her hair, and a pair of long pointed ears kept her hair swept back behind her in the absence of her normal braid. 

I don’t know how long it took me to stop staring at the photo. It was Asuna, oh so gloriously animated in a way I hadn’t seen for months.

“Where was this taken?” I couldn’t stop the hope from infecting my voice. For the first time in months, we might have a lead on Asuna’s situation.

In response, Agil slid a game case across the counter. I stopped it before it could hit my cup, and lifted it up. 

“[Alfheim Online]?”

“It was started up a little over a year ago,” Agil said, “Using the new, safer console developed by RECT.”

“I’m not so certain about the safety thing, given that they’ve got the design documents for that thing locked down tighter than Juki Net.” I examined the case, “You think Asuna’s in here?”

“I’m all but certain o’ it,” Tomo said, leaning against the counter, turning her chair to face me. “The big thin’ for ALO is ta climb up the “world tree” in the center o’ the map. But no raid group’s ever managed it, so a small guild decided to try and do it another way.” The info broker grinned, and I knew that whatever exploit this guild had figured out almost worked.

“They tried flyin’ up the side o’ the world tree, usin’ each other as launchin’ pads to get more height. They almost made it, bu’ the final guy didn’ have enough stamina ta land, but he did manage ta take some photos, includin’ these two.” Tomo picked up her phone, brushing against my chest. 

“And interestin’ly enough, these two photos were deleted from the post, while all the others were kept,” The info broker grinned. It wasn’t a nice grin, promising a world of pain for some poor soul. But this one probably deserved it. “Now, I did some diggin’, an’ the person who’s in charge o’ ALO is none other than Sugou Nobuyuki.”

My hand clenched into fist at the name. I hated the man for more than one reason. He was entirely too smug about his position, seemed to regard everyone that didn’t adhere to his very strict criteria as worthless, and most damning of all, had somehow managed to get Asuna’s parents to marry her off to him while she was in SAO. Granted, the wedding hadn’t taken place yet, but he was still trying to marry a woman in what, for all purposes, was a coma. 

The worst part was that I wasn’t versed enough in law to tell if it was legal, and even if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be able to sue. That would be Asuna’s suit, and she was in no condition to present herself in a court of law.

“You think he’s-” I couldn’t finish the sentence. I wanted to go right to Asuna’s father, shove this picture in his face, and tell him “Your daughter is being held captive by her ‘fiance’. Do something about it.” 

Tomo nodded, locking her phone. “I can’t prove it, not with this,” The info broker began, signalling Agil for a refill on her drink. “Stronger evidence has been found not conclusive in court.” The info broker nursed her mug, “So I thought you might be able ta hack into the game and find somethin’, but it’s protected by the Cardinal system, and if the government couldn’ get through it in two years, we’re not gettin’ through it.”

“Maybe we could gather more evidence from in-game?” I asked, rubbing my forehead with one hand. “Like, record a statement by Asuna or something and get that used in court?”

“Asuna’s supposed ta be locked in the part o’ the game only the GM’s currently have access to,” Tomo grinned, setting her drink down with a clack. “If we can get up there, we can log her out ourselves.”

“So how are we getting to Asuna?” I asked, eager to see what sort of genius plan Argo had come up with. “I know you’ve got something in store.”

“Such flattery, Kii-bou,” Tomo giggled, daintily touching her chest and pretending to swoon, “It makes a lady feel faint.” The info broker swirled in her chair, hopping off it. I followed her to a table in the corner, where she grabbed a sheaf of notes from her bag and laid them on the table.

I sat down across from her and picked up one of the note sheets. “Stats of enemies found in the World Tree?” I muttered, The sheet beneath it described the relationships between the various… races? Of Alfheim Online.

“How long did this take you to put together?” I wondered, peering over the paper at my partner. The Info Broker refused to meet my eyes.

“Okay, I’ve figured out a good route for us ta take ta get ta the World Tree. There’s a merchant caravan of Spriggans leaving from their capital tomorrow, which will give us-”

“Tomo, did you pull an all-nighter to get this ready?” I set the paper down, and the blonde froze guiltily. 

“I got plenty of sleep,” The info broker curled over the papers defensively. Refusing to meet my gaze.

I crossed my arms, trying to project the unimpressed air that Asuna could pull off as casually as breathing. “Look, an hour is a lot of sleep,” Tomo said, finally looking me in the eyes. I sighed, very much unsurprised.

“Argo, this isn’t SAO anymore, we’re in the physical world now, we need to sleep. You can’t just keep pulling all-nighters like this.” I had lost track of how many all-nighters she had pulled trying to track down Asuna or another one of the three hundred players who still hadn’t woken up from SAO.

“And while I do think that finding Asuna is a priority, she’s still in a stable condition for now, and we’re not in a really bad time crunch. Besides, She’ll probably kill us herself if we put ourselves in the hospital trying to get her out of it.” Tomo winced when I mentioned Asuna, setting the paper down.

“She’s gettin’ married in a week.” Argo’s quiet voice reminded me of what I had been trying to forget ever since I heard it. There was silence in the cafe for a bit. 

“I know,” I said, barely above a whisper. “But we have to act like we can stop it.” 

“Alright,” the info broker said, grabbing one of the sandwiches. “Never thought I’d be gettin’ a lecture on burnout from the kin’ o’ all-nighters himself.” She raised her glass in my direction.

“But he’s right,” Agil said, bringing over a new set of drinks, this time with a plate of sandwiches accompanying it. “My wife would definitely give me one hell of a scolding if she found out I had worked myself into the ground trying to get back to her.” 

We ignored the whispered words that had passed between us. It was less painful to pretend that the only thing we had to deal with was getting Asuna out of ALO.

“We’re plotting out our route, and then I’m going to escort you home so that you can get some sleep,” I said, placing the map in front of her, trying to end the discussion. Hosaka Tomo was far more stubborn than I was; I’d have to have Asuna on my side to make any headway. 

“Righ’,” Tomo said, in between bites of her sandwich, “Like I said, there’s a Spriggan merchant caravan leavin’ tomorrow. It’s the easiest way to get ta the World Tree in a reasonable time frame. 

“Spriggan?” I asked, rubbing my chin.

“One o’ the nine races o’ Alfheim,” Tomo explained, indicating one of the ten sections the map was divided into. “Given that Spriggans have bonuses ta treasure-findin’ and explorin’, most o’ em are resellers.”

“They would make some pretty good clearers,” I mused, rubbing my chin. “I mean, bonus loot from chests? That would be incredibly valuable-”

“In Aincrad, yeah,” Tomo said, “But ALO’s a PVP-based MMO, closer ta Blade and Soul than Final Fantasy XIV.”

“So the PvE race is shoehorned in as merchants,” I concluded, picking up the stat sheet she had made on the race. On paper, they were a solid race; able to find 25% more items and at a higher potency than the other races, in addition to their illusion skills that let them scare off high-level enemies, they would have been able to breeze through most of Aincrad’s dungeons.

In practice, a lack of combat bonuses would mean that they lost to other races more often than not.

“And with the way that item storage works in-game, there’s regular caravans back and forth ta get the newest items from the treasure-rich Spriggan lands.” Tomo again indicated one of the regions on the map, the one that looked like it was covered in ancient ruins. “Ta the capital,” The Info Broker finished, tapping the tree in the center of the map.

“We’re gonna hitch a ride on one o’ them,” Tomo said, “It’s common enough for newbies, since the World Tree and its surroundin’s are PVP hotspots, so the newbies head there after gearin’ up.”

“Never thought I’d be disguising myself as a PVP’er,” I said, swallowing the last of my drink. 

“Oh no,” tomo teased “I have ta spend a couple days pretendin’ ta not like people, how will I ever survive?”

“Through spite,” I said, making Tomo laugh. “In any case, let’s go over the details of this operation.”

“Right.” The blonde handed me a sheet of paper. “If we start today, we can grind in the [Mixotl Ruins] near the capital, an’ get some decent gear...” 

* * *

“I’m back, Sugu,” I called out as I closed the door. As it swung shut, I heard heavy footsteps coming from the direction of the kitchen. I put my cane in the umbrella stand. At home, I wasn’t walking long enough distances to need it. Then, I straightened up. It was time to face the music.

My adopted sister turned the corner, looking distinctly unimpressed.

“Kazuto, what time is it?” She said, planting her hands on her hips. 

Guiltily, I checked my watch. It’s face seemed to glare at me. “6:23 P.M.” 

“And what time did you say you would be home by?” I winced as Suguha’s voice rose sharply.

“5:00 P.M.” 

“Now,” My sister advanced on me, and I found myself quailing back before the nationally ranked kendoka. “Why might that be?” She poked me in the chest.

“I was walking Tomo back to her apartment,” I said, the only defence I could offer. 

“Ugh!” The kendoka groaned, grabbing me by the shoulder, pulling me into the dining room effortlessly.

Wordlessly, I grabbed one of the plates that Suguha had set out. Our mother often made meals for us before she left for work. Today’s meal was standard: some pressed Salmon Oshizushi, and pickled plums. Stuff that we could store in the fridge, and eat cold.

Suguha still wasn’t letting me touch the stove after I had set the fish on fire when I tried to cook it.

We ate in silence, Suguha glaring at me as she scooped up bits of Oshizushi with her chopsticks. When almost half her considerably larger meal was gone, she set her utensils down.

“Kazuto, While I appreciate that you care so much for your friends,” She began, having clearly rehearsed a speech in her head while eating. “I was very worried when you didn’t show up at the arranged time, and you left your phone behind, so I couldn’t even call you to figure out where you were!”

I sat there guiltily, not even a third of my food eaten as my very understandably worried sister ranted at me. “What if you got lost or worse, attacked? What would I have done then?”

I would have… What would I have done? I didn’t have a phone attached to me at all times like I did in SAO. Hell, I didn’t even have anything to defend myself with. I still felt naked without a sword, but I couldn’t even carry a Bokken around without standing out far more than I felt comfortable with. 

My cane, even though I told myself it was sturdy enough, wasn’t meant to be a weapon. It would probably break if I got into a fight with it.

Maybe Tomo had the right idea, carrying around a knife all the time. 

“I’m sorry Sugu,” I said, setting my chopsticks down next to the plate. “I’ll set something up to remind me to take my phone tonight.” My sister nodded, looking satisfied. 

“I’ll help you.”

In the end, the solution was simple; We taped scraps of paper to the inside of the front door, my bedroom door, and the side door saying: “Did you remember your phone?”

“Well, I’ve got some stuff I need to do tonight,” Suguha said after we had finished putting up the signs.

“Make sure not to stay up too late,” I called after her as she left. Then I closed my bedroom door, and glanced at the bed. The Nervgear almost seemed to stare balefully at me from where I had left it after quickly unpacking it while searching for paper. 

“Well, time to get started,” I muttered.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 2

The Nervgear laid on my bed. I had closed the door with the intent of putting the headset on five minutes ago.

I was no further from the door than I had been at that time.

Intellectually, I knew that I had nothing to fear, that Sword Art Online had been deleted after Asuna and I had killed Kayaba, the man found dead in a hidden cabin. It had taken a while to come to grips with that.

Emotionally, I still feared that I would be drawn back into Aincrad when I put the helmet on, once again forced to fight for my life, but this time alone. It was a stupid fear, and I should just put the Nervgear on, get it over with.

I had been able to handle it perfectly well earlier, I even put the cartridge for Alfheim Online in without a single problem. But now that it was time to actually play the game, I was frozen, unable to move.

My phone rang in my pocket. 

The screen shone in the dim light of the evening, casting weird shadows as I read who was calling me off the phone. 

Tomo.

I shakily answered the call, grateful for the opportunity to avoid putting the Nervgear on for a few more minutes.

“Hey,” Tomo said, her voice unnaturally flat.

“Hey,” I responded, not sure what to say. 

The silence between us stretched... 

...and stretched... 

...and stretched… 

Until Tomo broke it. 

“You nervous too?”

“Yeah,” I said. It felt relieving somehow, to say it out loud. “I know nothing bad’s going to happen, but…”

Tomo barked out a sarcastic laugh. “Look at us, two mighty warriors, scared o’ a helmet.”

“It’s not just a helmet, though,” I said, sinking down onto the bed. “It trapped us for two years.”

Tomo grunted in agreement, then fell silent. “Look, do you want to start it up together?” I asked, moving over to pick up the Nervgear. “Say, count of three, and then we put it on? Get it over with?”

“That eager ta see me again, Kii-bou?” Tomo said, her voice far lighter than it had been in her last statement.

“Always,” I responded, setting the phone on speaker. “Alright, count off?”

“One.” I took a deep breath, and raised the Nervgear over my head. “Two.” Tomo’s voice shook, and I felt my heartbeat speed up. “Three!” Before I could stop myself, I pulled the Nervgear down over my head, and froze.

Nothing happened.

The evening light still played out across the floor of my room. I wasn’t drawn back into the unforgiving world of Aincrad. I picked my phone back up, holding it close to my face.

“Well,” I said, trying to sound less tired than I was. “It’s on.”

“Same here.” Tomo sounded about as tired as I felt.

“Right, now we just have to start up ALO…” I trailed off, reaching for the switch.

“You better not change that handsome face o’ yours in the character creation, Kii-bou,” Tomo said, her voice hard.

“We’re about to go into a game where the GM is potentially actively hostile, and you’re worried about how I look?”

“Yes,” My partner said. “I can take almost anythin’, but if I have ta look at whatever cringey face you think is ‘handsome’, I might just snap.” Her tone was light, teasing me about my perfectly fine sense of aesthetics. 

“Just for that, I’m going to make the most unbearable to look at character I can.”

“Kii-bou?” Tomo asked, her voice in a tone that was far too panicky for it to be real. “C’mon Kii-bou, it was a joke, you know I wouldn’t-”

“See you in-game Tomo,” I said, thumbing the end call button. 

“Kii-bou you-” The blonde tried to get one last sentence in before the call was cut off, and failed. Chuckling to myself, I pressed the power button, and laid down in bed. 

Wait for me, Asuna, I thought as the Nervgear hummed to life. I’m coming.

The sensation of the Nervgear starting up was surprisingly unfamiliar. But then again, it had been almost two years since I had experienced this. I closed my eyes, and felt a last-minute spike of fear as the startup animation played. For a second, I was logging in to Sword Art Online again, about to be trapped by Kayaba in his cruel world, unable to see my sister, my partner, or my wife.

And then after the colored lights sped past me, a pair of torches lit up a dark room, and a pleasant female voice started the standard pregame identification.

{Welcome to Alfheim Online.} A keyboard popped up in front of me, not dissimilar to the one I had grown used to typing on in SAO. {Please enter your name and the gender you wish to be identified as.}

Smiling, I typed out what felt just as real as my birth name. [Kirito] The system accepted it without complaint. I tapped the Male button almost as an afterthought, frowning at the lack of options on the gender front. There wasn’t even a [Nonbinary] button.

While I frowned over the archaic and downright backwards game design, the narrator continued speaking. {There are nine races in Alfheim. Please choose one.} Without hesitation I scrolled through the options to select the [Spriggan] race, just like Tomo and I had agreed.

{You have selected the Spriggan race, is this the correct race?} I pressed down firmly on the confirm button, nodding absently to myself.

“Yes, I’m sure.” 

{Importing Character Data} What? My mind spun, There was character data to import? Where would it have come from? I’d never played Alfheim Online before. And this wasn’t like the old Mass Effect games; you couldn’t just port a character over from one game to the next.

In fact, the only game I had even played before on this console was… no. It couldn’t be, could it?

As my thoughts spiraled, my avatar morphed, and the floor opened up beneath my feet. I fell away from the character creation room like a rock, and the glow of teleportation enveloped me.

When it cleared, I was standing on the ground in the middle of a forest, the moon shining brightly above me.

“Well,” I said to myself, “This isn’t the Spriggan City.”

Five minutes later, I was no closer to figuring out where I was. I hadn’t studied the various regions of Alfheim, beyond what to expect in the Spriggan zone, and the Jungles there were far denser than these woods. What I had figured out, though, was that I was rather overleveled for a new character, with most of my skill meters, how the game tracked levels, sitting at the max.

I also had a full inventory, although most of it was corrupted and barely readable. I doubted that my swords would even do damage. I was scrolling through my inventory, trying to figure out if there were any items that had survived whatever had just happened when I received a friend request from Argo.

I accepted it, and was immediately faced with an angry spriggan. “Kii-bou I swear if you-!” She paused before she could truly build up steam, noticing my surroundings. “Where are you?”

“About that…” I smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. “I don’t… actually… know?” I shrugged helplessly.

Argo let out a loud sigh, then tossed her head back, laughing helplessly. It was strange to see her with black hair. That must have been the default for spriggans, but still, she looked strange with it. 

“Only you, Kii-bou,” The info broker muttered. “Only you could manage to get lost in the character creator.”

“Hey,” I said indignantly, “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“I know you didn’t,” Argo said, “Doesn’t mean it didn’ happen.”

“I think that the game imported my old data,” I said as I continued browsing my inventory. Man, Asuna sure did carry around a lot of cooking implements, didn’t she? I was lucky that the inventory in ALO seemed to be much larger than the one in SAO.

“I think it did for me, too...” Argo said, tapping on a few things out of frame. “Well, they do both use the Cardinal system, so I guess it wouldn’t be-”

“Unless they used the same framework for SAO, this shouldn’t be possible.” I cut Argo off, “In any case, it looks like all of my items have been… corr...upted.” I fell silent, a single clear string of text blinking back at me from the middle of the page.

“Kii-bou?” Argo said, although I paid little attention to her. I placed my finger gingerly on the item, and a window popped up. [Do you wish to activate this item?]

“Please don’t hate me if this fails,” I said, pressing down on the button.

“Kii-bou what?!” A swirl of lights surrounded me, spiralling up into the air above. I don’t know how much of it Argo caught, but it was enough to make her stop talking.

I stared upwards, my heart in my throat as the light took on a familiar form, and with a trill, Yui took physical form. She opened her eyes, and then they widened further in panic as gravity took hold of her.

I dived forward, catching her before she hit the ground, wrapping my arms around my alive, oh so gloriously alive daughter. “Yui,” I choked out, clutching her tightly to my chest, burying my face in her hair.

“Papa?”

“Yui?!”Argo shouted across the call, “Kirito, where are you, I-I need to get there-”

“Ago-mama?” Yui sounded confused, squirming in my arms, trying to look around. “Where are you?” 

“I’m in Pilover,” the info broker said, starting to walk somewhere. “The Spriggan Capital. Kirito, you need to figure out where you are now!” 

I nodded, still holding on to Yui. 

“I’m- I’m going to go try and get geared up. What with my items bein’ corrupted as well.” Argo looked away from the camera. “Call me back when you figure out where you are, and don’t get too distracted playin’ with Yui, ‘kay?” 

“Okay,” I said, running my hands through Yui’s long black hair as she peered around. 

“Ago-mama? Wait-” Yui was cut off as Argo closed the call. “Ago-mama?”

“It’s okay Yui,” I said, “She just... she needs time to think, okay?” Argo had confided in me about what had happened in the hidden dungeon beneath the black iron palace, and the competing nightmares she had of being trapped behind a barrier while the Fatal Scythe struck me, Asuna, and Yui down, and of her carrying a struggling Yui up the steps of the dungeon as mine and Asuna’s names faded from her friends list.

Her feelings regarding Yui were complicated.

My daughter nodded at my words, although she seemed unconvinced. 

“Alright,” I stood up, carrying Yui with me in my arms. “Now, I don’t know if you noticed, but we aren’t in SAO.”

“That’s obvious, Papa,” Yui rolled her eyes. “Where are we then?” She asked, looking around. 

“I don’t know,” I said, and then I swung her up onto my shoulders for a better view. “Let’s see if we can find out, shall we?” Yui grunted in agreement, gripping onto my surprisingly stiff hair as I turned around, surveying my surroundings. Ten seconds later, I relayed my findings up the chain.

“Well, we appear to be in a forest,” I said, making my daughter giggle, “And these trees have broad leaves on them, so we are in a temperate forest.” Yui kept giggling.

“No, Papa, what game are we in?”

“Oh, what game are we in?” I pretended to be surprised, although from the way Yui was stifling her laughter she wasn’t fooled in the slightest. “We’re in Alfheim Online, and I don’t know all the specifics of the game itself, but it is using some variation of the Cardinal system, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to bring you out.”

Yui hummed from atop my shoulders, thumping her feet against my chest. “As for our physical location, do you have any sort of navigation skills?” 

“I don’t think so…” Yui trailed off, her feet growing still. “But it looks like there’s some kind of entity similar to me that I can slot into as an avatar that does have navigation systems!” She relayed with considerable enthusiasm.

“Alright, if you think it might help out, then-” Before I could finish, Yui had popped open her menu, tapped a few buttons, and was enveloped by another shower of light. Her weight dissolved from atop my neck, and I made a reflexive grab for one of her legs, only managing to hit myself in the chest.

“Oh wow!” Yui’s voice rang out from approximately the same location; above my head. I took a few steps backwards, as Yui descended in her new form.

She was tiny. Approximately the same size as my hand from wrist to fingertip, with a set of gossamer pixie wings not much longer than her arms. They still held her aloft, and my daughter whizzed around my head, delighting in her newfound ability to fly.

“This is so cool!” She cried as she passed my face for the fifth time. She shot up into the air, and spun back down to hover in front of me. I reached out with one hand and she landed on my palm.

“Cute,” I muttered to myself, poking her with my other hand.

“Papa!” Yui huffed indignantly, puffing her cheeks out. 

“Sorry, sorry,” I quickly straightened up, scratching my jawbone with the hand not holding my now pixie-sized daughter. “You’re just- actually,” I said, letting my hand drop. “What are you now?”

“The name in the files is Navigation Pixie,” Yui said, taking off from my hand to alight on my shoulder. “And I can mark various familiar player I.D.’s.” The navigation pixie shaded her eyes. “ Una-mama and Ago-mama are that way.” she pointed off somewhere, I wasn’t really paying attention as part of her sentence grappled me and reeled in every scrap of my focus.

“Asuna’s here? In-game?” 

Yui looked surprised for about a second, before nodding. “Her signal’s very faint, but I can see it. I’ll need to get closer to have any sort of lock on it.” After so long, I finally had a solid lead on what had happened to Asuna. The photographs weren’t faked. She was here. She was here, and I was going to find her and break her out of her prison.

Why was I still standing around? I had to get moving. Argo was already getting geared up. I started walking through the forest, Yui cheerfully telling me little bits of data that she was mining out of the game as we went.

About five minutes later, under Yui’s instruction, I tried to fly for the first time.

It went about as well as could be expected. 

The first time I lifted off from the ground was simple enough, the controls that Yui had found for me were easy to use, at least at first glance.

“Alright Papa, let’s try to go a little higher,” My pseudo-daughter said, scrolling through a menu while I gripped the control sticks nervously. Hesitantly, I pulled back on them, a motion that lifted me up with the sound of []. After ten seconds of ascension, I was now hovering  well above the treetops. 

“That wasn’t too bad,” I said to myself, my hands relaxing a bit around the joysticks. “Now I just push forward, right?”

“Un.” Yui nodded in affirmation. I pushed forward on the joysticks, eager to get my first taste of flight. Yui’s eyes flew open as I moved, and I had half a second to comprehend my mistake before I was hurled across the sky by the system, completely out of control.

* * *

Leafa darted through the night, heading for Swilvane. Lady Sakuya needed to be warned that there was a Salamander Raiding party deep in Sylph territory, and with the rest of her party dead, and the respawn timers being what they were, it would be up to her to deliver the message. No matter how good a swordswoman she was, she didn’t have the stats to take on three high-spec Salamander Dragoneers.

And that was discounting the range advantage they had on her with their spears and magic. They had come out of nowhere, hitting her smaller party from the side and dropping the tank before they could do anything. From there it had been a desperate running battle as they were slowly picked off, sometimes managing to take their attacker with them. Sigurd had made a sacrifice play, drawing three soldiers off from the rest of them.

But the salamanders had still outnumbered her party, and with Recon dead in a mutual takedown, she was the only one left.

Inwardly, she cursed not having leveled her stealth magic up more. It hadn’t been a high enough level to escape the enemy’s searchers, and now she was stuck running for her life, hoping desperately for her wings to recharge in time.

Leafa dodged around a tree, keeping her sword in front of her, angled above the waist, took three steps, then skidded to a stop. “Fuck.” She’d stumbled into a clearing. 

“Don’t curse, it’s unbefitting of a lady.” One of the three remaining Salamanders descended in front of her, and she contemplated going back for the woods, but another salamander landed behind her, laughing.

“I’ll swear as much as I want to, asshole,” Leafa said, raising her sword into a stance that had been drilled into her all her life. It was somewhat inappropriate here, but Kendo was still a formal school of swordsmanship, something she doubted any of her opponents had.

“Such a mouth on you,” The Salamander in front of her mocked, pretending to be taken aback. “Are all Sylphs this foul?”

“Seems like we’re doin’ a good thing by killing them then,” The salamander behind her growled, and she shifted her weight, preparing to burst forward to try and take out the warrior in front of her before his companion on the ground, or the one still hovering above the three of them in the air could interfere.

A distant, high-pitched scream rolled out across the forest, and Leafa almost stumbled. Her opponent was not so lucky, having shifted his weight inexpertly and falling to one knee in his surprise. But before Leafa could take advantage of his moment of weakness, an unfamiliar black-clad fairy tumbled through the sky and slammed into the Salamander hovering above her.

The two collapsed to the ground, the salamander managing to separate himself from the newcomer mid-air, and make a somewhat gentle landing. She’d have to watch out for him.

“Oh, oww, that hurt,” The newcomer said, sitting up, and Leafa couldn’t help letting the tip of her sword drop a little in surprise. A Spriggan? The Spriggans lived on the other side of Alfheim, directly across the world tree from Sylph lands, and there weren’t that many of them besides. So what was one doing here? “Alright, looks like I’ll have to work on that.”

“Hey, You’re interfering!” The salamander behind Leafa shouted, seemingly not caring for his safety as he let the Sylph capitalize on his distraction to sidestep, putting herself out from between the two aggressors.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m just-” The Spriggan cut off his apology as he took in the situation. The Salamander he had hit in his impact had returned to the skies, looking distinctly rumpled, while the other two remained on the ground, brandishing their spears. “What exactly am I interfering in?”

“Nothing a Spriggan needs to concern himself with,” The flying salamander said, managing to sound so patronizing it almost physically hurt Leafa’s ears. “You’ll be dead too fast to really understand.” His threat made, the mage started chanting, forming a fireball in his hand.

“Look, dude, I’m sorry, I’m still getting the hang of flying, can we just let this be-” The spriggan’s second attempt to apologize was cut off as the Salamander mage flung his fireball at the grounded Spriggan. In a display of speed that nearly took her breath away, the newcomer, wearing what she vaguely recognized as beginner’s equipment, sidestepped a six-word fireball, managing to avoid the explosion that should have killed him in one shot. “Alright,” he said, falling into a strangely familiar stance, holding his sword out behind him, parallel to the ground, and one hand in front of him. “I guess we’re doing this.”

Everything happened very quickly after that.

One of the Salamanders charged her, his spear already coming in for a thrust. She deflected the polearm, and took a cross step, coming in with a slice parallel to his spear. The warrior tried to deflect her blow with the haft of his weapon, but she adjusted her cut, her hands steady as she cut through virtual armor, skin, and bone. Her opponent gasped out in pain, dropping his spear and clutching the remains of his arm. She had managed to sever it just above the elbow with her strike.

Another blow took his head off.

A shattering sound across the clearing caught her attention, and she looked up to see the other salamander’s spear shatter from where the Spriggan had apparently driven his sword through the shaft.

The black-clad swordsman pivoted around his blade, dug into the earth, and lashed out in a devastating side kick that sent his opponent stumbling backwards. Before the salamander could recover, the spriggan had ripped his sword out of the earth, and swung it in an uppercut blow that nearly split the poor spearman in half.

“Tch,” The mage grumbled, still hovering in the sky, before turning and fleeing.

“Hey!” The black-clad warrior shouted, raising his sword. “Get back here! You started this!”  

“Let him go,” Leafa said, lowering her sword. The Spriggan didn’t seem to be a threat unless provoked, and she was very tired from having to fly and run for well over half an hour, in addition to the very draining fights against superior numbers of opponents. “Unless your flight gauge is full you're not going to catch him, and you’ll be a sitting duck for a mage in the air anyway.”

The oddly familiar stranger frowned, but sheathed his sword and straightened. “Well, that was interesting. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, I’m Kirito.”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 3

“I didn’t expect my night to get quite this interesting,” I mused to myself as the blonde fairy, who had introduced herself as Leafa, led the way back to the Sylph capital of Swilvane. After a quick interrogation, she had been satisfied that I wasn’t trying to gather information for the Salamanders or another hostile faction, and had volunteered to lead me to civilization, where we could rest and refuel.

I had wanted to keep on following Yui’s directions toward Asuna and Argo, but the pixie had pinched me when I had tried to refuse Leafa’s offer.

So now I was headed to a completely different city than the one I had intended to end up in when I entered ALO.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Leafa said as she pushed aside a low-hanging branch. “Why are you still using the beginner equipment?”

“Pardon?” I ducked under the branch as it came whipping back. 

“You’re faster than I am, and your strength stat has to be massive if you were able to break the salamander’s spear like that, so why are you still using the beginner gear?” The sylph elaborated, outlining her points on her fingers. “I mean, unless you’ve done nothing but grind skills for the entire time you’ve been playing ALO, you should have gotten some better gear upgrades.”

“Personal preference,” I said, hoping to head off any more uncomfortable discussion about my stats until I could come up with a better cover story or acquire better gear.

Thankfully, Leafa let the matter drop. 

The silence that we were walking in should have been uncomfortable, but it wasn’t. I somehow felt like I could trust this person, who I had never met before, and hardly knew me. Maybe it was just the result of meeting in battle and fighting a mutual enemy, but if I had to trust her to watch my back, I wouldn’t give it a second thought.

I’d only ever extended that courtesy to four people before.

It didn’t take too long, maybe about fifteen more minutes for us to enter the Sylph capital of Swilvane. The city was built into the forest in such a way that a party flying over it would have missed it if they didn’t know where to look. You’d have to either be invited in or follow someone back to discover this location, which was unusual for an MMO, although I guess it made more sense in a PvP setting.

“Well, I’ve got to report to Lady Sakuya,” My companion said, stopping just outside the gates. “There’s a couple of inns on the east side, or if you want to switch up your gear, the blacksmiths and merchants are straight down the road from here. Just ask an NPC if you need any help. Oh, and here.” A friend request popped up in front of me.

I tapped the yes button without really thinking about it. If I needed to, I could always unfriend her later.

Time to see what sort of gear I could get on... 8,000,000,000 Yrd?! My money must have been transferred over as well. I probably wouldn’t be able to get anything too extravagant, but I could probably at least get a nice sword. Using my current blade felt like I was trying to cut with a butter knife, and it was far too large and unwieldy.

I needed a far slimmer blade, one better suited to be wielded in one hand. This game probably supported dual-wielding, but that was a trick I wanted to keep up my sleeve for as long as I could.

Unfortunately, the player stalls were focused on weapons with the wrong kinds of stats. It seemed like Sylphs tended to favor AGI-and-DEX based builds, to go with their natural stealth abilities and ambush techniques. What few STR-based weapons they did have were huge blades, like my beginner’s sword was. 

I was about to give up and check the NPC shops before I rounded the corner to see someone who was most likely not a sylph, given that his hair was blue, although what was more surprising was the cat ears popping up from slits in his hat. In front of him lay several swords, and a sign that said [For Sale, Cheap]. The man looked desperate.

It was hard to tell here in VR, where clothing didn’t tatter, and you never looked unwashed unless you had a status effect, but the man was looking out at the crowd surrounding him with a resigned expression, as if he was expecting them to ignore his offer.

Still, he noticed when I started walking towards him, his ears swivelling in my direction, followed closely by his head. I almost winced at the look of hope that blossomed over his features.

“What sort of swords do you have?” I asked, and the kid’s face lit up so bright I thought for a second there was a lightbulb below his skin.

“Just what you see here, I made them all myself, and my blacksmith skill is over 500!” I hummed appreciatively. He wasn’t a top of the line blacksmith, not with his skill not maxed out, but as I analyzed the swords, one of them caught my eye. 

It was fairly close in construction to the [Elucidator], the sword I had used until it broke in the final battle against Kayaba. It had the same sort of guard, with two small spikes jutting out from the quarter-circle of metal that connected the blade and the crossguard.

Those spikes would be able to catch an opponent’s sword, and then it would be easy to either disarm them or wrench their wrist, forcing them off balance. Best of all, it was a strength-based weapon, and one that had higher stats than my current one, including durability.

“I’ll take this one,” I said, pointing to the red blade, the handle decorated with a spiraling vine.

“Alright, that’ll be 20,000 Yrd” I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows at that. 20,000 Yrd? Assuming the currency had approximately the same value as Col, and I had reason to believe it did, then I was practically robbing this blacksmith.

“Take it,” the cat-eared merchant said, pushing it into my hands, “I just need enough funds to get a new hammer and then I can start forging equipment that’ll sell better.”

Still feeling apprehensive, I accepted the trade, and walked away from the encounter with 20,000 Yrd well spent.

Leafa caught back up to me when I was sitting at a cafe. She didn’t look too happy. I barely caught the tail end of her rant as she walked towards me. “And you can go and swallow your own sword, Sigurd, since you seem to like it so much.” She shook her head, clearing the anger from her face as she approached my table

 “Well, I’m on leave for now,” She said, slumping into the seat opposite mine. “Apparently I let the salamanders come too close to Swilvane.”

I remained silent. The intricacies of Sylph politics were not known to me, but it seemed obvious that the swordswoman felt that her circumstances were unjustified. 

“Never mind the fact that I’m the only one that survived, or that they know our capital’s location from trading info with the Spriggans -no offense- and only haven’t attacked because the defenses are too strong!”

“None taken,” I said, in between bites of my sandwich, “Although I’m not certain that all Spriggans should be the target of your ire.”

“I know they shouldn’t,” Leafa said, “It’s just hard when they keep selling data and items to the Salamanders.”

“Are they selling data and items to the Sylphs, as well?” I asked. The steak dish I was eating was decent, but was lacking compared to Asuna’s cooking. 

“That’s-”

“Because I saw at least a half-dozen Spriggan merchants selling very specialized equipment in the market at Swilvane, and it seemed like they were doing well. Certainly better than the poor Cait Sith I got this sword from.” I patted the handle of my new blade appreciatively.

“Eurgh,” Leafa groaned, shaking her head back and forth rapidly. “Too much thought for now, I’m a simple grunt, I don’t have the room in my head for this sort of stuff.”

“Well, that sounds like a you problem.” Leafa nodded in response. “Anyway, you’re probably looking to go somewhere else, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I know most of the routes in and out of Sylph territory, I could guide you there if you want.” The sylph tried to be flippant, but it was rare for someone to volunteer stuff like this for an almost complete stranger.

“Looking for something to do while you’re off duty, huh?” I asked, taking a swig from my mug. 

“Basically,” Leafa said, dipping her head in affirmation.

“Well, I’m trying to make it to the World Tree,” I said, “And I’m pretty far from where I thought I was going to end up, so I would like your guidance.”

“Um, Papa?” Yui poked her head out of my pocket, peering up at me. “Are you certain you don’t want to let Ago-mama guide you there?”

“You have a nav pixie? And you still got lost?”

“Random Teleportation event.” I tossed the excuse in Leafa’s direction before turning back to my daughter. “And I don’t want to put too much stress on Argo, she’s already got a lot to deal with, having to adjust our plans like this.”

Yui nodded, looking satisfied with my answer. “Although, speaking of Argo…” I sent out a quick message to my partner, giving her the details of where I was, and that I’d found a guide to the World Tree.

Her answer was a thumbs-up emoji. I’d have to call her later, there was clearly something eating at her if she wasn’t hounding me about my “guide”.

“Well, let’s head out, shall we?” I stood up from the table, my Sylph companion following half a second later.

One quick tutorial on flying later, The two of us were heading for the nearest “Safe Zone”, a small outpost, with only a repair station, two basic quest-givers, and an inn. It was exhilarating to fly through the skies under my own power. The only thing close to it had been when Lisbeth and I had been falling during the adventure that had gotten me my second sword.

Man, Lisbeth probably would have loved this game. I’d never seen her as happy as that time we were in the air; she would have loved flying. Unfortunately, our flight meters ran out approximately half of the way there, and we were forced to make the rest of the journey on foot.

It made for conversation that was both awkward and not.

“So… who is this ‘Argo’ you mentioned earlier?” Leafa said, trying to fill in the silence.

“Ah, she’s one of my oldest friends,” I answered honestly. “I met her while beta-testing a game, and we found that we made a pretty good pair. I was good at the coding side of things, but I’ve never seen a secret in a video game that she couldn’t find.”

“Sounds like you two are pretty close, huh?” Leafa said with a small smile on her face. I was probably making that dopey lovestruck grin that Argo liked to tease me about again.

“Yeah,” I said, bringing one hand over to my pocket to stroke Yui. “We were planning to go to the World tree and do some questing together.”

“Well, We’ll have to hurry to get you and your girlfriend back together then.” Leafa probably meant it as a bit of innocent teasing, and I almost corrected her, but Yui pinched me through my shirt before I could. I guess it didn’t really matter to correct her right now. 

Hell, Argo would probably get a kick out of it, it’s not like I could easily explain my complicated romantic situation to anyone off the street.

The rest of our journey to the safe zone was uncomplicated. I learned that Leafa preferred to use her sword two-handed, even though I had seen people use larger swords one-handed, hell I had used a larger sword one-handed for a while. She also clearly had some formal kendo training. 

It was visible in the way that she struck, seldom letting her blade change direction, the confidence of her stance, and the way she stepped while in combat. Most people didn’t realize this, but one of the worst things you could do in combat was to cross your feet for longer than a split second, and even then, that was best saved for finishing moves, or if you were trying to retreat while keeping your guard up.

If someone hit you while your ankles were crossed, you would topple over so fast that it would make a jenga tower look slow in comparison.

And Leafa never let her ankles cross.

It was somewhat strange that someone trained in swordsmanship would be playing a video game that all but made a mockery of it, but maybe it was her way of having fun. 

When we got to the safe house, I sent another message to Argo that I would be logging out soon. She told me that she was going to be a little longer, but that she’d be done playing by 9:45. The time right now was 9:30. Leafa had logged out after we agreed to meet back up at 3:00 pm tomorrow.

Then I had to say goodbye to Yui.

“It’s okay, Papa,” My daughter said, from where I was holding her against my chest. “I’ll be right here when you’re back.”

“I know,” I said, still not able to bring myself to open up the tab and log out. I wanted to stay here, with my daughter, who I hadn’t seen in months. She had been far too quiet while I was with Leafa, and I wanted some time alone with her.

“You have to sleep Papa,” Yui said, breaking free from my embrace to hover in front of me. “You aren’t in a hospital anymore; you have to take care of yourself.”

“I know.” I hesitantly pulled open the tab and pressed the log out button. Yui smiled at me as my surroundings vanished in a spray of light.

When I opened my eyes, the familiar ceiling of my room greeted me. I wanted to dive back in right again. Yui was there, and I needed to see her, to know she was all right. But I had made a promise to her, to take care of myself, and I couldn’t do that if I laid here in bed and played ALO. I had to get up.

As I got out of bed, an intense thirst gripped me, and I left for the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Along the way, I ran into Sugu, who had changed into workout clothes. Oh, right, it was about time for her nightly exercises.

“Oh, hey Kazuto,” She said, slipping past me into the gym. Once I had gotten my drink, I sat on the edge of the indoor dojo, watching as my sister went through her exercises. She was using arm weights, to let her swing a normal bokken faster.

It was very interesting seeing the differences in the programmed sword skills that Kayaba had created and the practiced strokes of someone who actually knew what they were doing.

As much as Kayaba had tried to create a realistic system of combat in SAO, he was hampered by the fact that he wasn’t formally trained in any style of combat, thus hampering his research efforts.

And while he had succeeded in creating an admirably realistic system in terms of how swords were shaped, and how much damage they could do to certain areas of the body, and how they acted with armor, many of the sword skills he had created were poor techniques in actual combat.

They weren’t egregiously bad; he never included spin attacks without a shield to cover your back, and for the most part kept people in proper stances, but he also didn’t realize that changing the direction of a sword mid-cut minimizes the force behind the edge, that half-swording was a technique that was lethal to foes in armor, and that crossing your feet in combat was a disaster waiting to happen. 

Or perhaps he did, and was relying on those weaknesses to take advantage of people using sword skills. It wasn’t like I could ask the man; he was dead. 

“Haah!” Suguha shouted, bringing her sword down in an overhead stroke. If she had been wielding a normal blade, she probably would have split her opponent from the top of the head to the top of the ribcage. People often didn’t realize just how lethal a sword could be.

My sister wiped the sweat from her brow, she glanced up at the doorway, seeing me standing there, leaning against the doorframe.

“Your form’s really nice Sugu,” I said, taking another sip from the glass of water I was carrying.

“Thanks,” My sister said, hefting her bokken over her shoulder. “I’ve been practicing really hard! I’m planning to go all the way to the finals next year!”

I pushed off from the doorframe, intending to walk to her and give her an affirming pat on the shoulder. “I’m certai-” My leg buckled as I pushed off, and without my cane, all I could do was stumble and try to catch myself. It wasn’t going to be enough. 

I couldn’t move my legs fast enough. I was going to- “Kazuto!” Suguha all but dove under me, throwing the air from my chest as her arm wrapped around my ribcage.

There was a moment when no one moved. I was too busy cursing myself. Why had I left the cane at the entrance to my house? It could have prevented me from falling like this. 

Suguha pulled me up, slinging one of my arms around her shoulders as she supported me with her body. I sank gratefully into one of the chairs that stood on the other side of the gym, thankful for the seats that my sister used after her practice every day. 

“Kazuto, are you okay?” Suguha said, still hovering at my elbow as I stretched out my leg. It was twinging a bit.

“I think so, just need to rest.” My sister looked unconvinced, and about ready to argue before I cut her off. “Just, can you please get me my cane?” 

“Only if you promise me not to get up before you have it,” Suguha said, to which I nodded. She paused at the door of the dojo as she left, looking back at me as if making sure that I wasn’t going to move. I smiled up at her, trying to say that I wasn’t going anywhere.

Mollified somewhat, she left.

Five seconds later, my phone rang. Tomo! I had forgotten to call her! I frantically answered the call, an apology already on my lips.

“I’m so sorry Tomo.”

“Eh, it’s okay Kii-bou,” Tomo’s voice sounded over the phone. I could picture her laying in bed as she made the call, her mouth quirking up into a grin. “I’m actually callin’ a bit early ‘cause I had an Idea.”

“An Idea?” Tomo’s ideas usually had good results, although they were a little hit and miss on the execution stage of things. I still remembered the time she had tried to lead two groups of hostile mobs into each other in the Beta, and ended up hiding in a tree as they joined forces. We had still managed to gather all the experience and drops, but it had taken almost as long as it would have to defeat the two packs separately.

“Yeah,” my partner said, fabric rustling as she shifted positions. “You know how Kayaba was actively undermining Asuna’s position in the KoB because she was so popular outside of it?”

“Of course.” It had been one of the big things that had tipped me off about Heathcliff in the first place. He had started making stupid decisions in an effort to curb my wife’s influence within his guild.

“There’s gotta be a lot of people that would try and free her if they could, right?”

“So we tell them that we think we know where she is and get them to help?” I finished Tomo’s plan for her.

“Yeah, sounds nice, doesn’t it?” My partner said, her voice picking up in excitement. “I’ve been doing some studying, and it looks like the biggest party that ever challenged the Grand Quest was a 30-man raid group. Do you think we could get more than that?” 

“Easily,” I said, feeling a jolt of excitement rising in my chest. “The hardest bit is going to be gearing people up.”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 4

Sugou Nobuyuki, in the guise of the Fairy King Oberon, pushed open the door to his laboratory. He had very little time today, and a lot of work to do. “Report.”

His voice echoed in the cavernous room, bouncing around the various devices that he had painstakingly constructed. A vaguely humanoid figure emerged from behind the pillar that stood in the center of the lab. It cast shadows on the opaque tanks set into the wall as it passed, coming to a stop in front of it’s master. With a low humming noise, the literal slime that served as his assistant began to speak.

“Experiment B-31 failed.” It’s tendrils waved in a complex motion, almost like they were flailing. “The commands failed to take root for long and we had to return the subjects to their containers.”

That was not an unexpected setback. Experiment B-31 had been a rather blunt attempt at his end goal, and quite frankly one that he had only attempted because it cost almost nothing to attempt, and he had spare test subjects. He brushed past his assistant, moving for the console that let him interact with his laboratory.

“We’ll try Experiment D-12 next, then.” Oberon’s assistant paused, his tendrils hovering mid-air. 

“Experiment D-12?” The slime’s voice was pitched up in a useless question. Didn’t it know by now to follow it’s master’s orders?

“Yes, Experiment D-12,” Oberon said patronizingly. “If it works, we will have almost finished our grand experiment.”

“But the materials can’t take-”

“So use a different set of materials.” The Fairy King flicked a switch, and the massive cylinder that formed the center of his lab rotated. A new set of subjects spun down from the top, ready to use. “Get Gamma-3 and finish the prep work, I’m going to visit the queen.”

“At once, master.” The slime that nonetheless made a moderately useful assistant slithered off to finish preparing the code for the experiment.

As Oberon ascended the steps to his queen’s chambers, he felt his heart beat faster. A fantasy began to take shape in his mind. He would enter her chambers, she would smile, delighted to see him, and he would grant her a kiss.

She would vacillate, and flutter, but eventually accept, and be granted the pleasure of his presence. He would indulge her with her pleasures and fetishes, and let her cook for him, with the ingredients he could call up as easily as people breathed.

Her food would be good, and she would thank him for providing the food they ate, and they would make love. A pair of sentinels would guard them, and bring food and drink as they conversed, her sharp mind needling his plans for flaws and finding none, for he was far smarter than she was.

But she would be glad just to be in his presence, for he could always- “Go fuck yourself Asshole!” The fantasy shattered as his far too defiant queen threw a teacup at him. It shattered on the walls of her cage.

“Temper, temper,” Oberon said, coming to a halt on the other side of the cage door. It looked as though she wouldn’t permit him inside today. “Such unladylike-”

“You can take ladylike and shove it up your ass!” Titania said, fixing him with a glare that made his arousal squirm in anticipation. Oh to have her looking like that when she finally submitted to him! “I’m no one’s lady, and most certainly not yours!”

“Oh but you are mine,” the Fairy King said, smiling beautifly. “You just don’t know it yet.” His queen stared at him in astonishment, her mouth moving up and down as she tried to find the words to refute his statement. Finding none, she grabbed another teacup and hurled it at him.

“Do you honestly care so little for Tea?” He asked, raising his hand to work another “miracle” “Summon Object ID: [Radiant Teacup.]” A shower of lights coalesced in His Queen’s room, shaping itself into a teacup identical to the one she had just thrown at him. He would have to make sure he included an appreciation for tea when he reprogrammed her. It wouldn’t do for her to have a different favorite drink than him.

She grabbed that one, but rather than hurling it at him like she had the last two, she instead dropped it onto the floor.

Oberon sighed. “It seems you are not in a pleasant mood today, my lady,” He said, turning to leave. “I will return soon, there are many things that I need to do before our wedding, after all.”

His Queen’s defiant voice followed him down the stairs as he descended to his workplace. 

“I’ll never fucking marry you, you asshole!” 

He paid it no mind. She would change her mind when he perfected her, and he had an experiment to oversee.

* * *

“Alright,” Tomo said, setting down a sheaf of papers. “You don’t know why you spawned in a random location, but you think that the reason that our old character data was imported was because SAO and ALO are compatible?”

“Not precisely,” I said, taking a sip of my drink. We were back in the Dicey Cafe. I had been eager to get out and prove that my fall last night had been a fluke even as Sugu had tried to wrap me up in a cotton blanket.

Thankfully not literally.

It had been very, very tempting to dive back into ALO first thing in the morning to see Yui, but until I knew that Sugu was otherwise occupied, I wouldn’t risk using the Nervgear. She already treated me like he was made out of glass; I didn’t want to know what her reaction to me diving into VRMMO’s again would be.

Probably not anything good.

“The games use the same character data frame.” I grabbed one of the pieces of paper I had sketched out my stats on. “The base stats and the skill system are the same,” I said, and Tomo rolled her eyes. “But the actual implementation of those stats is different. In SAO, Strength only contributed to raw weapon damage, but in ALO, it’s also tied to sunder damage, or the ability to destroy an opponent’s weapon.”

“So it’s like portin’ a save to a remake?” Tomo asked.

“That’s… A not inaccurate summation,” I said, setting the paper down. “The items don’t carry over because they aren’t programmed into the game, but the character data is similar enough that the Cardinal System makes it work.” 

“So we tell everybody ta delete their items?” 

I nodded, “The character flags themselves shouldn’t be that different. After all, it wasn’t that easy to tell who was using an imported character in the old Mass Effect series and who wasn’t unless you were looking at the actual guts of the game.”

“But someone carryin’ that many corrupted items would.” Tomo finished for me. 

“Sounds like you two are planning something big.” Agil said, bringing over the sandwiches that we had ordered earlier. “Care to share with a friendly barkeep?”

“This isn’t a bar,” Tomo said, grabbing one of the sandwiches. “An’ we’re plannin’ a raid on the World Tree in Alfheim. Care ta join?” 

“As much as I would love to, my wife would kill me if I dived into VR so soon. I’m barely out of Physical Therapy as is. I’d need to buy one of the new Animuspheres, and if I have to spend the amount of time in-game to prepare for this raid that I did for the floor bosses...” Agil sighed, “I don’t think it would work. I need to get my life back together here, and while I want Asuna out almost as much as you two do, I’m not sure I can make it.” 

Not having Agil would be a blow. The merchant and his axe had been a reliable sight on the frontlines, and he was probably one of the better tanks in the game. Which was a strange thing, since he didn’t use a shield.

“Well, I’ve contacted Fuurinkazan, and they’ve indicated tha’ they’re willin’ to take par’,” Tomo said, leaning back in her seat, taking small bites from her sandwich.

“Well, that’s good news indeed.” 

“Yeah.” Fuurinkazan were the top guild in SAO in terms of average level, losses taken, and dungeons cleared. Klein, the leader, and a somewhat close friend, had managed to get his guild all the way through two years of torment without losing a single member. He was a far better leader than Heathcliff had been.

The rest of the conversation was easy. Other than Fuurinkazan, no one else had committed yet, although one person had talked about contacting his sister, who was apparently someone high up in the hierarchy of one of the factions of ALO. Most of the people Argo had been counting on to show up had had their NervGears confiscated and destroyed by the government, and were unable to meaningfully contribute.

When it came time to pay for our food, I set a bundle of yen down on the table, making Tomo frown. 

“You know I can pay for my share,” She said, moving to set her own bundle of money down.

“You can, but you also need to pay rent on your apartment.” I pointed out, making my partner wince. Her parents had been willing to let her stay in the city on one condition: that they would only pay for half of the rent on whatever apartment she was staying in. She had some money saved up from before SAO, but it was running out quickly, and she was scrambling for a job to help lengthen the amount of time she could stay.

I hadn’t inquired, but her relationship with her parents was... tenuous, at best.

She withdrew her portion of the money. Agil picked up our money and the dishes without complaint, and we left the Dicey Cafe. It was a rather warm day, with the temperature above freezing, hovering around 2 degrees celsius. Still, we leaned against each other as we walked through the park, our canes clacking against the cement. 

It was nice walking with Tomo like this. Her presence had been a comfort for almost as long as I had known her, and with her by my side, it felt like we could figure everything out. It was a very different sensation to the one Asuna gave me, which made me feel as though any obstacle in our path would be beaten down. 

Together, it felt like the three of us would be able to overcome any obstacle.

Hesitantly, I brought up something I had been meaning to talk about with Tomo for a long time.

“Would you be alright living at my place?” Tomo didn’t pull away, but she did look up at me incredulously. “I mean, my family has the space, and I talked to my mom about it, and she said that she was willing to consider it. So, if you want?”

Tomo stopped, making me stumble as her support all but vanished out from under me. “You’re sure?” Her eyes were questioning. My partner had always been rather fiercely independent, but maybe, just maybe, she would accept living with me again.

I nodded.

“That eager ta live with a girl, huh?” Tomo said, grinning good-naturedly. 

“I already live with two women.” It wasn’t as effective a rebuttal as I’d hoped. 

“Oh really? What will Asuna say? Her husband, living with other women!”

“My mother and sister, Tomo. My mother and sister.” 

“So I’m a sister to ya Kii-bou?” My partner smirked. “Didn’ know ya were inta that.”

“Because I’m not.” I did my best to not respond to the rest of Tomo’s teasing. Thankfully, she seemed to realize that she’d almost crossed a line, and shifted the focus of her statements more towards what living together would be like, even making insinuations about sex.

“Ya know, it’d be a shame if we had ta sleep in separate rooms.” Tomo nudged me in the side gently, careful to not overbalance me on the cane. “I’d hate ta deprive you o’ seein’ me in all my mornin’ glory.”

“Your ‘morning glory’ is bed hair and bleariness, Tomo. And while I would love to wake up next to you every day, I think my sister might disapprove.” My partner raised her eye at that statement. 

“She wouldn’t be happy for her brother?”

“No. Yes, It… it’s complicated,” I said, wracking my brain to try and come up with a succinct way to explain it. “Can we sit down for this?” I asked, pointing towards a bench with my cane.

It was difficult to talk about it, but Tomo deserved to know. I had told Asuna, and since I was intending to pursue something romantic with Tomo, she should know too. 

“I’m adopted.” 

Once the first two words fell from my mouth, the rest fell out like a waterfall. “My parents were involved in a car crash when I was a baby. I don’t remember it, and I don’t remember them.” Tomo’s eyes widened in shock at my words, but she didn’t otherwise react.

“My maternal Aunt received custody of me after the incident. She’s been a great mother, if a little overworked. It was my adoptive grandfather that was the problem. He believed a lot in the way of the Samurai, in Bushido. He wanted me to take up Kendo. I don’t have any talent for it, never have, probably never will.”

“Bullshit,” Tomo said, rather vehemently. “You’re one o’ the most talented swordsmen in SAO. You have-”

“Basic training in Kendo. Footwork, how to hold oneself in combat, and the like,” I said, cutting off Tomo’s rant. “Everything else is my own style. It’s not Kendo, and never will be Kendo. That style won’t work for me.

“But my Grandfather expected me to carry on the family legacy. If Sugu hadn’t stepped up and said that she would be a Kendoka so I wouldn’t have to…” I trailed off, scratching the back of my head. 

“She’s always been protecting me, from bullies, from my grandfather, even from myself, at times, until…” I trailed off. Tomo knew what I was talking about. “I think she’s trying to make up for lost time.”

“An’ she thinks I’m a threat?” Tomo seemed amused by this. Why, I wasn’t certain.

“In that she’s not sure if she can trust you, yes.” I frowned, as much as I liked my sister, she was being a little difficult right now. “Honestly, if it weren’t for school, I think she’d try to shadow me all the time. She gave me hell about forgetting my phone last time I left the house.” 

“Do I need ta help ya sneak out?” Tomo smirked, “It’s been a while since I wrote up a good stealth plan, but if you send me the blueprints, I might be able to get you a hidden route in and out.”

I sighed, “Thanks for the offer, but no.” I wasn’t certain how serious she had been, but either way, such an avenue would be just asking for trouble. “I’d prefer to stay on the good side of my sister. She could probably bench both of us at once.”

“It’s not like that’s a hard thin’, right now,” Tomo said, waving a hand at herself. We were still underweight for our age groups, having spent a month adjusting back to solid food after being fed intravenously for almost two years. Even now, eating anything other than soup and the specially prepared meals that Agil and my mom made in moderate amounts made me feel like I was going to throw up.

“Yeah,” I said, standing up, and extending a hand out for Tomo to use to pull herself up. As she was standing up, her phone rang with an incoming text message.  Her face curled into a smile as she looked at the screen. Before I could ask, she turned the phone around.

“We got an alliance with the Sylphs.”

__________________________

Yui buzzed around my head happily, seeming to delight in the simple pleasure of flight. I let myself get lost in watching her, my eyes following the dizzying swoops and dives she engaged in, letting out peals of laughter as her hair fluttered in the wind. 

I was supposed to meet with a member of the main Sylph faction here, on the edge of the safe zone I had logged out in last night.. Apparently the leader of the Sylph forces were meeting with the Cait Siths to renew their alliance, so I would be meeting with someone relatively low on the totem pole.

Tomo had impressed upon me the need to remain formal, respectful, and above all, to be quick. The Leader of the Sylphs, Lady Sakuya, was apparently the sister of an SAO survivor, and had a vested interest in making sure that the three hundred remaining victims got logged out safely. 

Apparently the idea that they might be in Alfheim had sent her into a fit of rage.

“Papa, papa, fly with me!” Yui grabbed my hands, trying to tug me up into the sky with her tiny body. I grinned and let her tug me up, activating my wings, and letting myself hover. It was easy to let her guide me, following her tugs without complaint, until we were hovering up in the air.

“Alright, we’re flying,” I said, making Yui giggle. “Now what?”

“We dive!” And then Yui dragged me down into a dive that looked a lot less terrifying from the outside. We swooped down, down, and then Yui tugged me up so late I could feel my feet brush the ground. It was one of the most exhilarating sensations I had ever felt.

I let out a whoop of laughter as we ascended, and I spread out my hands to feel the wind rushing past. I leveled off, and spun in a circle. It almost threw me off balance, but the flight system assist stabilized me before I could fall too far. It had been one of the first things I had enabled after falling on my first day in the game, and now I could enjoy flight freely. 

I spied Yui climbing higher into the air, and followed her, my much larger wings eclipsing her speed. I caught up to her, the buzz of my wings throwing her off momentarily before she turned, and smiled at me as I slowed to match her speed. 

We lost ourselves in flight, for once not caring about anything other than the pure excitement of flying, of doing something no human had been able to do before VR: fly, unaided by technology, with a degree of freedom unknown to modern aviation.

I did a pirouette in the air, just for the fun of it, then dived down towards the ground, my wings folded in. It rushed towards me, looming closer and closer. The wind was so strong it felt like it was cutting into my eyes, and I understood why skydivers wear goggles. It was a rush of adrenaline like no other, and I understood how this game had maintained such a competitive playerbase.

Who wouldn’t want to fly forever?

As I neared the trees, I flared my wings. They caught the air almost immediately, arresting my momentum in a matter of heartbeats, leaving me dizzy from the vertigo, hanging in the air five feet off the ground, my head spinning.

As I hovered there, a warning beep sounded, and my wings started to fade. I let myself drop, landing in a crouch.

“Nice landing!” 

“Oh,” I said, just now noticing the familiar Sylph standing at the edge of the clearing. “Hi Leafa. I was just having some fun.”

The sylph nodded. “Flying is a rush, that’s for sure.” She reached a hand out towards the sky. “When you’re up there, it feels like you can go forever, that nothing can stop you, and everything is within reach.”

“Flying is really fun!” Yui chimed in, settling onto my shoulder. 

“So, Leafa, I know that I said we would head out as soon as possible, but do you think we could wait a bit? I’m supposed to be meeting someone from the Sylph leadership here, and…”

My conversational partner stared at me as I spoke, making me trail off towards the end. “Kirito,” She said, grabbing me by the shoulder. “I’m a member of the Sylph leadership.”

What?

“But you said you were a grunt!” I immediately wanted to clap my hand over my mouth. Why did I say something so, so, weird! It was precisely the sort of statement that Asuna had trained me to not make.

To my surprise, Leafa nodded. “I’m a squad leader, which is still a grunt. I just have a little more responsibility than most.”

“And weren’t you placed-”

“No. I’m on special assignment, which is a fancy way to say we’re not quite sure if we want to promote or demote you, so here’s something to do while we figure it out.” Leafa sat down on a rock near the edge of the clearing.

I sat down opposite her. It was less surprising now that she had been the victim of an attempted gank. It hadn’t been three randoms attempting to bully another player. It had been a targeted attack by the Salamanders on a moderately important Sylph target.

“Well, I assume you know the basics?”

Leafa nodded. “There’s several SAO survivors who want a shot at clearing the world tree, and we’re going to take it on with them.”

It’s a little more complicated than that.” I brushed one finger over Yui’s head, the pixie snuggling into the side of my neck. “I’m not certain how much Lady Sakuya shared with you, but we have reason to believe that the 300 SAO survivors who haven’t woken up yet are trapped here, in Alfheim, at the top of the World Tree.” As I spoke, Leafa’s face grew more and more horror-struck.

“No.” I sighed. I had expected this. “You’re wrong. RECT took over the servers after ARGUS shut down, my, my brother, he wouldn’t, he wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for them, they, they can’t. They can’t-”

“Leafa.” I said, grabbing her hand. “I need you to look at something.” She quieted, but didn’t move away. I carefully pulled up my photo gallery, thankful that Argo had made me import the photos for this exact reason.

There were two photos displayed. One was the achingly familiar picture of Asuna in the cage, reaching out towards the camera, her mouth open in an unheard shout. The other was a picture of her I had saved from SAO. 

“These are in-game photos, the photo on the left was taken a week ago by a guild that tried to circumvent the trial in the World Tree. The photo on the right is from SAO.” 

Leafa took one look at the photos, and refused to look at them any more. “They, they must be faked, they- they couldn’t...” Leafa went very still, staring down at her lap.

“Ms. Leafa?” Yui took off from my shoulder, flying over to the paralyzed Sylph. “Are you alright?” When Leafa didn’t answer, the pixie landed on her lap, staring up into the swordswoman’s eyes. “Do you need a hug?”

When the sylph didn’t respond, the pixie flew up towards her face, until Leafa made to push her away. Undeterred, Yui grabbed onto the sylph’s hand. Staring into Leafa’s eyes, Yui opened her mouth.

“It’s okay to cry.” 

That was the stone that broke the dam. Within seconds, Leafa was sobbing, curled up into a ball on the stone, her breath coming in huge gasps. I carefully approached the crying girl. I had no real idea how to deal with this. Argo wasn’t really a crier, and the only times Asuna had cried around me, I hadn’t exactly been in a position to provide care.

Thankfully, Yui seemed to have the problem well in hand. She clung gently to Leafa, holding her as her sobs subsided. Once the Sylph had worn herself out, Yui spoke again. “I know it hurts, but we’re going to fix it.”

Leafa nodded, “They saved so many people, and now…”

“If it helps,” I said, “We’re fairly certain that it’s just the guy running ALO, since I can’t think of a reason why the owner of RECT would want to keep his daughter trapped in a game he doesn’t play.”

“His own daughter’s still trapped? And they’re not investigating harder?” Leafa looked rightfully incredulous.

“It’s even worse,” I said, gritting my teeth. “He’s marrying off his daughter to the guy running ALO, who has to be in on it. He’d have to be truly incompetent to be running the game and not know it.” 

“Fuck…” There was silence for a bit after Leafa’s response, as she digested the implications of my statement. “We have to stop him.”

I nodded. “There’s no telling what he might do to Asuna. But I’m not going to sit around and let-”

“Asuna?” Leafa was staring at me, her eyes scanning over my body. 

“My partner, from SAO.” I pulled up the pictures again. It was probably a little much to reveal to someone who was still basically a stranger, but there was very little chance that she’d ever know me IRL.

The sylph moved closer, her eyes darting between the two photos and me, as if looking for something. Then, opening her mouth, she said a single word that made the bottom of my stomach drop out.

“Kazuto?”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 5

I wasn’t sure if it was the way I responded, or my facial expression that gave me away, but whatever it was, Leafa was absolutely certain of my identity. 

I was fairly certain of hers as well. There were only three people in my life that hadn’t been in SAO that knew that I was a SAO survivor, and that I was close with Asuna. 

And since my parents were at work, there was only one option. “Sugu, when did you-”

“That is not the question here Kazuto!” My sister yelled, grabbing me by the collar and lifting me into the air. “Why are you diving back into VR?!”

“Wanted… to… save…” I choked out as my clothing started to restrict my breathing. Leafa’s eyes widened, and then her lips curled into a frown.

“Of course it’s about Asuna again!” she spat, dropping me on the floor. “You’re visiting her in that room day after day, not putting any work into getting better. It’s always one of the first things you do in the morning! Sometimes you don’t even eat until you’ve seen her.” Suguha paused to take a breath, then continued to rant as I picked myself up off the ground.

“You know, I thought that since you were dating that Argo girl, you might actually stop hovering around her bedside like some kind of ghost, but no! You’re still just as obsessed as ever! You’re even diving back into the same thing that trapped-” Leafa’s eyes widened and she stumbled back. 

“She’s trapped in here; she’s trapped in Alfheim.” My sister clapped a hand over her mouth. 

“I’m going to rescue her Sugu,” I said, brushing off my jacket. “I care for her too much to see her trapped and do nothing.”

“I-” Leafa stopped speaking, then shook her head. “No, I can’t let you do that. You need to focus on recovering, and diving into Alfheim is the exact opposite of what you need to do to recover!” She drove a finger into my chest. “Let your girlfriend handle the negotiations with us, and focus on recovering.”

“I can’t do that,” I said, gently pushing her finger away. “I promised to have her back at all times, and if I didn’t go to her when I knew she was in trouble, I’d be breaking that promise.” 

Leafa sighed, muttering something under her breath. I could see her coming to a decision as her shoulders grew more set, regaining the solid posture of an experienced kendo practitioner. “Can I go with you?”

She sounded so desperate that it nearly broke my heart. “Alright.” I said, coaxing Yui into my pocket. “But we’ll need to move fast. I promised I’d meet up with Argo for some preliminary scouting.” 

Leafa fell in beside me without complaint, and the two of us headed out from the clearing. The tower in the Outpost wasn’t nearly as high as the one in Swilvane, the Sylph capital, but it sufficed to leap off from.

The rest of our journey was largely uneventful, thankfully, aside from having to outrun mobs every now and then. The entire time, My sister stared at me with an inscrutable gaze. I would have to talk to Argo about it. She would probably have a better idea of what was going on than I would.

In any case, we arrived at the Legue Corridor before too long. 

Leafa stood before the entrance, gripping the hilt of her katana tightly with one hand. She seemed hesitant to enter.

“What do we need to worry about in there?” I asked, adjusting the sword at my side. I still hadn’t been able to find a proper second weapon. I didn’t strictly need one, my one-handed style was good on it’s own, but I felt like I would need two swords if I was going to make it up the world tree to rescue Asuna.

Leafa shrugged. “Probably not much.” She released her sword, and stepped forward into the gloom. “The mobs here are weak. But the salamanders send a patrol or raid through here occasionally, and if we run into one of them…” she frowned, “things could get hairy.”

“Alright, keep an eye out for other players, got it.” 

“It’s not a joke, Kazu-Kirito!” Leafa said, gripping her katana so hard I thought it might take durability damage. She let out an explosive breath. “Just, stay behind me, okay?”

I raised an eyebrow, but fell in behind her as we moved without complaint.

* * *

Asuna tossed another biscuit through the bars of her cage.

“Really, must you waste the food I have so generously given you?” the creep said, leaning back in his chair, looking for all the world like he expected her to listen to him. Asuna tuned him out, instead trying to figure out how far she could throw one of the biscuits like a frisbee. 

It was a lot harder than it sounded. It had been years since she’d thrown a frisbee, and a biscuit was shaped almost nothing like it. With a snap of her wrist, Asuna tossed another biscuit at a gap between her cage bars. 

It curved during its flight, and it slammed into one of the bars, shattering.

Shattering just like she had.

It still haunted her, that day in the depths beneath the Black Iron Palace. The horrible, awful terror as the Fatal scythe revealed itself in a move that cut Kirito’s health in half from the air passage of it’s strike.

The panic that had flooded her chest when her husband lay against the wall opposite from her, his leg twisted in a sickening direction.

The sheer absence of pain amidst the cold feeling of a scythe bigger than she was piercing her from back to front.

The feeling of her body coming apart, scattering into thousands of bits of ash.

Then, the feeling of being pieced together, a sensation she couldn’t describe even if she tried. How did one describe the sensation of your mind shattering and then being pieced back together so meticulously that even it’s owner noticed no difference?

And then losing Yui, the little girl that had become near and dear to her heart oh so painfully fast.

It all culminated into one single sentence for her, one that even almost being killed by Kuradeel hadn’t caused to sink in.

Live for today, for tomorrow may never come.

It was what had made her push for a relationship with the girl she had long had a crush on.

The next biscuit that was thrown was higher, and a bird mob swooped down and plucked it out of the air.

Argo had grabbed her and swept her up in a similar fashion, refusing to let the depressed and suicidal girl that she had been waste time, helping her steady herself while she became the fearsome fencer she was known as today. 

“With our wedding next week, my queen, I would like to know what your thoughts are on the decor,” The creep said, pulling a long draw of wine from his glass. “Obviously we cannot hold a wedding in a hospital, so we…” Asuna stopped paying attention. He was trying to get a rise out of her, like he always was. It was bad enough that her father had arranged a marriage without her consent. To make it one to a creep such as this...

“A caricature artist might be a nice touch,” Asuna said, “I’m sure they’d be able to capture a most accurate picture of your likeness.” In all it’s horrific glory. She completed the statement in her mind.

Although he seemed to forgive her throwing things and even juvenille insults rather easily, he was rather touchy about his looks. The first time she had called him ugly he had grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against one of the bars of her cage before going on a rant about how he was the most beautiful being alive and that she should be grateful to even lay eyes on him.

She never called him ugly again.

It was the only time he had ever touched her.

“Hah, perhaps!” The creep sneered. “It’s not as if plebian artists can capture my magnificence. I should have one create a portrait of you as well, so that you might see all that makes you so attractive to me.” He sighed dramatically, slapping his forehead with the back of his palm.

“But alas, what I am most attracted to is not something that can be captured by a camera or by a brush. No, it is your mind I am most drawn to.” Sugou rose from his seat, starting to circle around her. “It works in such mysterious ways. I want to know how to break it down into all it’s little pieces to see how they work and fit them back together.”

Asuna leaned away from him as subtly as she could, struggling to keep the disgust from her face. The creep continued undeterred, his voice tinged with excitement, and even what seemed like arousal.

“Doesn’t that sound nice? To have your mind worked over by a master like me? Oh, just think of the things we’ll be able to do! I could program you to bend over every time you want food, or laugh at every joke I make, or many more wonderful things!”

Asuna very carefully didn’t respond. She wasn’t certain she could open her mouth without hurling an insult at him right now, and her hands quivered on her lap as she fought the urge to strangle the creep.

The Creep, of course, came to the wrong conclusion. “Oh, I know you’re eager, my queen, but I am not ready yet. Soon I will be though, and then I can welcome you back into the real world as my perfect wife.” The creep sat down, calling up a notepad. “But if you are to be my wife, we must have a wedding, and it must be a perfect wedding, attended only by the best guests.” 

“So,” The Creep started to tap on the keyboard. “I know who I am going to invite, but who would you like to invite? Surely not that pitiful boy who begs for your attention at your bedside?”

“Kirito?”

“Oh, was that his name?” The Creep waved dismissively. “He seemed so sad and angry when I told him we were getting married. You’d think a friend as loyal as him would be happier that something so wonderful would be happening to a friend of his.”

“He’s going to miss the wedding?” Asuna forced tears to well up in her eyes. “No, I always wanted him to be there when I got married.”

“Well, I’m sorry my queen,” The Creep said, “But he might go tattling to those pathetic bureaucrats who think they run the country, and we can’t have that. They wouldn’t understand our love.”

“He’s going to miss the wedding.” Asuna let tears flow freely from her eyes, and hunched down, holding her head in her hands as sobs wracked her body.

The creep stood, “Well, I’ll let you come to terms with it. I’ll be back tomorrow for more tea. Do please try to compose yourself by then. I expect a cohesive guest list from you when I return.”

Asuna didn’t respond, too busy sobbing. As The Creep approached the door, she carefully arranged her fingers so that one eye could narrow in on the keypad he was using to enter and exit the cage. 3… 0… 0… 9… The fucker used my birthday.

As the oblivious Sugou Nobuyuki vanished down the stairs, Asuna’s body stilled, as if the sobs had never even happened, and she raised a surprisingly tear-free face from her hands. The imprisoned fencer turned away from the World tree, staring out at the pale blue sky.

“Looks like I’m on my own.” 

* * *

The Legue Corridor had started out relatively calm and quiet, but as we got closer and closer to the center, and the safe zone of Legue, the hotter it became, and the stronger the monsters were.

“Get behind me!” Leafa called out, cutting an earth elemental in half with a single strike, shattering it. I ducked beneath the swing of another elemental and sprang back behind my sister. She took advantage of the elemental’s overextension with the ease born of many kendo tournaments, lopping off it’s head with a single stroke.

“That’s the last of them, daddy,” Yui said, descending from where she had been hovering at the ceiling. 

“Good.” I sheathed my sword, scanning the new pop-up window. “Let’s see, ooh, one of them dropped something nice!” 

It was a pair of gloves. They were primarily specced for AGI, but they had a pretty significant secondary boost to both Disarm Resistance and STR. I equipped the gloves immediately, their dark green hues clashing horribly against the bright yellow tunic I was wearing, which was the best piece of chest armor I had been able to find.

I’d need to replace all this gear before I met up with Argo, or I’d be a laughingstock.

Still, it would serve me well for now.

I flexed my hands, feeling the way my new gloves bent and stretched as I moved. I was torn out of my appreciation for my new gear by a hand grabbing my shoulder and swinging me around.

“Kazuto, you need to stop being so reckless!” Leafa pressed a finger into my chest. “You keep diving headlong into every single pack of enemies we come across, and I have to pull your butt out of the fire every time! Your gear isn’t good enough to carry you through this!”

“It’s Kirito here, and I’m trying to keep you from getting flanked,” I said. ”Leafa, I’m used to fighting alone. I’m a bit out of practice, yes, but I can handle myself in a fight.”

“You’re a spriggan in gear that’s just barely above starter level fighting enemies that give most mid-level players trouble!” Leafa groaned, “Ugh, why do you have to be so…” She turned on her heel and stalked away, grumbling. 

“Uh, Leafa?”

“Forget it!” she snapped, her shoulders tensing. “Let’s just get to Legue so that we can log out and I can talk to you properly.”

I opened my mouth, intent on trying to talk to her about it, but Yui pinched my cheek before I could speak. When I turned to her, she shook her tiny head. The message was clear: Not right now. Shrugging, I fell into step behind my angry sister.

In a way, she wasn’t wrong. I was a far less skilled fighter than her when it came to one-on-one duels, and likely in a group battle as well. She had more formal training than me, and her national quarter-final placement last year didn’t come out of nowhere.

But I had fought far longer than she had in a virtual environment. I could estimate how fast, how far, and when a mob was going to move just by seeing it idle in a field. I knew how to predict the attacks of over a hundred different types of monsters that had none of the tells that you expected from humans. 

I knew how to exploit the AI of mobs to my advantage, kiting them into each other, or even making them attack each other sometimes.

So it stung, to have my experience pushed to the backseat in favor of my admittedly low-level gear and weak racial abilities. What were they again? I remembered a 25% bonus to the quality of items found, but there was something else…

I swept open the spell list for spriggans as we continued marching. Most of them were distractions of the sort you’d expect a race of treasure-finders to have: set off a distant trap, sense nearby traps, create an illusion that distracts mobs, and so on, but one of the ones near the bottom caught my eye. Probably the only spell designed for use in battle in the entire list.

[Metamorphosis.] 

It was a badly designed, clunky spell that probably wouldn’t have made it past alpha if it was SAO. The caster said six words, and was transformed into a random vaguely humanoid creature that matched their attack power, and was native to the area the caster was in.

It was the sort of spell one had to use before combat, and it had a relatively short duration of thirty seconds, meaning that it would be almost impossible to pull off properly. You might get a couple good hits in before you reverted, but unless you could get out all six words mid-battle and luck into a useful mob, then you were probably going to die as a result of using the spell.

On a whim, I checked my attack power. It had stabilized at 2,046 after I had changed my gloves out.

“Hey, Leafa, what’s your attack power?” I called out, interested in how I matched up to my sister.

“1,534, why?” she grumbled back.

“Just curious,” I evaded poorly, and Leafa gave me a stink-eye, before accepting my words. It was probably due to the difference in our builds. Leafa tended to rely on critical strikes that most people wouldn’t be able to guarantee the way she did, from what I had seen. 

We rounded a corner and I saw the narrow tunnel we had been walking through abruptly widen into an enormous cavern, so big that the top was shrouded in the smoke rising from... was that a pool of lava underneath the bridge? Yes, yes it was.

No wonder the temperature had been steadily increasing.

Thankfully it seemed this game was less realistic than SAO, because we were only uncomfortably warm, rather than the near-painful heat we should have been experiencing.

I headed for the bridge.

“Wait!” Yui’s voice stopped me just before I stepped through the doorway. “There are… twelve player signatures out there.”

“And,” Leafa grumbled, “Maybe they’re friendly.” From the way she was speaking, I wasn’t certain if she was trying to disparage Yui, or actually believed her words.

Yui shook her head. “They’re salamanders.”

Leafa sighed. “Guess we’re dead.” She said it so-matter-of-factly that I felt the floor drop out from under me. “Unless we turn around now and hope they didn’t see us.” She peered out into the cavern. “Yep, that’s a Salamander patrol squad out there.”

“No.” I surprised myself when I spoke. “We’re getting through to Legue.”

“I don’t know about you, Kirito,” Leafa said, “But my stealth spells aren’t going to get us through there, they’ve got spells specifically to detect Sylph stealth spells, and a group this size would have one running at all times.”

“I can’t waste time here,” I said, brushing past Leafa, “Asuna’s waiting for me.” 

“Kirito, you have got to-” I cut her off, starting to chant.

It was a quick, six-word chant, and I felt more than saw Leafa’s incredulity as I chanted. Everyone knew Spriggan spells were situational in combat, at best, and designed more for exploration than anything else. 

I was taking a gamble on this spell, and As I swelled in size, I knew that my gamble had paid off. 

* * *

A deep, foreboding howl echoed through the cavern. 

Leafa stared up at the beast that had taken the place of her brother. It stood almost three times as tall as a normal human, so big that the top of it’s head almost brushed the ceiling. It’s feet were cloven hooves, but they caused the ground to shake as it stepped. It’s hands were curled into claws so long that she could use one of them as a sword.

As she looked up, and up, more and more of the beast revealed itself to her. It’s chest was a grotesque stretch of muscle barely hidden beneath a thin layer of blue fur. The arms were similarly corded, creating a display that made her almost sick to her stomach.

The creature’s mouth grinned, and Leafa gripped her katana tighter. Above it’s mouth, it’s red eyes gleamed with malice, the enormous horns of the creature framing it’s head, so that the eyes seemed to stare into her, judging her, and finding her wanting. 

She felt weak in the knees upon seeing it. This was a boss monster her brother had turned into, something you would need a full 40-man raid party to destroy. If whatever spell he used to pull this off gave him a fraction of the destructive power- 

The beast exploded out of the cavern, it’s red eyes gleaming. Leafa hurried after it despite herself, lifting off the ground in her haste. She came out of the doorway in time to see the Creature, whatever it was, engage the squad of Salamanders she thought would be their doom.

The first blow of the creature sent half of the six-man front-line sailing from the bridge, plunging into the lava, the sheer heat overcoming the natural fire resistance of the salamanders, cooking the men alive in their armor. The remaining members of the salamander squad tried to reform, the three remaining frontliners converging on the creature while the backliners nocked arrows or started chanting spells.

The creature didn’t give them a chance, it’s legs bulging as it leaped over the front line, it’s arms coming forward, then out in a maneuver that swept the salamanders off the bridge. 

It was the most one-sided slaughter she’d ever seen.

The five remaining salamanders were well and truly panicking by now, as the mage took flight, heading back towards Legue. 

The creature reached out, his hand closing in on it’s fleeing prey, and closed around the mage’s legs. It swung the salamander like a club, hammering it’s human weapon into the one frontliner that was making to attack it. The frontliner shattered as they flew from the bridge.

The creature grinned and raised the groaning captive mage again. The mage seemed to realize what was happening as the creature took aim at one of the fleeing salamanders. 

“No! No! No!” The mage yelled, fear shooting through his voice as he scrabbled desperately at the claws that held him tight. 

It was in vain.

The creature brought a heavily muscled arm down with such speed that for a second Leafa expected the crack of a whip. The mage shot through the air so fast that he had even less chance to turn on his wings and bank out of his fall than the salamanders that had been thrown from the bridge.

The mage collided with the one remaining fleeing frontliner, who had stopped to look over his shoulder at precisely the wrong time, letting his compatriot slam into him with enough force that both of them went tumbling over the side of the bridge. 

Their screams as they sank into the lava echoed in Leafa’s head.

The creature faded, it’s blue skin and terrifying horns becoming dull, then translucent, then transparent, and finally disappearing. 

Where it had been, her brother now stood. He was standing, staring out at nothing.

Cautiously she approached. Items lay scattered across the bridge, the swords and staves that the fallen salamanders had dropped before they died. Kirito didn’t even look at them, the way he had been checking the loot screen after every other battle.

“Kirito?” Leafa hated how scared she sounded at that moment. This was her brother she was speaking to. The weak, nerdy kid who used to come running to her if he had problems with bullies, who never left his room except for school. And even more importantly, he was family. He wouldn’t hurt her.

But as she looked around at the graveyard that surrounded them, all she could think of was how terrifying the creature he had become had been.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 6

Argo scowled as the merchant caravan moved along. 

It was only a caravan in the loosest sense, given that there were no pack animals, and no wagons. The player’s inventories held all the items and goods that they were going to resell.

Several times she had wanted to go ahead, try and make her own way to Alne, the city at the foot of the World Tree, but it would only take one lucky monster to kill her, and then she’d be sent back to the last safe point on the trail. 

She wasn’t a front-liner like Kii-bou or Aa-chan were, and her stats reflected it.

So she plodded along at the relatively slow pace of the convoy, grumbling all the while. She was about to drift off on her feet when the ring of a new message jolted her back awake.

Grateful for anything to relieve her boredom, she swept open her messages tab. 

[Sylph leader being attacked by Salamanders, trying to intercept.] And felt the bottom of her stomach drop out. 

She needed to… what could she do? Her friend marker for Kii-bou was still far in the distance, and she couldn’t get there in time, not that she’d be able to change the course of the battle. 

An attack by the salamanders on the Sylph leader, who was currently meeting with the Cait Sith to discuss the upkeep of their alliance, would have overwhelming firepower, the sort one person couldn’t change.

She glanced desperately around, and her eyes fell on the leader of the caravan. “Hey, Roggie?” She asked, jogging up next to the tall, lanky, and bearded spriggan.

“What is it newbie?” The more experienced merchant asked. “Trouble figuring out what you’re gonna sell?”

“I was just wonderin’ what the policy regarding sales is if the Salamanders go to war with the Cait Sith and Sylphs,” Argo said, not exactly trying to hide what had just happened.

“Shit. they’re moving already?” The experienced merchant scowled. “There goes most of our profits.”

“I thought Alne was neutral territory?” Argo said, even as half-a-dozen scenarios played out in her mind that could cut into the merchant’s profit lines. Everything from forced seizure of property to killing spriggan merchants outright would be possible.

“It is, but that doesn’t mean much if the Salamanders cut off their enemies at the Wall. They’ve certainly got the numbers for it.” Roggie tapped a few buttons on his screen, manipulating the calculator. “Without the Sylphs buying their stealth gear and the Cait Sith buying taming equipment, we could lose as much as forty percent of our projected income on this trip alone, and it’ll only get worse.”

“Whoever said war was good for business was never in our situation.” The caravan leader looked frustrated, but resigned. Like war breaking out between the Sylph-Cait Sith alliance and the salamanders was inevitable.

“Anything we can do?”

“Well,” Roggie rubbed his chin. “If we offered a discount to the salamanders in exchange for them leaving the sylphs alone, they might take the bait.”

“That won’t work.” Argo shook her head. “They’ve already amassed an overwhelmin’ amount of firepower, and my friend says that they’re startin’ their attack soon.”

The taller spriggan scowled, rubbing his chin. Then he opened up his message box, and typed out a message, sending it off with a frown. “Just contacted Lady Trasmin. She’ll probably have a good idea of what to do.” He closed his menu, readjusting the strap on his backpack. 

“Let’s keep moving, whatever happens, we can still probably make a profit on this.”

Argo nodded, and fell into step behind him, her hand typing out a message on autopilot. 

[Stay Safe.] 

Argo’s mind raced with worry as her body moved on autopilot. Her… boyfriend? No, her partner was going into a dangerous situation, where he could very likely die. It wouldn’t be the first time he had gone into a scenario like that, but she couldn’t help but worry.

The memory of Asuna’s name fading from her friends list flashed through her mind.

Argo shook her head. Kirito wouldn’t die. And even if he did, they weren’t in SAO anymore, he wouldn’t be gone. 

He wouldn’t.

The mantra did little to calm her as she walked.

She became so absorbed in her worry that she almost missed the dinging of a message coming in. Roggie swept it open instantly, reading through it, stroking his beard. 

“Hey, is your friend a Spriggan or an Undine?”

The question seemed to come out of nowhere, but Argo had long gotten used to people asking her such questions.

“Well, that’s info, and I’m not in the habit o’ just given’ out info, but ya can buy it off me for 100 Yrd if ya want.” Roggie sighed, in the sort of self-deprecating way. Even with the war on.

“C’mon, ya can’t expect a merchant ta not try and turn a profit.” Argo grinned, even as Roggie withdrew 100 Yrd from his inventory and placed it on her outstretched palm. “And he’s a spriggan, fairly high-skill one at that too.”

Roggie nodded, a small grin lighting up his face. “Alright, you need to send him this:”

Argo leaned in, and her smile grew as the plan was outlined.

* * *

The green fields of the central region of Alfheim passed by so quickly underneath me that they never quite came into focus. 

Leafa and I had been flying ever since we left the Legue Corridor on the World Tree side, spurred on by a message that Leafa had received in a video call from one of her in-game friends. 

Apparently, a high-ranking Sylph had leaked the location of the meeting between the Sylph lord and the Cait Sith lord to the Salamanders, encouraging them to set up an ambush.

At last count, there were almost 68 Salamanders headed for the meeting spot, almost five times the number of Sylphs there. 

And to make matters worse, the meeting place was in a shielded location, which meant that no one could get a DM or any other form of conventional system-based communication out. 

They’d even blocked streaming and recording.

There was a possibility that everything was just a false alarm, but Leafa’s friend Recon had sounded deathly serious when on the video call, and had had to close it in a hurry to avoid someone, so I was inclined to believe him.

“That two-faced, lying, backstabbing, no-good, son of a-” Leafa’s nigh-endless stream of curses and profanity drifted back to me from where I was flying in her draft. It was one of the few ways to conserve your flight gauge in ALO, and we were making the best of it.

“I sense a lot of players ahead!” Yui exclaimed from my pocket, where she had stayed ever since my transformation wore off.

I readjusted my sword grip. I hadn’t wanted to kill those Salamanders, merely get them off the bridge so that I could get into Legue, but whatever natural fire resistance they had wasn’t enough to overcome the damage output of the Lava.

It had been frightening how powerful I was in that moment, and the dying screams of those that had fallen into lava would be keeping me up at night for a while. Maybe if I had been more careful, picking them up and throwing them behind me they would have lived? Or maybe I could have just leapt over them?

No, that would have left Leafa vulnerable, and I couldn’t leave my sister like that. Just like I couldn’t leave her here to go after Asuna. I cared about her too much for that.

This wasn’t SAO. They’d respawn. 

It was cold comfort as we flew onward.

The ding of an incoming message brought my thoughts up from the dark spiral they had been tumbling down.

It was hard to read the message while flying, but I gave it my best effort. As I scanned what my partner had typed out, I felt myself grin, despite myself. 

Argo had pulled through.

I just had to play my part now.

It shouldn’t be too hard.

The outcropping where the leaders of the Sylph and Cait Sith factions were meeting wasn’t surrounded by Salamanders yet, but they were visible in the distance, and as we got closer, I could see the alarm going up on the cliffside. 

But with the lack of teleport and corridor crystals, there was little the defenders could do to get the VIP’s away. There was a party assembling at the far side of the outcropping, grimly facing down the Salamander horde.

I swooped past them, keeping a careful eye on my flight gauge. I was lucky that the meeting point was so close to Legue Corridor; I still had five minutes of flight time left. 

I hovered in place fifty feet from the cliffside, deliberately interposing myself between the defenders and the Salamanders. I equipped one of the swords that had dropped from a mob. It was a shoddy sword, with poor stats, and a focus on END instead of STR, like I would have preferred, but it was the second-best sword I had on hand.

My best sword was already equipped.

Not for the first time, the thought occurred to me to turn around and head for the World Tree. I didn’t have any true quarrel with the Salamanders. They tended to be a little aggressive, but as long as I stayed out of their way, they wouldn’t attack me.

But no, I couldn’t run. My sister was part of a faction being actively hunted by Salamanders, and she was behind me. If I left, she would die. She’d respawn, but I didn’t want her to die all the same.

And I was technically allied with the Sylphs, or at least their leader. She had promised weapons and other equipment to the SAO survivors who were coming to attempt the grand quest.

Argo would never forgive me for cutting and running.

So I hovered there, one sword drawn, keeping the other as a reserve for if I needed it, facing down well over fifty Salamanders.

The last time I had seen an organized force this big had been at the start of the battle against the Skull Reaper. 

Hopefully I would be able to keep the casualty count smaller.

Not that I had a good record with that so far in this game.

As the horde of Salamanders approached, One of them, a man with very elaborate pauldrons and a long, flowing coat, broke off from the rest, diving towards me, his sword outstretched.

I met him head on, raising my blade to deflect his thrust, his momentum carrying him past me, I managed to tap him with my leg as he shot past, making him wobble in the air as I pursued him. 

I raised my sword in an overhead slash, taking advantage of my own momentum to try and put a higher damage modifier on my admittedly weak blade. He rolled mid-air, the motion taking him out of my path.

Our initial exchange came to a stalemate, and as we sized each other up for round two, he snorted. Then, he raised one fist with his bicep parallel to the ground and his elbow at a ninety-degree angle, his sword held in a ready position at his side.

The raid came to a halt behind him, displaying a level of technical ability that left me impressed. Not even the ALF, the most militaristic of the guilds in Aincrad, had the discipline these guys did. 

“Speak your purpose, Spriggan.” The man crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow, as if daring me to say something so he could attack me again.

I swallowed, and began speaking. “I am here to inform you that an attack on the Sylph-Cait Sith alliance will lead to a global ban on weapon sales to the Salamander faction by the order of Lady Trasmin.” The Salamander’s other eyebrow raised.

“Furthermore,” I continued. “An attack on the Sylph-Cait Sith Alliance will be met with a declaration of war by the Spriggan-Undine alliance.”

The Salamander hovered in silence for a second, then started laughing. I felt my heart sink.

“You really had me going for a second there,” He said, miming wiping a tear from his eye. “The weapon sales thing was outlandish enough, but you Spriggans cementing an alliance with the Undines? Last I heard, you were still in the preliminary talks!”

“Um, General Eugene, sir?” One of the Salamanders detached from the group and flew down to hover at the now-named General’s shoulder. “You cut me off the last time I tried to tell you, but I ran across a mixed party of Spriggans and Undines running through the Briar Heart Dungeon three days ago.”

“And you didn’t bring it up again until now?” The general rounded on his soldier. 

“You told me not to sir.” Who remained remarkably stoic in the face of someone who was probably a far higher level than him.

“Blast,” General Eugene muttered, scratching his cheek, hovering in mid-air. “Were they just scrambling to get to know each other?”

“No sir,” The salamander soldier explained. “They were used to working with each other, and were trying to incorporate convergent magic into their fights.”

General Eugene groaned, gripping his forehead. “This is probably a decoy. It would be just like Lady Trasmin to pull something like this, but if it’s real…” He trailed off, his eyes scanning over the battlefield and lingering behind me. “Sound the fall back. A war against four races would destroy us.”

As I watched, my heart in my throat, the salamanders turned as one, and fell back.

“We’ll duel again, spriggan.” The Salamander general turned away, and I let out a sigh of relief. Crisis avoided.

I slowly fell back to the outcrop, painfully aware of the stares that the assembled fairies were giving me.

Well, most of them were staring. One of them was just glaring at me.

“Hey Leafa,” I said, trying to grin carelessly.

“What the fuck was that Kazu-Kirito!” My sister yelled, stomping over to me. “What part of ‘Running an Evac’ means confronting the enemy force head-on?”

Internally, I smiled. It was nice to see her unreserved like this again. She had been walking on eggshells ever since I had used the metamorphosis spell, painfully aware of just how strong I could be.

Externally, I sighed. “You know, I did have a plan before I got here.” 

“Oh, and did you make this plan yourself?”

“No, Argo put it together for me.” My sister let out an exasperated groan, and threw her hands up in the air. 

“She was supposed to be the smart one!” She grabbed me by the shoulder. “Log off, now.”

“What? No! I can still make it to the World Tree today if I hurry,” I said, brushing her hand off my shoulder. 

“And probably get yourself killed trying to get up there!” Leafa responded, “Log-

A polite cough echoed out from behind Leafa, and she abruptly fell silent. “Lady Sakuya!” My sister turned around and bowed so fast, I was surprised that she didn’t give herself whiplash.

“That will be enough, Leafa,” A very regal-looking Sylph clad in a kimono that was layered in various shades of green said, clasping her hands before her. “I need a full report.” The leader of the Sylph faction said, the picture of an in-control leader. 

Leafa sprang to attention. “Yes Ma’am,” She saluted somewhat eagerly, and Sakuya sighed. “I was alerted to the presence of the salamander attack party by Recon. He overheard Sigurd making plans with a salamander to claim the Lordship of the Sylphs once you were killed,” My sister said, so perfectly at attention that I almost believed she had joined the JSSDF in my absence. 

“Ah.” Leafa broke character, looking hesitant. “I have a recording of him talking to a salamander captain if you need it?”

“No, no, it’s alright,” Lady Sakuya sighed, waving off her subordinate’s offer. “I never should have let him be my running mate,” she groaned, rubbing her face with one hand. “Alicia, would you be so kind…”

“‘Course!” A petite, brown-skinned Cait Sith said, raising her hand and chanting a few words, although they made no sense to me. It was unlike any spell I had seen before, as it formed a sheen of light. The light solidified into a plane that showed off what appeared to be a very fancy office, with a tall sylph standing behind the desk, leafing through some papers. He noticed the plane of light almost immediately. A flash of surprise crossed his face before his features arranged themselves into a solemn expression.

“Ah, Lady Sakuya, it’s good to hear from you. The meeting is going well, I trust?” He said, setting the papers down.

“No, it isn’t,” The lord of the Sylphs said, “Given that we were interrupted by a force of salamanders before we could truly come to an agreement on anything, I would say that the talks have been set back quite some time.”

If I hadn’t been watching him closely, I would have missed the flash of anger on his face. “That’s unfortunate. I trust that the salamanders are dealt with?”

“They are.” Sakuya nodded, then her voice turned sharp. “But I’m more interested in how they showed up in the first place, given that this place was supposed to be a secret.”

“Perhaps some of the warriors blabbed in the wrong place.” The sylph behind the desk said, moving a stack of paper closer to the center of his desk. “I could open an investigation, if you would like?”

“No, none of my guards even knew which location we were going to until we got there.” Sakuya pressed forward. “The only one who knew was you, Sigurd.”

“Then perhaps the leak was on the Cait Sith side?” Sigurd deflected, avoiding meeting Sigurd’s gaze.

“That doesn’t explain the recording I have of you talking with a salamander captain about this meeting.” Sakuya said, driving the final nail home in the coffin. Sigurd’s eyes widened in panic, and he froze in the act of writing something down on his paperwork. 

“By the authority invested in me as Lord of the Sylphs, I hereby declare you, Sigurd, an exile for the crime of conspiracy to murder your lord.” Sakuya said, and the now named Sigurd’s eyes widened in panic.

“Wait, Lady Sakuya, I can-” His plea was cut off by a teleportation effect enveloping him. The spell cut off before it ended. “Well, that’s taken care of,” Lady Sakuya muttered under her breath.

“You should have gotten rid of him months ago,” The brown-skinned cait sith said, “He always seemed the wrong kind of shifty to me.” 

“Regardless, we are ignoring the man who kept us from war,” The kimono-clad Sylph said, turning towards me. “Welcome, you are Kirito, yes?” She bowed, and the katana at her back clinked ominously.

“I am,” I said, bowing with one hand held over my chest. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I have heard many great things about you.” Leafa had talked my ear off about her when the message came in, before we had started flying. She had had nothing but good things to say, but now that I was face to face with her I felt rather like a rabbit being stalked by a cat. Sakuya had a hunger in her eyes that I didn’t like. I blinked, and the feeling vanished. 

“Now, I know that you are in a hurry, Kirito, but would you be willing to sit with me for a while? I would very much like to get to know you.” Lady Sakuya walked over to a nearby table set on a patio surrounded by a trellis. She picked up an ornate teapot that had been resting on the center of the table. “Would you care for some tea?”

“Normally, I would,” I said, “But-”

“Ah, don’t be such a wet blanket,” I felt a jab in my side, and looked down to see the petite, brown-skinned cait sith standing next to me. She had managed to sneak up on me without me knowing. “We just avoided war! That calls for a celebration, doesn’t it?”

“Well, yes, but-”

“Then C’mon, let’s have some fun!” The petite fairy grabbed me by the wrist and tried to drag me over to the table, only for Leafa to intercept her, freeing me from her grip.

“I’m afraid my brother has to go meet his girlfriend at Alne,” Leafa said, smiling far too widely for it to be genuine. “Let’s go Kirito,”

“Oh really?” Sakuya sounded disappointed, for some reason. “That’s a shame, I would have loved to get to know you better.” The hunger was back, and with the weird emphasis on words… was she trying to seduce me? I let myself be pulled away by my sister, too preoccupied with the idea that a woman I had just met was trying to seduce me.

I really hadn’t done anything to endear myself to her.

“The nerve of them!” Leafa said once we were flying again, making a beeline for Alne. “Seducing my brother in front of me!”

I let her rant, still stupefied over Sakuya’s actions. “Why did she try to seduce me?”

Leafa whirled around mid-air, staring at me in disbelief as she flew backwards in a display of skill I was not going to try to replicate.

“Papa really doesn’t think much of himself,” Yui said, poking her head out of my pocket. 

“Kazuto, you saved their lives, their positions, and their character data.” 

“Huh?” What Leafa was saying made some sense, but not that much. If life-saving was all that was needed for seduction then Liz would have fallen for me while we were retrieving the ore that had formed Dark Repulser, but she’d been one of the biggest advocates for me pursuing Asuna. 

“Yeah, once a player is a lord, they’re subject to a few special rules, such as not being able to leave safe zones unescorted, and having their character deleted on death.” Leafa started to explain, having misunderstood my incredulity.

“No, no, that’s not it, I just don’t see why saving their lives would make me attractive to them.” Leafa just stared at me again, before dropping her eyes to meet Yui’s gaze as she continued to fly backwards.

It really was amazing, what she was doing. Her wings were still buzzing in time with mine, but she was angled slightly, so that they pushed her backwards rather than forwards, with her legs sticking out straight, her feet clasped together so that her profile was minimized. 

She must spend a lot of time flying.

“Ugh, whatever,” Leafa said, swirling back around, flying forwards again seemingly without any visible effort.

As she did so, a majestic city came into render distance, nestled around the base of the tree that we had been flying towards for the past five minutes. It was one of the most beautiful sights I’d seen, with majesty rivalling that of Aincrad’s finest views.

The buildings spiralled up from the ground, following the roots of the world tree, meeting the trunk at the center. In the gaps, there were streets and buildings of a different style, indicating newer construction. We landed outside one of the gates, and walked in with the crowd of NPC’s and players passing through.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 7

The sun was setting on the birdcage.

Inside, Asuna bent over to touch her toes, running through a series of stretches that weren’t strictly necessary, but did wonders for centering her mind. As she stretched, her mind ran through the plan she had made. 

She would use Sugou’s code to escape her cell, find a map, and from there find a terminal that she could use to log out. It was simple, effective, and had minimal room for error. 

The Creep had talked about his “Assistants” before, so she would need to be cautious, but it was unlikely they could stop her.

Although, with the way The Creep had lowered her stats, she would need to avoid conflict.

Finished with her stretching routine, she squared her shoulders, and walked purposefully towards the doorway. The door pad beeped beneath her fingers as she input Sugou’s code. The door swung open half a second after she hit the enter button, and she let out a sigh of relief.

“Leaving so soon?”

She whirled around at the unexpected voice, her eyes widening, then narrowing as she beheld a familiar visage.

“You,” Asuna snarled, grabbing the nearest object, which happened to be a flowerpot, and hurled it at the avatar of Heathcliff.

It passed through without harming him and shattered into pixels against the opposite cage wall.

Kayaba looked behind him, then turned back to meet Asuna with a bemused smile, as if she hadn’t just thrown a flowerpot at him.

“That was rude.”

“What do you want?” Asuna sighed, sitting down in a chair at the tea table.

“I offer my assistance,” Kayaba said, looking insufferably smug in the red-and-white armor that had been a symbol of valor for so many in Aincrad.

“Please,” Asuna waved a hand dismissively, “If you can offer anything of substance, then log me out right now. Otherwise, I don’t want it.”

“Well, that’s just not fun,” Kayaba said, taking a seat on the couch opposite her table. “Even though my influence in ALO is limited, I can still offer you a great many things. I might even be able to smuggle you my login info.”

“And what, precisely, would that change?” Asuna raised an eyebrow. 

Kayaba rubbed the knuckles of one hand against his plate armor. “Well, you could log yourself out with that account if you found an admin console, it’s not like I’m using it or anything.”

“I wouldn’t be able to log myself out without your account?”

“You might, but it would be a sure thing if you found an Admin Card,” Kayaba shrugged, “and those are kept locked up tight by Sugou. It’s easier for me to just give you higher clearance than him.”

Asuna’s heart leapt, then, her mind set itself alight with anger.

“Why the fuck weren’t you here sooner?” she yelled, standing up so fast that she knocked over the table in her fury. “I’ve spent over two months the prisoner of an insufferable asshole and creep who seems to believe that I’ll just roll over and happily accept being his trophy if he just keeps trying long enough!”

“The process of reconstituting myself from the fractured remnants of my consciousness was quite time-consuming, I will have you know,” Kayaba sniffed, “And it’s thanks to you that it took so long. If your husband hadn’t found me while I was in the middle of making the final calibrations to my device, I only needed approximately a dozen more subjects, I would have been able to reconstitute myself in a fraction of-”

“Subjects,” Asuna said flatly, a horrific realization occurring to her. “You mean all the people you killed in SAO?”

Kayaba nodded. “Their deaths helped me refine the device I used to upload my consciousness onto the internet. I daresay that some fragments of the consciousness of some of the more recent casualties are floating around in the system somewhere.” Asuna stared at him, horrified. 

“You trapped them for an eternity.”

“No,” Kayaba said, slumping over. “Only until the internet gets shut down, and I would be surprised if even one of them is truly aware, rather than a set of memories or-” He paused mid-sentence, looking up at the stairwell that Sugou used to visit her. “Someone’s coming.” Asuna’s heart leapt into her throat. “I can’t be here.”

Heathcliff turned to her, his hand flashing through a menu that had appeared without any gesture. “Here’s my login info, it should let you get out without any trouble.”

“Wait-” Asuna called out as Kayaba was enveloped in a teleportation effect “I don’t-” The light enveloped Kayaba’s body and vanished, leaving her speaking to an empty room “-know how to use this,” she said, feeling very much like an idiot. She stared at the chip in her hand, reading off the login info that she had no idea how to use. 

“Fuck.”

Her misery was interrupted by a weary voice that sounded as if the owner had long ago given up on trying to do anything meaningful with their life. “I don’t know what you’re talking about WeedHorse, I’m not sensing…” A golden-haired fairy, presumably the same type as Oberon, although his wings were shorn in half, climbed up the steps

Asuna decided then and there that she didn’t want what was probably Oberon’s assistant getting anywhere near her, but her options were limited. She was still right next to the open door, and it wouldn’t be hard to determine that she had opened it. The code would be changed, and if she was unlucky, there would be a 24/7 guard posted on her. This was her one chance to escape. The fairy started walking closer to her, and Asuna made a snap decision.

God this is stupid, she thought, and ran outside of her cage, dodged the pathetically obvious attempt by the fairy to grab her, and threw herself over the edge of the branch. 

The cry of shock and outrage from the fairy followed her down as she fell.

As she vanished into the clouds, Sugou’s assistant spiralled into a panic attack, barely remembering to change his avatar back into the form Sugou made them use in his presence before making his report.

* * *

30 minutes earlier…

I was standing in one of the streets of Alne, looking up at the branches of the world tree, trying to figure out where Yui was pointing.

“You’re certain Asuna’s up there?” I asked Yui, who nodded.

“It’s her ID, I don’t know who else it could be.” My pseudo-daughter said. She had all but confirmed our suspicions that the missing 300 SAO players were trapped in Alfheim. Now I just needed to meet up with Argo. Her friend marker was moving toward me at a steady clip when I pulled up the map, but it was still outside of Alne. If I hurried, I could meet her at the gates. 

“You know, I half expected you to try and go right for the grand quest,” Leafa said, far more relaxed now that we had left the Sylph and Cait Sith leaders far behind. “Given the way you’ve been hurling yourself at all the things in between Swilvane and here, that is.”

“I didn’t throw myself at everything.” I tried to defend myself, only for Yui to undercut me.

“You kinda did, Papa.” I looked down at her with a betrayed expression. “But you promised to meet up with Ago-mama first.” I scratched the back of my head, my lips stretching into a lovesick smile. 

“Yeah, I did.”

“You know,” Leafa said, walking beside me, her hands behind her head. “I keep wondering which one of them you’re dating.” She waved one of her hands towards Yui. “I mean, your nav pixie keeps referring to them as her ‘Mamas’, and you keep getting this big dopey grin on your face whenever you think about Argo, but you keep visiting Asuna in the hospital, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you as at peace as when you’re with her, so who is it?”

“He’s m-” I hastily covered Yui’s mouth before she could reveal anything about my complicated relationship with Argo and Asuna. Leafa already hadn’t taken my being in the virtual world again well, and the only reason we were even still online is because she had promised to escort me to the World Tree.

“You know, you could log off now,” I said, in a transparent attempt to change the subject. “I mean, you probably have your workout to do, right?”

“Eh, I can delay my workout for a bit,” my sister said, a wicked gleam in her eye. “I really want to meet this ‘Argo’ that has you so lovestruck.” 

I sighed, resigning myself to the inevitable storm that would follow. Argo would inevitably gain access to a wealth of childhood stories and maybe even photos through Leafa. It was an inevitable part of being in a relationship, I supposed, sharing the embarrassing things about your childhood with your loved ones.

Whatever, maybe we could laugh together at the phase where I had decided to emulate Batman.

“She’s coming!” Yui yelled joyfully, shooting off of my shoulder and into the air, heading outside of the gate. 

“Yui! Wait for me!” I called after her, already activating my wings. I was half a second slower than Leafa, who was already caught up with the much smaller nav pixie. She was heading out past the gates, narrowly missing the top as she headed for a string of spriggans heading towards us. 

“Ago-mama!” Yui yelled, diving for a cloaked figure near the head of the caravan. She pulled back her head, and I felt the air leave my chest. Somehow, she looked even more beautiful than I remembered.

“Yui?” Argo called, peering up at the sky, her wings activating, making her hover. 

“Ago-mama!” My daughter cried again, slamming into my partner with all the kinetic force of a sheet of paper tossed from a skyscraper. “Ago-mama.” 

“Heya squirt,” Argo said, holding Yui against her chest. “It’s been a while.”

I came to a halt next to Argo, still hovering in the air. 

“Hey,” I said, internally cringing. I hadn’t seen her in hours and the best greeting I could come up with was “Hey?” I might as well hang a sign over my head that said socially awkward. 

Argo took one look at me, and burst out laughing. I looked down, and felt my cheeks color in embarrassment. I never did change my clothes. “Are we settin’ new fashion trends Kii-bou?” My partner asked, still chuckling to herself. “‘Cause that’s a very unique style ya got there.”

“Hey, don’t knock it ‘till you try it,” I defended myself. “This shirt gives me +30 bleed resist.” It was also a very bright canary yellow, but that was beside the point.

“It looks very good on ya,” Argo said with a very unconvincing, yet perfectly straight face. 

“Whatever,” I sighed. “Is there a dye merchant in your caravan?” Hopefully they could help me turn these clothes into a less eye-searing color, as I didn’t have the time right now to buy new clothes, and they would probably need to be dyed anyway.

“Yep,” Argo said, holding out her hand. “Give me your clothes and I’ll get them dyed for ya.” I was halfway through unequipping my shirt before I realized what she was after. I laid an unimpressed stare onto her.

“What?” Argo asked, grinning.

“Nice try Argo, but somewhere private next time, okay?” I closed my inventory. “Let’s go see the dye merchant together, okay?” A cough interrupted my thoughts as I started planning out the color scheme I wanted for my clothes. I turned slowly, to face my sister. She stood with her arms crossed, tapping one foot.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me, Kirito?” Leafa said, smiling icily. 

“Oh, sorry.” I hastily gestured toward my sister after making sure that the rest of the caravan had moved out of easy earshot. “Argo, this is Leafa, the Sylph Liaison I’ve been working with, and the one who helped me get to the World Tree. It would have taken a lot longer without her assistance. Leafa, this is Argo, my partner. We’ve known each other since the beta for SAO and been friends for almost as long.”

Argo grinned, “Nice ta meet ya, Lii-chan, I’m one o’ the best info broker’s you’ll ever meet.” She bowed dramatically, like a magician at the end of his show, and landed on the ground without stumbling. The rest of us made our own descents.

“Kirito?” Leafa said, not taking her eyes off of my partner, “Can I talk to Argo alone?” I glanced over at the info broker, despite myself. She had handled far worse than my sister.

“Dye merchant’s named Kroozin, he’s the small spriggan with a scar on his left cheek,” Argo said, and I took it for the implicit dismissal that it was, turning and leaving to go and dye my clothes. Yui was still with Argo, they should be fine.

It didn’t take long to find Kroozin, although it took significantly longer to negotiate the dye job. Dyeing worked differently here than it did in Aincrad, where as long as you had the appropriate mat, you could color an item any way you wished. Here, you had to have the proper mat that mixed with the item’s base color, and sometimes materials, to create the pigment you were looking for. 

Just dyeing my shirt took almost a full minute to figure out what pigment was needed. Nonetheless, fifteen minutes later, I walked away from Kroozin some 10,000 Yrd lighter and with a newly dyed grey-and-black set of armor. My weapon was still red, though. I couldn’t change that as easily.

As I was walking back to the spot where I’d left Leafa and Argo, I encountered my partner stomping up the road towards me. She looked a strange mix of amused, angry, and worn out. Yui was buzzing about her head concernedly.  

She didn’t stop as she walked in to me, and it was only that I had stopped when I had first seen her that allowed me to grab her and keep her from toppling over. Argo sighed against me and rubbed her head in a very distracting way against my chest.

“Why didn’t ya tell me that your sister was playin’ ALO?” She asked, leaning against me. “Or that she thought we were datin’?”

“Sorry,” I said, rubbing her hair. “Did she try to give you the shovel talk?” Argo nodded against me.

“God, never thought I’d be facin’ that down.”

“I’ll talk to her about it.”

“Don’t bother.” Argo shook her head, standing up again. “It’s kinda flatterin’ that you didn’t bother ta correct her.” When I looked at her puzzlingly, “I mean, shows that you’re really… invested.” My partner dragged a finger down my chest, and I felt my mouth go dry as liquid was redirected elsewhere in the body. 

“Ago-mama, Papa!” Yui called out, distracting us from the quickly growing sexual tension. She was looking up at the branches of the world tree, her wings frozen mid-flap. “I’m sensing another familiar ID up in the World Tree.” Her voice was tinged with panic.

“Whose is it?” Argo asked, stepping up beside Yui and peering upwards, as if she could break through the barrier of clouds that now surrounded the base of the tree and see what Yui was describing.

“It-” Yui was shaking mid-air. “It’s- it’s the one that locked me away.” Argo and I exchanged a glance. Kayaba. I carefully wrapped Yui up in my hand, bringing her close to my heart. “He’s right next to Una-mama.”

“We’re not gonna let him get to you, or do anything to Asuna. I promise.” I said, readjusting the grip on my sword as a bead of sweat rolled down my cheek. “Argo, do you have a spare blade?” I asked, the blades I had acquired on the path to Alne feeling woefully inadequate.

“Not one that’s specced for your build, no,” my partner said, nonetheless opening her inventory. “Best I can offer is something barely above beginner-tier equipment.” I shook my head.

“Keep it then, I’ll make do.” I equipped another sword, just to dispel any of Argo’s lingering doubts. From the way she looked at me, I had failed. But I didn’t have time to keep trying. I needed to get to the top of the world tree before Kayaba could do anything to Asuna. 

I didn’t know if it really was Kayaba, or someone who’d managed to get their hands on his ID, but either way, they were dangerous. The Cardinal system was mostly autonomous, but someone in the position of admin could wield terrifying levels of power. Kayaba had exploited that to make his own death game.

Leafa was waiting only a little bit further down the road, wearing a stunned expression. “Kazuto, your-” I cut her off with a hand. 

“Not the time, Kayaba, or someone with his ID, is here in ALO.” my sister’s eyes widened, and her hand bolted for her menu, scrolling through it frantically. She let out an enormous sigh of relief when she hit the bottom. I could see a [Log Out] button through the somewhat transparent menu, easing a tension I didn’t know I had felt. 

“We’re headed towards the World Tree entrance, can you take us there?” I asked as my sister closed the menu. She nodded. 

The walk was silent. I kept scrolling through my menu, trying to find the best combination of swords that would give me the best combination of survivability and raw damage output. Argo was checking her daggers again. 

We weren’t ready.

But I couldn’t just stay here while Kayaba was doing who knows what up above, especially in such close proximity to Asuna. Yui had dived into my pocket, and curled into a shivering ball. I wanted to comfort her, but I needed to be prepared.

I cupped her tiny form with one hand as the other kept scrolling.

Leafa fiddled with the strap of her katana in front of me, the scabbard rising and falling as she tightened and relaxed her grip on it. 

No one spoke, even as we entered the plaza that contained a majestic gate that led deeper into the World Tree.

We stopped approximately fifteen meters away.

“Argo?” I spoke hesitantly, not wanting to anger my partner. “If things go bad…”

“I’m not leavin’ ya,” the info broker said, crossing her arms defiantly. There would be no budging her on this. “If I did ya might run off and accidentally seduce some other woman.”

“This again?” I groaned. One of Argo’s favorite things to tease me about was my nonexistent seduction ability. It was flattering, but also extremely unrealistic. Most of the women I met looked at me like they were trying to suppress severe amounts of revulsion.

“Kirito? A ladies man?” Leafa scoffed, crossing her arms. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not jokin’,” Argo said, grinning widely. “Kii-bou here has slept with more than one woman he met the same day!”

I sighed as Leafa’s face turned beet red. “Kazuto did- he did- he had-” My sister let out a high-pitched whine, circling around disbelief, embarrassment, and mortification. 

“Look, sleeping in the same room as someone doesn’t count as sleeping with them,” I told Argo, before turning to my sister. “I’m sorry, she loves to tease me about my nonexistent ‘prowess’.”

“You’re the only one who believes that, ya know,” Argo said, kneeling me playfully. It was a welcome distraction from the weight of Kayaba. I could almost forget that we were about to embark on a suicide mission, not only to reach the top of the world tree, a quest that had remained incomplete after a full year despite being open from the beginning, and then defeating someone with admin access, even if he was no longer the GM.

Unexpectedly, Yui popped her head out of my pocket, looking upwards with enormous eyes, before disentangling herself from my shirt, slowly flying upwards. “Kayaba’s gone,” She said, apparently not quite believing it herself. Her next words were more urgent, with an undercut of panic.

“Una-mama’s falling!”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 8

The wind whipped through Asuna’s hair as she fell. She gritted her teeth, keeping her mouth closed as she plummeted. 

Below her, she could see the wide circular barrier of clouds that Sugou had bragged about in one of their meetings as a way to “keep anyone from discovering her until the proper time.”

Like most things Sugou had mentioned, she hated it. SAO had been all about finding the exploit, the unconventional way of killing a monster. Even the more straightforward boss fights often had some hidden gimmick that made things easier, whether it was intentional or not. 

Being creative and thinking on your feet was rewarded.

And Sugou was punishing players for being creative. 

But that wasn’t her real beef with the storm barrier. She had seen the fairy one day, flying desperately towards the branches of the world tree, too far down to make it, but she had yelled at him anyway, trying to get someone, anyone, to notice her and help her.

After three days of waiting, she had accepted that the fairy, whoever they were, hadn’t seen her. And now no one would be able to get to her the same way, because Sugou had created the storm barrier that same day.

Maybe if the person she had seen outside her window had managed to land, she would have been able to get a message out, and maybe then she would have proof that she hadn’t been abandoned; that Kirito and Argo hadn’t forgotten about her.

Her eyes narrowed as she approached the storm barrier. Sugou had been crowing about it in the meeting after he first implemented it, about how it let items from above fall through, but players from below couldn’t pass through. 

She hoped that she could fall through it from above.

As the storm drew closer, she could hear the rumbling of thunder leaping from cloud to cloud, and for the first time, felt a twinge of fear. What would happen if she died here? Would she respawn, and be back under The Creep’s thumb? Would she die for real, never knowing what had happened to her beloved Kirito and Argo? Never able to meet her daughter, her parents, or her brother again?

And then, the time for doubts was over as she plunged into the storm. Lightning bounced around her, making hair all over her body stand up, and she was buffeted by wind, tossing her about the barrier, each gust shoving her upward. 

Her heart beat faster, and faster, as thunder rumbled right next to her, and her health dropped from a lightning bolt that passed half a foot from her face. She tried to blink the spots from her eyes, but more and more formed as lightning cascaded around her, seeming to form a cage.

It was almost as if The Creep was trying to trap her in the storm barrier.

She struggled to make her parched throat breathe, even as rain stung her eyes.

Lightning started to form tendrils around her, and she angled herself almost perfectly downwards, shooting through the clouds, racing the lightning. 

“I will not be a prisoner!” Asuna roared as she dove, the wind stealing her voice away, inaudible beneath the thunder. Still Asuna Yuuki roared, her will bent, but not broken. “I am The Flash who leads the charge, swifter than lightning, and more deadly than a meteor!”

Her voice rose above the storm until it was all that she could hear, drowning out the howling of the wind, the pounding of the rain, and the rumble of the thunder. “I will not be kept chained!” Asuna roared her defiance, daring the storm to strike her.

The clouds parted beneath her as she swung a fist down, diving out of the cloud barrier. Beneath her lay a golden and white city, shining in the evening sun. 

It looked like freedom.

Asuna laughed, the sound coming out more like a croak as her parched throat struggled to form sound. “I’m free!” It felt unreal. “I’m free!” She was out of the birdcage, falling through the air. 

She tried to flex her wings, as she had before in her cage, trying to catch the air.

Nothing happened. 

Suddenly terrified, she glanced back at her wings. A jagged hole greeted her.

It covered almost the entirety of the top right wing. It looked ragged, and as she reached up to touch it, it burned. 

It was only now that Asuna noticed the debuff that she had acquired.

[Lightning-Torn Wing]: Your wing has been torn apart by lightning. You will be unable to fly until you have been fully healed.

Ah, Asuna thought as the city grew closer. I guess I’ll see what happens when I die after all. She was strangely relaxed as she plummeted, detached from all the worries of the world. Argo, Kirito, please live long and happy lives, with each other, or separate, it doesn’t matter. Just please, be well.

“ Asuuuuuna! ” Kirito? Asuna cast her gaze about, eventually locking on to a quickly growing multicolored speck, closely followed by a black speck. “ Asuuuuuna! ” Kirito! Tears welled up in the Flash’s eyes, and she felt her chest convulse in a mid-air sob.

He’d come for her. No.

They’d come for her. That was Argo flying up beside him, looking oh so determined. “Asuuuna!”

“Kirito!” She cried, already trying to reach out for the two people who had dived back into what must have been akin to hell for her. “Argo!” She felt the breath be driven out of her as Kirito slammed into her, followed closely by Argo, and her health bar blared a warning as it dropped dangerously low, but Asuna paid it no mind.

She was with her loved ones again.

And for the first time since she had woken up in a birdcage, with The Creep leering down at her, she thought that everything would be all right.  

* * *

I felt lighter and happier than I had in a long time. 

Asuna was here, in my arms, and even though she had a jagged hole in her wing, she was clinging just as tightly to Argo and I as we were to her. 

We hovered there, in the air, just breathing in each other’s presence, Yui nuzzling into Asuna’s neck, her tiny wings brushing against my face. 

“You’re here,” I muttered, trying to push my wife against me as hard as I could. “You’re here, you’re alive, you’re here.”

Argo choked back a sob of joy as Asuna ran her hands up and down our backs. “I’m here.” My wife said, and I almost wept. Her voice!

It sounded so wonderful! 

I clutched her tighter, trying to bathe myself in her presence. “I’m here,” Asuna said again, even as my tears soaked the gaudy dress she was wearing. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise Una-mama?” Yui said, held between the three of us. 

Asuna nodded. “I promise.”

We slowly descended through the sky, still clinging to each other. We landed on top of one of the roofs of the buildings below. Only then did we separate, and even then, we stayed in contact, holding on to each other’s hands like it was a dream, and everything would vanish if we let go.

“I’m so happy to see you.” Asuna said, breaking the silence that had fallen over us like an old familiar cloak.

“I am too.” It felt inadequate, as a response, but it was the one I had.

“I should’ve known that you’d find a way ta break yourself out,” Argo said, shaking her head with a grin so wide it looked painful. “You always were the strongest of us.”

Asuna gripped our hands tighter, her face contorting with a mixture of emotions; Pride, shame, relief, and joy were all held within the complicated arrangement of features she wore. 

“I almost didn’t.”

It was a quiet admission, one that it clearly pained Asuna to admit. 

“When I finally got my cage open, a guard came to investigate almost immediately, and for a brief second, I thought that it would be easier, somehow, to pretend that the door had opened on it’s own, and that I was being a good little prisoner and try to find another time to escape.” 

“Was it because of Kayaba?” I asked, stroking her arm reassuringly.

“How’d you know it was Kayaba?” Asuna asked, puzzled. 

“I saw him, Una-mama!” Yui said, “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No, no, nothing like that.” Asuna was quick to reassure Yui, one hand stroking the pixie’s head. “He just…” My wife trailed off. “I’m not sure what he wanted. He wanted to talk about what Sugou was doing, but we ended up talking about what he was doing in SAO, and then he gave me this right before he fled.”

Asuna held up a small card, about the size of a business card. It was black, with yellow lettering on it. “He said it’s his login info, but I have no idea how to use it.”

“Can I see it?” Argo asked, and Asuna handed the card over without complaint. She turned the card over, searching for a button or interface of some sort. “Hmm.” she prodded it. “Ah!” a small section of text lit up at the bottom. “It’s voice activated,” Argo said, tossing the card back to Asuna. “Just say login Id and Password before the respective words and ya should be good to go.”

Asuna held the card for a bit, her eyes tearing up. “I missed you so much,” She said, her voice raw with emotion.

“I did too,” Argo nodded, “Now login so ya can logout, alright?”

“Alright.” Asuna held the card up, so that she could read it. “Login ID: Heathcliff.” A chime sounded faintly, and a ball of light swirled into existence behind her. “Password: F5regon3e4w2q.” I heard the buzzing of tiny wings as Yui fled, shooting past the ball of light and into the distance.

“My queen,” A voice sounded from within the rapidly dissipating ball of light, and I instinctively drew my sword, stepping between it and Asuna. “This place is unworthy of a being such as you.”

A tall fairy with golden hair and a haughty sneer on his features stepped through the remains of the ball of light. His robe was ornate, with embroidery all over the place, and a grand set of golden fairy wings rose from his back. 

As he moved, motes of light fell from his body, and his eyes felt almost like cruel daggers digging into my skin when he turned his gaze upon me. 

I felt my palms sweat as he spoke. This was most likely Sugou’s avatar in the game.

“Please, return with me so that I might perfect you, and you may know the truth of your station.” I heard the hiss of a sword behind me.

“My station?!” Asuna yelled. “I was your prisoner for two months! I will not be kept chained any longer!” She reached for a menu, as Sugou’s avatar, [Oberon] by the name hovering above it’s head, snarled.

“You do not have a choice in the matter.” The fairy king raised his arm, and spoke. “Teleport Object ID Titania: [City of Light]!” There was a beat as nothing happened, and Asuna kept scrolling through her menu, tapping buttons. 

“Any day now Asuna,” I said, falling into a fighting stance. I wasn’t certain what use I could be against an Admin, but I would have to try. 

“Out of my way, boy. Paralyze Object ID: Kirito.” Oberon glared at me, and I felt my body collapse. A quick look at my HUD showed a new debuff [Paralysis] I controlled my fall as best I could, managing to fall into Sugou’s path. He glared down at me.

“You are a particularly annoying insect,” He said, drawing an elaborate sword. He raised it, holding it in a reverse grip so that it would plunge point-first into my body. I tried desperately to move my unresponding body, the last of my energy having been spent controlling my fall. 

“Farewell, insect.” 

Before he could plunge the blade into my chest, an arm wrapped around his neck, and a dagger dug into his eye. Oberon snarled, trying to grab for Argo, who had managed to sneak up on him from behind, and was now trying to stab him again. It was futile, as his health bar was refilling faster than she could strike, but she was keeping him from Asuna, and that was what mattered.

But she couldn’t last forever. The fairy king managed to grab her attacking arm with one hand, and tossed her over his shoulder, throwing her to the pavement near me. “Paralyze object ID: Argo” he spat, fury lighting up his voice. 

Half a second after he spoke, another fairy alighted on the rooftop between him and us. A very familiar fairy.

Leafa stood in front of Oberon, her sword drawn but not raised, and the mad king raised his hand, as if offering her something.

“Ah, it is good to see one from the lands below. How goes your-” Leafa cut off Sugou’s monologue with a pointed question.

“Why did you do it?” I could see her grip her sword tighter, the fabric groaning under the strain.

“Why did I set the trial?” Oberon responded, clearly off balance. “It was to ensure that-”

“No.” Leafa pointed her sword at him. “Why did you trap the SAO survivors on top of the World Tree?” Oberon’s face grew slack with shock, before he regained his composure. “Answer me!”

“I had to secure my lovely Titania, of course,” Oberon said, thrusting a hand out to indicate Asuna, who was still scrolling through the menu. “But I wonder, just how did you come across that information?”

Leafa set her face in a determined line, and charged, her sword flashing out in a dazzling pattern, catching the afternoon sun on it and deflecting the light into Oberon’s eyes. The Fairy King recoiled, then stepped back further as Leafa’s blade carved a furrow across his chest. For a second, I thought that she might prevail, before I saw Sugou’s health bar stubbornly remain at full, despite taking a hit that would have drained any other player’s health by at least a quarter.

Recovering quickly, the Fairy King reached out with a hand and grabbed Leafa’s sword as she came in for another strike. “Ban Object ID: Leafa!” He yelled, clutching his other hand to the place where her sword had struck. No sign of her strike remained.

A burst of light engulfed Leafa, and when it faded, nothing remained. I felt my heart leap in my throat. She- she couldn’t be, she wasn’t dead. This wasn’t SAO, she was fine. 

She had to be fine.

“Now, come with me, Titania, end this foolish rebellion,” Oberon said, sheathing his sword and reaching out a hand, as if he expected Asuna to walk into his arms.

As if in response, My wife’s voice rose in anger. “Set Object ID Oberon: Level One.” As I watched, the grand wings that seemed so similar to Asuna’s damaged ones, faded, seeming to drop to the ground before they disappeared.

Asuna kneeled down next to me and grabbed the sword that I had dropped when Sugou had paralyzed me. Then she scooped up Argo’s dagger, which had been lost in a similar circumstance.

“My-My Queen, what is this?” Sugou said, the tip of his sword dropping to the floor, his face slack. Then it hardened in anger. “You dare defy your king?!” 

Asuna stood in front of us, and assumed a familiar stance. My sword wasn’t a rapier, but she held it like one, even as she kept Argo’s dagger in her other hand, hidden behind her body. “You’re not my king. You’ve never been my king.” 

Oberon’s face contorted in disbelief and anger at her words. “Then I shall have to show you I am your king!” He snarled, raising his ornate sword above his head and charging forward.

As Oberon charged, Asuna stepped forward to meet him, my sword coming up in a swipe that neatly severed his arm, before she pivoted around her forward foot to drive Argo’s dagger into his chest.

The fairy king clutched at his chest with his remaining hand, before trying to reach out and grab Asuna. She kicked him off Argo’s dagger, sending him sprawling on the rooftop. 

“Get up.” Asuna snarled, kicking the fairy king in the leg. “Aren’t you supposed to be a great warrior? The ‘Invincible Final Boss’ of Alfheim Online?” She kicked Oberon again, sending him flying. 

To his credit, he managed to grab onto the roof with his remaining hand, coming to a stop next to his fallen sword, his severed hand dissipating into motes of light.

The fairy king barely managed to grab onto his sword with his off hand and raise it in a desperate block before Asuna was on him again, coming in with a brutal stab. 

My wife slapped Oberon’s block to the side forcing him to expose his back as he refused to let go of his sword. Asuna then cross-stepped forward to drive Argo’s dagger into him again, almost in the exact opposite position of the previous strike.

“You know, Sugou,” Asuna said as Oberon stumbled away from her, desperately trying to regain his balance. “I think you deserve worse than this.” She opened her menu again. “Where was that command…” She muttered to herself, scrolling down through her menu.

The fairy king’s eyes widened, able to perceive something from his position that I wasn’t, from my spot on the ground. Whatever it was, it sent him into a panic.

“Titania no!” He cried, raising his sword. “I will forgive all your transgressions and welcome you back to my side as an equal if you do not-”

Asuna’s voice was hard and cold as it cut him off. “Set Object ID Oberon Pain Threshold level: 0” With a scream of pain, The fairy king collapsed, his ornate sword clattering to the floor; his injured arm clenched tightly to his chest. “You like that, huh?” Asuna slowly approached the kneeling, sobbing man, the tip of my sword dragging along the rooftop.

“Titania, please-” Whatever plea Oberon was going to make was cut off by another sob of pain. I felt my heart beat faster. Why was Asuna doing this? He hadn’t tortured her, had he?

“You deserve every last bit of that pain for what you did to my fellow survivors.” Asuna drew back my sword, and plunged it into Oberon’s chest, draining the last of his health bar. As he started to turn pale, he gurgled out one last word.  

“Tit… an…”

Then he shattered. 

And I was left with a thousand questions at the tip of my tongue. What had Sugou done to the 300 other survivors that had made Asuna so vengeful? Many possibilities swirled around my mind, each worse than the last. With some effort, I cleared my mind. It wasn’t important right now. What was important was getting Asuna out of here.

“Good riddance” the aforementioned woman said, sheathing my sword and  Argo’s dagger. “Hang on, I’ll get you guys out soon.” My wife knelt down next to us, once again scrolling through her menu.

She doesn’t know what to say to activate a command I realized suddenly, Asuna’s lack of familiarity with the nuts and bolts of computer and admin terms coming back to bite us. It was a long thirty seconds as she found the command necessary, but once she did, we were free almost instantly.

“You need to log out,” I said, the second I was no longer paralyzed. Argo nodded, backing up my statement.

“But we just-” I placed a finger over Asuna’s lips. Behind my wife, Yui nodded encouragingly. She would be able to reunite with Asuna later.

“You need to tell the hospital staff not to let Sugou into your room. And I want you out of that helmet as soon as possible.” Asuna froze, then nodded reluctantly.

“We’ll be there as soon as we can,” Argo said, bringing up her own menu. Asuna nodded again, before pressing a button on her menu and vanishing in a shower of light. Argo and I vanished a second later.

* * *

Tomo barely felt the tiredness in her body as she stepped out of bed. Asuna was out! She grabbed her phone off the nightstand, and almost tripped in her haste to reach her cane. 

It was only grabbing on to it that let her stay upright. Tomo hurried through the house, grabbing her purse off of it’s hook by the door, and slipping her knife inside. The fastest route to the hospital Asuna was at was by train, and she would need her pass

She almost fell again as she tried to run out the door, her physical body not ready for such exercise yet. She barely remembered to lock the door behind her as she left, taking off at the fastest walk she could manage for the elevator.

It seemed like an eternity, waiting for the elevator to reach her, and when it opened she rushed inside, jostling the woman coming out. “Sorry Ms. Yamato!” She called back as the doors closed. 

Tomo desperately wanted to sprint towards where she knew the hospital to be. She wanted to see Asuna as soon as possible, and the train was taking forever to arrive. But her rational mind won out, and she stayed at the station. Even if the train was late, she wouldn’t be able to walk all the way to the hospital without collapsing, and Asuna would be angry at her if she did that.

Soon enough, the train arrived, and Tomo rushed on board. This late at night, there were only a few people in the car, and they were all absorbed in their own activities. 

It was agonizing, sitting through all the stops that the train made, waiting desperately to hear the chime that signalled her stop. Asuna was waiting for her, and Tomo didn’t want to let her wait much longer. 

Finally, the train slid to a stop at her station, and Tomo walked as fast as she could out the door, her cane clicking furiously on the tile. She almost fell over when a man pushed by her on the stairs, too busy wrapping up a call on the phone to pay attention to where he was going, but slammed her cane down in time to steady herself.

“Just keep movin’ Tomo,” The young woman muttered to herself as she made her way up the last few steps and out onto the street. “Just keep movin’.”

The streets were scarcely populated as she moved through them, her eyes scanning for anything that might impede her path. Twice, she thought she saw someone preparing to jump her, but it was only shadows. 

Tomo let out a sigh of relief as she walked into the hospital parking lot, leaning heavily on her cane. The walk had drained her, but Asuna was so close. Having captured her second wind, the young woman pressed onward, only to run into hospital security forces as they struggled with someone.

“Let me go!” Sugou Nobuyuki yelled, trying to wrench his arm away from the guard holding it in his grip. “She’s my fiance, and I will see her!.”

“She specifically requested that you not be allowed in.” The cold response came from the guard holding his other arm. “Please wait down here without complaint, and we will have it all sorted out.” Sugou didn’t listen, only struggling harder.

“I just need to talk to her and I can fix this!” He spat, yanking his arm out of the security guard’s grip, twisting in such a way that he caught sight of Tomo. “You!” He cried, jabbing a finger at her.

Tomo flinched, despite herself, and she grabbed her knife with one hand, ready to draw it. “You caused this! You and that pathetic boyfriend of yours!” 

Wow Tomo thought absently, even as she reached into her bag and unsheathed her knife a little while the security guards struggled to contain the raving madman. That’s the second time I’ve been mistaken for Kii-bou’s girlfriend. It was somewhat flattering, even if it came from someone who very clearly wasn’t grounded in reality.

“You corrupted her! You turned her against me!” Sugou shouted, trying to pry the hand gripping his trapped arm off with his free hand. “I just have to remove you and she’ll come back to me!” 

Tomo stepped back as another two security guards rushed through the doors of the hospital, the now half-dozen guards bodily picking Sugou up and restraining him with a pair of handcuffs.

“You can head on through, Ma’am,” One of the guards said, wiping sweat off his brow. Tomo moved as quickly as she could, her cane clacking furiously on the ground as she moved through the doors into the familiar lobby of the hospital.

Mrs. Fujita was sitting in her normal place behind the secretary’s desk, looking rumpled. She brightened up considerably when she saw Tomo walk into the room.

“Ah, Ms. Hosaka, you came in at a wonderful time.”

“Asuna’s awake?” Tomo said, a fierce joy welling up through her. It wasn’t some trick. Asuna was really out. The secretary nodded, picking up a small note. 

“Ah, before you go up to meet her, do you know an ‘Argo’?” Mrs. Fujita asked, “Asuna has been asking for her and Kazuto almost constantly.” The last doubts that Tomo had harbored that it all might be a trick, and that Asuna was still asleep, still trapped, fell away, and she leaned heavily against her cane as her legs threatened to give out under her.

She’d never told Mrs. Fujita her online handle.

“Ms. Hosaka?” The secretary asked, standing up. Tomo waved her off, taking deep breaths to steady herself.

“I’m fine, I’m-” She took a deep breath. “I do know Argo.” 

Mrs. Fujita looked skeptically at her, but thankfully didn’t press, sitting back down in her chair. “Well, Asuna’s in the same room as always, and the nurses are always available if either of you need any help.” As the secretary spoke, the doors slid open once more, and Tomo turned to see who was coming into the hospital.

Kazuto stumbled through, his cane sliding across the tile as he scrambled for purchase, looking like he would fall before stabilizing himself against a chair. He looked up, meeting Tomo’s eyes, and his mouth fell open. Before he could ask the question about to fall from his lips, Tomo nodded, and she saw a shiver run through him.

“Let’s go,” He said, and the two of them hurried towards the elevators, moving as fast as their still-frail bodies would let them.

It was a thirty-three second wait for the elevator. Tomo counted the ticking of the second clock, counting down the time until she would see Asuna again, free from the helmet that had claimed so many lives, that Tomo had put back on to rescue her.

When the doors opened, a janitor almost bowled her and Kazuto over as he walked out and they tried to squeeze into the elevator past his mop cart.

“Sorry,” Kazuto called back over his shoulder as Tomo hit the button for the fourth floor, and the close doors button. The janitor looked thoroughly confused.

The elevator ride lasted far too long, and by the time it opened, Tomo’s heart was beating a hundred miles an hour.

Thankfully, the hallway was empty, so the two eager teens didn’t have to run over anyone as they walked as fast as their canes would allow, until they came to the door to Asuna’s room.

Tomo paused then, with one hand on the doorknob. Here, old doubts, doubts that should have vanished by now, came back into play. Would Asuna really want to see her? Did she blame Tomo for not getting her out sooner? 

A glance at Kazuto told the info broker that her partner was battling similar thoughts. She took a deep, steadying breath, grabbing onto Kazuto’s hand.

When he glanced at her, she responded with two simple words.

“Together, okay?”

Kazuto nodded, and the two of them grasped the door handle and turned it together, stepping into the room beyond.

The room was awash in moonlight from the open curtains. They’d never been open when Tomo had come here before. The silvery light cast a spectral glow over everything, giving the room an otherworldly air.

Sitting upright on the bed was Asuna.

She was staring out the window, her hands nestled in her lap. Her hair fell freely behind her, matted and tangled from it’s time in the NerveGear. Beneath her hospital gown, her arms were almost skeletal, and Tomo thought for a moment that she might be able to count Asuna’s ribs through her clothing.

As the door closed behind them, Asuna turned away from the window.

Her face was pale, and thin. Her cheek- and jawbones stuck out from her face in ways that seemed unhealthy, and she struggled to keep her head steady. Despite her weak physical state, her eyes gleamed with the inner fire and strength that Argo knew was at the core of Asuna’s being.

The moonlight fell softly behind her, giving her hair a silvery tinge, almost like parts of it were blended with silver.

“Welcome back from the moon, Princess Kaguya,” Tomo didn’t know why it had slipped out, but it broke the veil of silence that had descended over the room, and Kirito surged forward, collapsing into Asuna’s arms, carefully holding himself so as not to strain her.

“It’s over, Asuna. It’s over.” He murmured, running one hand through his wife’s hair.

Tomo turned away to give the couple some privacy. They needed it, after such a long time apart. As she moved towards the door, she heard a dry, weak voice call after her.

“Argo!” Asuna called, coughing. As Tomo watched, the auburn-haired girl opened one of her arms, waving her in. Slowly, hesitantly, the blonde crept closer, keeping a careful eye on Asuna’s expression at all times.

It never budged from her encouraging smile.

Tomo sank onto the bed on the opposite side from Kazuto, carefully nestling up against Asuna’s side.

“You came for me,” The painfully thin girl said, pulling them close with all of the strength she could bring to bear. “I-” Asuna choked back a sob. “I thought that I was alone, that you had forgotten about me, and you came for me.” Tomo pulled back to stare in disbelief at her female partner.

“Never,” Kirito hissed, pulling himself closer to Asuna, until Tomo could barely see where one ended and the other began. “We’d never forget you.”

Asuna nodded, her eyes watery. 

“‘Cmon, Aa-chan,” Tomo laid a finger on Asuna’s nose, enjoying the way her partner’s eyes crossed looking down at it. “Do ya really think I’d leave behind one o’ the best sources o’ info I got?”

Asuna laughed hoarsely, reaching for a plastic cup of water on her bedside table. Tomo grabbed it for her, lifting it to Asuna’s lips, carefully angling it so that the bed-bound girl could take careful sips of it.

There would be many more things to discuss, and Tomo couldn’t tell where the future would lead, but for the first time since she had woken up from SAO, she was content.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 9

“CEO of RECT Progress, inc. arrested for holding 300 people in captivity in popular VRMMORPG Alfheim Online,” I read off of the morning newspaper. “Sugou Nobuyuki was arrested at 11:53 pm yesterday after one of the trapped victims managed to free herself through means unknown.” I paused, and looked over at Tomo, who was lounging indolently in the sun coming through the window.

“Was that what your phone call was about last night?” Tomo had left the room for approximately fifteen minutes after a nurse came in to check on Asuna and inform her that her soon to be ex-fiance had been taken away, and that he wouldn’t be coming into her room.

While she had tried to be quiet, the hospital had poor soundproofing, and we were able to hear the muffled conversation that had taken place.

The info broker shifted languidly, letting the sun play out over her features. “Perhaps.”

I sighed, and went back to the paper. “...While at this point it is uncertain if he will be charged with a crime-” Asuna snorted in contempt. I raised a tired eyebrow at the bed-bound woman, still feeling the effects of a night sleeping in a hospital chair. 

“Please.” My wife said, crossing her arms, “Any half-decent lawyer could hang him by his collar for kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment.” She was looking far healthier today, although she was still confined to her bed. “In any case, enough about the creep, I want to know what you guys have been up to, oh and Yui, is she doing well? How did you wake her up?”

“Yui’s doing well,” I said, “Apparently she goes to sleep when I’m logged out, but we had a lot of fun on our journey through Alfheim. She’s really eager to meet you again.” Asuna smiled warmly. 

“That’s good.” She nodded. “I want to see her again.”

“As for us,” I exchanged a glance with Tomo, who was visibly on edge. “Tomo’s probably going to be moving into my place.” 

“Really? That’s nice.” Asuna said, clapping her hands together excitedly. “I’ll have to think of an appropriate housewarming gift.”

“That’s okay with you, right?” Tomo asked suddenly, rolling over to look Asuna in the eye, her hair mussed from a night spent sleeping next to my wife. “That I’m going to be living with Kii-bou?” 

“I don’t see why not,” Asuna said, somewhat taken aback. “It’s not like you’re going to try to cut him off from me.” Tomo visibly relaxed, and I chuckled. 

“You should probably be more worried about my sister.” I scratched the back of my head. “She’s not happy that I dived into ALO, even if it was to rescue you.” Thankfully I had remembered my phone and was able to text her that I was staying at the hospital overnight, so she probably wouldn’t be too worried about me.

“She also thought that I was his girlfriend for a long, long time,” Tomo laughed, “Man, the look on her face when I told her that we weren’t was priceless.”

“Well, that’s something we’ll have to remedy,” Asuna said, raising a shaky hand for the newspaper. She winced as the IV drip leading into her arm tugged painfully. She was still on a mostly liquid diet, and the IV would be coming out soon, but there were some nutrients that she couldn’t digest well in her current state, so until that was solved, she was on an IV drip.

She seemed more fragile than ever before, and it took conscious effort on my part to not bundle her up in the sheets on her bed. She wouldn’t like it if I did, and it would only make her weaker in the long run.

“You mean…” Tomo trailed off as the implications hit. “You guys still want me?”

“I thought that we established that a while back,” Asuna said, and I nodded in support.

“We said we’d wait for you to make up your mind.” I handed the newspaper over to Asuna, making sure to look Tomo in the eye. “And that our offer is open.”

Tomo swallowed, shifting upright, gripping the edge of her seat tightly. “I-” Her eyes darted back and forth between Asuna and I, looking for signs of hesitance, “I do,” she said, her shoulders collapsing forward as her head came up. “I want to- I want to be in a relationship with you two.”

Asuna tried to let out a squeal of delight, but was cut off halfway through by a coughing fit as her throat, unused to speaking, made it’s anger known. “Wow, Aa-chan,” Tomo siad, skipping off her seat and rubbing Asuna’s back as she coughed. “I’m really flattered ya think so much o’ me, but next time let’s try to keep the breath-stealin’ metaphorical, kay?”

Asuna wrapped one arm around Tomo’s shoulders, drawing the other girl as close as she could. “Get in here Kirito.” She waved at me with her other arm.

“It’s Kazuto, actually,” I corrected, standing up and letting myself be drawn into the group hug. 

“Shut up and come hug your new girlfriend,” Asuna said, running one hand through Tomo’s hair. Well, with a command like that, how could I refuse? I slipped into the bed next to Asuna, wrapping one hand around to grip Tomo as comfortably as I could.

Tomo reached up and grabbed my hand. I squeezed back. “I never thought that I’d end up here when I fell in love with ya two,” my new girlfriend said, rubbing her thumb over the back of my hand.

“Well, I’m glad that we did,” Asuna said. The rest of her sentence was forestalled by a knock on the door. By unspoken agreement, the three of us separated. I returned to my chair, and Tomo leaned back against the wall, trying to catch the sunlight.  

Hopefully we looked inconspicuous enough.

“Come in!” Asuna called, her voice still a little weak.

A nurse opened the door, carrying with her a bowl of applesauce, and a small remote. “Well, it’s nice to see you awake,” She said. “I’m Nurse Fujita, and I’ll be on call for you today until 7:00 pm.” Fujita carried the tray over to Asuna, and set it down on the table next to the bed. 

“Now, I know you’re probably thirsty, so let’s see how you do with a little water.” 

“I feel hungry for a lot more than just water,” Asuna responded, reaching out for the bowl, but Fujita avoided her grasp. 

“No lifting things until the physical therapist has had a chance to look you over, alright?” Fujita said, dipping a spoon into the water and pulling out a spoonful. “I know it’s embarrassing, but I don’t want you to spill water all over yourself, so can you please-”

“Can Kir-, sorry, Kazuto do it?” Asuna asked, “I’m sorry, it’s just…” Thankfully, Fujita nodded, and offered the spoon and cup to me. I carefully fed Asuna for a few minutes, watching as she struggled to swallow the water. Even last night, she had struggled to keep the water down.

Tomo and I had gone through a similar process back when we first woke up, and the experience of swallowing something other than air for the first time in years was not fun. Asuna took the discomfort and pain much better than I was expecting, and before long Nurse Fujita put a hand on my wrist, stopping me from offering another spoonful to Asuna.

“Let’s hold it here and wait to see how her stomach reacts, okay?” she said, lifting the bowl and spoon out of my hands and putting them down on the tray. “I’ll be back in about half an hour, and then we can see about having the rest of the water, okay?”

Asuna nodded, and the nurse picked up the remote. “Now, if any of you need me for any reason, any reason at all, just call me using this yellow button.” The button she was pointing at was large, yellow, and set slightly off to the side of center, in a way that would be very easy to press, but not easy to press accidentally. 

“It also works for the TV over there, and we get satellite, so I’m certain you can find something you like.” Nurse Fujita handed the remote to me, and turned to leave. As she opened the door, she paused, turning back. “Oh, and before I forget, your father is going to be here later today. He said that he would have been here sooner but that he had to run into the office for an emergency.”

“Alright,” Asuna said, fiddling with the blanket. I felt a surge of annoyance that the man couldn’t be here for his daughter, but stamped it down. Asuna had barely been able to help ease my transition into the KoB, and she hadn’t been dealing with a major scandal at the same time.

“Oh, and Ms. Yuuki?” Fujita said, pausing at the door. “It’s good to see you awake.” Asuna smiled tentatively back.

“It’s good to be awake.” 

The nurse nodded. “I’m certain it is.” With that, she closed the door, and we were alone again.

“Well,” I said, “Does anyone want to watch some TV?” I held up the remote.

_____________

Approximately half an hour later, we had discarded any attempt to watch television, as there was nothing on that we wanted to watch. I still hadn’t found any new shows that captured my attention, and none of the ones I had been interested in before were running at this time slot. It was a similar scenario for Asuna and Tomo. Instead, we were talking about the SAO task force, and what to expect from them.

“They’re probably going to confiscate and then destroy your NerveGear, unless you can convince them to keep it somehow,” I said, tapping out a list on my fingers. “What else, what else…”

“They’re gonna want ta know about anythin’ Sugou did ta ya in Alfheim.” Tomo supplied. 

“Right,” Asuna nodded, her forehead furrowed in concentration. I paused, trying to figure out how best to word the question that occurred to me.

“He didn’t…” I began, hesitantly. No, I needed to know. “Touch you or-”

“He didn’t abuse me physically if that’s what you’re asking.” I felt a weight I didn’t even feel lift off me when Asuna spoke. “He was entirely too obsessed with his mind control tech to try and control me in any other way.” 

You could have heard a feather drop in the silence that followed. 

“Mind…” I began, fearfully.

“Control?” Tomo finished, grabbing Asuna’s hand. “He didn’t, he didn’t test any of it on you, did he?” She grabbed Asuna’s head, peering into her eyes, trying to see if something was wrong.

“No,” Asuna shook her head. “He said I was too ‘precious’ to be damaged by equipment failure.”

I felt myself rise from my chair, my hands clenched into fists. I wanted to hit something. I knew that Sugou was a creep, but…

I hadn’t known just how far he would go.

Even three years ago, I would have said that mind control was out of the question. But I had seen people afflicted by mental status ailments in SAO. I had seen people being so enraged that they couldn’t tell friend from foe, people staring sightlessly with perfectly clear eyes, people made to hallucinate, or panic, or sleep at the drop of a hat.

What Sugou had been trying to do didn’t sound quite as far-fetched anymore.

Was this what Kayaba meant when he warned us about the dangers inherent in Full Dive?

If Tomo hadn’t found that picture… Would I have seen Asuna wake up, only to despise me? Would she have stared at me with hate in her eyes? Or even worse, apathy? 

I grabbed on to Asuna’s hand, desperate to feel her squeeze back against me, and to know that she still loved me.

“Thank god he failed,” I said, bowing over her hand. “Thank god.” If she had woken up not caring about me… I didn’t know what I would do. 

Asuna gently removed her hand from mine, and reached up to stroke my cheek. “Silly Kirito,” She said softly. “You know I would have thrown off any amount of brainwashing the second I saw you.” I leaned into her touch, relishing in the warmth. God I had missed her.

“Should I leave ya two alone so ya can make out?” Tomo grinned cheekily from the other side of the bed.

“I don’t know,” I countered. “Do you want to join?” Tomo flushed red, and Asuna and I had the rare experience of seeing a flustered Tomo. 

“Ah, um, may...be?” The blonde girl said, running her hands through her hair. “Wait, no, I haven’t brushed my teeth! My breath would smell really gross, I don’t want ya ta have ta go through that.”

“That’s a shame,” Asuna said, her voice low and seductive. “I was really looking forward to kissing you, you know.” Even trapped in a bed and severely underweight, Asuna still managed to be one of the most beautiful people I had ever seen.

Tomo flushed further, her forehead turning red with what I now knew was embarrassment. Then she squared her shoulders, grabbed me by the collar, and tugged me forward. My lips met hers in a fiery kiss.

It was different from kissing Asuna. Tomo was more cautious, trying out little movements here and there, figuring out what to do. I gently gave way before her, guiding her as best I could into a comfortable position, with the two of us still bent over Asuna’s bed.

All too soon, my new girlfriend backed off a bit. I surged after her, gently massaging her bottom lip between mine. Soon we were making out, our lips locked in an intricate dance.

Eventually I had to pull away as my back twinged in pain. Tomo was left panting, her face only slightly less flushed than it had been. 

“My turn,” Asuna said, reaching up and turning Tomo’s head towards her, the blonde’s eyes wide. I half expected to feel jealous as their lips met. My wife was kissing another woman, after all. 

But I only felt a warm joy as they made out. They loved each other; why shouldn’t they get to express it? When Asuna finally pulled away, Tomo stumbled back into a chair, breathing heavily.

She slowly brought a hand up to her lips, playing with them tentatively. “Wow.”

“Feels nice, doesn’t it?” Asuna said, running a hand seductively up Tomo’s arm. Any further seduction was forestalled by a sudden grimace, as Asuna clutched her stomach with one hand.

“Ugh, I’m not certain I’ll be able to finish that water.” She glared at the cup, her brow furrowing. 

“Do you want me to take it back to the nurse?” 

“No.” Asuna waved a hand, “She can just pick it up when she comes by later.”

As if in response to Asuna’s statement, the door opened and Nurse Fujita walked into the room. “Well Asuna, I’ve got some good news for you.” She indicated a clipboard. “The physical therapist has indicated that he’ll be able to come by tomorrow, and we can see about getting a routine set up for you, so that you can get out of that bed and walk as soon as possible, okay?”

My wife nodded, “Yeah, that sounds good.” 

“Oh, and Kazuto?” Fujita turned towards me. “Your sister’s here. Should I send her up or do you want some more alone time?”

I felt a weight fall over me. Today was a Sunday, which meant that Sugu didn’t have school. Was Asuna ready to meet my very overprotective sister? Was I ready for the two of them to meet?  What if the two hated each other? My first instinct was to ask her to send Sugu away, but that wouldn’t solve anything.

It would just exacerbate the problem.

Helplessly, I looked at Asuna.

“You can send her up.” Asuna answered for me. “I’ll have to meet her eventually, and no better time than the present.”

I nodded my assent. Soon, we were left alone again. 

“So, tell me about your sister,” Asuna said, leaning back on the pillows propped up behind her. “You never did talk much about her in SAO.”

“Well…” Where to begin? There was so much that made Sugu who she was, and trying to distill that all down was… a challenge. “Well, she’s actually my cousin, for one.” It was as good a place to start as any. 

“I was adopted by my maternal aunt when I was two, so we’ve been raised as siblings,” I started sketching out our relationship, touching on how she would defend me from bullies, had picked up Kendo to satisfy our grandfather when I wanted no part of it, and finished with probably the most impressive part: “...And just last year she placed in the quarterfinals of the national Kendo tournament!”

“That’s really impressive!” my wife said, enraptured. “Now I really want to meet her.” I chuckled nervously, scratching the back of my head. 

“Well, she’s not the most happy with you right now.” Asuna tilted her head quizzically, her brow furrowing.

“Why not?”

“Well, I’ve been spending a lot of time here, at your bedside, and Sugu thinks that I’m setting my recovery back by doing that-” 

“Yeah, you are.” Suguha entered the room confidently, carrying a brown paper bag. “And since you didn’t bother to grab anything before you left last night, I grabbed breakfast for you.” Tomo perked up, her eyes scanning my sister while Asuna hummed in thought.

“Oh,” I grabbed the bag, feeling guilty. I was a horrible brother, I didn’t deserve a sister who cared about me this much, not when I had so consistently gone against her wishes. “Thanks.” It felt inadequate. Especially when I unwrapped it and revealed a handmade rice ball. 

“Well, It’s nice ta meet ya again, Su-chan,” Tomo chuckled from her seat by the window. “Thanks a bunch for takin’ care o’ this big lump.”

Suguha narrowed her eyes at Tomo, tracing Argo’s spriggan features onto the blonde girl. Before she could speak, Asuna cleared her throat.

“Ah, hello, Suguha, was it? I’m Asuna. It’s nice to meet you.” She held out a thin hand for my sister to shake. Suguha took it gingerly, shaking it with a sense of caution. Asuna responded by gripping more firmly, and meeting Suguha’s caution with vigour. “Thank you for taking care of my boyfriend. I know that he can be a hassle at times.”

“Ya say that as if ya didn’t spend almost as much time grindin’ in the dungeons as he did,” Tomo leaned back, folding her arms behind her head. 

“That’s different,” Asuna defended, “I had a good party backing me up, and I always bought your latest guide before going into a new dungeon if you had one.”

“I think we all took care of each other to some extent,” I said, sensing rising tempers that would need to be cut out before they could truly blaze. 

Asuna and Tomo nodded in agreement. “Certainly felt like it at times,” My new girlfriend said.

“Kazuto?” I turned towards Sugu, who had found a seat while me and my significant others- I felt a jolt of happiness at the thought; I was dating Tomo- had been talking. “I’m glad that you found someone to help you while…” She trailed off, looking awkward. It had to be hard for her. Asuna, Tomo, and I were very close, and despite my meager efforts to reconnect with her, I still felt like I didn’t know her at times.

“Say, Suguha, was it?” Asuna asked, tapping a finger on her chin. Like always, she managed to change the course of a conversation as easily as I breathed. “Do you have any stories about Kirito when he was a child?” A surge of embarrassment rushed through me.

Suguha grinned evily, surely raking through the back of her mind for all the stupid shit I had done before getting trapped in SAO. “I sure do.”

“Oh, this I gotta hear,” Tomo said, leaning forward eagerly. “It’s been a while since I heard such juicy info.”

God, this was going to be mortifying.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 10

Asuna clasped her hands together tightly, so tight that she felt a twinge of pain coming from them. That was good. It was a distraction. Anything to take her mind off of the coming conversation.   

At the end of the bed, her father sat in a chair, leaning forward, resting his arms on his legs; he looked far more tired than she had ever seen him. His brown hair was streaked with grey now, and he had far more wrinkles than he had had the last time she had seen him.

Had it really only been two years?

Kirito and Argo had been hesitant to leave her alone, but she needed to speak to her father, Yuuki Shouzou, alone. She needed to know.

Summoning up all the strength she could, she took the first step.

“Father?” In the silence, it sounded almost like a thunderclap. The elderly man’s head rose up, and his eyes focused on her.

“Yes, my princess?”

For a second, she was a little girl again, standing outside her father’s office, shaking from a nightmare, waiting for him to open the door, sit her on his lap, and chase away all the demons with his calm presence.

But no, she was here, in the hospital, all but betrayed by her own father.

Asuna took a deep shuddering breath, before the words fell out of her mouth in a flood. “Why did you engage me to that Creep?” More words bubbled up in her throat, a tide that she couldn’t stop. “You told me when I was ten that I would have a say in whatever marriage I had. You promised me that I would have a choice!” 

Her voice rose in anger, and Asuna was aware of herself sitting up straighter, slipping back into the habits and mannerisms of Asuna the Flash, vice-commander of the most powerful guild in Aincrad.

Her father flinched back before her.

“The last time I had such a major choice taken away from me, I was locked in a death game for two years. I found friends, people very dear to me in that hell, and I almost didn’t make it out. I died, father. I felt my body shatter and my mind-” 

Asuna stopped mid sentence, stricken by the memories of her mind and body piecing themselves together from a million tiny fragments.

“You died!?” Her father breathed out so low it was nearly inaudible, “Asuna, you-”

“And then,” Asuna gathered herself to continue speaking, words falling from her lips in a flood. “When I finally made it out, when I killed Kayaba with my own blade and freed everyone, I found myself trapped again.” The fencer’s eyes narrowed, staring accusingly at the hunched-over figure of her father. 

“Trapped by a man you put into power.”

“Asuna, I-” 

“And as if that’s not enough!” Asuna rose as far as she was able, the IV in her forearm tugging painfully as she thrust a finger forward. “You arranged my engagement while I was in a coma, with none of the say I was promised to have; to a man who wanted to take apart my mind, my very sense of self, and use it as a toy for his childish whims!” 

She was shouting now, her throat hoarse from talking, and her breath coming in heavy gasps.

“He what?” Her father looked shocked. “Asuna, If I had known-”

“You’d have done what?” She shrugged her shoulders. “I heard all about how you wanted Sugou as your heir, taking over the position of CEO so you could retire.”

“That was before he kidnapped my daughter!” Her father stood up suddenly, his face flushed with anger.

“If I had known what he had planned to do to you, to any of the survivors, I would have-”

“If.” Asuna cut her father’s rant off before it could truly get started. “That’s always the thing, isn’t it?” She turned her head to look out the window. “If I hadn’t picked up the NerveGear, If I had been faster, smarter, If you had figured out that the man who was all but your son was planning on brainwashing your daughter. So many Ifs.”

Asuna turned back towards her father, who now just looked very tired. About as tired as she felt.

“But if we spend all day talking about ‘if-thens’, and ‘could-have-beens’, we’ll never talk about anything.” She took a deep breath, feeling the burn in her chest that normally accompanied heavy exercise. 

“I’m not certain I can forgive you.” She raised a hand to forestall her father’s questions. “I’m certain that you thought I would be content with Sugou, but I am not the person I was before I entered SAO. Even if he had been who you thought he was, I would never have been content with him, and that is disregarding the promise you made to me when I was ten.” Asuna’s voice was hard, cold, and sharp. It cut into her father like a knife.

“Asuna…” her father started, then trailed off. Whatever he had been about to say wasn’t enough.

“You promised I would have a say in the man I married. And you broke that.” Yuuki Shouzou slumped over, drained of all energy.

Asuna sighed; she was exhausted. It had been a while since a conversation had drained her this much.

“Just, just go.” She waved a hand at him. “I’m not interested in your explanations. I’m certain they were sufficient in the moment, but they don’t change that you broke your word.”

Her father bowed, turned, and left. He didn’t say a word as he walked out of the door. In her room, trapped in her bed, Asuna stared out the window. Suguha had dragged Kirito and Argo outside, and was letting the two lean on her as she talked into a phone about something. 

She wanted so badly to be out there.

Asuna looked down, holding her thin arms out so that she could inspect them. Once, she had been able to split boulders with a single blow and move so fast that she became a blur to the human eye. 

She clenched her weak fists. 

She would not allow herself to remain like this, trapped in a husk of a body, one that got tired from talking. 

She couldn’t be as strong as she had been in SAO, but she would be strong.

* * *

I hovered anxiously as the physical therapist poked and prodded at Asuna. 

The therapist, a balding man named Dr. Tatsutora, held up his hands with thumbs facing up, the fingers at a right angle to his palms. “Now pull against me.” Asuna complied with his instructions, locking her fingers with his from the bottom and pulling back as hard as she could.

She barely managed to move the thin man’s hands back a centimeter.

Dr. Tatsutora smiled, the laugh lines on his cheeks deep. “Good, very good.” He smiled. “You’re in remarkable shape for someone in your condition,” He said, straightening up. “Now, can you sit up without leaning on anything?” he asked, moving around to the side of the bed.

Asuna shook her head. “Not for long periods of time.” 

“That’s still a feat for someone in your condition.” Dr. Tatsutora placed one hand on the blanket that covered most of Asuna’s lower body. “Is it alright if I pull this back? I need to get a proper look at your legs.”

My wife glanced at me and Tomo, and I smiled reassuringly. My own physical therapist hadn’t been as compassionate, but she had been encouraging, in her own way.

Asuna nodded, Dr. Tatsutora pulled back the blanket, and The bed-bound girl let out a hiss of shock. Her legs somehow seemed harder hit than the rest of her. They were so thin that it almost looked like her skin was draping off of a tent, rather than the fullness of body that I was used to.

“Everyone reacts like that the first time they see them,” The physical therapist chuckled, his hands hovering over Asuna’s legs. “I am going to grab onto your calves now, and when I do, I want you to try and lift your legs up.”  

Asuna nodded in acknowledgment, and I could see the strain in her legs and torso as she tried to raise her legs against the force of Dr. Tatsutora pressing down, very carefully not putting his weight on her legs.

“Alright,” he said, releasing her calves, “Now raise your legs as far as you can, while keeping your feet flat on the bed.” 

“Man, this is nostalgic,” Tomo said to me as Asuna worked through the next set of exercises that Dr. Tatsutora needed to establish a routine for her. 

“I know.” It seemed like just yesterday that I was working through my own setup session of physical therapy, fresh off of the news that three hundred people, including Asuna, were still trapped in SAO. Now I was standing here, watching my wife run through her own session.

“The doctors were actually worried that I might have set myself back when I staggered into the hallway trying to find you.” 

“They were right to worry,” Dr. Tatsutora said, gently lowering one of Asuna’s legs and turning around to face me. “Most people aren’t able to even sit up, much less walk around when they wake up from a coma. If you had gone much further there was a high likelihood that you would have torn a ligament or muscle, or even had a heart attack from the strain.” 

Asuna glared at me. “Kirito…”

“I know, I know,” I said, rubbing the back of my head. “Finding you and Tomo seemed like the most important thing at the time.

“Well,” Dr. Tatsutora said, covering Asuna’s legs with the blanket once more, and removing the support from her back, easing her down into a supine position. “In any case, you’re in remarkable health for someone in your situation, young lady, and I think that with a proper routine, you might be walking around with a cane in as little as a month. Asuna nodded, her face a mask of determination.

“Just don’t try to do any physical activity that hasn’t been cleared by myself or a Nurse, and if you experience any sharp pain, you should stop what you are doing immediately and tell someone.”

“I’ll do my best, doctor,” Asuna said, smiling. “After all, I don’t have to go and find someone. They found me.”

“Alright then.” Dr. Tatsutora straightened up, readjusted his tie, grabbed his clipboard off the table, and clicked open a pen. “Let’s go over some therapies that I think will be effective, and see which ones you want to try first.”

Before Asuna could respond, a ringtone sounded in the room. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I scrambled to get it out. “Oh!” It seemed obvious, in hindsight, that he would call. I tapped the answer button on my phone, and stood up, reaching for my cane as I did so, already starting to move out of the room.

“Hey Klein, what’s up?”

As the guild leader of FuurinKazan, and one of the first friends I had made in SAO, Klein and I had a relatively long relationship. Although we had never really been close friends, we still called upon each other from time to time, and he had invited me to that one really poorly thought out Christmas party he had tried to host, so I considered him a good friend.

“Hey dude, did you see the news yet?” Klein said, sounding as lively as ever. 

“Well, I did pick up a newspaper this morning,” I said wryly, walking over to the door as quickly as I could.

“They made it out!” Klein exclaimed happily, and I could picture the jubilant grin he was wearing alongside the barest hint of ‘Manly Tears’. 

“Asuna fucking broke herself out! I knew she could do it!”

“I know,” I said, opening the door. “I was there when it happened.”

“You were?” Klein, if it could be possible, got even more excited. “Oh, c’mon, you’ll have to tell me about it! No, wait,” he said, clearly reevaluating where I was. “You’re with Asuna right now, right?”

“I am,” I nodded, “She’s doing well, but her doctor is glaring at me, so I think I should leave the room so he can talk to her.” 

“I want to talk with her!” He said, sounding like nothing so much as a large, friendly dog. 

“I’m sorry, but she’s still busy at the moment. Maybe soon?” I cast a hopeful look towards the doctor, who nodded. “Alright, soon.” As I left, I could hear Asuna and Dr. Tatsutora start to talk about what sort of therapy would be best for her.

“Is she doing alright?” Klein said, “I mean, did that guy, the one who just got arrested...” the sound of my friend snapping came clear over the speakers of my phone.”Shoot, what’s his name, I just had it-”

“Sugou Nobuyuki?” I supplied helpfully. “And, no, Asuna broke herself out before he could do anything to her.”

“That’s a relief,” Klein said, “Hey, is she ready for visitors yet? I want to come see her, maybe I can bring the guild around. They want to thank her for getting them out of Aincrad.”

“Well, I’m not sure how up she is for large groups, and she’s slept for most of the day already, so maybe it would be a better idea to come by tomorrow, or the day after?”

“Well we’re not going to be coming immediately,” Klein scoffed. “Harry One is all the way up in Iwate, so it’s going to take a bit for him to get down here for the party.” Oh, right. Some of the small guilds and friends that had formed in SAO had awoken to find themselves living on opposite ends of the country, and struggling to get back in touch with each other.

When Tomo hadn’t been trying to find Asuna, she’d been establishing a message board where people could find each other, including at least one other couple who had met in Aincrad and fell in love.

They’d sent Tomo a picture of the two of them, both in wheelchairs, in a train station. She’d blown up my phone with messages about it the day she received the photos, and hadn’t been able to stop talking about it for a week.

“Oh, right, does he need anywhere to stay? I can talk to my mother; it’s going to be tight given that-” I cut myself off. Tomo wouldn’t appreciate me sharing info about her personal life with anyone, and until she gave me permission to share, I’d keep her moving into my house a secret from everyone, except Asuna of course.   

“Nah,” Klein dismissed my question. “Kunimittz, ah, sorry, Yoshida, offered to put him up for the week. We’re gonna have a tour of the city, see if any of our old haunts have changed, and introduce Harry One to the wonders of Master Fujiwara’s noodles!” 

“That sounds like a great time.” I hummed appreciatively. The few FuurinKazan parties I had attended at Klein’s behest had been loud, raucous affairs, with the guild indulging in synthetic alcohol, getting into singing contests, and in some cases sneaking off into side rooms. I still wasn’t certain if any of them were dating each other, or if they had a friends with benefits thing going on, but I hadn’t asked, given that Klein had looked distinctly uncomfortable the one time I had pointed out Issin and Dynamm wandering off into a side room, their arms wrapped around each other.

“So, when are you guys planning to have the party?” I asked, mentally checking my schedule. Would Asuna be recovered enough to attend? I didn’t want to ask them to push the party back for Asuna, but it seemed a shame to throw a party for the end of Aincrad and not have the woman who ended the game attend.

“About that…” Klein said sheepishly, and I could imagine him rubbing the back of his head. “We were planning to hold it after the raid on the World Tree?” What? After… was Klein still planning to?

“You still want to do that?” I asked, not able to keep the incredulity from my voice. “Even though Asuna’s already out?”

“Actually, it would probably be all the more important, I mean, there’s nothing really riding on this, right?” 

“Well,” I hesitated, “Apparently the race that we help get through the dungeon might get unlimited flight, but the game is probably going to at least get a huge overhaul the more that comes out about what Sugou was doing.” Asuna hadn’t been able to tell me much, but Tomo had somehow intercepted a confession from one of the man’s accomplices.

When I’d asked her how she had, she’d laughed, booped me on the nose, and said “A girl has ta have some secrets, Kii-bou.” But she had shown me the e-mail as well, so the info was accurate.

Probably had someone on the inside of RECT Progress that was informing her stuff about the company.

“Why, what did Sugou do?” Klein asked, “He didn’t do anything to-”

“No, he didn’t do anything to Asuna beyond kidnapping her.” I cut Klein off before he could begin. “But he was abusing his employees pretty hard, particularly the mid-level GM’s that he blackmailed and threatened into helping him run experiments. Like, forcing them to use non-human avatars, making them use full dive for up to 100 hours a week, almost twice the medical standard that he set in place, and that’s not counting what he made them do while in Alfheim.”

“I can already tell I’m not going to like this,” Klein grumbled, “But what were they trying to do?”

I told him. His reaction was about what you could expect.

I heard something crash to the floor from the other side of the line, and a guttural scream echoed out. The last time I had heard Klein scream like that had been on the 68th floor, when FuurinKazan’s frontline tank, Dale, had taken a nasty hit and dropped down into the red. Klein had been on the golem that had hit the tank in an instant, unleashing a series of sword strikes with blistering speed, almost as fast as Asuna could thrust.

The Golem had shattered half a second later.

“Klein, Klein, it’s okay, Sugou’s currently in custody, Asuna’s awake, everyone’s out, he’s not able to experiment on them anymore.” I tried to calm the angry guild leader down, but Klein had a lot of anger to work out.

“Not everything’s about Asuna!” He yelled into the phone. “What about the others, the 300 guys who got experimented on. Dynamm and Kunimittz both have friends in that group, and you’re telling me that they might be waking up brain damaged, or brain dead?!”

His voice abruptly grew weak and I had to strain to hear his next words. “I thought I was done losing people when SAO was cleared.” I couldn’t say anything to that. Klein had always considered himself responsible for more than just his guild. FuurinKazan was always on the frontlines of every boss fight, and Klein was in the vanguard more often than not. 

The parties after a boss fight always featured toasts to the departed, and often a short speech by a surviving friend about what sort of person they were. Several times, often while drunk, Klein had confided in me about his guilt for not saving the people who had died, because he had been too busy saving someone else who might have lived without his intervention.

“Klein…” I didn’t know what to say. I was never good at this sort of stuff.

“No, it’s not your fault, Kirito.” Klein reassured me wearily. He sounded tired. All of us got tired easily these days. There was another voice in the call. “Oh, hey Ryu, what is it?” The muffled voice I could hear through Klein’s phone sounded urgent, and Klein sounded rushed when he spoke to me again.

“Hey, Kirito, I’m sorry, but I need to get going, talk to you later?”

“Talk to you later,” I said, starting to move the phone away from my head.

“Oh, wait, can you tell Asuna that FurinKazan is going to visit in about a week?” 

“Sure, Klein,” I said, even as my distracted friend started to hang up.

Well, I had a lot to think about. 

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 11

It wasn’t even ten seconds after I hung up that the elevator doors dinged open, and a brown-haired girl all but ran out, moving as fast as her cane would allow. “Rika?” The girl’s eyes shot to me, and she came to a stop, breathing heavily. “Shoot, Rika, did you run all the way from the train stop?”

Rika nodded, still breathing heavily. “Wanted... to… see...” She said in between heaving breaths. Rika had been one of Asuna’s closest friends in SAO, and one of the few she had outside of the KoB. Apparently the two had met when Asuna was seeking out a new smith after her old one had died, and the two had hit it off.

Of course, Rika, like many other blacksmiths, had sequestered herself soon after Argo’s release of new blacksmithing techniques, and tried to get the techniques perfected. One of the few times we had met up she had grumbled over not being able to finish that.

She didn’t visit Asuna often when her friend was asleep, and left quickly each time she did. She’d told me that she couldn’t stand the sight of Asuna lying there like a corpse.

Still, she had been a shoulder for Asuna to lean on while I was wrapped up in my own misery, and I would forever be grateful to her for that.

“Well,” I said, helping Rika towards the door. “Asuna’s having a conversation with a doctor right now, so it might be a bit.” My sentence was punctuated by the opening of the hospital door, revealing Dr. Tetsutora.  

“My,” The doctor said. “It’s good to see you again, miss Shinozaki. I take it you’re here to visit miss Yuuki?”

Rika nodded, still regaining control over her breath.

“Well, she might be a bit tired, so don’t be surprised if she falls asleep, but I don’t see why she can’t have one more visitor.” Dr. Tetsutora stepped aside. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have another meeting to get to.” The physical therapist turned and started walking down the hall, his clipboard held under his arm tightly. 

Rika shrugged my arm off, took a deep breath, and walked confidently through the doorway, her cane tucked under her elbow. “Hey Asuna.”

“Liz!” Asuna cried, struggling herself back into a sitting position as Tomo cautiously supported her with one arm. “It’s so nice to see you!” 

“It’s really nice to see you too,” Rika chuckled tearfully, wrapping her arms gently around Asuna in a hug. “Sorry it took me so long to get here.”

“Oh, no, I’m certain you came as fast as you could.” Asuna reassured her friend. “You certainly came faster than my mom did.” she waved off her mother’s lack of appearance like a joke, but I could see the bite there.

Had her mother and her been close?

Rika drew back from the hug to grip Asuna’s shoulders. “Are you okay?” She peered in at my wife, trying to see if there was anything wrong with her. “He, he didn’t touch you or- or anything, right?”

Asuna shook her head. Rika, apparently not satisfied by that, pressed on. “They’re treating you alright here? Respecting your privacy, getting you set up and everything?”

This time Asuna nodded, and Rika let out a sigh of relief. She drew Asuna back into another hug, breathing in her presence. “Thank god you made it out.”

They stayed like that long enough for me to go to the bathroom and come back. Eventually Rika drew away from the hug, although she took what had been my seat, next to the head of the bed.

“So, how have you been?” Asuna’s friend asked, sitting ready to listen. “You and Kazuto are getting on alright?”

“I’d say I’m doing pretty well,” my wife said, her eyes meeting mine. I felt my cheeks heat up. “I’m going to be making a quick recovery, and Kazuto came to see me almost as soon as I was out, and he’s been with me ever since.” Rika made a half-amused, half-exasperated noise.

“Of course you two are as sickeningly sweet as always.” She leaned forward in her chair, and poked me with her cane. “The only way it would be more romantic is if you were here when she woke up.” She then leaned over and grabbed my wrist. 

“Thank you for being there for her.”

“Eh, Tomo got here before I did,” I said, scratching the back of my head. 

“Speaking of which,” Rika interrupted, casting a glare at the blonde across the room. “Why didn’t you contact me to say that Asuna was up? I had to learn that my best friend was out of her coma from the local news network.”

“Eh he he,” Tomo laughed nervously, shrinking in on herself.

“I mean, I get Kazuto not contacting anyone, he’s so stupidly devoted to Asuna that he’d forget the rest of us if she was in trouble.” I felt a pang of hurt well up in my chest. She didn’t think that poorly of me, did she? “But I asked you to contact me if Asuna woke up, Tomo.”

The statement fell down on the info broker’s head like a stack of bricks. I was surprised she kept her head up. “I was with Aa-chan when she broke out.” Rika made a little gasp of realization. “I’m sorry for not contactin’ ya, but it slipped my mind.”

“Well, you should have,” Rika said, crossing her arms. “Asuna’s my friend too.” then she sighed, and clapped a hand down on Tomo’s shoulder. “Thanks for getting her out, both of you.” she shot over to me, and I nodded in acknowledgement.

“We didn’t really do anything. Asuna broke herself out,” I said, reaching over to grab one of my wife’s hands, and rubbing my thumb along the back. Asuna shook her head in denial.

“I would still be stuck in there without you guys. You figured out how I could actually log out, Tomo,” My wife said, before squeezing my hand and smiling warmly at me. “And you caught me when I was falling. I might have died if not for you.”

I almost responded that Tomo would have caught her. My presence was really unnecessary. I had been the first one taken out by Sugou, and all I had managed to do in the space before was reach Asuna half a second before Argo did. Argo would have been able to catch her and lower her safely to the ground. She had the stats for it.

Still, it was nice to know that my wife thought so highly of me.

“And Liz, don’t be too harsh on them.” Asuna admonished. “You didn’t respond to me asking you for advice about what to do for a date with Kirito for almost a full week because you were trying to figure out a new form of enhancement.”

Rika flinched guiltily. “Alright,” she grumbled. “You got me there.” She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. “Anyway… Do you want me to bring you anything? I remember my time at the hospital being really boring, but I might be able to bring you a book or two to pass the time.” The brunette changed the subject quickly, trying to find a less sensitive topic.

Asuna shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to impose on you too much, I’m certain that you’re quite busy outside of this, and you should focus on getting your own life back together.”

“Eh, there’s really not that much to do.” Rika shrugged, “I'm mostly just studying these days, and I can only do that for so long before my eyes feel like they want to fall out.” Asuna’s eyes lit up in interest.

“Studying for what?”

“For the entrance exams to the survivor’s school,” Rika said simply. “The test’s aren’t that hard, but I want to get a good grade.”

“The survivor’s school?” A little nugget of information had grabbed Asuna’s attention, and she was hungry for more.

“Something the government set up,” I said, “They decided that it’d be easier to have all the survivors in one place, and there were enough survivors in our age bracket that they decided to ”

“I wonder what sort of classes they’re going to have for us?” Asuna wondered aloud. “I mean, accelerated classes are a given, assuming they want us to reintegrate back into society as soon as possible.”

Argo nodded. “Math, Modern Japanese, Science, and History are all gettin’ semi-accelerated classes. Art and Phys Ed are gettin’ normal classes, but the first year of school is going to be really difficult.”

“Well,” Asuna said, a fire burning in her eyes. “Looks like I have something to grind for.” I smiled despite myself. God, I loved her . 

She always knew how to hit the ground running.

“I know the classes are going to be a doozy,” Rika said, leaning forward in her chair, her eyes alight with emotion. “But they’re letting us form clubs! I want to see if I can get a metalworking club going!”

“Not a blacksmithing club?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“Nah, too much specialized equipment.” Rika threw aside my question without a care. “That, and the smithing system in SAO was heavily simplified from what it is IRL. I’d need to unlearn a lot of bad habits if I wanted to do anything more complicated than stamping a coin.”

I shrunk back in on myself. Why had I asked that stupid question? Of course Rika wasn’t going to be creating a blacksmithing club. She had told me two weeks ago about how her one attempt to work in a smithy had failed when she didn’t account for proper heat distribution and screwed up a fence post.

“Hey, Kii-bou,” Tomo draped an arm over me, leaning over the back of my chair. “I bet you can’t wait ta get into the new tech lab they’re building.” She stretched her other arm out in front of the two of us. “New, top-o’-the-line computers ready for ya ta work your magic on them… that’s really somethin’ ta look forward to, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is.” It was really intriguing. My personal computer had reached the limits of what I could push it too before SAO had started, and I was looking forward to seeing what limits had been pushed over the two years that I had been trapped. 

“I mean, since my mom isn’t getting me any new hardware anymore, the computers there are probably going to be better than what I’ve got at home.”

“I shudder at what ya could accomplish with modern technology in your hands,” Tomo said dramatically, “Who knows what ya could do, given what ya were capable of before?”

“Yeah, yeah,” I hummed. “I’m the greatest hacker of this generation, we all know that.” I probably wasn’t, but Tomo had a point, given that I’d hacked what was supposed to be the most secure government database in the nation at the tender age of ten.

“I am probably going to be in the computer lab a lot, though,” I mused, “I’ve got a few projects in mind that I want to work on.” Even though I’d been deliriously happy about everything happening last night and now today, to reunite with Asuna; I couldn’t help but feel that someone was missing.

Yui was still all but trapped in the virtual world.

She was a native of that place, but that was no reason that she couldn’t experience as much of the physical world as I could let her, but I’d need access to a good computer to do that, and until I either got enough money to buy my own computer, or mom started buying parts for me again, the only computer’s I could get regular access to would be at the school.

“Anythin’ ya’d like ta share with little old me?” Tomo casually turned my head towards her and fluttered her eyelashes exaggeratedly. “Ya know I love hearin’ all about ya.”

“Maybe later,” I said, gently pushing her head back with my forehead. “I’m a little more interested in what you’re planning on doing, Tomo.”

“Oh, are you going to be starting up your info network again?” Asuna asked, leaning forward, “Like that website that Kirito helped you set up for people to find each other?” 

Tomo shook her head. “I’m more interested in goin’ into the other side o’ the business I set up in Aincrad.”

“You’re starting up another newspaper?” Rika gave me a side eye, her gaze moving back and forth between me and Tomo. We hadn’t done anything suspicious, had we?. “Could we advertise stuff in it, like if we were doing a craft exhibition?”

“It’ll cost ya,” Tomo said, “I’m still workin’ out the pricing’, but I’ll let ya know when I get everythin’ set up.”

“How much would it cost for me to get a monthly subscription?” I asked, mentally reviewing my options. I still had over 325,000 yen in the bank, so I could probably afford it.

“Meh, probably not much,” Tomo said dismissively, letting one hand flop back and forth as if to discard the idea of payment. “Maybe about 500 yen a month.” Alright then, nothing too expensive.

“I’ll pay you in advance for it,” I said, already reviewing how much I could pay her. Maybe about 10,000 yen? That would probably be enough to get her started.

“I don’t need that much start-up capital, Kii-bou,” Tomo smirked. “The school’s already agreed to fund the first printin’.”

The discussion after that turned towards speculation about what the exams were going to focus on. We all disagreed about what would be best to prepare for. I maintained that it was social studies, because we had spent two years immersed in another world, and needed to reground ourselves in this one.

Rika thought that math was more important, because, in her own words, “So many of the people in Aincrad couldn’t count for shit.”

Asuna and Tomo however, were in agreement that it would be better to focus on the modern japanese portion of the exam, as “Most of the history will probably be stuff we already know, but the literature? The curriculum there can change rapidly.”

Soon enough, the day came to a close, and a tired nurse shooed Me, Tomo, and Liz out of the room. I clung to the doorframe as Ms. Fujita stood helplessly in front of me. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow Asuna, please try to get some sleep!”

My wife waved back at me from where she lay on the bed, having run out of energy to keep sitting up. “See you tomorrow.” Her voice was hoarse, but I could feel the affection in it.

I left without a further word. I would have stayed longer, maybe even overnight again if I could, but Asuna was exhausted, and had almost fallen asleep twice in the last hour. That, and Sugu would skin me alive if I spent another day sleeping in a chair at the hospital. Hell, Asuna might help her.

I parted ways with Tomo and Rika at the train station, as all three of us lived in separate areas. Ten minutes later, I was walking into my house, just in time for a timer to start beeping in the kitchen.

After shucking my shoes and my coat, I started towards the noise. Sugu would probably appreciate any help I could give.

As I walked into the kitchen, Sugu finally shut off the timer, turning off one of the burners on the stove, and removing the lid from the pot on top of it. She dipped a small spoon into the pot, and brought a spoonful of soup up to her lips, seeming to savor the taste.

“How is it?’ I asked, stepping over to where another apron hung on a hook and putting it on.

“It’s pretty good,” Sugu said, placing the spoon down far away from the pot and picking up a different, much bigger spoon, before giving the pot a stir. “I think I’ll need to let it sit a bit longer for the stock to blend in, but other than that it should be done.”

“That’s great, anything else I can help with?” It looked like dinner tonight was almost finished, but I needed something to keep me occupied. Something to keep me focused. 

“Sure,” my sister said, setting her spoon down and turning around. “You can help me roll up some Makizushi.”

We worked in silence for the most part. Each of us was making our own roll, with a similar, yet distinct set of ingredients. In the time I had been trapped, Sugu had acquired a taste for eel. I still couldn’t stand the stuff, and kept far away from it while she started piling it on.

It was probably the most plentiful ingredient on her roll, matched only by the rice. 

As for myself, I kept mine relatively simple: some salmon, cucumber, and a bit of radish, with a small dusting of fish flakes to finish off the roll.

As we sat down to eat, I contemplated how best to bring up the topic that I knew I needed to talk about.

I had already talked with my mom about it, and she’d given the ok, but, selfishly, I had avoided talking about it with Sugu.

Tomo was probably going to be moving in shortly, unless her parents had a change of heart and sent her more money, which probably wasn’t going to happen. And I still hadn’t told Sugu about it.

Well, no time like the present.

I took a deep breath. “Hey, Sugu?"

“Yes Kazuto?”

So, My friend Tomo, you know, the one you thought I was dating, is probably going to be moving in soon and… “How’s prep for the tournament going?”

“Pretty well,” Sugu gave me a sideways glance, as if she could tell I had meant to say something else. “Coach thinks that I have an actual shot at the podium this time, and I know how to counter the move that my opponent used that tripped me up last time, so I’m as good as I’ve ever been!” She flexed one arm, “Plus I’ve got a new workout routine, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt as strong!”

“That’s really cool,” I said, taking a small bite of the makizushi. “So, what was it that you had trouble with last time?”

“It was a really peculiar feint,” Sugu said, her brows furrowing in thought. “What Taimai, my opponent, would do is come in with an overhand strike, but follow through in a step that put her inside my guard and strike from a low underhand when I stepped back.” She took a swig of water, “Honestly, it’s a really tricky technique, and it took advantage of the natural instinct to keep your distance that most kendo practitioners have.”

“It sure sounds like it would be difficult for anyone to deal with,” I offered my thoughts. My natural response if someone got inside my guard in VR was the same as Sugu’s was in her Kendo matches: create distance. Someone inside your guard would be able to take advantage of any number of openings, but with Kendo rules…

“Wait, you said that she struck as you stepped back?”

My sister nodded. “With the way that you deflect in Kendo, it would put her sword in a position where she couldn’t swing it properly, but I couldn’t either, so when I tried to create distance, my sword was out of place to intercept hers for the follow-up strike.”

Sugu scratched her cheek angrily. “The real problem is that I fell for it twice. I should be better than that.”

“Well, now you know how to counter that technique.” I washed the last bits of Makizushi down with a bit of water. “Just remember that-”

“-My opponents are coming up with new strategies too, I know.” Sugu groaned, picking up her plate to bring into the kitchen.

“Just checking,” I said, following her to the sink. We didn’t have enough dirty dishes to justify using the dishwasher, so we’d split the duty of handwashing. 

“I hear that enough from my coach,” Sugu grumbled. “But anyway, what was it that you wanted to talk about earlier?”

I really had been that obvious, hadn’t I?

I hesitated, my hand still holding the faucet, warm water spraying into the sink. How was Suguha going to react? I had, to some extent, been intentionally keeping this from her. I was worried that she was going to flip out on me, sort of like she had while we had been rescuing Asuna.

At least I thought I knew where to start. “I don’t know if mom’s told you yet, but-”

“Is this about your friend moving in with us?” Sugu asked, and I felt a weight drop off of my shoulders. I felt so much lighter now, that I almost looked around for a thud.

“Yes,” I said, sliding the faucet back into place and grabbing my plate. 

Suguha grabbed a towel, ready to dry the dishes that I handed to her. “Well, I can’t say that i was expecting this,” my sister grumbled, “But if your friend’s truly in as dire financial straits as you and mom think they are, then I don’t mind taking on a renter.” She quickly wiped down the plate I handed to her and set it in the rack to dry next to the rollers that we had used for the makizushi.

“Just make sure they stay out of my room.” 

“I thought you’d be more concerned about making sure she stays out of my room,” I said before I could stop myself. 

“I was,” Sugu turned towards me, slinging the towel over her shoulder. “But then I realized that you’re probably able to keep people out of your room better than I can.”

I stared at her. “What gave you that impression?”

“Anyone who’s smart enough to get a salamander war party of over fifty members back off on his lonesome by talking is probably smart enough to keep people out of his room,” Suguha said, grabbing the dripping plate out of my hand and starting to dry it.

“That wasn’t really my plan,” I said, picking up the chopsticks and starting to rub them down with a sponge. “It was Argo’s, and she told me that she got it from the leader of the Spriggans.”

“Even so,” Sugu said, putting the plate she had been drying next to the other one. “You still flew up there by your lonesome and got them to back down. I’m not certain that I could have done the same.”

“You probably would have, if you’d known what I did.” I handed her the now clean chopsticks. “You always were braver than I was.” A complicated set of emotions played out over Suguha’s face as she dried off the chopsticks. She shook her head as she put the chopsticks away, trying to clear her head.

“Well, in any case,” my sister said, “Your friend’s going to be sleeping in the guest room, right?” 

“For the foreseeable future,” I nodded. “Although Tomo might put up her own pictures, I think that she’ll be pretty happy with it.”

The guest bedroom was actually one of the nicest rooms in the house, even though we didn’t clean it regularly. We’d have to go in and tackle the fine layer of dust that coated the windowsills and tables before Tomo got here.

“Well, after dinner we can go in and take stock of what needs to be done,” my sister said, putting our glasses in the drainer to dry and wiping her hands clean on her apron.

“Probably not that much,” I said, taking Suguha’s apron and hanging it up with mine on the hook next to the door of the kitchen. “I mean, there can’t be that much dust in there, right?”

“Eh, it should mostly be touch-ups,” my sister said, grabbing a dustpan and broom. 

“Then let me do it,” I said, holding out my hand for the cleaning implements. “I’m the one inviting Tomo to live with us, I should be the one getting the room ready for her.”

Sugu handed me the broom and dustpan immediately, grateful for the chance to get out of cleaning duty. With a nod to my sister, who presumably was going to go get an early start on her kendo routine, I headed off for the guest room, to get it somewhat ready for Tomo to move in later this week.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2 Interlude: Homework

[3 years ago]

Asuna scribbled down a few numbers on the bottom of the page, then lifted up her notebook to better review her work. Satisfied with what she had found, she set it back down and closed the spiral-bound notebook. 

“Done!” she said to herself, more to confirm that it really was done than anything else. It seemed like hours since she had sat down in the family library with her notebooks, and she was starting to get hungry, but mom had asked her to finish her homework before dinner, and she would finish her homework before dinner, like a good girl should.

For a brief second she sat up straight, proudly looking at the stack of closed notebooks on her left. Then she slumped over as she turned her head, taking in the slightly smaller pile of notebooks on her right.

“Now for the next class,” She sighed to herself, picking up the next notebook, cracking a smile at the little doodle of a cherry leaf she had made next to the title card that proudly proclaimed the notebook as a modern Japanese notebook.

She flipped it open to a fresh page, and started to copy down the kanji she had learned over the past month. She had to do one column for each symbol, and with how many characters she was learning, her exercises took up three whole pages a day. Thankfully, she was on her last week of a rather difficult character, which had given her quite some trouble in the past, but she felt like she was close to mastering it.

Asuna grabbed her pen, and uncapped it, ready to start writing.

As she put the pen to paper, the door to the library opened, the creaking of the hinges almost making her jolt and ruin her first character even before it had begun.

“Hey Asuna,” A tall, auburn-haired man dressed in an immaculate black-and-white suit, said from the doorway, leaning against it like he couldn’t really be bothered with anything. Asuna knew better though, that was his ‘I’m trying to pretend I’m not as interested as I actually am’ pose. 

“Kouichi!” She said, all but leaping out of her seat and running to him. “You’re back!” She tackled her older brother with a hug, forcing him to take a couple steps back as he staggered under the impact.

“Someone’s happy to see me,” Kouichirou chuckled, wrapping his arms around his sister.

“You’ve been gone for two weeks,” Asuna said, tilting her head back to look him in the eyes. “I missed you so much!” She squeezed her arms tighter, driving a burst of air from her brother’s lungs.

“Well, I’ll just need to come home sooner from my next trip, then,” The tall, red-haired man said, smiling down at her. “So, what have you been up to? Still having trouble with your homework?”

“Uuuugh!” Asuna released her brother to stomp back to the table in the middle of the family library.

“That bad, huh?” Kouichirou called back after her.

“No, it’s just…” Asuna trailed off, one hand on her chair. “I do all my homework from school, and all the extra credit that mom gets for me, and all she ever does is give me more work.” She kept speaking, not noticing her voice rising in anger. “I get that the exams are important, I’m staking my education on them, and if I get first place, I’m going to get a better shot at a good high school, and that’ll help me get into Tokyo U, but I-” She gulped, her voice quieting as she voiced a fear that she didn’t know she had. 

“I’m scared that I’m gonna be so tired from studying that I’ll miss the exam.”

“Well, that’s not good,” Kouichirou said, rubbing the back of his head. “I could talk to mom, maybe see if I could get her to assign you less work?”

“No!” Asuna shouted, her eyes widening in panic. “I-I like studying! It’s so interesting to learn more about the world and to further my knowledge, I-I just…” She trailed off, her voice going quiet. “I don’t want to disappoint her.”

“C’mere Asuna,” Kouichirou said, opening his arms. Asuna let herself be drawn into his embrace, curling into his warmth. “You know that I’ll be here for you, right?”

Asuna nodded into his arms. It was one of the first things that he’d promised, and he’d never broken it.

“Now, let’s see what help I can give you with this.” Kouichirou said, unwrapping one arm from around her and guiding her back over to the table. 

The two settled in to their seats, ready to tackle Asuna’s ever-increasing workload.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 12

“C’mon, Asuna, you can do it!” Tomo watched as Asuna struggled along the railed track, the same sort that she had used to get her sense of balance again. It was her new girlfriend’s -Tomo’s heart skipped a beat every time she thought that, some little gremlin in her mind throwing confetti in joy- first time on the bars, and she was already doing better than Tomo had during her first attempt.

As the small woman watched, Asuna took another heavy step, determinedly trying to keep her back ramrod straight, before sliding one of her hands forward, then repeating the process with the other side of her body. 

In the span of about thirty seconds, she had already crossed over half of the 20-foot course. It didn’t sound that impressive, but for someone who had been bed bound until yesterday, and in a coma for over two years prior to that, it was an impressive achievement. 

“You’re almost there, Aa-chan!” Tomo called out, standing as close to the exit as she dared, Asuna’s wheelchair held out in front of her. 

Her girlfriend’s shoulders rose and fell, her breath coming in rapid pants, as the unused muscles in her legs burned. Asuna took another heavy step forward, and almost collapsed when her foot came down at a bad angle. 

Tomo could barely stop herself from surging forward to help. Kazuto didn’t have nearly as much self-restraint, and was at Asuna’s side in an instant, one hand already wrapping gently around her arm to pull her up.

“Off!” The recovering girl snapped at Kazuto, shrugging her arm as best she could while still supporting her weight on it. “I’m doing this by myself!” Kazuto wisely backed off, raising his hands in supplication. Asuna sent him a halfhearted glare, before she steadied herself, and took another slow step. 

This time, her foot came down perfectly.

Three more steps, and Asuna had reached the end of the walkway. The chestnut-haired girl was swaying back and forth, her limbs trembling from effort, and Tomo moved forward, her hands coming up to offer support at the same time as Kazuto came in from the other side. 

Asuna collapsed into the two of them, letting them all but carry her over to the wheelchair she had taken here, and help her sit down in it.

“Well, I’d say that was a good first time.” Dr. Tatsutora said, his sweaty bald spot gleaming in the fluorescent light of the hospital. “If I didn’t have your file, I would have thought you had only spent a few months immobile, not two years.”

Asuna nodded, still breathing hard. Tomo sat down next to the wheelchair, almost on the exact opposite side of the room as Asuna’s father. “You feelin’ alright Aa-chan?”

“Yeah,” She said, smiling tiredly. “Just a little out of breath.”

Across the room, Her father’s phone started ringing. The tall man pulled it out of his pocket, and left the room as he answered the incoming call, already bringing his phone up to his ear. Asuna watched him go with an unreadable expression on her face.

“Good riddance,” Kazuto muttered.

“Kiri-Kazuto!”

“What?” the irate boy said, “He tried to marry you off to Sugou. I’m not sorry to see him go.”

“He’s trying to make amends,” Asuna said, reaching out to grasp Kazuto’s hand. “I know that you don’t like him, and I don’t like him much at the moment either, but we should give him a chance.”

“I think he blew his chance when he didn’t run a background check on Sugou,” Tomo said, glaring at the door where Asuna’s father had vanished through.

 Asuna sighed. “Just, just try not to be openly hostile, please? He’s still in charge of a lot of things about my life, and he’s at least trying to do better.”

“Alright,” Kazuto grumbled. Scratching his cheek in that way he did whenever he made a decision that he didn’t like. “I’ll do my best.”

“You too, Ar-Tomo.” Asuna said, turning her penetrating gaze on the info broker. “Don’t be too harsh.”

“I’m just gonna do what he should have done to Sugou and run a background check.” Tomo said breezily. “He probably won’t even know I did anythin’.”

“If that’s what you need to do,” Asuna sighed. “Honestly, though, he’s still the only member of my family who even bothered to show up so far.”

Tomo winced. Even her parents, despite blaming her for their poor financial management, despite her being in a coma at the time, had at least shown up. Granted, they’d been fairly ambivalent about her going off to live near Kazuto, but at least they’d been there as soon as they could ater SAO was cleared.

“Well, regardless of your family troubles,” Dr. Tetsutora said, having finished writing something down on his clipboard. “You’re in remarkable shape for someone who has spent the last two years bed-bound and drip-fed.” He gestured toward the railed walkway. “Let me know if you want to try again. We’ve still got another half hour reserved for this room.”

Five minutes later, right before Asuna was about to make another attempt at the walkway, Shouzou Yuuki reentered the room, holding his phone to one ear. 

“No, she’s doing very well, and the doctors specifically said no solid foods yet, do not bring those toffees.” He said, sounding at once somewhat irate and very amused. “Not yet anyway, I’m certain that she’ll be cleared for them within a few days.” He paused, listening to the person on the other side of the line, even as Asuna perked up. 

“Actually, she’s right here,” Mr. Yuuki said, chuckling lightly, “And it looks like she wants to talk, would you-” Asuna’s father was cut off by a voice that was muffled against his ear, but somehow recognizable to Asuna, who started rocking back and forth eagerly. 

“Well, then, here you go, Asuna,” He said, and handed his cell phone over. Asuna pressed it to her ear eagerly, already greeting the person on the other end of the line. “Hi Kouichi!” 

As she was absorbed in conversation, Mr. Yuuki reached out and tapped Tomo on the shoulder, drawing her away from the conversation that Asuna was having. 

“Could we talk?” The man asked, his voice low and quiet. Tomo cast a glance back at Asuna and Kazuto. The latter caught her eye, dropped a hand to his side pocket, and nodded. He’d be there in an instant if she screamed.

“Sure,” The info broker said, already brainstorming what it was that Mr. Yuuki could want her for. It was probably something to do with Asuna, but other than that the possibilities were too varied to figure him out. Asuna’s father opened the door, held it for Tomo as she walked through, and closed it behind her. 

Then he took a deep breath, gathering himself and spoke. “I’m planning to make a trip to a library to pick up some books for Asuna to read. Do you have any idea what she likes currently?”

“Slice of life.” The answer dropped from Tomo’s lips almost unconsciously. She’d kept track of the sort of books that Asuna had bought that had been published in Aincrad. Most of the incredibly small number that had been published were poor quality, and the majority of them probably never would have been seen the light of day IRL, but they were all that was available. Asuna had read almost every single book or manga that could be called “slice of life” available in Aincrad. “She’d blitz through them and reread her favorites when she was having a particularly rough day.”

Mr. Yuuki nodded, “Slice of life, got it,”

“Although~” Tomo said thoughtfully, “If you’re willing to wait a day or two, we might be able to do something better.”

Asuna’s father leaned in, his face intent as Tomo began to explain her plan.

* * *

The next day dawned bright and early, and Asuna was quivering with anticipation in her wheelchair as we walked through the lobby of the hospital she had been staying in.

“Eager, much?” I asked, keeping my tone as light as I could. 

“You bet!” Asuna thrust an arm out towards the doors leading outside. “I’ve been feeling so cooped up in here, I just can’t wait to get out and taste the fresh air.” She leaned back, tilting her head so that she could look up at me. “It’s been far too long since I’ve seen Tokyo.”

I had been surprised when Dr. Tetsutora and Ms. Fujita had signed off on letting her out for a day trip, but after looking over what Tomo had planned with Asuna’s dad, I had to admit that there wasn’t much that could happen.

Still, this outing would hopefully be good for her.

“It hasn’t changed that much,” I said as my phone dinged with an incoming message. I pulled it out stealthily to look as Asuna responded.

“Maybe so, but I still would like to see all the things that have changed.” I smiled; It was good to know that my wife wasn’t letting the fact that her father was keeping the destination for this trip a secret get her down.

Thankfully, Tomo had explained it to me over text last night, so I knew exactly what the plan was. And part one had just fallen into place.

My only job was to push Asuna out the doors.

“Alright, our ride’s here, so we just need to-” Asuna’s wheelchair jerked as she grabbed the wheels and started to push herself forward, eager to get outside faster than I was pushing her.

“C’mon slowpoke!” She teased back over her shoulder. “The world’s waiting!” I smiled fondly, and started after her.

When I caught up to her, she was resting outside the automatic doors, looking around at everything and breathing lightly. She thrust her arms up into the sky, then brought them out to the side and threw her head back in what I could only call pure joy.

“I’m free,” She said as I stepped up beside her. 

“Feels good, right?” I asked, kneeling down so that my head was at approximately the same height as Asuna’s. She nodded in response, still taking in the area around her.

“It feels…” She trailed off, holding a hand up. She turned it back and forth, before wheeling herself over to a nearby hedge and grabbing a leaf off of it. “Not that different from Aincrad.” she finally concluded.

“Yeah, it surprised me too, just how little difference there was between Aincrad and IRL,” I said, leaning against the wall. 

“I guess we kinda forgot that one of the selling points of SAO was the ‘authentic sense input’.” Asuna grabbed another leaf off of the hedge, holding it up to the light, to see how the stem wove through it.

“Hey guys!” A familiar voice called, and Asuna dropped her leaf, wheeling herself around with such ease that I couldn’t help but be impressed. She was moving around in her wheelchair easier than I had ever managed in mine.

“Ar-Tomo!” Asuna responded happily, rolling herself to meet Tomo. “It’s so nice to see you!” she said, lifting her arms up for a hug. Our mutual girlfriend obliged her, the embrace lingering perhaps a touch longer than what was appropriate.

I understood the urge though. If it wasn’t for Tomo and Asuna agreeing to keep our changed relationship secret, I would have kissed my new girlfriend as a greeting, never minding who saw us. 

As it was, I simply wrapped her up in a hug, squeezing her against me. “I missed you,” I murmured in her ear. 

“I missed you too,” She said back to me. We had only been apart for approximately twelve hours, but I was used to walking with her from the train station to see Asuna, but she had had to make arrangements with Asuna’s father today, although I suspected that she had spent most of the morning nervously going over her plans.

Hopefully we’d be able to get her to relax on the trip.

“Hurry up, slowpokes!” Asuna called back over her shoulder, having wheeled well over fifteen feet away while Tomo and I were hugging.

The two of us slowly withdrew from each other and started walking. Our hands brushed each other as we walked, and I couldn’t help but like the warmth. It felt somehow magical, as Tomo and I fell in on either side of Asuna, ready to take hold of her chair if she tired. I was in the physical world, with two women who I loved, and loved me. 

I still had trouble wrapping my head around it at times. Everything society had taught me screamed that I should be angry, or at least jealous, of the looks that I had seen Asuna and Tomo exchanging, of the kisses that they had shared, but I only felt… warmth when I watched them being intimate. 

“Okay, the car should be over there…” Tomo said, scanning the parking lot with a hand shading her eyes. 

“Heeeey!” A tall man with the same auburn hair as Asuna waved from next to an actual, real-life limousine. “Asuna, over here!”

“Kouichi!” my wife called back, making a beeline for the man, her wheelchair jostling slightly as she ran over rocks and the occasional fallen twig. ‘Kouichi’ met her halfway, half lifting her out of her wheelchair in a hug. 

“I really missed you, Asuna,” He said, releasing her gently.

“I missed you too Kouichi,” My wife said back, settling into her wheelchair. 

“Well,” The tall man, probably Asuna’s brother from the resemblance, straightened up, adjusting his black-and-white suit, before tightening his dark green tie. It was probably the only bit of clothing on him that had any color. He cleared his throat nervously. “We’ve got plenty of things to do today, so let’s get going and you can introduce me to your friends along the way.”

With that, he turned and started walking towards the car, I followed in his wake, Tomo beside me. With a dramatic flair, he pressed a button on a car key, and the side door slid open automatically.

“Ladies first,” He said with a bow, gesturing for Tomo to get in. I clambered in after her, sliding into the middle seat. A yelp made my head whip over to the door where Asuna was clambering in. ‘Kouichi’ was holding his hand gingerly, with a hurt expression on his face. “I just wanted to help.” My wife glared at him, and he shrunk back.

“I can handle myself,” Asuna said firmly, heaving her body inside and scooching herself into the seat. “If you really want to help, you can put my wheelchair away.”

“Alright,” the red-haired man said, folding up the mobility aid and sliding it in behind my wife before walking around to the driver’s seat and starting up the car.. Once we were out on the road, he started asking us questions. “So, Asuna, do you want to introduce me to your friends?”

“Of course, Kouichi,” My wife said, perhaps a little less warmly than she had greeted him before. “Kazuto, Tomo, this is Kouichirou, my older brother. Kouichi, this is Tomo Hosaka, a very good friend of mine, and Kazuto Kirigaya, my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend, huh?” Kouichirou said, in a tone that made me feel suddenly very small. Asuna’s father had accepted our relationship, but would her brother, who appeared to be on better terms with her, feel the same? “When did that happen? Last I remember you said that any relationship would just distract you from your studies?”

“That was before my life got flipped upside down,” Asuna grumbled, her ears flushing. “And I had ample time to reevaluate what it is I want out of life while I was in Aincrad.”

“I’m sure you did,” Kouichirou said, his voice tight.

“In any case, Kirito is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and I won’t have you being hostile to him, are we clear?” Asuna leveled a glare at the back of her brother’s head. It was nowhere near as intimidating as her normal glares, more of a pointed look than anything.

“I wasn’t going to do anything to him,” The tall man said mildly, not taking his eyes off the road.

“You said that any man who captured my heart would have to delve into Izanami’s realm before you would accept him.”

“I was exaggerating,” The siblings kept talking, and I shared a commiserating look with Tomo. They were talking like we weren’t even here. Well, I guess we should let Asuna catch up with her brother.

“Anyway, what have you been doing these past two years? Did you get that position in the American Branch that you wanted?” Asuna said, closing off the previous topic of discussion.

“I did,” Kouichirou said, smiling, “I’ve had it for a while, and my boss there has started to talk about the possibility of promotion. Of course,” he grumbled, “given that I asked for a break on such short notice, I can probably kiss any chance of promotion goodbye for now. Probably the only reason I’m not being let go is ‘cause of dad’s position.”  

“They don’t give you any breaks?” Asuna asked.

“Of course they do,” Kouichirou said. “I just had to ask for more than I had available.”

Asuna nodded. “That does sound like a conundrum. Maybe it would be possible for you to work remotely? I was able to coordinate quite a few aspects of the KoB while I was on vacation.” Kouichirou pulled to a stop at the red light and cast a glance back over his shoulder.

“The KoB?”

“Oh, sorry, The Knights of the Blood Oath,” Asuna said, apologetically. “One of the foremost clearer guilds in Aincrad. We were on the frontlines and fighting every single day. Our Leader, Heathcliff…” Asuna trailed off. It still stung, just how deep that betrayal went. The “Paladin” had been one of the most respected and well-liked figures in the game. Even though Asuna and I had both disagreed with some of his actions, even before he had been revealed as Kayaba, neither of us could deny his skill at swordplay. 

“Well, a lot of people thought he would get us out of the game,” Asuna finished. 

“And you were a part of this guild?” Kouichirou asked, accelerating perhaps a bit rapidly through the now-green light.

“I was,” Asuna nodded in confirmation. Tomo snorted in amusement. 

“Stop sellin’ yourself short, Aa-chan,” She leaned back against the car frame, somehow managing to look smug even in the cramped back seat. “You were just as much a leader as Heathcliff ever was.”

“More, even,” I supplied, rubbing my chin in thought. “Heathcliff spent far too much time in the Arena and not nearly enough time at the strategy meetings. You were really the one who took tactical and strategic command most of the time.”

“I got a lot of good people killed,” Asuna said, deathly quiet. 

“You saved everyone you could,” I corrected, gently. “And I don’t think there was any saving that guy who charged the thirty third floor boss screaming ‘Leeroy Jenkins’.”

Tomo snorted. “God I wish someone had a camera for that.” Asuna chuckled a little, her face lightening. 

“I guess you’re right.” 

“You know I am,” Tomo said, at the same time as I responded 

“It’s rare, I know.”  

“Man, you really grew up, didn’t you,” Kouichirou said, his voice heavy. 

“I had to,” Asuna said with a shrug. 

The rest of the trip was silent. 

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 13

By the time the limousine was making the final turn onto the road that the Library was on, all of us were ready to get out of the car. The few attempts at conversation we had made after the end of the first one were halting, stumbling, and awkward, and eventually we just sat in silence.

Asuna had been looking out her window for the last five minutes, but didn’t seem to recognize where we were at first. However, after we turned onto the last block, she gasped in realization, then whipped her head around to stare at Tomo, who was grinning smugly. 

“You didn’t!” My wife cried, bringing a hand up to her mouth. The info broker shook her head. “Ar-Tomo, you…” Asuna started rocking in her seat, bouncing back and forth in childish excitement. “Oh, it’s been so long!”

“Excited?” I asked, somewhat unnecessarily given the way that Asuna already had one hand on the door handle. If I didn’t move quickly, she might injure herself trying to get into the library.

“You bet!” Asuna said, a broad grin plastered across her face. Her seatbelt was unbuckled and her door opened before the car finished rolling to a stop, and I had to scramble to follow her as she pushed herself up, and out of the limousine. A quick glance at Argo told me that she was heading for the trunk, where the wheelchair had been stored.

“Alright, don’t wander too far now,” Kouichirou said, smiling gently. Asuna gave no sign of having heard him, instead starting to walk towards the library, leaning against the car door for now. 

“Asuna-” I began, trying to keep my wife from hurting herself in her haste to get to the library. I had known that she had been frustrated with the extremely small amount of books that she could read in SAO. Most of the ones generated by Cardinal barely qualified as books, given that most of them were written in languages that none of us could read, and no one had ever been able to translate them properly. 

Some of the players had actually disputed that they were even written in a language, and were instead just gibberish made up to fill out volumes. But that didn’t fit with the painstaking detail that had gone into the rest of Aincrad.

“Kiri-Kazuto, give me your shoulder.” Asuna said, supporting herself on the door frame as she took her first steps towards the library, each one growing firmer and more confident.

It was amazing how quickly she was recovering. It had taken me almost two full weeks to go from bedridden to being able to walk around with support, but Asuna had managed it in one. I would have been worried about her pushing herself, but Doctor Tatsutora had said that she was simply very resilient.

“Tomo’s bringing the wheelchair around,” I said, lifting my hands to try and placate her. “It’ll just take a second-”

“But I want to go to the library!” Asuna whined, her mouth curling into a petulant frown. “It’s been years since I’ve been able to visit a proper one, much less this one!” Glancing up at the library, I could tell why she would want to visit it. It was a very big library, taking up most of the city block, and a good six or seven stories tall. Not quite a skyscraper, but there was plenty of floor space for books, community rooms, and reading spaces. The concrete was pitted in places with age, and the lettering over the entrance showed signs of having been replaced recently.

“Library of Tsukihaya,” I read off the building.

“The guy who founded the library,” Asuna explained, “He was the one the government contracted to build it, and he spent the rest of his life expanding the collection and the facilities. They’ve got a small movie theater in there where you can take the movies that are in the library for free!” The Building certainly had an air of importance to it

“This is the one that you spent a lot of time studying at, right?” I asked, Tomo having filled me in on our destination yesterday. My wife nodded, her smile returning. 

“I did a lot more than that,” she said as I let her wrap an arm around my shoulders and we started to walk slowly towards the library while the limousine behind us pulled away to find a parking space. “When I got tired of studying I would go to the fiction section, and on weekends there was a book club that I never got to join, but they had the most lively debates about the books they were reading…” Asuna sighed, her eyes clouding over with nostalgia.

“Here’s your wheelchair, Aa-chan,” Tomo said, sliding in beside us, the aforementioned device opening with a solid *click*. Asuna shook her head, continuing to walk slowly towards the library, leaning on my shoulder. She was fairly heavy. I probably wouldn’t be able to carry her the rest of the way.

Tomo just folded the wheelchair back up, and slid in on the other side of Asuna, wrapping an arm around her waist, just below mine. I shot her a relieved glance as Asuna started to speed up, trusting us to keep her safe.

The doors opened before us, and we were in the library.

It was an open entrance, full of light from a skylight on the roof. Four layers of balconies stretched down from the ceiling, each one only hinting at the vast array of books that must have been contained in the structure. The main lobby was a bit narrower, with a desk for check-outs on the right and a reference station manned by a tired-looking librarian on the left. A TV mounted above the reference desk displayed various events that were happening in the library, but given how rarely the screen changed, most of the advertising was done elsewhere.

In the center of the room stood a cork signboard, littered with advertisements and flyers for various clubs and activities at the library. The papers seemed layered almost five layers thick in places, people putting up posters without ever taking them down.

Asuna craned her neck to look around, seeming to try and take everything in. “It’s changed,” She said, her voice thick with emotion. She unwrapped her hands from our shoulders, and took a few steps forward, reaching out to touch the board. 

As she ran a hand over the papers pinned to the cork, I stepped up behind her, ready to catch her at the first sign of her legs giving way. 

“See anythin’ interestin’?” Tomo asked, stepping up on her other side. 

“Not really,” Asuna sighed, letting the last flyer flutter back down into position. “I guess it was too much to hope that the book club was meeting today.” As the poster fell back against the sign, it slipped loose from it’s pin. I bent to pick it up, and Asuna let out a gasp. 

“Kazuto, Tomo, look!” She cried, grabbing onto my shirt and tugging me up. I scrambled to grab the paper before it slid out of reach, and when I came back up, it was a little crumpled. “I, we need to go there, now!” Asuna said, pointing at the TV. I caught a glimpse of an advertisement featuring a book, and a film reel.

“Hold your horses, Aa-chan,” Tomo said, smiling fondly. “While I love you bein’ pressed up against me, I can’t hold you up forever, so could ya please use your wheelchair?”

“I’m walking-” Asuna said, right as her leg gave out on her. I caught her under the arm before she could fall far, but it took a lot of effort from my still somewhat-weak muscles to get her standing upright again. “Okay, I’ll use the wheelchair,” she said, grumbling.”

It wasn’t even half a second after she had gotten settled that Asuna had started wheeling off, leaving me and Tomo behind. “Hurry up guys!” she called back as she rushed off further into the library, heading into the stacks.

“She’s really lively today,” I said as I followed at a more sedate pace, given that I didn’t have my cane with me at the moment, and didn’t need to push myself any further than I had already.

“Can ya blame her?” Tomo asked rhetorically. “It’s her first day out of the hospital since she woke up, an’ given what happened before that…” My girlfriend’s smile grew sad. “Let’s let her enjoy herself today.”

Asuna was more excited than I had ever seen her, her head bobbing back and forth between the shelves even as she pushed herself towards her destination unerringly. As we walked, we passed fellow librarygoers, most of them absorbed in the shelving, a few reading books then and there. 

Thankfully, they were all quick to get out of the way at the sound of Asuna’s wheelchair approaching. I didn’t want to get into an argument with someone today.

The further we moved, the more people we saw, until we hit a wall. After looking both ways, Asuna turned right, muttering to herself about something that I couldn’t quite make out. However, the sign hanging above the only door in the direction we were headed was rather self-explanatory. 

“Fujita Rise Film Theater,” I read off the sign. Asuna nodded, humming. 

“They’re showing one of my favorites, and I really wanted to see a movie again. There was a distinct lack of movies in Aincrad,” Asuna explained, only now slowing down. “It looks like we got here in time, though, so hopefully…” she reached out and pushed the wheelchair button at the side of the door, before rolling herself through.

“Yes!” Asuna whispered triumphantly as we passed through the door. A harried-looking teenager in the same uniform as the librarians waited behind a desk that looked like it had been moved here rather hastily. Behind him, a dark hallway extended into what was presumably the movie theater. 

“Are you here for the movie?” The attendant asked, “because if you’re looking for the film archives, those are on the third floor.” Asuna waved him off confidently. 

“We’re here for the film.” she extended a hand. “I presume it’s the same procedure as when I was last here?” 

The attendant hummed. “Well, I’m not sure when you were here last miss, but I’ll have to write down your name and if you have a library card, I’d like to see it as well.”

“Of course,” Asuna said, “I’ll have-” she reached down to her hip, before she cut herself off, her face twisting into a frown. 

“Miss?” the teenage attendant asked, his eyebrows raised in concern. “Is everything alright?” 

“Yes,” Asuna said, her voice heavy. “Everything’s fine. Ah, I’ll just write my name out here?” She picked up the pen that had been provided with the sheet of paper. 

“Just so, miss,” The attendant said, before turning towards me and Tomo. “Now, is this your first time at the “Fujita Rise Film Theater?”

“Uhm, yes,” I said, as Tomo stepped up to the desk to sign herself in. “Is there anything we should know about?”

“This is not a normal film theater, as you’ve no doubt noticed,” The attendant said, “And while we show movies here for free, it is a fairly limited selection, and we rarely add new ones.” He paused there, checking over our names and the contact info that Tomo and I had put down while he spoke. 

“Now, with that in order, let’s go over the theater rules.” He walked over to the hallway entrance, and raised a hand to the frame. “There is no food or drink permitted in the theater, so if you’re hungry, I recommend stepping outside to eat. Other than that, it’s fairly common sense.” The teen shrugged. “Keep quiet, don’t heckle the other moviegoers, and enjoy the movie,”

“Thank you,” Asuna said as we started down the rather short hallway. “We will!”

The room that we entered was large, perhaps forty feet long and twenty feet wide.The ceiling was well over two stories tall, and the seating was evenly spaced. The walls were a dark red, and the movie screen, while not the biggest I’d ever seen in a cinema, was still rather big. 

As we entered, an announcement started to play, and the lights started to dim. “Our feature presentation will begin in thirty seconds, please find your seat.” We ended up sitting near the entrance, Asuna having pushed herself into one of the slots reserved for wheelchairs, while I sat next to her, and Argo on my other side. 

It was a strangely intimate setting. 

While I was aware of the other moviegoers, mostly parents with kids from the brief glimpse I had seen before the lights started to fade, in the darkness, it felt like nothing existed but the three of us. At the last second, I remembered a bit of movie etiquette, and powered down my phone.

An achingly familiar studio card popped up, and for a second, I was a kid again, watching a movie that my mom had put on the TV for me and Sugu, unaware of Aincrad and the spectre it would lay across my life. Then the blue of the title card faded, and was replaced by a lovingly drawn shot of a city at night.

An american tune started to play, the only one I knew by heart

“Country Roads, Take me home” 

Tomo let out a small gasp in surprise, and the three of us settled in to watch a movie that had been part of our childhood, of the time before.

For almost two hours, we laughed, cried, and cheered silently with Shizuku as she struggled to find herself in a world that in some ways, was harsher than Aincrad. Less forgiving of the people who stood out and refused to be hammered back into place.

Most of the way through the movie, as Shizuku’s family confronted her over her steadily lowering grades, Asuna nudged me in the arm.

“This movie was the first time I questioned if studying was really all that I wanted to do with my life,” She whispered, her eyes agleam. “I-I wanted to do something, be something more than just another student who crumbled under their family’s expectations, and Shizuku made it seem so freeing…”

I reached over and grasped her hand. “No matter what you decide,” I said, feeling her squeeze my hand back. “I’ll back you up on it.”

“I will to,” Tomo said from my other side, “Ya didn’t think I’d let ya two face the world alone, did ya?”

“Never doubted you for a second,” I said, unable to keep myself from smiling. “You’ve always had my back, and I know you always will.” 

“Oh, uhm, thanks?” Tomo stammered out, her cheeks flushing a furious red. I was starting to learn the differences between her angry flush and her embarrassed flush, and right now she was very embarrassed.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and softly knocked my head against hers. “Together, right?”

Tomo drew in a deep breath, then nodded. “Together.” 

And I stayed in that position, holding my wife’s hand and one arm around my girlfriend’s shoulder until the end of the movie.

* * *

Asuna was transfixed by the screen. She could feel her husband’s hand in hers, and there had been a time that she had been scared of it becoming routine, but if it would, it hadn’t happened yet.

But even the comforting weight of Ki-Kazuto’s hand in hers could only distract her from the familiar story playing out before her.

Shizuku was so familiar it hurt, somewhere deep inside, when her older sister berated her about her falling grades, and her dad agreed.

“You’ll never get into a good college with those grades,” her mother sighed at her, looking over the report card Asuna had spent five nights out of seven up late studying to achieve. 

On-screen, Shizuku’s parents did what Asuna oh so desperately wished her parents would do, and let their daughter choose to do what mattered most to her.

The young, weary girl felt her eyes start to tear up. God, what she wouldn’t give to be able to, to, to figure out what it was she wanted out of life. Her mother had made a name for herself as a university professor, but sometimes it seemed like people only ever knew her as ‘Mrs. Yuuki, Shouzou Yuuki’s wife.’

Asuna didn’t want that. 

When her mother heaped extra studies on her, she did so by saying that it would help her daughter get into highschool, and from there, college, and then, presumably, a job at the company. But almost the second that that had been derailed, that Asuna had been trapped in Aincrad, she had started arranging a marriage with a ‘respectable businessman’, much like the one that she had married.

Asuna still remembered how betrayed she had felt, hearing her father say that her mother, who had encouraged her studies, told her to try and remain independent, and wealthy, had been the one to first suggest locking her into a marriage.

God, what she wouldn’t give to be in Shizuku’s place; with parents who tried to support her as she figured out who she was outside of Aincrad, and outside of her studies.

Even if it all ended in tears and broken dreams, like Shizuku so clearly feared it would, at least she was trying to do something with her life, to be more than just a copy of her parents, or to just bring them honor.

Her parents didn’t need her for that. 

They had Koichi, who was already in the upper middle management of the American Branch, and this scandal wouldn’t stop him from rising higher. He would probably inherit the company someday.

And that wasn’t even counting the way that her family treated her time in Aincrad.

She’d seen the way that her father hesitated around her. How he tried to change the subject whenever Aincrad was brought up. How he’d asked some cursory questions about her life there and then stopped before she could tell him about the things she was really proud of: of purchasing her own home, of leading the KoB scout teams, of Kizmel and how amazing the Dark Elf was.

But they didn’t want that. They wanted their Asuna back. The kind, studious girl who loved to please her parents, and wanted nothing more than to hang out with her loose friend group and achieve high scores on tests.

God, her friends from before! Did any of them even remember her now? She’d never accepted any of their invitations to hang out outside of school. Could she even remember their names? There’d been a Mami, certainly, she was the one who the others rallied around, and maybe a Totsuka…

No, it was foolish to try and rebuild those relationships. They’d never been that strong in the first place.

As the movie ended, and Shizuku and Seiji promised each other to pursue their dreams, Asuna couldn’t help but feel melancholy. If only it could work out that easily; that she could figure out what she wanted to do with her life. She had thrown herself into the KoB the same way she had used to throw herself into her studies, and now without her guild, she was lost.

Without purpose, like those dark days at the beginning of Aincrad. She needed something to do, to work on. But nothing came to mind. Asuna sighed, catching the attention of her partners.

“You okay, Asuna?” Kirito asked, his warm eyes gazing into hers. Asuna nodded. 

“Just thinking,” The former sub-leader of the KoB said, brushing a lock of hair back over her shoulder. She still wasn’t used to the sight of her hands and arms being so thin. One more mark that Sugou had left on her.

“Anythin’ bad?” Argo asked, looking very strange without her cloak. It still surprised Asuna, sometimes, that Argo, who never went anywhere without her cloak, seemed to have discarded it entirely. One more difference between Aincrad and Earth, Asuna thought to herself. 

“No, not really,” Asuna sighed as she turned into the hallway out of the theater, her wheelchair squeaking as it turned. “I just…” She trailed off, marshalling her thoughts into order. “I wish I had something to do.”

“Well, we’re at a library, so why don’t we see if there’s any books you want to read?” Kirito said, and Asuna hummed an affirmative. SHe didn’t think that books would quench the hole that had started to grow in her since Heathcliff had been revealed as Kayaba, but they might help.

Any plans to check out the bookshelves, however, were foiled when Asuna almost ran into her brother, who was standing right outside the hallway into the movie theater.

Koichi raised an eyebrow at his sister, his face carved into that dispassionate frown that all parents and older siblings have learned. The one that says: “You just did something wrong and I am angry about it.”

Asuna shrunk back before his gaze, suddenly reminded that she’d never told him that she was going to go to the movie.

“Uh… Hi?”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 14

"You should have told me where you were going." The words were quiet, but carried a frustration and disappointment to them. Nevertheless, Asuna stayed firm, meeting Kouichirou's gaze without hesitation.

"You knew where I was going," The wheelchair-bound woman responded, catching her brother momentarily off-guard. "Into the Library."

"And then you vanished." Kouichirou responded, his face carved from stone. "You still don't have a phone, I can't text you if I need to find you. If this young man hadn't confirmed that you had gone to watch a movie, I likely would still be out scouring the library." Asuna's face fell at that, her hands resting in her lap. "You should have waited for me to come and then I would have been happy to escort you, but if you're going to go watch a movie instead of looking for books than maybe it would be best if we cut this trip—"

"No."

"Pardon?" Kouichirou asked, tilting his head.

"No, I didn't 'need' to wait for you," Asuna said, raising her head, her temper steadily rising higher and higher. "And pardon me for going to see my favorite childhood movie for the first time in two years, nevermind that it's the first movie I have seen in that time. I am my own woman, I am far from helpless, and I will not be reduced to a cripple forced to wait on someone else to do the things I want." The auburn-haired woman gripped the arm rests on her wheelchair and shakily pushed herself up.

"I was looking forward to spending a day with you at the library, Kouichirou, but if you are going to deny my agency like this, then I will meet you in the lobby when I am done, and that will be it." Asuna pushed past her stunned brother, adrenaline fueling her movements. Behind her, she heard her wheelchair clattering along the floor.

She made it around the corner before her legs gave out from under her. Kiri-Kazuto. It was Kazuto now, she couldn't keep making that mistake. Her husband's hands caught her before her knees could do more than buckle, and he helped her back down into the wheelchair.

"Are ya okay, Aa-chan?" her girlfriend asked, the diminutive blonde ducking around the side of the wheelchair to scan along her face. "Any shortness o' breath, or chest pains?"

"I'm fine," Asuna waved off Tomo's concern. She was breathing a little hard, but that was to be expected, given that she had just walked the length of that track from the physical therapy room without any support. Quite frankly, she was surprised she had been able to walk that far.

"I just," The recovering woman looked up at the signs that hung on the nearby shelving. "Can we go there?" Tomo followed Asuna's finger to the sign she was indicating, and flushed lightly.

"If that's what ya want, Aa-chan."

"I'll delay Kouichirou," Kazuto, the wonderful husband that he was, said. "You two deserve some time alone, and I'm not sure I could help you find any books. Never did spend much time in libraries."

"Alright, see you soon Kazuto," Asuna said, starting to wheel herself towards the section of nonfiction that had caught her eye.

She'd been in this section before, but never lingered; it didn't hold any books relevant to her classes before SAO, and it likely wouldn't hold any books relevant to the tests she'd have to take in a few weeks.

No, her interest in this section was personal.

And so, despite the feeling that she was walking in on something taboo, Asuna wheeled herself into the Gender and Sexuality section of the library, intent on finding a book about relationships with multiple partners.

When I turned the corner, Kouichirou was still standing listlessly. I tamped down the brief flash of emotion I felt. Even if he was her brother, he had been far too overbearing, especially with Sugou looming so close in the past. It hadn't even been a week since she had gotten out of Alfheim, out of that cage she'd been trapped in.

As I stepped up to him, he turned to look at me, his face wrought in confusion. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it before he could say anything.

I raised an eyebrow and stretched my hands up over my head, before sitting down on one of the chairs next to the wall, presumably for people waiting for the next movie. Thankfully it seemed like most of the people who had been watching Whisper of The Heart with us had left, although the ticket man was eyeing us nervously.

"Have a seat." I tapped the chair next to me. Kouichirou eyed it for a second, then sat down.

When he still didn't speak, I sighed and got out my phone. "Kouichirou, I want to apologize," I said as I turned on my phone.

"Why?"

"Because I should have contacted you before we went into the theater," I said. "Tomo shared your phone number with me yesterday, but I've never used it, so…" Kouichirou scoffed.

"Then we'd both be at fault." He slouched further in his chair. "I knew I should have texted you or Tomo, told you to keep Asuna from wandering off, I'm not even sure if she has her phone anymore, I just got so worried when she wasn't there." His voice was quiet, contemplative, and tinged with uncertainty.

I eyed him contemplatively.

"Well, I can't say that she'll want to see you right now, but maybe if you give her a bit of time to cool down she'll be more willing to see you."

Asuna's brother shook his head. "Why did she get so angry, though? I thought that she would be okay with getting books delivered to her." I side-eyed Kouichirou. His question seemed earnest, and I didn't know if that made it better or worse.

"Well," I breathed out, clasping my hands in my lap. "She did just spend almost a month trapped under the whims of a madman." Kouichirou's flinch was… satisfying to witness.

"And another piece of advice," I said as I got up, instinctively grabbing for my cane before remembering I'd left it at home today. "Asuna spoke about you a bit while we were trapped in Aincrad, and how one of the things that kept her going was you."

Kouichirou's head shot up, and I stared him in the eyes. "She wants to reconnect with you very badly, so don't fuck it up."

And then I turned and left. Maybe he'd change his tune, maybe he wouldn't. The more I got to know Asuna's family, the less I liked them.

Her mother had only visited the hospital once, in the company of her husband, well before Asuna woke up. While there she had directed a look of such anger towards Asuna that I had instinctively reached for my swords.

Her father seemed to want to have her best interests at heart, but it was clear that until recently he had seen her as a doting little child who would go along with everything he said. Her brother was much the same, so far.

I was thoroughly unimpressed with both of them.

"Alright Asuna, We're lookin' fer books on Polyamory." Asuna wheeled her cart down the library aisle, listening intently to her girlfriend. "I read a couple over the last month, but I'm not sure if they're gonna be here, so we might have ta improvise."

"Well, this whole trip has been one improvisation from the start, hasn't it?" The fencer said wryly.

Her girlfriend barked out a laugh. "Yer not wrong 'bout that. Still…" Tomo reached out and ran a finger along one of the shelves. "That doesn't mean we can't plan ahead a little, yeah?"

Asuna hummed in agreement, casting a glance down the foreign aisles. She'd never been to this part of the nonfiction section before, and even though she was fairly familiar with the rest of the library, she had no clue where the books she and Tomo were looking for might be.

And she didn't particularly want some stranger to see what she was looking up if she used one of the online catalogues. If what she was researching got back to her mother somehow… well, it probably wouldn't result in anything more than a stern talking-to like the last time she had checked out a book about human reproduction. Still, best not to take the chance.

After all, her mother had already convinced her father to marry her off once. Who's to say that she couldn't do it again?

"Ah, here's a good one!" Tomo said, drawing Asuna out of her worries. "What ta do When ya Love More Than One Person," The info broker grabbed a green book off the shelf and offered it to her girlfriend. "I read that one fairly early. It's pretty highly reviewed, an' it focuses on the idea o' havin' a three-person relationship specifically, rather than a more nebulous 'Open Relationship'."

Asuna took the book from Tomo's hand, taking in the splash of orange on the cover of the book. It really didn't look like she'd assumed a book about human sexuality would look like—it was a swirl of colors that looked more like modern art.

What did you expect? She asked herself in her head A Romance Novel cover?

"Anything else you can see?" Asuna asked, setting the book down in her lap. One book did not a reliable source make. Her mother had drilled that into her head from a young age. She needed to see more conflicts, to figure out alternate viewpoints and perspectives.

It made studying harder, but her teachers had praised her answers for being more well-rounded than others.

"A few," Tomo shrugged. "Not any I've read, though."

"Really?"

"Didn' have that much time fer readin'" Tomo said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Was too busy tryin' ta find ya."

Asuna reached out and grabbed her girlfriend's dangling hand. She still hadn't asked about how Tomo and Kazuto had found her, but if they hadn't been there…

"That just means we can read them together, right?" Asuna smiled up at her girlfriend, admiring the way her cheeks tinted rosily and the corners of her mouth twitched upwards.

"Tha' sounds nice," Tomo said, squeezing the fencer's hand.

I found my girlfriend and wife in a small, out-of-the-way booth set into the back of the nonfiction section, not far from where we had parted ways.

Asuna was poring over a book, one hand jerking like she wanted to be taking notes, while Tomo read her own book at a more leisurely pace, her feet kicked up to rest on the opposite bench and a hand tucked behind her head. She looked like she was sitting in a beach chair, not a library booth.

"Hey," I said, sitting down next to my girlfriend, jolting her out of her book. "Find anything interesting?"

Asuna paused, deliberately looked down, memorizing her place, and then closed the book. I barely caught a glimpse of the cover before my wife started speaking, diverting my attention.

"Yes, I would say so." She hummed pleasantly, sliding the book across the table for me to look at. "That's been most informative about ways to 'balance' a three-sided relationship."

A single glance at the title told me that Asuna had most likely struck gold with it. "The Art of Triads," I read off of the cover, before reading the summary off the back.

"Dr Freidhaus explores both the benefits and the pitfalls of a three-person romantic relationship in a novel designed to help newcomers to the lifestyle adjust to and avoid the many pitfalls of both polyamory in general and a triad relationship in specific."

It was a dry summary, but it wasn't that much worse than reading code. I'd probably be able to muddle through the book itself. "Seems like it would be rather relevant." I slid the book back across the table to my wife, who flipped it open to her saved page with unusual precision.

"We grabbed a few other books too," Tomo said, waving her own text in the air. I caught the title "What to do When You Love More Than One Person". "I'll check 'em out under my name and the three of us can take one each."

"That sounds good," I hummed, rubbing my chin. I glanced over at Asuna, noting the tension in her shoulders and the lingering tightness in her cheeks. She must have still been pissed off from her encounter with Kouichirou.

"Do you wanna check out the novels while we're here?" My wife looked up at me, surprise written clearly across her face.

"Novels?"

"Yep," Tomo said, closing her book. "I planned this trip as a way for ya ta get yer own novels rather 'n havin' ta rely on us knowin' what ya wanted."

"That's…" Asuna took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for getting you guys sidetracked."

"Don't apologize, Aa-chan," Tomo said, leaning across the table to grab on to the hand not holding the book. "This trip's always been about ya, and we're happy just ta be here with ya." I nodded.

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

Asuna grinned, flipping her hand over to squeeze her girlfriend's hand back. "I guess you're right." Then she flipped her book closed again, not bothering to memorize her place this time. "Still, finding some light novels sounds good. I'm not certain I want my parents to see me reading these." She handed the book back over to Tomo with a wistful smile.

"Alright, you want to guide us?" I asked as our girlfriend shoved the books into her bag.

"Sure," Asuna said, smoothly sliding into her wheelchair, wheeling backwards with a smoothness that I envied. "It's just this way," She called back over her shoulder as she turned, heading down one of the corridors.

"Wonder if any o' my novels have updated," Tomo said, her hand brushing against mine as we walked behind Asuna.

"Probably," I hummed. "I mean, it's been two years already, maybe one of them has finished?"

"That depends on what kind of novel you were reading," Asuna said. "I knew one of my favorite authors took well over a year to get the next volume of his series out regularly."

"A year?" I asked. It seemed vaguely reasonable to me. I knew that game design teams could spend years on their games, and that very often the story was one of the easiest parts of making it.

But then again, I didn't read or follow novels all that much. Not like Asuna, who had bemoaned the lack of good reading material on more than one occasion.

"That's pretty long." Tomo agreed, nodding her head. "That's what, twice the normal time between novels?"

"Maybe they're just a slow writer," I offered, feeling distinctly out of place.

"Perhaps," Asuna hummed, skirting around the corner of a shelf..

And then we were at the Light Novel section and any prior conversation was put on hold.

"Oh, Classroom of the Elite updated!" Asuna said, wheeling up to one of the sections. As someone who'd spent most of his time on computers, I had no idea what light novels were considered "Good" and which ones were considered "bad", and I didn't want to upset Asuna by picking a book that she found abhorrent in my ignorance.

She looked so happy running her finger along the shelf of books, skimming the titles. With a little gasp, she pulled out a book, showing it to Tomo excitedly.

I leaned back against the opposite shelf while Tomo and Asuna settled in front of the bookcase, and a pile of books slowly started to assemble in my wife's lap. It was… somehow warming, to see them like this. Happy, together, and having fun. Even if I wasn't part of it at the moment, there'd be time for me.

As time wore on, Asuna started frowning more and more, pausing at different locations on the shelf before moving on, occasionally glancing back at a particular title before moving on.

I was far enough away and the titles were so small that I couldn't easily read them, but they all seemed to be rather long titles.

"You doing okay?" I asked, stepping up beside her as she paused at another title.

Asuna nodded. "I feel fine."

"Those books are making you frown," I said, gesturing to the last one she'd stopped at: How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom.

"Really?" Asuna leaned back, bringing one hand up to rub her face. "I hadn't noticed."

"It was gettin' kinda weird, Aa-chan," Tomo piped in. "I mean, I knew you preferred Slice o' Life, but I didn't know ya hated Isekai."

"I don't... hate it," Asuna defended herself, "It's just... " She reached up and fingered the book that she had last stopped at. "It feels… distasteful." She took a deep breath. "It reminds me of Aincrad."

Oh.

That was a loaded statement. From my understanding, Isekai was a genre built on the fantasy of going to another world and becoming a hero there. We'd lived that, in all its horror, glory, despair and beauty.

Tomo reached down and grabbed Asuna's hand. "Then let's find somethin' else ta read, okay?" She guided her hand toward a different book. "Why don't ya take a look at one o' my favorites?"

"Spice and… Wolf?" Asuna read off the title of the series that her girlfriend had guided her towards. "What's it about?"

"Feudal European economics," Tomo said with a perfectly straight face. I couldn't help cracking a grin, and Asuna let out a chuckle. "What?"

"Sorry, it's just…" Asuna trailed off, sliding the book into her pile.

"It sounds very interesting." I said. Surprisingly, it did. Tomo, as Argo, had had a very strict limit on what sort of info or stories she would publish, one that presumably carried over to her reading standards.

The book apparently being about economics, a subject most novels I had read avoided like the plague, made it even more interesting.

"It very much seems like the sort of thing you'd enjoy," Asuna said, grabbing the second book of the series out of the shelf. "Thanks for the recommendation." She nodded at her girlfriend, backing away from the shelf.

"Now, I think we've got enough books, you guys want to head to the checkout?"

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2, Part 15

“Are you certain you’ll be okay?” Kazuto could be a bit of a mother-hen at times, Tomo thought, leaning back against the wall as her boyfriend fussed over their mutual girlfriend as she settled back into her bed. The ride back had been tense, with none of the easy conversation that had marked the first half of the ride to the hospital, and Tomo had had to scrap any plans of hitching a ride to Kazuto’s house after getting Asuna settled in.

“I’m fine, Kazuto,” Asuna said, her voice tight with annoyance as she brushed off her partner’s hands. “You go show Argo her new quarters, okay? I’ll still be here tomorrow, you know?”

Kirito pulled back from the bed, wringing his hands as he cast one last glance around the room.  

“Hey,” Asuna reached out with one frail arm and grabbed his clasped hands. “I’ll be alright.” She squeezed her partner’s hand reassuringly, and Tomo couldn’t help the pang of jealousy in her heart. “Besides, you have my phone number and I’ve instructed the doctors to contact you if anything changes, okay?” Asuna continued, stroking one thumb reassuringly over Kirito’s hand. 

“Okay.” Kirito nodded, his shoulders marginally more relaxed. 

“Now give me a hug, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Asuna lifted her arms up, and Kirito returned her embrace. The two looked so natural like that, even with the awkward position of Asuna having to half-turn while seated. They fit together so well, that it almost seemed—

“Tomo, get over here.” Asuna’s face popped out of Kazuto’s shoulder and one arm reached out towards the info broker. “I need to give you a hug as well.” Kazuto half-turned, his arm reaching out in parallel to Asuna’s.

Tomo felt the swirling dregs of jealousy vanish like dew under the morning sun. Of course they would make sure there was room for her. They always had.

The fencer was warm under Tomo’s touch, as though her frail body couldn’t hold all the energy that made Asuna, Asuna. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Aa-chan.” The info broker said as she pulled away, letting one hand run down Asuna’s arm to preserve their moment of contact.

“See you tomorrow Tomo.” 

The info broker couldn’t resist getting one last cheeky comment in as she went through the door. “Oh, and let me know if there’s anything in one of those books you want to try out!”

“Try out— is one of these a—” Asuna’s rising voice was cut off by Tomo closing the door, gently, so as not to disturb the other patients. 

“Alrigh’, let’s go.” She whispered to Kazuto, who was looking at her strangely. 

“You didn’t… actually sneak a sex book in there, did you?” 

“A sex book?” Tomo scoffed. “I was talking about the three-person date ideas.” She started to walk down the corridor, the clicking of her cane accompanying hers and Kazuto’s footsteps.

“And you just so happened to say it in such a suggestive way.” Kazuto nodded, looking entirely too sure of himself. 

“Eh, it’s fairly tame, as far as pranks go.” 

“You do realize that this will make her read through all of those books obsessively?” Kirito asked as they entered the elevator, readying themselves for the drop. 

“You say that like she wasn’ already goin’ ta.” Tomo countered, spinning one-hundred and eighty degrees to look Kazuto in the eye as she entered the elevator, walking backwards for the last few steps. “Sides, this way we can get a few ideas fer our next date!”

“Ah, right, that,” Her boyfriend’s face colored slightly, before he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. His motion was punctuated by the “ding” of the elevator opening. 

Tomo couldn’t help giggling. It was always cute when Kazuto got flustered. 

“It’s okay Kii-bou, we’ve got a while ta come up with somethin’.” She grabbed her boyfriend’s hand, and started walking out of the elevator. “In the meantime, let’s go see my new digs, ‘kay?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Kazuto said, nodding as he kept pace with her. “My mom doesn’t have work today, so she’ll be home to—”

“Your mom’s gonna be there?” Tomo asked, her voice unnaturally tight.

“Hmm, yeah,” Kazuto said, unaware of how Tomo’s heart was starting to pound. “She said something about wanting to meet you.”

“She wants ta meet me?” The info broker’s throat felt dry, and she swallowed. Her meeting with Kazuto’s sister had been tense enough, and she had known about that one hours in advance. It was just a twenty-minute walk to her boyfriend’s home from the hospital. He’d mentioned it a couple of times. 

“Yeah. I think she wants to ‘evaluate’ you, see if you’re trying to take advantage of me or something.”

“You’d know if I was tryin’ ta take advantage of ya.” Tomo teased back, nudging her boyfriend in the elbow. Inside, her heart was racing. I’m meetin’ Kii-bou’s mom before Aa-chan? That’s not right. She was his girlfriend first, an’ they got married in Aincrad. She should be the first one ta meet her. 

Wait, am I even ready ta meet her? Do I introduce myself as his girlfriend? Does she know about Aa-chan? Does Kii-bou want his parents to know that we’re dating?

“Tomo?”

“Yeee?!” The info broker yelped as Kirito poked her cheek. 

“Hey, it’ll be okay.” He laid his hands on her shoulders, staring into her eyes reassuringly. “She’s going to love you. I know it.”

That’s not the problem! Tomo wanted to scream at him, but his gaze was so full of that unshakeable certitude that had sparked her crush on him that all she could do was nod.

“I reserve the right ta yell at ya if this goes wrong,” Tomo said, making her boyfriend chuckle. 

“You probably won’t be the only one yelling if this does go wrong,” He said, dropping his hand down to grasp hers. “Now come on, let’s go. My house is this way.” 

*    *    *

The house was surprisingly quiet when I opened the door. I could hear the hum of the heater, and the rumbling of the dishwasher, but it was otherwise quiet, given that mom had told me she was going to be spending the day cleaning up. Maybe she got done early? 

That or she was working in some other area of the house. 

“I’m home!” I called out as I took off my shoes, Tomo half a step behind me. I grabbed one of the spare pairs of slippers for my girlfriend, as I put my own on. “The kitchen’s this way. We can grab a snack before I take you on a tour,” I said over my shoulder as I moved toward the hallway, Tomo oddly quiet as she followed. 

The wooden floors of my house creaked slightly beneath our feet as we moved past the closet near the entrance, sitting opposite the old-fashioned hat stand that my parents had refused to get rid of. 

My plans, however, were interrupted when my sister appeared at the end of the hallway.. “Kazuto?” 

“Oh, hey Sugu,” I said, waving in greeting. “How’s it going?”

“Could be better,” my sister grumbled, crossing her arms. “My sensei got sick today, and forgot to tell me until I was already almost there, so I biked all the way there for nothing.” 

“Gonna be in the dojo then?” I asked rhetorically. Sugu’s workout schedule made my physical therapy look easy, and she threw herself into it with an enthusiasm that I almost envied..

“Yep, was gonna grab a water bottle and head over,” She said, shrugging the Kendo bag looped over her shoulder back into place. “Oh, hey Hosaka.” She gave an absent wave to my girlfriend, who jumped.

“Hey, Kii-chan,” She said, leaning on my shoulder. A feat, given that she was almost a full head shorter than I was. 

“You’re here for the tour, I assume?” my sister said, waving for us to follow as she turned around. “You’re in luck.” she continued without waiting for an answer. “Mom just got done with the family room, so she should be available to help you guys out.”

“Help with what?” My mom said, opening one of the few doors in the house. Upon seeing me, she let out a small sound of realization. “Oh, Kazuto, you’re home. How did your outing go?”

“Pretty well,” I said, taking in the atypical outfit my mom was wearing. She was dressed in a turtleneck and a pair of sweatpants, both a shade of light grey that complimented her hair rather well. She was also wearing her glasses, round, wire-rimmed frames that I rarely ever saw, what with the combination of her work often taking her away from home for months at a time and her preference for contacts. “Asuna’s got a couple of books to read, so she shouldn’t be too bored for the rest of her stay at the Hospital.”

“That’s good,” Midori Kirigaaya said, straightening up to her full height, only a bit taller than I was. “So.” She clapped her hands together, her gaze traveling over the, to her, unfamiliar presence at my side. “You must be Miss Hosaka!”

“That’s me,” My girlfriend said, “Thanks fer given’ me this opportunity, Miss Kirigaya,”

“Please, come sit! I don’t have any meals prepared at the moment, but we do have a wide variety of premade onigiri and some ramune if you’re thirsty.” 

“Oh, no, ma’am, I-I’m alright,” Tomo raised her hands in an attempt to politely decline, but my mother would not be deterred, and usher her into the kitchen/dining room hybrid that our family cooked and ate in. 

“Nonsense,” Midori clucked her tongue. “You must have just walked from the hospital, yes?”

“Yeah, but,”

“Then your legs must be tired. My son’s legs are usually tired whenever he has to go on a long walk these days. Here, sit.” My mom all but forced Tomo into a chair, and I grabbed one of my own before she could turn her attention to me. “Now, what would you like for a snack?” My mom asked Tomo, already starting to ruffle through the pantry.

It was rare to see mom in full mother-hen mode, or at least, it was from what I remembered of my time before Aincrad, what little of it I spent with my family. These days it seemed to appear more, particularly right before one of Suguha’s Tournaments. Given how rarely she was home, I guess she was just trying to make up for her absences.

“Well, what sorta delicacies do ya have, miss Kirigaya?” Tomo said, starting to recover her balance, a familiar calculating gleam returning to her eye. 

It was the most composed she would be for a while. My mom had been relentless, engaging us in conversation while we snacked on the leftover fish and pickled plums that had been yesterday’s dinner and insisting on guiding Tomo through the house.

At least she wasn’t going to stop me from coming along, I was a little worried about what my new girlfriend might do if she ended up alone with my mom.

I managed to get Tomo a brief reprieve while my mom washed down the dishes by pulling her aside under the pretense of showing her where the washroom was.

“Are you okay, Tomo?” I asked as my girlfriend visibly relaxed on our walk toward the first floor washroom.

My girlfriend gave a dry chuckle. “Ya coulda’ warned me, Kii-bou.” she elbowed me in the side rather sharply. “Woulda’ liked a bit more time ta prepare myself.”

“Sorry,” I winced, only partially because of the impact. “I should have said something, but Mom only mentioned wanting to meet you yesterday and you already seemed to have a lot on your plate with the library.” I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. “That and she’s not usually this…” I trailed off, wracking my brains for the appropriate word before my girlfriend interjected.

“Smotherin’?” Tomo raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Yeah, that’s it.” I snapped my fingers. “She’s usually a bit more… distant.” I shrugged my shoulders helplessly. “I really don’t know why she’s being like this. She wasn’t this bad when I first got home.” of course, she also had work almost every day then, but still…

“Eh, I’ve dealt with far worse on shorter notice,” Tomo shrugged, “Just need a bit o’ space ta prepare myself.”

“Tomo,” I said, my tone deep and serious. “If you don’t want to be around her, tell me and I can work something out. I… I don’t want this to be a bad experience for you because my mother was too overbearing.”

“Eh, she’s not too bad—”

“Tomo,” I interrupted her, reaching out and grabbing her hand. “You were more off balance there than I’ve ever seen you before. If there’s anything I can do, tell me.”

My girlfriend’s eyes widened, before she shrugged. “I-I’m a bit nervous, that’s all. I’ll be fine.” She squeezed my hand back reassuringly, before slipping out of my grasp. “It’s just… what are we gonna tell her?”

“Tell her…?” I tilted my head, confused for a bit. I’d already mentioned the particulars of Tomo’s housing situation to my mom, and that she was… my… friend… 

“Oh.”

Tomo nodded, “I don't know if ya already told her that ya were datin’ Aa-chan, but what if she thinks we’re datin’? Do we deny it? Deflect it? Say we’re just friends?” The petite info broker started pacing back and forth in front of me, tapping off points on her hands. 

“I want ta build a good relationship with yer mom, since she seems like she’s the only parent among all o’ ours who’s good at carin’, but what if she thinks that I’m tryin’ ta steal ya away from Aa-chan, or thinks that I’m a bad influence on ya—”

“You kind of are,” I said, rubbing my chin; trying to take my mind off of the growing anxiety I could feel in my own heart. “A bad influence, I mean.”

Tomo glared at me halfheartedly. “Not what I meant, and ya know it.”

“Still,” I said, letting my hand fall back to my side. “I, I don’t think you have to worry too much about her not liking you. She was ecstatic that I’d managed to make friends in Aincrad, and, well, she doesn’t serve the good plums to just anyone.”  

“Really?” Tomo asked, her nerves making her look for a confirmation that she normally wouldn’t have needed. I nodded in response. 

My girlfriend’s face broke out into a small smile. A tender thing, to be cherished and supported gently. “Good,” She said, the smile growing steadier. “That’s… good.”

“I told you she’d like you,” I said, nudging her with my elbow as we started walking again, this time heading back toward the kitchen. 

“Yeah, ya did,” Tomo said, even as her smile turned into a frown. “But, we still have ta figure out what we’re gonna tell her about our relationship.”

In the end, we decided that Tomo and I would pretend to be close friends to my family. Well, Tomo was really the one who decided it. She almost started sweating when I proposed just telling my mom the truth; that I was dating two women, they were dating each other, and we were all happy with the situation. Maybe once our relationship was more established, we could come out, but Tomo had been all but terrified of doing something that might cause my mom to hate her. Given how she would rather move in with three strangers and me rather than go back to her parents, I could hazard a guess as to why that was the case.

Shortly after we had settled on our agreement, my mom came looking for us, having decided that we were taking too long, and that she might as well meet us on the way back from the bathroom.

“C’mon, let me show you around,” My mom said, waving for us to follow after she had made sure we were both alright. “This house has been in our family for almost 300 years—”

“300 years?” Tomo whistled. Why didn’t ya ever tell me yer parents were old money, Kii-bou?”

“That’s because we aren’t really,” I said, and my mom nodded.

“Our family used to be a Samurai clan, but we lost most of our wealth and influence during the Meiji Restoration, and now all we have left of worth is this House. Still, it’s a nice house.” My mom patted the wall fondly. 

“We’ve lived here ever since the family moved to Tokyo in the late Shogunate, but we’ve made extensive renovations over the years. This—” My mom swept open the door in front of her. “—is the least diverged room in the house.” She finished, indicating the dojo, where even now Suguha was running through a series of Sword Drills. 

“Even though it’s a dojo, we all use it for general exercise as well, so if you need to, feel free to do your workouts in there,” My mom said as my girlfriend took in the space. I had told her that we had a dojo, but I didn’t think that she believed me until now. The room itself was fairly spacious, perhaps 15 meters long and ten wide. It was easily the single largest room in the house, in addition to being the oldest.

Tomo just nodded in response, still looking around the room. She stayed quiet as we moved on from the Dojo to the living room, an area perhaps half the size of the Dojo with a seldom-used TV and a table that we occasionally played games at when I was younger. 

It didn’t see much use these days.   

When she stayed quiet even beyond that, I carefully positioned myself next to her while my mom was talking about our television plan. “Is everything ok?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” Tomo said in a very distracted manner, shaking her head as if to clear some cobwebs away. “I’m fine, I just, yer pretty rich, huh Kii-bou?”

“We’re not rich,” I said, all too aware of the distinction. “Asuna’s family is rich. I don’t even have a stock portfolio.”

“Uh-huh,” Tomo nodded, looking unconvinced. “Most people don’t have an actual dojo built into their homes, Kii-bou.”

“That doesn’t mean we’re rich,” I contested. Tomo just gave me that knowing smirk of hers that meant ‘I’ll humor you, but you’re not changing my mind.’ “Oh, forget it. In any case, what do you think so far?”

“It’s pretty big,” she said, stretching her arms out. “I mean, this feels like a house out in the country, not in a Tokyo Suburb.”

“It is kinda big,” I agreed. “I think we’ve got a few bedrooms that we aren’t using.” 

“That we do,” my mom said. I almost jumped as she reminded me of her presence, but steadied myself in time. “I was thinking that we could go and check them out next, okay?”

“Anythin’ else we could be checkin’ out?” Tomo raised an eyebrow, the corner of her lips tugged upwards in half a smirk. 

“Well, there’s the pantry, but you already caught a glimpse of that,” I said, raising my hand and starting to count off on it. “There’s also the bedrooms already in use, but I don’t know why you’d want to see my mom’s room.”

“Ooh, could we go see Kii-bou’s room?” Tomo said, resting an arm on my shoulder. “It’s been a while since I got to find somethin’ embarrassing’ about him.”

“Sugu told you about my brief and unhealthy interest in cosplay not even a full week ago,” I said, nudging her in the side forcefully. 

“Yeah, a week ago,” Tomo repeated, like it had been an eternity since then. “Yer not even flushin’ when I show you the pictures anymore.”

“I’ve grown numb.”

Tomo laughed and headbutted me lightly. “That’s why I gotta get more blackmail.”

“To keep me perpetually flushed? Is that it?”

“Why else would I need it?” Tomo’s smug grin makes my heart skip a beat, the way it usually does nowadays, yet I couldn’t help but want to wipe it off her face.

“Well, If you’re going to be so insistent about gathering blackmail, I think I should remind you of what I do to blackmailers,” I said, curling one hand into a claw and starting to advance upon my girlfriend

Her eyes widened as my hands rose, and she backed away slightly. “Now, Kii-bou, don’t do anythin’ rash, I still haVE—”

“Blackmailers get noogies!” I cried, and pounced. Tomo tried to dodge to the side at the last moment, but it was obvious she hadn’t spent time getting to know the limits of her physical body the way I had, and it was easy for me to catch her and pull her into a tight embrace, one hand already rubbing furiously at the top of her head.

“Kii-bouuuuu!” Tomo whined as I lifted her off the ground, her hands tugging at my arm. “I worked hard on thaat!”

“Blackmailers must be punished!” I said cheerfully as my girlfriend kicked halfheartedly in the air. I released her half a second later, keeping one hand on her head. 

“Keep this in mind next time you try to blackmail me, okay?” I said with a smile. Tomo spun on her heel to face me, managing to mess up her hair even worse than I had. 

“There will be consequences for this.” Tomo intoned, her eyes mirthful even as her voice was dark and serious.

“I’m certain there will be,” I said, letting my hand drop. “Now, let’s go take a look at my room so that you can gather some blackmail material.”

“I’ll leave you two to it, then,” My mom said. I wasn’t too proud to admit that I had jerked in surprise, having forgotten completely about her while bantering with Tomo. “Oh, and Kazuto?”

“Yes?”

“Make sure to let your girlfriend choose her own room,” my mom said with a smile. And then she left. 

I exchanged a look with Tomo. She looked about as shocked and uncertain as I felt. We hadn’t been that affectionate, had we? 

“I’ll go after her,” I said, already starting towards the door, only for my girlfriend to grab my arm. 

She took a deep breath as I looked back at her, before starting to speak hurriedly. “Can—can I talk with her about this?” Her eyes were clouded with something I couldn’t quite figure out, but I couldn’t refuse her. She’d put up with a lot of surprises from me today. The least I could give her was this. I nodded.

“After, we take a tour o’ yer room, o’ course,” She continued, dropping her hand. “I need time ta think.”

“Of course,” I said, gesturing towards the door. “Shall we?”

“We shall,” Tomo said with an air of fake haughtiness, raising a hand to cover her grin.

In the end, both showing Tomo my room and helping her select one from the two spare rooms we had available turned out to be something of a footnote, compared to the emotional turmoil of dealing with my mother. She chose the room on the first floor, citing an ability to easily get to it if she needed to, but privately I suspected she just didn’t want to have to deal with stairs again, given that her current apartment was on the 12th floor of it’s building.

Her conversation with my mom, on the other hand, was something I had no participation in. I had remained mostly silent as Tomo explained that yes, we really were just friends, and that I already had a girlfriend, while making no mention of her recent addition to our relationship. 

Mom had looked somewhat dubious at Tomo’s statement, but accepted it without complaint, and reaffirmed her decision to let Tomo stay. It was after she left, after I had made certain she had her train pass, a can of mace to use if she needed to, and her hidden knife that I was cornered by my mother again.

“You know,” she opened, leaning against the door frame of the kitchen. “I thought that you were dating when you first mentioned Tomo to me.”

That long? I did not say, instead letting the second phrase that came to mind fall from my lips. “And you never asked me?”

“You went to meet up with her almost daily for a month, Kazuto.” My mother leveled a hard gaze at me. “When before…” She took a deep breath. “Before your hospital stay, I had to drag you out of your room just to have dinner with the family.”

“I wasn’t that bad, was I?” I frowned, rubbing at my chin. Midori gave me a flat look. “Okay, point taken.” I sighed, letting my arms cross in front of me as I leaned back against the back of the chair behind me. “In any case, Tomo and I are friends; have been friends since the SAO beta. I’ve known her for over two years now, and she was one of my closest companions in Aincrad. I couldn’t let her go back to her most likely abusive parents when I could do something to help.”

My mom sighed, and then smiled. “Well, if it makes you happy, I think we can figure out something. I take it that Tomo living here will most likely be a long-term arrangement?”

“She’s mentioned trying to work as a freelance journalist or get hired on by a paper, to try and save up for her own apartment, but if she had to go home to her parents…” I trailed off. Tomo hadn’t shared much of her familial relationship with me. I knew that she was an only child, and that her parents were very concerned with how much she ‘cost them’, but it felt intrusive to share that without her consent, especially given that I was already keeping the truth of our relationship from my family. 

“I don’t think anything good would come of it.” I finished, glancing up at my mother. 

“Okay, that’s good to know.” My mom rose to her feet. “I’ll talk to Tomo later about figuring out an appropriate rent, but she can stay.”

“That’s good.” I smiled. I didn’t think that mom would have kicked Tomo out, not after the good impression she had made, but it was still nice to hear her reaffirm her commitment. 

“Now, I was going to get started on dinner, and if you aren’t going to help then can you get out of the kitchen?”

“I can help,” I said, before I could stop myself. I had been meaning to spend more time with my family, but with my near-daily visits to Asuna and talks with Tomo, it just hadn’t happened. Now was a good time to start making up for it. 

The kitchen soon started to clatter and buzz with the sounds of cooking, and for a brief moment, I was back in my apartment in Aincrad, watching Asuna prepare dinner while Argo was running her newspaper as best she could. 

Then the memory faded, and I continued on with a new warmth in my heart. 

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 2 Epilogue

Every year, usually during March, the Sakura trees would bloom across the country in a wave that swept north from Kyushu to Hokkaido. This year, they were a little early, coming at the end of Feburary.

The perfect time for our newly established triad's second date.

We had met up on a Friday to go out on a picnic, each of us grabbing a dish to be sampled by everyone. Amid the falling petals, in a park between a river and a road, within easy walking distance of the trains, we set our blanket down and tried each other's dishes.

"I have ta say, Aa-chan," Tomo began, making Asuna wince as she looked at the heavily singed and clumpy fried rice she had attempted to cook. "Ya need ta work on yer cookin' skill."

My first girlfriend whimpered and let her shoulders collapse. I reached out with a hand to rub her shoulder.

"It's okay," I said, casting an eye over the dumplings that were almost as heavily burned, and worse, rather tasteless. "I didn't do that well either." It had probably been a mistake to try and cook these without anyone else's help, but both Asuna and I had fallen into the trap of wanting to prepare a dish for our partners ourselves and reached beyond our skill levels.

Asuna shrugged. "I should have expected this," she said, reaching out and grabbing another rice ball from the pile of store-bought appetizers that Tomo had brought. "Of course there were going to be differences between cooking in Aincrad and cooking IRL; I should have gone with something easier."

"Well, we can try cooking something easier next time," I said, as Tomo reached out and grabbed more of the fried rice, brushing a few sakura petals away from the edges of the bowl.

"Eh, it's still pretty good," The info broker shrugged, taking another bite. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. "Just a lil' more crunchy than I was expectin'."

"Still," Asuna said, picking up one of my dumplings. "It could have been better."

"Yeah, but it also coulda been warmer today," Tomo countered, gesturing to the somewhat heavy coat she was wearing. "School's startin' up again soon, yer parents finally let ya out o' the house, and the world don't even have the integrity ta be about three degrees warmer?" My girlfriend raised a fist and shook it at the sky. "Fer shame!"

"I don't know," I said. "I kind of like it cold."

"Why's that?"

I wrapped my arms around my two girlfriends, pulling them to lean down into me. "It gives me an excuse to hold you close," I murmured into the gap between their heads.

"Kazuto~" Asuna whined playfully, her cheeks flushing.

"Wow now, when'd ya start takin' lessons in ladykillin' Kii-bou?" Tomo riposted, tapping on my face with one finger even as her cheeks colored red.

"Ever since I started up a relationship with such amazing women." I rubbed my head against Tomo's, making her giggle.

"Flatterer," She said, reaching out to grab the plate of onigiri she had brought. "We need to do something to shut you up."

"That we do," Asuna agreed. "Who knows what sort of things he'll say if we let him keep talking?"

"You mean you don't want me to wax luridly about your hair?" I asked as Tomo lifted an onigiri towards my face. I reached out and grabbed her hand around the wrist, gently guiding the rice ball into my mouth.

"That can come later," Asuna said, running one hand down my back. Then she gasped and pulled away, tapping on my back in a pre-arranged signal. I unwrapped my arm from around Tomo, Asuna straightened her vest, and our girlfriend spun so that she was sitting facing us.

We could pass for a group of friends out to enjoy the falling cherry blossoms again.

Half a second later, I saw a car coming to a stop on the street next to the park we were in. It was the same car that we had taken to the library almost three weeks ago. Shortly after it came to a stop, the front doors opened, and a vaguely familiar woman wearing a black suit jacket over a pale yellow shirt emerged from the driver's seat then immediately set off towards us, her face set in a disapproving frown.

A few seconds later, Asuna's father emerged from the other side of the car, hurrying to catch up with the woman who was looking more and more likely to be his wife, and Asuna's mother.

My girlfriend rose to her feet as they approached and moved to intercept them while Tomo managed to somehow look like she was observing the falling cherry blossoms approximately fifteen feet to the left where they were falling rather regularly. I knew she was really observing the unknown woman.

Asuna's father looked angry; almost like he had at Sugou's sentencing a week ago. He was arguing with what was seeming more and more like Asuna's mother.

"You can't make her leave now!" Mr. Yuuki said, half-turning and walking sideways to talk at the woman. "This is the first time she's spent with her friends in over a week!"

"She's behind on her studies," The woman responded, "There will be time for socializing when she's caught up."

I disliked her immediately.

Asuna faced her parents, remarkably calm given that at least one of them was threatening to take her away from us, and spoke. "Hello mother. How nice to see you today." Her voice was carefully controlled, the anger that I could tell was brewing inside her tamped down beneath a level of faux civility.

"It is nice to see you as well," Her mother responded brusquely, before pointing at the blanket. "Pack your things up, we're going."

"Kyouko—" Asuna's father began to speak, but fell silent when Asuna raised her hand.

"Did something happen?" My girlfriend began, "Or is the first time you have come to see your daughter in years to tell her that she should have been studying when she was fighting for her life and not sure she would live another day?"

I dropped the rice ball I had just picked up, the snack falling to the picnic blanket with a faint thud.

This was the first time Asuna had seen her mother since she woke up?

That… I exchanged a glance with Tomo, who looked about as shocked as I felt. Asuna's mother paused for a second, almost rocked back by the force of her daughter's words. Then she steadied herself.

"I'm not upset with you not studying while you were… indisposed," Mrs. Yuuki said, her eyes flashing with anger. "But that is no excuse for lounging around with these… miscreants, when you should be working on your studies. There are precious few universities that will accept someone who missed two years of schooling, no matter the cause and the sooner you can get started the more likely it is that one of them will accept you." She paused, then laid a hand on Asuna's shoulder. "And for what it is worth, I am sorry I was unable to see you before now."

"You should be sorry," My girlfriend said, "Now, why should I be studying now, instead of later? I remember my schedule for studying being much later in the day than this."

"That was when you were in school," Asuna's mother responded. "As you are not bound by that commitment for now, I would rather you do not spend your evenings and nights studying."

"So you'd rather I spend my afternoons cooped up indoors?" Asuna riposted, making what I thought was a rather valid point. My mother had been rather excited about me and Tomo going to watch cherry blossoms, even if she had been put out by our request for privacy.

"If it will ensure you get into a good university, yes," Mrs. Yuuki said, her face carved from stone.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Asuna took a deep breath. "Five minutes."

"Five minutes for what?" Mrs. Yuuki tilted her head slightly as Asuna stared fearlessly into her eyes, not even flinching under the weight of the glare leveled at her.

"Five minutes to pack up and say goodbye," My girlfriend responded, and I felt my heart sink.

"Asuna—" Mr. Yuuki began, only to be silenced once again by his daughter's raised hand.

"Five minutes," Mrs. Yukki said, "And no longer."

"Thank you for your… graciousness," Asuna said, every word honed to a fine point. It was a wonder that her mother didn't flinch as they struck home.

When she turned around, my girlfriend's eyes were tight with tension, and her hands were clenched with barely-restrained anger. Tomo and I moved to help her pack away the fried rice, her dishes, and the picnic blanket.

"Hey," I began as we started to clean up the dishes, only to be cut off by Asuna.

"Wouldn't be worth it to try and stay," she said, slamming a plate so hard down into the basket that I thought she might break it. "She'd just loom like some kind of vulture."

"That sucks," Tomo said, placing a lid on the container of fried rice and passing it to Asuna. "Any way we could try and meet up again?"

"Yes," My girlfriend nodded, once again putting the container down with so much force that I feared something would break. "If I finish my studies. Kouichirou should be able to stop her from assigning me too heavy of a workload."

"Well, if you need any help with math," I said, still a little numb from the suddenness of it all, "I can provide assistance."

"I'll keep that in mind," Asuna smiled, nudging me playfully as I finished packing up the remains of mine and Tomo's dishes. Then I lifted them off the blanket as Tomo moved to fold it up.

"Kiss before I go?" Asuna asked me as we moved to either end of the picnic cloth.

"Maybe," I returned. "Not sure how your mom would feel about it."

"She knows I'm dating you," Asuna said, shrugging. "My father mentioned telling her a few weeks ago."

I glanced over at Tomo, who gave a quick nod. Good, she was okay with it.

"One for the road, then." I said, grabbing the fold that Asuna offered me and laying it down atop my own bit of folded cloth. Two folds later, and the blanket was placed in the basket Asuna had brought, and everything was done.

As we stood up, Asuna leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. It was chaste and quick, but it still felt somehow vulnerable, especially when I caught Mrs. Yuuki raising an eyebrow at the sight.

"I'll see you soon," Asuna said, letting her hand brush against Tomo's as she walked past.

"Don't burn yourself out studying," I called after her, helpless as her mother pivoted to follow. She raised a hand in acknowledgement, but made no other movement.

Tomo stepped in beside me, And I had to restrain myself from reaching out and taking her hand. It would be too suspicious, especially with the kiss Asuna had given me.

All we could do was stand there helplessly as Asuna was taken away.

Mr. Yuuki cast a regretful look back at us as Asuna and her mother entered the car together, my girlfriend in the back. As the car pulled out of it's parking spot, I could see Asuna through the window, looking forlornly out towards us.

I lifted a hand, not to say goodbye, but as a promise to see her again.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 3, Part 1: School Daze

Classes let out for lunch at 1:25. It was just late enough that the sun no longer was directly before the bench in the outer courtyard, but early enough that it still received a good amount of sunlight.

It was calm, out of the way. Most of my schoolmates preferred to surround themselves with the trappings of modern civilization; desks, drywall, and other amenities common to classrooms. But the bench in the outer courtyard was one of the most private places in the school, with only a single classroom positioned to look down on it.

It was the perfect place to relax during lunch, with a view of the sky, a couple trees artfully arranged to provide shade, although not quite grown enough to really do so, and enough grass that if I really wanted to, I could lie down and have a nap.

I leaned back against the bench, tilting my head up to watch the sky. The clouds drifted lightly across it, constantly shifting patterns. It was almost startling how similar it appeared to Aincrad. 

But there were even more differences than there were similarities; for one, I could hear the distant hum of a central heating system and air conditioners, working to keep the school just a bit warmer than the temperature outside.

I could also feel the sun against my skin in a way that Sword Art Online’s engine had never managed, no matter the location.

And finally, there were footsteps, far softer than the wooden and metal soles of Aincrad and accompanied by the stamp of a cane, approaching me.

“Hello, Kazuto.” I brought my gaze back down from the sky to meet my wife’s eyes. I smiled, waving a hand at her in greeting.

“Hey there, Asuna. Tomo’s not coming?”

“Ya need ta grind yer observation skill some, Kii-bou.” something poked me in the cheek. I turned my head a bit further to meet my girlfriend’s impish eyes. She grinned, half a second from laughing. “I’ve been waitin’ back here fer five minutes. Ya didn’t even notice me comin’ in.”

“You know that he gets absorbed with cloudwatching, Tomo,” Asuna remarked, sitting down on the end of the bench, resting her cane on the railing at its edge. “Back in SAO he wouldn’t notice me until I literally blocked his view.”

“Hey, clouds are fascinating,” I defended myself. “The programs used to simulate them have to take into account that there’s multiple different weights involved and they have to make sure that they render at the proper height. It’d look really silly if a cloud normally at 40,000 feet was put in-game at 6,000 feet.”

“I suppose it would,” Asuna smiled warmly at me. She then patted the bundle in her lap, which I hadn’t noticed before. “Well, I brought lunch, does anyone want to—”  

“Ooh, bentos!” Tomo vaulted the bench to land between me and Asuna, moving so casually that I almost couldn’t believe that it had only been a month since she had stopped needing a cane. “Did ya try makin’ the pickled beets again?”

“Not this time,” Asuna said, waving off a reaching hand from Tomo. “I didn’t have time to try again, and given how badly my last attempt went, I thought going for something simpler would be best.”

“Well, I liked them,” Tomo grumbled as she accepted the bento from Asuna, passing one over to me. 

“You like everything Asuna makes,” I said, opening the box to reveal a rather simple slice of cooked chicken alongside some steamed vegetables and a ball of white rice.

“Like you don’t?” Tomo smirked, elbowing me in the side. Her chopsticks were already hovering as she figured out the best way to dissect her meal. 

“Point,” I hummed, picking up my own set of chopsticks. The food was good, if not quite up to the quality that Asuna had managed in SAO, and more recently, ALO. 

As we began to eat, Asuna’s phone rang. She glanced down at the screen, scowled, declined the call, and shoved it as deep into her bag as she could, with far more force than was necessary. 

“Your mom again?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“I wish she’d stop trying to call during lunch,” Asuna growled. Tomo rested a hand on the schoolgirl’s thigh, and Asuna smiled gratefully up at her. “I’ve told her that I’m busy, but I don’t think she believes me.”

“Is she still harassin’ ya about transferrin’?” Tomo asked, rubbing the back of Asuna’s hand with her thumb. My wife nodded.

“She’s trying to get me to go to a prep school for this fancy college near Tokyo.”

“Not Tokyo U?” I couldn’t help asking the question. As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt horrid. Thankfully, Asuna didn’t seem affronted, shaking her head in a negative gesture.

“I guess even she has to admit that I won’t make it into Tokyo U.” Asuna smiled dangerously. “Guess even she can’t ignore that I missed two years of schooling.”

“What I don’t get is why she’s tryin’ ta get ya ta transfer,” Tomo said, working her jaw as she articulated her thoughts. “It’s not like it’s legal fer us ta go anywhere but here.”

“This year,” Asuna corrected, stabbing a piece of steamed vegetable with her chopsticks hard enough to pierce through it. “Next year we’re free to go to whatever school we want.”

“I think most of us are going to stay here, though,” I said, rubbing my chin. “I mean , even if it didn’t have classes designed for us to catch up, our friends all go here.”

“Yeah, but you know how my mom feels about my friends,” Asuna scowled into her food, her mood souring by the minute. I exchanged a glance with Tomo. Today had been looking nice, and now this call was threatening to ruin it.

“Hey, Kii-bou?” My girlfriend asked, likely in an effort to lighten the mood, or at least keep it from worsening. “How’s Yui’s project going?”

“Fairly well.” I reached for my phone, to show them the virtual “Room” that I had designed for Yui to inhabit. “I’ve got pretty much everything ready for her, I just need to figure out a way to establish a stable connection.”

“Wouldn’t storage be an issue?” Asuna asked, closing her bento. “I mean, Yui can’t have a small file size, right?” She seemed genuinely interested, but that wasn’t a surprise; she loved Yui. All of us did.

“Yeah, she’s a pretty big girl,” I affirmed, “Which is why trying to transfer her storage space would be sub-optimal. She’d need to go into a dormant mode, sort of like when she was an item, in order to fit on something like this.” Asuna and Tomo nodded along. They were getting better at following my explanations about the technical side of computers. That, or I was getting better at making such things easily understood.

Either way, they could more easily give feedback.

“So this is just a link that Yui can use to ‘project’ herself from her home to the device. It’s not the most elegant solution, and I’m having trouble getting anything from NerveGear VR to show—” As I spoke, Tomo’s face lit up in a grin. Then she asked a question that made me stop mid-sentence.

“Are ya makin’ our daughter into a Vtuber, Kii-bou?” 

“Not… intentionally?” I winced at the words. Asuna snorted, and Tomo broke into a fit of uproarious laughter. 

“Only you, Kii-bou,” Tomo said in between bouts of laughter, laying a hand on my shoulder. “Only you could unintentionally turn someone into a Vtuber.”

I groaned. “Why did I not see the connection?”

“‘Cause ya get tunnel vision,” Tomo said. “At least this way ya know where ta look for inspiration, huh?”

“Maybe,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “The motion capture that VTubers use would have to be adapted for VR, and I’m not certain how to make it work, given that Full Dive works on almost the exact opposite principle, but if I—”

Tomo interrupted me by wrapping an arm around my shoulder and tapping her head against mine. “I’m certain ya can figure it out. Ya saved Yui from Cardinal, remember? This’ll be a cakewalk compared to that.”

“I sure hope so,” I grumbled, nonetheless leaning into my girlfriend’s warm embrace while Asuna steadily plowed through her bento.

At least I had somewhere to look, even if it wasn’t my usual source.

Well above the courtyard, from the window of a classroom, someone looked down at the happy trio below and scowled. Her expression soured further as the girl in the middle wrapped an arm around the boy’s shoulder, butting her head into his playfully.

“You know that your face is going to freeze like that, Rika,” Her companion said in between bites of food. The brown-haired girl scowled yet more severely, as if in protest. 

“I don’t like it,” She growled, turning away from the window. Her dark blue school uniform jacket was creased from how long she had been twisted in her seat. “Tomo’s being far too close with Kazuto.”

“Asuna doesn’t seem to mind,” The small girl across from her said, her high-pitched voice sharp and piercing.

“Keiko…” Rika began, the older girl sighing in exasperation. “I love Asuna, but she is not good at knowing which people to trust.”

“You think Tomo isn’t trustworthy?”

“She sold my three sizes to perverts!” Rika slammed her fist down on the table, the silverware and dishes on it shivering a little from the impact. Keiko, to her credit, didn’t raise her voice to respond, although she did flinch at the noise.

“After you tried to snoop around her newspaper.” The smaller girl countered, taking a bite of her sushi. 

Rika groaned. “That’s beside the point anyway. I think she’s trying to seduce Kirito, and Asuna isn’t realizing.”

Keiko raised an eyebrow. “Really? You don’t think she’s just being affectionate?”

“Take a look at them right now and tell me what you think,” Rika scoffed, the larger girl crossing her arms and scowling at her friend.

Keiko frowned, but still turned to look down at the trio in the courtyard. As she watched, she could see Tomo walking her fingers up Kazuto’s shirt in a teasing manner. 

“Maybe you have a point.”

“Yeah.” Rika nodded. “She’s being way too intimate with Kazuto. I’m going to talk to Asuna about it at the pool today. Hopefully Tomo’ll be occupied with catching up with Fuurinkazan.”

“Maybe.” Keiko said, still staring out the window. Rika cocked her head. 

“What, surprised she’s being so blatant?”

The smaller girl shook her head, “No, it’s not that. It’s—” Before she could finish her statement, the bell for the next class rang. 

“Tell me about it later,” Rika said, picking up the remains of her lunch. Keiko nodded, still processing what she had seen. However, in the excitement of preparing for the pool trip later that day, the two girls forgot all about the exchange, and Keiko failed to convey the last thing she witnessed: Tomo nuzzling into Asuna’s embrace.

Asuna let out a breath as she surveyed the pool. It was nice that it was finally warm enough for this. It had been… years, really, since she had gotten the chance to swim properly.

Aincrad certainly hadn’t had any good areas to swim, most of the lakes being full of mobs or patrolled by NPCs in the case of Yofel, and she had been so focused on her studies before then that she hadn’t even touched the pool outside of classes, and given that the swim unit had just been about to start when… well, it had been a long time since Asuna had been swimming.

“Hopefully I can still remember the basics, at least.” She muttered, striding forward confidently.

“Hey Asuna!” A familiar voice called, and Asuna felt a smile break out on her face. 

“Klein!” She called, turning to face the relatively older man. He’d been a solid presence on the front lines of Aincrad, and even if he was more Kirito’s friend than Asuna’s, she had many fond memories of him. 

He looked different from what she was used to; his bamboo armor replaced by a pair of swimming trunks, a towel wrapped around his neck, and a cooler dangling in his grip. But his hair was the same spiky mess that she knew, and he moved with the same energy.

“I’m so glad you could make it!” Asuna waved a hand out at the pool. “Look, isn’t it lovely? We’ve got all this to ourselves!” The facilities were truly enormous. It wasn’t quite the size of an Olympic pool, but it was close, and had a shallow end that even Tomo would be able to stand in comfortably. There were deck chairs on the sides, one of which Keiko was stretched out on, wearing a comfortable-looking t-shirt over her swimsuit. 

She couldn’t see Fuurinkazan, but they had left the changing room well before her, so they had to be out here somewhere. Kazuto, as usual, was fashionably late.

“Yeah, it is. Dynamm really pulled through for us on this one,” The former samurai said, placing his hands on his hips. “He’s getting relieved from cooking duty for it.”

“That’s great,” Asuna leaned in, her hands almost itching to hold a utensil “So, you boys need any help with your cooking? I have been getting better, you know.”

“Nah, we’re good. We’ve done a lot of backyard cookouts before. This’ll be no different,” The former ronin said. “You focus on relaxing; Kirito’s been telling me that you’re under a lot of stress lately.”

Asuna almost responded, but the former samurai waved a hand toward the low building next to the pool. “And if you’re really looking for something to do, you can go and get everybody out here. Some people are taking a rather long time in the locker rooms.”

“Alright,” Asuna heaved a sigh. “I’ll go get them.” As she turned to leave, she started to hum a song. It was just too good of a day not to. The heiress strode into the female locker room with purpose, almost colliding with Tomo as she did. 

“Oh, hellooo~,” The info broker all but purred, her eyes greedily roving up and down Asuna’s body. For a brief second Asuna wanted to cover herself, but reminded herself that she had worn this swimsuit precisely so that her significant others could appreciate it. 

So instead she winked at Tomo as she passed. “I’ll see you in the pool, okay?”

“Oh, you certainly will.” her girlfriend said as she slipped by. Asuna put a little swing in her hips as she walked. She still wasn’t fully recovered, still too thin and birdlike. But she knew that Tomo and Kazuto didn’t care; they thought she was beautiful, and she couldn’t help but show off for them.

Only for them, though. Asuna let the door swing closed behind her as she tapped a finger on her chin. The locker rooms were mostly empty, given that the pool had been rented out. Keiko was out enjoying the sun already, and she had just passed Tomo. Suguha had arrived earlier, although Kazuto had called her back to their car for something, so that left…

“Hey Rika,” Asuna greeted, padding around the wall of lockers to the other aisle, her friend already fully dressed and ready to go. She was even putting her bag away as Asuna turned the corner. “You ready to go swimming?”

“In a bit,” Rika responded, closing the door. “First, can I talk to you about something?”

“Sure,” Asuna said, as her friend turned to face her. She looked nervous, almost. Asuna rarely ever saw Rika nervous anymore. She hadn’t even been slightly taken aback when she had run into Asuna’s father the one time their visits had coincided, launching right into berating him for hiring Sugou.

Asuna had had to step in to defend her father.

“It’s about Tomo,” Rika began, and Asuna’s guard instantly went up. Had Rika discovered their relationship? She didn’t want to hide it from her, but Tomo was absolutely terrified of other people finding out, and Asuna would follow her girlfriend’s wishes.

“Well, what is it?”

Rika breathed in, wringing her hands together. “You might want to sit down for this.”

Raising an eyebrow, Asuna complied, settling on to one of the benches in the middle of the aisle. After she was seated, Rika continued speaking.

“I think Tomo’s trying to seduce Kirito.” 

Of course she is, Asuna thought, wondering for a half a second why that would be cause for alarm. Tomo had made her interest in joining their bed clear, they were just trying to find a good time. After all, with no one knowing…

Oh.

Asuna frowned. “I’ll talk to her about it.” 

“This is serious, Asuna,” Rika said, slumping down onto the bench opposite her friend, her back brushing up against the lockers. “I don’t know if you haven’t noticed, or just haven’t been responding for whatever reason, but she’s all over him whenever you aren’t around. If I didn’t know Kazuto, I would have sworn that they were sneaking around behind your back.”

Is Tomo being that obvious or is Rika just being paranoid? Asuna wondered, somewhat disturbed. She thought that they had managed to disguise the new dimension to their relationship rather well, but if Rika was already so suspicious…

“I know. I’ll make sure to let her know that it’s not okay, what she’s doing.” Not if she wants to keep our relationship secret , Asuna added silently, standing up. “Well then, let’s go and enjoy the pool, shall we? It’s not often we get an entire pool to ourselves, is it?”

“You’re right, it’s not,” Rika said, smiling as she followed Asuna out of the locker rooms. “I’m going to be swimming laps, most likely.”

“Make sure to save some energy for the games,” Asuna teased, nudging her friend in the side with her elbow. 

“Nah, I’ll have to stop when Kazuto gets here, need to make sure you two aren’t going to sneak off somewhere and make out.” 

“We only did that once!” Asuna defended herself hotly. It had only been because Tomo had decided to be a tease and go without her cloak that day. The sight of the sunlight streaming through the info-brokers golden hair had been almost too much for Asuna. She couldn’t exactly let herself get discovered kissing Tomo, but her husband had been almost as randy as she had been at the sight.

Quite frankly, it was a miracle that they hadn’t pinned Tomo to a wall the second the three of them were alone.

Rika raised an eyebrow skeptically. “That we know of,” she said in a knowing tone. 

Asuna scoffed. “Look, I’m not going to be dragging Kazuto into a corner somewhere. I’m here to have fun with my friends. I rarely get to see you guys outside of school anymore and I want to take full ad—” The young heiress spoke over her shoulder as she walked through the door, only for her eyes to catch something as she re-entered the pool deck.

“Hey Asuna!” Kazuto called, waving from where he was setting a pack of towels down. The heiress didn’t respond, too absorbed in tracing the firm muscular structure of her husband in all but law’s torso. She knew he had started working out. She was often one of his workout buddies at the school gym.

But she’d never seen him shirtless since they’d left Aincrad; not unless it was too dark to make out details or there were… other things on her mind.

And there, beside her deliciously muscled boyfriend, Tomo was crouched next to a cooler, sorting through a bunch of bottles. The info broker was dressed in a frankly scandalous outfit for her. It was just a one-piece bathing suit, but it had a low scoop cut out of the back, emphasizing her girlfriend’s shoulder blades in a way that made her fingers itch. 

Tomo glanced back, and gave Asuna a cheeky grin and a wink, before shifting so that she was all but waving her butt in the air as she sorted through the cooler, her thighs tensing in a way that made the heiress want to pick the teasing info broker up and pin her to a wall somewhere.

A hand landed on Asuna’s shoulder, startling her out of her… admiration of her partner’s bodies. “Breathe, Asuna,” Rika said, an amused glint in her eye.

“Just breathe.”

“Very funny,” Asuna scowled, shaking her friend’s arm off. Despite herself, she smiled as she walked towards her partners, Tomo grabbing a set of bottled drinks out of the cooler as Kazuto finished setting up the towels.

Her mother couldn’t touch her here, not in this moment.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 3, Part 2

Tomo Hosaka stood up from the cooler, one bottle of gatorade in each hand. The containers were cool in her hands, a nice contrast to the almost burning heat of the concrete pool deck beneath her feet. 

“Hey, Aa-chan!” She called, turning and winding an arm back. “Catch!”

Her girlfriend barely had time to turn in surprise before the info broker had tossed her a bottle, the girl’s hand coming up to catch it almost instinctively.

“Nice catch,” Kazuto commented, pulling a bottle of sunscreen out of the bag. 

“A little more warning would be nice, Tomo,” Asuna said, popping the cap off with and taking a grateful swig. 

“Eh, ya looked so thirsty I thought ya might appreciate a drink.” Tomo grinned, popping the top off her own drink. It wasn’t that hot out today, but she did like her energy drinks.

Instead of the flush, or the groan that Tomo had expected, Asuna grimaced. “Right, well, we need to talk about that.”

“We do?” Kazuto asked, tilting his head quizzically.

“Well,” Asuna began, her hands clenching around her bottle. She glanced around quickly, nervously. Tomo followed her gaze. Everyone else was occupied. A brief flare-up at the grill where Klein was cooking distracted her for a moment, before her girlfriend’s voice dragged her attention back. “Rika’s been… noticing that you’ve been flirting with Kazuto.” Tomo’s heart leaped into her throat at her girlfriend’s words. 

This was how it began. If one person could see it, more could. Then the rumors would start. They’d grow quickly, beyond her control; she’d be labeled a homewrecker again. 

It was happening again.

She could already see the vultures circling.

They were just waiting to tear her away from everything she had built; the happiness she had found. 

It was happening aga—

“Tomo!” The info broker was broken out of her spiraling thoughts by someone grasping her shoulders and shaking vigorously. Asuna was standing in front of her, Kazuto right behind her. Her girlfriend was looking at her with a worried frown, her brow pinched tight while her boyfriend seemed almost panicked.

“Sorry Aa-chan, I’ll jus—” Her girlfriend’s face hardened, and she cut the info broker off before she could complete her sentence.

“Don’t apologize. I already have enough trouble battling Kazuto’s self-esteem,” Asuna said, carefully guiding Tomo down into a seat on the cooler behind her. “Now, Rika approached me in private to voice her concerns. I don’t know if she’s told anyone, but I don’t think she’s intentionally spreading rumors.”

The info broker nodded dumbly. It was all she could do. Memories of broken friendships and ugly, hating looks clawed at the back of her mind, threatening repetition in the future.

But she trusted Asuna.

“I’ll talk with her, and let her know that you weren’t trying to hurt me,” Her girlfriend sat down next to her, providing what comfort she could. “And then, when you’re ready, we can figure out what to do next, okay?”

Tomo nodded again. “Okay.” Her voice was weak, undercut, and she hated it. She hated how the mere thought of other people judging her for her love, not understanding or even seeing her relationship, her wonderful, beautiful, amazing relationship with Kazuto and Asuna, made her panic, made her feel ill. 

She wanted to be able to hold their hands in public, be obnoxiously sappy together with them, tease them in all the ways she knew they secretly enjoyed. 

But she couldn’t.

All because she panicked at the mere thought of the judging glares that would come.

“Okay, why don’t we do what we came here for?” Kazuto asked, his voice dragging her out of her self-recriminations. “I mean, would you like to go for a swim?”

“Well, I still haven’t put sunscreen on,” Asuna hedged, reaching for the bottle. “Do you need any, Tomo?” 

It was a transparent attempt to change the topic, but the info broker was grateful for it all the same. “Nope,” she shook her head. “Kii-chan was kind enough ta get my back before we left the house.”

“Speaking of Suguha, where is she?” Asuna asked, glancing back toward the locker rooms as she squirted a dollop of sunscreen onto her hand. “I thought she arrived with you two.”

“She did,” Kazuto sighed, as Tomo snickered, seeing a familiar figure approaching them from the locker rooms, a full bag in her hand.. “She just…”

“I can’t swim,” The aforementioned kendoka said, all but slamming her bag down on the ground next to the cooler. “Never learned how.”

Asuna rocked back on her feet, her eyes wide.  “I thought swim classes were required at public schools,” She said, before leaning forward eagerly. “Is that not the case?”

“I started Kendo early,” Suguha said, her shoulders hunched defensively. “I got out of a lot of gym classes in favor of practicing Kendo.” 

“She was always really good with her Shinai,” Kazuto said, smiling. “Even if she never really learned any other sports.”

Suguha slowly raised her head, staring at her brother. “Kazuto, don’t you dare—” 

But her boyfriend was not dissuaded in the slightest, starting to walk backwards as he continued speaking. “I’m rather proud of the fact that despite being much more athletic than me, Suguha’s never managed to beat me in volleyball.”

The kendoka rose, her face a mask of ice. “Kazuto!” She cried, her voice echoing across the pool. 

“What, Sugu?”

“You know what you did.” The kendoka started to advance on her brother, who continued calmly backpedaling.

Tomo leaned forward, cupping her head in her hands as she watched the siblings bicker. There was a casual ease to their motions, less so in Suguha’s, but the two of them knew each other. They knew that nothing truly serious was going to come of this. At least, Tomo hoped not.

As Suguha reached out to grab her brother by the shoulder, Kazuto gave a cheeky grin, and let himself fall over backwards, dropping into the pool with an enormous splash.

“Kazuto!” The kendoka yelled, standing impotently on the side as her brother swam out into the middle of the deep area, where he began to tread water. 

“C’mon Sugu! The water’s really nice!”

“You know I can’t swim!” She shouted, her hands twitching. Tomo couldn’t take it anymore. She let herself laugh. Not her usual snickers, either, but a deep, full belly laugh that made her stomach cramp. 

It had been a while since Kazuto had pulled a prank on someone, and it was just as hilarious to witness as always.

As her laughter quieted down, the info broker stood from her perch on the edge of the cooler and stretched, loosening her muscles for the coming exercise.

“Watch out Kii-bou! I’m coming in!” Tomo shouted, half a second before she took a running leap off the edge of the pool. Her momentum carried her a little further than she had anticipated, but she was still within the pool, although she thought she could hear a startled squawk from her boyfriend as she hit the water only a few feet from him.

She lingered underwater for a bit. Like this, she could almost pretend she was flying. With a grin on her face, she kicked out, moving away from Kazuto as another plume of bubbles signaled Asuna’s entry into the pool. She wanted to wrap her arms around Asuna’s shoulders as the two of them surfaced. It would be so easy, but they weren’t alone, and she couldn’t be too obvious in her affections. 

Especially not now that someone was already suspicious of her. She had to move carefully.

That didn’t mean that she couldn’t have some fun.

Grinning, she angled herself and kicked off, so that she would come up behind Asuna. The water rippled around her, cool and refreshing. It felt amazing running through her hair. As she surfaced, Tomo reached out with her hands and grabbed onto Asuna’s shoulders. “Going Down!” She shouted as she surfaced, pushing Asuna downward at the same time, before swinging her legs around her girlfriend’s neck.

Asuna’s head barely dipped below the surface before she came back up, doing her best to peer up at her passenger. 

“Really Tomo?” 

“Onward, noble steed!” The info-broker cried as Asuna settled into place below her, her feet finding the edge of the shallow zone. “We have things to discover!”

Her girlfriend indulged her, starting to plow through the water, heading toward the side of the pool, where Suguha was waiting. 

“Care to join us, Kii-chan?” Tomo called, waving vigorously enough that she had to tighten her legs around Asuna in order to keep from falling off. “The Water’s really nice!”

“How would you know?” The kendoka raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “You left it as soon as you could?”

“It really does feel nice, Suguha,” Asuna chimed in as Kazuto swam closer, cutting through the water with a quick breaststroke. “And it’s shallow enough over here that you can stand, if you don’t want to get your hair wet.”

“That’s not the problem,” Suguha bit out, drumming her fingers against her arm. “I should just go. I’m going to just ruin the—”

“Suguha.” Kazuto’s voice cut his sister off before she could do more than half-turn. “Would you like some help learning how to swim?”

The athletic girl’s shoulders tensed, before slumping. “Yeah. I think I’d like that, Kazuto.”

______________________________

Five minutes later, Suguha was starting to adapt to the water, no longer jolting upright as waves hit her mouth while she was pulled around the pool in turns by her brother, his girlfriend, and Tomo. It was a strange experience for her to say the least. 

The motion of kicking was strange, nothing like the steady slide of Kendo. It made her feel like she was flailing, and she didn’t like it. Kazuto had attempted to teach her an alternate kick, but it felt even stranger to her, and she quickly went back to the thrashing kicks. 

She hadn’t even attempted to imitate the windmilling hand motion she saw occasionally on TV. 

“This is humiliating.” Suguha muttered, unable to keep the frustrated blush off of her face. 

“It’s how everyone learns to swim,” Rika, who had yet to enter the pool, said. Suguha snapped back a response almost instantly, turning her head to face the brown-haired girl. 

“That doesn’t mean it’s enjoyable!”

“Never said it was,” Rika said, finally swinging her legs out over the side and slipping in. “Still, once you’ve figured it out, it does get a lot easier.”

“And you’re doing quite well, Sugu,” Kirito said, pulling her forward slightly as she continued to kick. “I don’t think I got so good quite this fast when I started swimming.”

“You were seven.” The kendoka bit back. All the same, her heart warmed at her brother’s praise. It was… nice to spend time together like this. Between his long school days, and her Kendo commitments, they barely found time to interact outside of ALO, and even in-game, they rarely got to just be together. She’d missed him during his two years away, and it was hard to look at him and not see the kind, gentle young man who she’d had to defend from bullies. Especially at the pool, where people would push him around in the water, sometimes without meaning to. 

But… he was different now. More self-assured, more outgoing. He didn’t hole himself up in his room the second he came home anymore. 

He tensed at loud noises, and every so often she would see him move his hand up towards his neck, as if to grasp something. She got the feeling that he was always aware of her, even when he was draped over the couch like a limp cat.

But he had friends now. As much as SAO had taken from him, at least it had given him that.

“Alright, trade off time,” Kazuto said, pulling her over to where his girlfriend was waiting.

Asuna was… intimidating. Even when she had been confined to a bed, unable to walk, she had held herself with the poise and confidence of a master; someone who not only had skill, but authority as well, and was used to exercising it.

It faded sometimes, but was never truly gone. When she spoke, her voice rang with a commanding presence that made Suguha straighten up and listen. As she took Suguha’s hands to take her turn leading the novice swimmer around the pool, Suguha couldn’t help but ask a question.

“Are there any tips you have for swimming?”

“For swimming?” The older girl tilted her head as she walked backwards. Turning gently to start walking back across the pool. “Keep your back up. Your body is naturally buoyant, but some bits are naturally more buoyant than others.” 

Suguha nodded, pulling her stomach in as she tried her best to emulate a straight-backed kendo pose while lying on her front.

“So, Ri-chan, ya got any details about the homework assignment fer math?” Tomo asked, leaning on the side of the pool deck next to the girl. Conversation echoed out around Suguha, the group of friends relaxing and spending time together in a way that they weren’t able to do normally.

At some point Tomo had gotten more water for all of them, and Suguha paused in her lessons to take a grateful swig from her bottle. 

“Is swimming always this… tiring?” The kendoka asked after she had drained the bottle. Kendo was a high-intensity sport. Even just a five-minute bout could leave her sweating, but given how long people swam for, she had expected it to be easier. 

“Well, when you’re not used to it it can be pretty rough,” Kazuto said, brushing a bit of damp hair out of his eyes. “I don’t think anyone here is really used to swimming IRL anymore.”

“I think pretty much all of us are at least a little out of practice,” Asuna chimed in. “After all, other than the 23rd floor, there weren’t really any good places to go swimming in Aincrad that weren’t really out of the way after the army bought out the beach on the Seventh floor, and you know what floor Twenty-three was like.”

Kazuto made a face like he’d just bitten into a lemon. “Urgh, don’t remind me.”

“What was it like?” Suguha asked, her focus sharpening. Kazuto would only talk about a few things that happened in SAO, and any chance to glean more was something that she had to take.

“Cold,” Her brother responded immediately, reaching his hand up to stroke his chin. 

“Icy,” Asuna chimed in, nudging Kazuto. “Remember the ice flows?”

“Who could forget them?” 

“Rika got stuck on one of them once,” Asuna said with a knowing grin and a nod towards where her friend was talking about something with Tomo. Probably something about the upcoming raid. 

“Oh really?” one of Kazuto’s eyebrows perked up, and he grinned. “Did she forget to account for the cold DoT from the water for the swim back?”

Asuna nodded. “And she had just run out of teleport crystals too. I think she was hunting for pearls there, but she refuses to tell me what she was actually doing.”

“Knowing Liz she probably found some sort of rare ore in the area and forgot to make plans for the extraction,” Kazuto said, rubbing the back of his head. “She does tend to narrow in when she’s got something she wants in front of her.”

“Are you talking shit about me over there?” The aforementioned woman called from across the pool. 

“We’re saying nothing that isn’t true, Rika!” Asuna called back. 

And all Suguha could do was lean against the side of the pool and try to keep up. It was never more apparent how much her brother had been through than times like this: when he’d get so absorbed recounting experiences with his friends that she could barely understand them.

Someday, she’d get more out of him. But for now she was content to sit and wait.

“No, as far as I’m aware, there’s nothing like that in the smithing tree.” Rika stretched her hands out below the surface of the pool as she spoke, the cool water helping sooth the stiffness in her wrists that lingered even hours after she had finished writing an essay.

Mrs. Nakamura was a real old-fashioned stickler of a teacher, and while she was really good at teaching, she still could at least try to keep up with the times. No other teacher at the school required handwritten essays.

Still, it was turned in now, and that was it.

“Yer sure?” Tomo asked, her fingers twitching as if they wanted to grab a pen. “I know yer not a full-time smith, but ya’ve probably seen more o’ the tree than I have.”

“I haven’t seen anything about field repairs in the skill tree for a smith,” Rika confirmed. “If it does exist, then the unlock conditions must be really difficult.”

“Probably,” Tomo sighed, and sunk beneath the water, until she was neck-deep in the pool. “Really hoped that that guy was tellin’ the truth.”

“What, did he shortchange you on info?” Rika grinned.

“It’s the principle o’ the matter!” The info broker grumbled, an annoyed frown stretching across her face. “Thankfully I only paid him half. I’ll let him know that he’ll have ta bring more conclusive proof ‘fore I’ll pay him the rest.”

“Always a miser with your money.” 

“Better a miser than constantly broke an’ searchin’ for mats,” Tomo fired back, a carefree grin stretching across her face as Rika winced. “An’ besides, every other bit o’ info he had checked out, even if some was a lil out o’ date. Hoped to get another good source; not enough people willin’ ta pay for info in ALO.”

“Well, with the internet available again, people are more inclined to share things freely,” Rika said, grabbing her bottle of gatorade off the side of the pool and taking a swig as Asuna slowly walked backwards in front of them, dragging Suguha along with her. 

The Kendoka was kicking hard, and making a large splash, but if she wanted to actually swim, she’d need to start using her arms.

“After all, why would you bother paying for something that you could find for free on YouTube?”

Tomo sighed, nodding. “Yep. That’s the rub. With so much free info out there it’s hard for an honest info broker ta earn a livin’.”

“Don’t you have that enormous nest egg you got from SAO?” Rika asked. It had been one of the weird quirks that came from running ALO on a nervegear, which was technically possible, but in reality so riddled with bugs and glitches that it wasn’t playable in the long term. One of those glitches had been the copying of account data, which included money, from SAO. 

The character data was so badly damaged that any attempt to learn a new skill or even complete certain actions would result in a CTD, but Tomo had somehow managed to acquire an Animusphere, and transfer the money she had built up in SAO to her new account, which she had then renamed Argo, to continue her career as an info broker.

Hell, Rika probably wouldn’t have been able to keep playing if Asuna hadn’t managed to cajole her father into getting Amusphere’s for her entire friend group.

“Eh, that only goes so far, ya know?” Tomo said, leaning back, as if to float on the water. “An’ I’m not exactly makin’ a lot o’ money at the moment, so I gotta save it til I get a better flow.”

“Alright,” Rika allowed, watching as Suguha took the first tentative “steps” of an unsupported swim. It went about as well as could be predicted, as she managed to dunk herself within two seconds, and came up spluttering.

The Kendoka then wiped her face off and threw herself into another attempt, which got a little farther. Asuna, the kind person that she was, was waiting right nearby, her hands ready to help her boyfriend’s little sister should the need arise. 

Her friend looked over as if sensing Rika’s eyes on her, grinned, and waved. Rika waved back, even as Tomo slunk further into the water, until all that stood out was her nose. Asuna must really have put the fear of god into her before that swim, the former blacksmith thought. Tomo had been rather careful around Kazuto, and while Rika couldn’t say that she particularly liked the awkwardness that hung in the air whenever the two interacted now, it was better than Asuna having her boyfriend stolen out from under her.

She’d have to keep an eye out for if Tomo started reverting to her old habits. Asuna’s reprimands certainly hadn’t stopped the info broker before. That was a problem for the future however. Right now, she was going to relax, and enjoy the feeling of water on her skin, at least until the food—

“Oy, everyone!” Klein called, waving from where he and the rest of Fuurinkazan were clustered around a pair of grills. “Food’s ready!”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 3, Part 3: Dungeoneering

The plates had been picked clean, only tiny smears of soy sauce and oyster shells littered the paper dishes that had once been stacked high with food. 

“That was delicious,” Suguha said, nodding towards a grinning Ryou. “I didn’t know you could grill so well.”

“Thanks for the compliment!” The former samurai rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “But I can’t take credit for this dish.”

“That’d be my work you just ate,” One of the members of Fuurinkazan who had been able to come, a man that Kirito had introduced as Kunimittz, chimed in. “Oysters have always been a specialty of mine, even before Aincrad. I’m just glad to be able to cook ‘em for such a large group.”

“Don’t sell yerself short,” Tomo chortled, flipping around an oyster shell, somehow managing to make it dance back and forth across the back of her hand. “These were far from the best mollusk’s on the market, an’ ya managed ta make somethin’ that made Aa-chan want ta wring the recipe out o’ ya.”

“Tomo!” The woman in question cried, even as Suguha’s brother chuckled next to her. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Asuna continued speaking. “While I wouldn’t be opposed to you sharing your recipe, if it’s a family dish, I understand if you don’t want to share it.”

“Did you want me to write it down for you or should I e-mail it?” Toshiro almost cut her off with his question, leaning forward in his seat. 

“Oh, if you could write it that would be great.” 

“Thanks, anyone got a pen?” Toshiro asked, taking a notepad out of his jacket pocket. 

“I told ya to grab one before we left,” The other man, who answered to the name of Harry One, responded, digging a hand into a bag at his hip. “You’re lucky I never emptied this after work.”

“You’re always carrying something around, though,” Kunimittz countered, raising his hand to accept the offered pen. “Thanks,” The man continued, running a thumb over the back of the other man’s hand. 

“Now, while Kunimittz is busy with that, let’s get started on the dungeon briefing.” Asuna seemed to change before Suguha’s eyes. She sat up straighter, her eyes hardened, and she looked somehow more imposing. It reminded her of one of the Kendo masters.

“Klein, did your guild discover anything while scouting?” While Asuna spoke, Kazuto got up and started clearing away the plates, in a maneuver so smooth it seemed like they had practiced it. Suguha couldn’t help but pay attention. This was serious, even if it was just a game.

“Well, we discovered that if you don’t go in the {Blackroot Depths} with waterproof socks, your feet are gonna be cold for the whole dungeon,” The red-haired man responded, a wry smile on his lips. “Other than that…” He started scratching his chin with one hand. 

“There’s a nasty little fork in the road where one of the branches looks like it’s blocked off. If you’re not careful you can get flanked while waist-deep in water,” Klein said, nodding as he did so. 

“And the shamans seem to have a preference for targeting the healer. Dynamm could hardly manage to keep them focused on him before they’d try to change targets.”

“Don’t forget the blowguns,” Harry One chimed in, the skinny man shuddering in memory. “Those things inflict a nasty DoT that can stack really fast if you’re not careful.”

“Alright.” Asuna said, her hand coming down as if sketching out a list. “We’ll review a map before we go in, make sure to establish sightlines and who to split aggro on the blowgunners with. If your partner gets above… three stacks?” She cast a glance at the member of Fuurinkazan who had brought up the blowguns in the first place. 

“Three stacks should be good for this run. We aren’t going to be trying Heroic, and ever since Dale picked up that Alchemy skill we’ve been all but drowning in pots.”

“Three stacks for your group then.” Asuna nodded. It was kind of startling, Suguha reflected, to watch the kind and relatively gentle girl she thought she knew take on a mantle of authority like she was born to it. The entire table seemed to be hanging off of her words. “Unless you can loan us some mana pots, I think my group will have to work on four stacks.”

“Argo, did you have anything to add?” The blonde-haired girl sat up straight, the oyster shell she had been playing with vanishing… somewhere. 

“O’course, I got a map fer us, and some boss data.” The girl snapped her fingers. “Kii-bou, if ya would.”

“I still don’t see why you couldn’t carry this yourself,” Suguha’s brother halfheartedly complained, reaching into his bag and drawing out the five pieces of paper that Tomo had printed out.

“I know ya miss scoutin’ and I thought ya wanted somethin’ ta do,” the info broker purred. “An’ I know ya like duelling bosses.” She finished with a grin.

Kazuto sighed, sliding the papers down the table into Asuna’s hands. The leader of the operation laid them out each one connecting well. “Alright, thanks to Argo and Kirito’s work, we’ve got a semi-complete idea of what the boss is, and what it’s arena looks like. That said, what we can see doesn’t look easy.”

“That just means it’s gonna be more fun!” Klein chuckled in response. “And besides, we wouldn’t want our weapons to get too dull, would we?”

“I suppose we wouldn’t,” Kazuto smiled in response, one of his hands twitching to where his swords were normally mounted.

So that’s why he keeps his hands near his neck a lot of the time, Suguha realized, the revelation seeming obvious in hindsight. It keeps him ready to draw his swords.  

The rest of the briefing was a tedious affair, going over the minutia of the boss’s abilities that they’d been able to discern, and which people going where would be optimal. 

“I’m just saying, if you guys need another tank, Dale or I would be happy to swap with one of you.”

“And thanks for the offer Harry, but my team works better as a more flexible midrange DPS rather than the frontline required by tank roles,” Asuna politely rejected the man’s offer, rolling up the bits of paper. “Alright, we meet back up at the dungeon entrance at five?”

“You got it, Miss Flash,” Klein said with a jaunty salute. 

_____________________________________

Damp air filled the dungeon. It had been damp the last time I had been there, and it would likely be damp the next time I came here, and every time after. It was a water-themed dungeon after all. 

“Alright, everyone know their roles?” Asuna asked, looking over the assembled groups like a commander surveying her troops. Everyone had been briefed on what we thought was going to happen, and it reflected in their attitudes. 

Fuurinkazan was rather relaxed, the group experienced not only with their builds, but also with their group. In contrast… I turned to survey my party. Lizbeth was an experienced tank, and I’d trust her to have my back almost as much as I’d trust Asuna. Argo had gotten me out of a snag many times before. And Asuna was Asuna, my partner in combat and one of the dearest people to my heart. 

If that was all that was in the squad, I would have called it a good support party, able to focus on clearing adds and interacting with items while the main party focused on the boss. 

But Silica and Leafa were joining us. Silica was a decent fighter, I couldn’t deny that, but she wasn’t clearer material. Hopefully we wouldn’t be facing that level of opposition today, but I’d need to keep an eye on her.

As for Leafa… I glanced over at my sister. Her avatar had changed a little from when we had gone to the World Tree together. She was wearing more armor, including a brand new lacquered wooden breastplate, and her neck was protected by an iron gorget. Her sword was also a little longer than before, closer in shape to a Shinai. 

We had gone on a dungeon run before. It didn’t end that well. Hopefully Leafa wouldn’t be quite as overprotective as she had been when I first started.

“Our goal for today is to defeat the boss of [The Drowned Caverns], {The King of Dark Waters}.” I let Asuna’s pre-run speech wash over me, her confident voice girding me for the battles ahead. As she concluded the briefing, there was a shuffling from the other group as they got ready to do their part of the dungeon. “And Fuurinkazan, you have the first path. We’ll be meeting up with you as the room with the crystal fountain.” 

“Let’s do this!” Klein shouted, drawing his sword. Behind him, Fuurinkazan roared, and readied their weapons. With a smile, Asuna stepped aside and let the party charge into the dungeon. 

[The Drowned Caverns] was an interesting dungeon. There were two routes through it, and each had checkpoints that needed to be completed at roughly the same intervals. It was an experimental dungeon, one that required two parties to complete, and I liked the idea. Whether I’d like it in practice was another manner.

Asuna hefted her staff, clanking it against the ground one, two, three, four times, before spinning and running into the dungeon, her blue hair flying behind her. I fell into step behind her, Argo on my right, Leafa and Lizbeth on my left, the Leprechaun quickly overtaking Asuna to take her rightful place at head of the party, her shield raised to deflect any blowdarts that might take a while to deal with. 

Behind me, Silica brought up the rear, her tamed dragonette taking flight to start to rain debuffs down on our enemies.

As I ran, I palmed a set of throwing knives, scanning the darkness for glimmers of light. Under my breath, I muttered a word of power and a flash of green light flared in front of my eyes before the world settled into the illuminated green of the [Night Vision] spell. It was typically an Imp spell, but Spriggans and Cait Sith could learn it. If they found an imp willing to teach it to them. 

Next to me, Argo cast her own version of the spell.

The dungeon was dark, barely illuminated by bioluminescent algae and lichen that lined the walls. The ground was covered in puddles that pooled beneath stalactites on the ceiling. Occasionally, a stalagmite would rise from the floor, but none obstructed our route to the tunnel that was exactly opposite our entrance point.

As we ran across the damp cavern that served as the entrance to the dungeon, the floor under us shook and the tunnel that would normally lead to the first challenge collapsed, revealing a hidden passage, it's walls decorated with intricate murals. But the passage wasn't empty.

There was a shock of blue as the first wave of the [Saughin Reavers] swarmed over the debris, charging down to meet us. The fishlike mobs waved jagged axes and spears, chittering with anger at the intrusion. Their spindly bodies swarmed across the rock as the jagged, sharklike teeth that lined their mouths glinted in the dim light. The background music changed from the eerie ambience of the cave to drums and woodwinds, a battle theme that was as haunting as it was intense.

Asuna skidded to a halt as the rest of us continued, her staff coming up as she spoke three words of power. “Jǫkull! Flóð! Vágr!”

I hadn’t expected her to take well to, or even want to, play a pure support build like she was trying to do with her Undine, but as I felt a layer of ice form over my body, I couldn’t help but admire the skill and talent with which she played her new character. 

With one hand, I cast a set of throwing knives at the group of Saughin in front of us. One of the three blades deflected off of an upraised shield while the other two hit home. The reaver tripped, getting caught up in the legs of its fellows and making the knot easy prey for Lisbeth and Argo. 

The two women leapt forward, their weapons flashing as icy mist swirled around them. A spiderweb of frost radiated out from where Lisbeth slammed her hammer into the shield of a reaver that was still standing, letting her shatter it with a follow-up bash. The Saughin stared at its broken shield for a second, allowing the blacksmith to send it crashing to the floor with another hammerblow.

Argo pounced onto the knot of struggling creatures, her claws slicing through their scaly skin and fragile bones as easily as paper. The skin of the mobs iced over as her blades passed through their flesh. More than one shattering sound accompanied my girlfriend’s rampage. 

Above the two vanguards, Silica’s dragon Pina flew, harassing the last Saughain with divebombing attacks; bits of fire and lightning providing minor paralysis and attack debuffs.

By the time I reached them, all the mobs were dead. 

“[Aura of the Winter Sea] was a little overkill, Asuna,” I said as I started to climb the rubble, my girlfriend right beside me. I turned around to offer Silica a hand up, but she was already snaking past me, slipping over the rubble that led to our route rather skillfully.

“Well, I’d rather us be safe than sorry,” The Undine said as the ice that surrounded my limbs shattered, signaling the end of the thirty-second spell. “Besides, the cooldown’ll be up before the boss fight.”

I nodded absently, still not entirely convinced, but I wouldn’t get Asuna to change her mind on it right now. The scramble up the rubble was exhilarating, and halfway through, I felt something squirming in my jacket. I undid the button on the armored chest pocket to let Yui fly into the air.

“Freeeeeeeee!” The nav pixie cheered, flying in a circle around our heads. 

“Heya Squirt,” Argo called as she vaulted the last bit of rubble and landed with catlike grace on the floor of the hidden chamber, the ears of her new Cait Sith avatar pricked to listen for incoming enemies. “Ya sure took yer time getting’ here. Was the internet more interestin’ than us or somethin’?”

“Well, pardon me for not realizing you guys were starting your run until you literally entered the dungeon, Auntie Argo.” Yui said with an annoyed harrumph as I reached up to rub the top of her head with one finger.

“Well, welcome to the party Yui. You gonna help us find those hidden items?” I started climbing again. It was tricky to do it with only three limbs, but Yui liked it when I rubbed her head.

“Mmm-hmm.” The nav pixie affirmed, stretching her arms out before her. “It’s gonna be so Fun!” Then she took flight, flitting over to land on Asuna’s shoulder. “Although did you guys have to get started without me?”  

“Yep,” Rika grunted, hauling herself up into the secret room, her armor clanking as she did so. “Klein’s group went ahead, so we’re dealing with the other route.”

“It’s gonna be tricky,” Argo said, running her fingers along the wall of the room as if searching for something. “

“Yeah, but you complained a lot the last time we did an easy dungeon,” Silica groaned as she heaved herself over the top, Pina settling down onto her head.

“I didn’t say tha’ was a bad thing!” The info broker squawked defensively. 

“Yui, can you sense anything nearby?” Asuna asked as Argo and Silica started to playfully bicker in the background about what difficulty of dungeon was the best.

It was the heroic mode. All other forms were inferior.

I holstered my throwing knives, shrugging my swords into a position where I could draw them easily as Yui hummed, closing her eyes as she focused. 

“There’s a group of mobs… that way,” The nav pixie said, pointing slightly to the left of the hallway we were going down next. 

“Perfect,” Asuna said, bringing up a hand to gently rub against the top of Yui’s head. “Alright, this should be the first group of blowdarts that we have to deal with. Liz, take lead, and make sure you’ve got your shield spell ready. Argo, I want you on hunter duty. Find those blowdarters and kill them as fast as you can.”

“Oh, they’ll be dead before ya even see ‘em,” The info broker promised, rasping her claws against each other.

“Good.” Asuna nodded, before turning towards me and Silica. “Silica, Kirito, you two need to focus on the warriors. Make sure that Liz doesn’t get overwhelmed. I’ll handle the buffing and healing from the backline.” My wife’s fingers drummed on her staff as she finished giving out instructions. Although they were all appropriate, it seemed almost like she was reading them off a list, not truly paying attention. “And Leafa… You’re our off-tank. If Liz gets above four stacks of that blowdart poison, you need to take aggro.”

My sister nodded, although a nervous frown crossed her face. She did look a bit fragile for an off-tank. Maybe I should… no, I wouldn’t doubt her abilities, and hopefully she wouldn’t doubt mine. 

The tunnel was dripping water from the ceiling, little cracks in the wall hinting at gemstones beyond the unbreakable barriers. Liz had momentarily gotten excited about the possibility of mining them out, before the purple glow of an immortal object stymied her hopes. It stank of fish; even worse than the last time I had been here. 

Asuna paused at the entrance, letting the rest of us enter so that she could take her place at the back, although I had to grab her arm to get her moving again after her eyes went distant. My wife had shook her head with a scowl after I grabbed her, muttering something about her mother. Hopefully she’d be ready for the boss fight.  

Thankfully, she overcame whatever it was that was distracting her after the next encounter, giving out orders and commanding from the backline with all the skill she was known for in SAO. She had even started calling out commands for us to follow mid-battle, something that came to us surprisingly naturally for a group that had only come together fully that day. 

“Argo, switch Kirito!” She called out, as a hulking saughain forced the cait sith back with a swing of the massive net it carried. I pivoted mid-step, pushing off of my leading foot to sprint to my girlfriend’s location, even as she ducked beneath another swing, before stepping forward and to the side, one hand reaching out to grab the elite mob’s leg. 

It was an impressive sight, Argo hitting the leg of her opponent with such force that it was yanked out from underneath him, leaving him in the perfect position for me to follow up with a rising slash. The sheer impact of the blow sent the mob rocking back, its body stretching to a height that no Saughain had ever attained. Its legs straightened unnaturally with a creaking sound as they fought to keep the fish-man’s body from tearing. 

A word of power rang through the air, and a spike of ice took the Saughain in the head. I grinned savagely despite myself as the elite mob dissolved in a shower of light. But there was no time to contemplate our defeated enemy, as Liz roared a taunt skill that dragged the remaining three [Royal Fishers] aggro onto her. 

I hurried to take advantage of the free dps, my swords glinting in the dim torchlight. Argo was half a step behind me, and as we ran, two more words of power rang across the room. I felt a soothing coolness rush through me, as if I had just stepped waist-deep into an ocean. 

When my sword came down on a Saughain, it cut deeper than it had before, shaving off a larger chunk of the health bar. Liz roared as I momentarily drew the aggro of the mob, drawing its attention back towards her with a vicious shield bash that would probably have inflicted a broken limb debuff on a player. 

Then, as one of the Royal Fisher’s arms descended towards the Leprechaun, she shouted a word of Power. “Skjald!” A grey glow washed over her, and the mob’s arm bounced off of Liz’s upraised shield as if he had tried to strike the wall. Before it could recover, Pina dive-bombed it from above, the tiny dragon’s lightning blinding it and giving Liv the space she needed to weather the slew of blows coming her way.

Leafa darted in from the other side as Argo leapt onto one of the Royal Fishers, her claws digging into its throat. With a gurgling noise, the creature fell forward, its health draining rapidly. As it did, my sister struck, her sword moving so fast that I could barely track its path. 

When she finished her strike, the massive arm of one of the Royal Fishers fell to the floor with a thud.

The rest of the battle was fairly simple. Lisbeth kept the remaining Royal Fisher aggroed on her while Leafa and I steadily dismantled it from behind. While we were occupied, Argo and Silica started examining the room for the little mechanism that we could activate to open up an optional area for Fuurinkazan. 

It would give them the opportunity to get some decent loot, and make our boss fight easier.

The way the two dungeons were tied together was rather interesting. Each group had the opportunity to open up various routes or areas for the other group, and in some cases those new locations would give that group the chance to make things easier for the ones who had opened up that area for them.

It was possible to get through the Deeps with only one party, but it was considered suboptimal. After all, opening up the new areas gave more loot drops, and access to a few rare mats. The lever that Silica pulled just as the final elite mob shattered would give Fuurinkazan access to approximately two more loot drops, if the info Argo was able to dredge up was accurate.

Gathering the loot from the fishers was the work of moments, and soon we were ready to move on to the next encounter.

All in all, it was a relatively easy dungeon. Aside from the blowdarters that popped up every now and then to hit someone with a DoT, there weren’t any truly dangerous mobs for a group of our skill level. Silica acquainted herself well, her dagger more than enough to take down elite mobs that had gotten distracted, while Pina kept entire groups debuffed and easy pickings for the rest of us.

Before I knew it, we were at the boss chamber. The doorway loomed above us, dark and foreboding. Guttering torches were set into either side of the doorframe, casting flickering light over a relief set into the door of the monster that we were here to slay.

The imagery was huge, showing the boss towering over even the [Royal Fishers] that were already bigger than I was. Its hands ended in wicked claws, and its teeth narrowed down into needle-like points that would chew right through chainmail and leather. Its body was wide, and stout, with comparatively short legs and long arms, almost like a gorilla. The compassion would have been funny if it didn’t remind me that the boss’ arms could likely punch through shields.

But what stood out most was the eyes. Even in the trappings of the relief they sent a shiver down my spine as I felt their gaze. They tracked my every movement, gleaming with a palpable intelligence and hatred. Then I blinked and the carving was just a carving again. Next to me, Silica shuddered.

I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We’ll be able to handle this. All our intel shows that he’s nowhere near as hard as even a field boss in Aincrad.” It was a poor attempt at comfort, but Silica straightened up as I spoke, a determined frown etching itself onto her face.

Asuna was up next to the door, browsing through her messages with one hand. Nearby, Leafa was sharpening her sword. Tomo, ever the lore geek, was taking pictures of the camera she had spent entirely too much money on. And Lisbeth… She was rechecking her shield’s durability.

“Alright,” Asuna said, stamping the butt of her staff on the floor. “We’ll have to change things up a little for this boss. Kirito and Argo brought back a few things for us to make note of, but they didn’t make it past the first phase before they had to leave-” I scoffed internally. As much as I understood the lore reasons behind having dungeon data lost if you died in it, it had severely hampered our efforts to prepare for this place. 

“-So with that in mind, Liz, Leafa, watch out for the adds and try to pick them up as soon as possible. Fuurinkazan are going to have their hands full with the boss. We don’t need to make their job harder. Argo, Kirito, Silica, I need all of you to be searching for those Blowdart adds and taking them down as quickly as possible. My job is going to be helping Dynamm manage the poison stacks on our two parties. If you get above two stacks, yell ‘Cure’, and one of us will try to get you healed up.”

“Alright. Any adds I should watch out for in particular?” Liz asked, picking her shield back up and slinging it onto her shoulder. Asuna tapped her chin, her eyes drifting to the left in thought. 

“I can’t think of anything. Kirito, Argo?”

“I think a [Royal Fisher] might spawn every now and then, although I don’t know if that’s a random or guaranteed spawn,” I responded with a shrug. “Sorry I can’t be more help.”

“That’s why I’m here, Kii-bou,” Argo cut in, the peculiar curve of her voice wrapping around my shoulders like a familiar blanket. 

“Of course, how could I forget our info broker?” I gestured towards Argo magnanimously. “Please, enlighten us as to what we can expect in the trials ahead.” The woman in question nodded in a deliberate manner, even as Asuna hid her giggling behind one hand. Next to me, Silica wasn’t doing much better. 

“Well, there’s three points I could see that adds dropped in from, so you’ll want ta kite between them, and as Kii-bou mentioned, there was a [Royal Fisher] that spawned at one point. If it’s a fixed spawn, I’d expect two more, fer symmetry. Other than that…” Argo paused, leaning back against the doors, her eyes tracing patterns that only she could see. “It’s only speculation, which is worth so little I’d be losin’ money by givin’ it ta ya.”

Liz nodded. “Might want to have one tank stay near a point in case something unexpected happens.”

“We’ll try to incorporate it,” Asuna affirmed, tapping her staff against the stonework once more. “Once again, I’m grateful to all of you for coming along on this dungeon dive, and know that win or lose, I’m proud that we got this far on as little info as we did. I hope we can try this again someday with a different dungeon, and I hope you’ll all join me for it. Now, we can begin in three…” 

All of us readied our weapons, facing the doors. Argo moved over to the lever next to the doorframe that would open the way. 

“...two…”

Asuna pulled open her message window again, her fingers flashing across the keyboard. Probably sending the signal to Fuurinkazan.

“...one…”

In the distance, a bell sounded, followed by a low, steady drumbeat. Asuna slammed her staff down on the ground, an aura of pale blue fire erupting around her, spreading to cover us as she activated her weapon’s inbuilt skill. Argo heaved the lever back, and the doors began to open with a heavy grinding that sent shivers down my spine. 

Next to me, Silica muttered something to herself. 

“GO!” Asuna roared, thrusting her stalf forward. I launched myself in response, covering almost twenty feet in one horizontal leap. My low-powered leap brought me right behind Liz, who already was banging her mace against the edge of her shield, activating her taunting skill as she ran into the boss room.

[The King of the Deeps] awaited us.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 3, Part 4: The King of The Deeps

The boss towered over us, easily reaching three meters tall, even sitting on its throne. Its eyes gleamed with the same casual malice that it had met me with yesterday, when I had kited and delayed it so that Argo could note down its patterns for today. 

If I hadn’t known better, I would have said that it looked hungry; that it was furious about Argo and I escaping, and that it wanted us dead.

I came to a halt two steps behind Liz, the leprechaun reading her mace as she glanced about the room, identifying the three drop points. They weren’t that well-disguised, with one consisting of a small ledge overlooking the arena, another being the waterfall that the Saughain and Aboleths could swim down, and the final one taking the form of an actual door.

The enormous gate exactly opposite the one my group had come through opened half a second after I stopped, letting Fuurinkazan charge through, with Klein at the lead. The other party didn’t stop, charging directly at the boss. As they did, Klein lifted his sword over his head and bellowed a word of power.

Flames coalesced around his blade, wreathing the steel in naked fire as the salamander adjusted his stance. The King of the Deeps rose from his dark blue throne, his massive shoulders shrugging off the cape he wore. It fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

The boss leapt, his massive arms rising for a devastating hammerblow that would be nearly impossible to block.

Klein stood his ground, his katana held behind him as he lowered his stance. Then, in the moment before impact, the samurai pushed off with his back foot, his blade trailing an arc of fire as it came around in a rising slash, meeting the King of the Deep’s massive hand in a blow that sent a thunderclap echoing throughout the arena. 

There was a moment where no one moved, and the two fighter’s health bars ticked down. Klein, by almost a quarter. The first of the King’s health bars by a slightly larger amount. 

Then Dale unleashed a taunt skill and the first of the saughain started pouring into the arena. 

The fight, from an outside perspective, devolved quickly. There were mobs everywhere, neither of the parties were in formation, and the King of the Deeps rampaged across the arena, trying to crush Dale beneath his fists.

However, it was very different on the ground. I kicked away a small saughain, sending the waist-high fishlike mob tumbling into a knot of its fellows. Half a second later, a wave of frost swept over them, freezing them into a sculpture as Asuna followed up on the opportunity. 

I had no time to see what happened next as another saughain leapt at me brandishing a dagger. I hated fighting dagger-wielding mobs. They always seemed to slip beneath my blades before I could kill them and once they were within my guard it was tricky to get them back out. Sure enough, the saughain avoided my swipe, slashing down my thigh with its jagged dagger.

With a snarl, I stabbed downwards, depleting the trash mob’s health bar. It shattered half a second later. But there was no time to rest as Liz activated a specialized taunt skill. The mobs swarming around me changed targets, now running past me to attack the leprechaun. I struck at them as they passed, my blades flickering in and out of the surrounding horde, each blow accompanied by the sound of glass shattering that marked a mob’s death.

“C’mon Kii-bou!” Argo yelled, already sprinting past me towards one of the drop points. “We gotta handle the blowguns!” 

Holding back a sigh, I turned to follow her. The blowguns were nasty pieces of work. Whoever had coded them had been intent on replicating the feeling of poison spreading throughout your body. A single prick would leave the affected area numb and unresponsive, and another shot would make it hard to hold your weapons.

Therefore Argo’s enthusiasm when she dashed the head of a blowgunner against the wall with a kick was almost expected.

I arrived half a second behind Argo, bringing my sword down on the weapon of another Saughain, this one a bodyguard to the blowgunners. It chittered something at me, pushing at me with the shield it carried even as the mob behind it readied its blowgun.

Behind me, something heavy hit the floor of the cavern. 

I swept my off-hand across my body, right to left. The stroke caught on the saughain’s shield, and carried it along. The mob, unable to release its grip in time, stumbled. I lunged forward, stabbing with my dominant hand, the blade sinking deep into the creature’s head. It shattered half a second later.

I was already moving forward, trying to make it to the blowgunner before it could fire. Before I could take three steps, a dart thudded into my thigh. I stumbled briefly, the numbness throwing off my stride, but then I was upon the Blowgunner, my swords arcing down on it.

The mob held its blowgun up before it, as if to try and block my strike. It was a futile effort, as my blades carve through the reed tube like it was water, before severing the saughain’s arms from its shoulders. The mob had just enough time to look down at its severed limbs before it shattered.

“Ya doin’ okay Kii-bou?” Argo asked, whipping her claws back into position as the last flecks of a dead mob flickered and died in front of her.

“Got hit once,” I grunted, reaching down to tear the poison dart out of my leg. “I should be fine though, battle healing will take care of it.”

Argo opened her mouth, as if to respond. But before she could, Asuna’s voice echoed across the room. 

“Argo! Switch Silica!” The info broker’s face fell into a frown as our heads snapped over towards the region Silica was assigned to defend. The cait sith was falling back, her dagger flickering in and out in furious swipes and stabs that nevertheless were not enough to stem the tide of saughain swarming towards her.

Before Argo could take a step, I reached out and grabbed her shoulder. “I’ll throw you.”

Thankfully the info broker didn’t ask questions. I kneeled down, presenting my hands. Argo stepped onto them and I rose to my feet as the info broker curled into a ball. Lifting the info broker above my head, I took a step forward, and hurled my girlfriend towards Silica.

Once again, the STR build proves itself superior, I noted with a grin as Argo plowed into the horde, sending the mobs flying as she bled momentum. Silica was quick to take advantage of the gap, backstepping and downing a healing potion before leaping back into the fray. 

Then I had to turn and guide the next wave over to where Liz was, so that the Leprechaun could take their aggro.

She was fighting hard, her shield and hammer constantly moving as she deflected blows, backpedaled, and dodged. As I began to cut my way through the horde surrounding her, she let out a shout and slammed her hammer against her shield. That was all the warning I had to turn my head and close my eyes. I barely managed to avert my gaze before a searing flash of white light broke across my eyes.

Even avoiding the worst of it I was still blinking away spots. Still, the saughain, already sensitive to light, were wailing in pain, some of them even having dropped their weapons to paw at their eyes. 

It was easy to lash out, each blow taking the head of a separate mob, sometimes two if I was lucky. But there were far too many for me to kill in the short amount of time I had before the debuff wore off. All too soon, I was having to deflect incoming blows again. Grunting, I punted a saughain who had made the mistake of getting too close into several of it’s fellows, before using the momentum and turn to jump next to Liz. 

“You doing okay?”

“As well as I can be,” Liz grunted out, deflecting a dagger with her mace before lashing out with a shield bash that caught two mobs in the face.

I slashed and cut at the horde surrounding us, the leprechaun lashing out with her mace and shield. It was a very efficient formula we developed. Liz would use some sort of taunt or debuff skill, and then I would take advantage of it to cleave through the horde. 

Very optimal, but Liz couldn’t kite well, and there were stray mobs that the leprechaun hadn’t managed to pick up with her taunts cluttering up the battlefield. Leafa and Silica were doing an admirable job picking them up, but only one of them had the tanking skills necessary to play the role.

The beast tamer was slowly, but steadily getting cornered, her dragon bodily tackling and tearing into the Saughain as she grimly fought on, her health bar dipping into the yellow. I needed to disengage to provide support.

Before I could open my mouth to warn Liz, a wave of cold swept through the room. The saughain started to shiver, some of them visibly slowing as Asuna’s icy debuff took hold. 

“Leafa!” My wife called, her face etched into a hard line as she waved her staff, sending a bolt of warmer water crashing into Silica, who’s health bar started to visibly tick upwards. “Switch Kirito!”

She wanted me to switch with Leafa? I’d have to ask her about that after the battle. There was no time to question it now. 

Across the battlefield, I made eye contact with my sister. Then, in a burst of explosive motion, we sprinted towards each other, our blades angled to strike at the other’s pursuers.

I drew my blades down in a parallel chop, swinging from my shoulder to my hip. The saughain in front of me slid to the ground in two halves. 

But that was only the opening strike. The following minutes were a whirlwind of violence, as i sidestepped, struck, riposted and hacked at the horde surrounding me. Dale and Liz were using their taunt skills on cooldown, and still they were unable to take all the aggro. But they took enough of it. 

A brief glance had told me that Fuurinkazan had worked their way through the first of the Bosses’ hitbars. With a roar, Kunimittz drove his spear deep into the side of [The King of The Deeps]. As his spear punctured flesh, the massive monster roared, the sound seeming to shake the cavern. 

Then, it slammed its arms down, Kunimitz barely managing to avoid the strike. As it took in a huge, shuddering breath, there came a great chattering, the sound of many sharp teeth gnashing. 

“There’s gonna be more adds!” Argo yelled as the first wave appeared at the spawn points. 

They were met by a wave of frost, as Asuna unleashed the full force of her magic build. The ground iced over, leaving the saughain scrambling to stay upright. I, and the rest of my party, had no such trouble as Asuna’s magic wrapped around our legs, giving us a steady grip on the ground.

It was child’s play to cut through the first wave with Silica by my side, her dagger stabbing deep into joints and eyes.

For the next wave, I teamed up with Argo again to hunt down the blowdarters before they could weaken anyone significantly.

And thus the cycle continued until, with one last bellow, the [King of the Deeps] shattered into a thousand bits of glass and a loot screen popped up. It was almost… mundane, compared to some of the boss fights we had had in Aincrad. Indeed, Klein was frowning as he looked at the screen.

It hadn’t been easy. My arms ached with the effort of moving so much, and I felt about ready to collapse and look into upgrading my computer; it had been state of the art two years ago, but now there were a lot better parts out.

“Shouldn’t there have been some hidden trick?” I asked Argo as Lizbeth finished off the last saughain in the distance. “Like, a hidden phase change or a new type of add, or something?”

That was how it usually worked in SAO: The boss would have some sort of hidden mechanic that you needed to plan around. And if you didn’t discover the mechanic beforehand…

Well, we got good at improvising.

“I know…” Argo crossed her arms, her sharp eyes scanning the shadows. “Feels like tha dungeon still has more ta throw at us.” The info broker shook herself, forcing a grin onto her face. “Guess we’re still not used ta normal MMO design, huh?”

“I guess not,” I responded with a smile of my own. 

“Oi! Kirito!” Klein yelled, waving us over. “We’re gonna be divvying up the boss loot!”

“You set it to manual distribution?” I called back, already walking over to where Fuurinkazan and most of the Royal Blades were clustered around the loot window.

“A true samurai chooses his sword,” The ronin declared, looking incredibly proud of his principles.

“Yeah yeah,” I sighed, “Which Kurosawa rip-off did you pick that one up from?”

“Shaddup,” Klein grumbled, slinging an arm over my shoulder as I approached. I grunted from the sudden weight. “C’mon, I think there’s a sword ya might like!”

The notion of gear upgrades did indeed pique my interest, but as my eyes drifted towards the screen, I caught sight of Asuna, standing by herself. She was scrolling through her system window, frowning and clenching her staff tightly.

I made to unwrap Klein’s arm from my shoulder, so that I could go over and see what was troubling my girlfriend. Before I could, Argo was already there, startling Asuna out of her funk with a surprise poke to the back. The info broker shot me a wink as our partner whirled around to express her displeasure.

I smiled back. 

I never got the chance to talk to Asuna. The raid group had to break up shortly after we finished dividing the loot; Klein had reserved a restaurant for his guild and they needed to get going. The rest of us logged off one by one. When I opened my eyes IRL, I was met by the sight of the roof of the “Gaming Room”, which used to be for storage, but now Mom had made it so that I no longer had to keep my games in my room. 

I didn’t particularly mind keeping my consoles there, but having a shared gaming room had one distinct advantage. I rolled over on the rather large bed that formed the centerpiece of the gaming room and reached out a hand to stroke Tomo’s cheek.

“Hey.” Tomo blinked back at me, long and slow. 

“Hey yourself, Kii-bou,” my partner smirked, her skin flexing underneath my touch. It felt amazing.

“No aches or pains?” I asked, letting my hand fall as Tomo brushed her own hand against my cheek. 

“Nope. Any for you?”

“None.”

“That’s good.” Argo pushed herself up reluctantly, “Now, I think I smell dinner. Ya want ta go check it out?”

“Oh right, mom’s home today.” I realized aloud. Tomo gave me a grin.

“First one there gets pick o’ the teriyaki!” Tomo said, before launching herself out of bed. I gaped, before scrambling after her. 

“Tomo!” I called after her as I stumbled into my slippers. “You know how much I like Salmon Teriyaki!”

“Gotta catch me, then!” The info broker called back unhelpfully. She spun around Suguha, who had still not moved her Amusphere into the gaming room, to Mom’s consternation and my relief. I very much liked being able to kiss and cuddle Tomo, and the gaming room was the most convenient location to do so.

“Sorry Sugu!” I yelped as I rushed past her, determined to catch the cheeky little rat and get my pick of the Teriyaki. My sister just blinked, her mouth falling open. I never heard what she called after me as I rounded the corner, reaching out to snag Tomo’s arm. 

Her sleeve fluttered out of my fingers as she danced through the doorway to the kitchen, her head aloft in victory. With a smile, she twirled around to face me, stopping her slide on the kitchen table. “I. Win.”

I halted myself on the doorframe, breathing lightly. “Yes,” I said. “Yes you do.” Inwardly I mourned the loss of my favorite Teriyaki salmon.

“Don’t run in the halls, you two,” My mom called from the stove, casting a disapproving glance back at us. “I don’t want to have to clean anymore blood from where someone’s busted their nose open again.”

Tomo and I winced as one.

“Sorry mom.”

Mom lifted a pan off the stove, scooping her spatula under the salmon currently being fried upon it. “Don’t be sorry. Be better.” And then she transferred the salmon to a plate, settling it on top of a pile of similar orange-pink steaks. My mouth began to water at the sight. 

“Now,” Mom said, clapping her hands together. “Dinner’s ready! Plates are on the counter if you want to serve yourself.” As she was speaking, Tomo all but teleported over to the counter to grab a plate, quickly filling the dish up with a choice salmon steak, and the other dish that Mom had apparently left on the stove to keep it warm: some sauteed vegetables.

Shaking my head, I followed my partner. 

“You really have got to tone down on the fish, Tomo.” I said as she went back to grab another salmon steak right out from under my nose. She just smirked at me. 

“An’ why would I give up the finest foods fer a young lady such as myself?” 

I scowled. “Maybe we should call you The Cat instead, given how much you resemble one.” Tomo gasped audibly, one hand flying to her chest. 

“Kii-bou! Why would you say such a thing about little old me? I am a Rat, through and through. My disguises are simply a matter of course!”

“Uh-huh.” I nodded, finishing my plate with some of the vegetables and turning to head towards the table. “Try that again to someone who hasn’t seen you-”

Tomo stepped in front of me, gnawing on a whole radish as she carried her plate in one hand. “Do ya really want ta get inta an embarassin’ stories debate, Kii-bou?” she asked in a carefully light tone.

I gulped. For every embarrassing story I had about Tomo, she had three about me, each one worse than the others. Somewhere along the line she had made a comment about my habit of “Doing stupid shit.” Asuna was the only one who could actually tell any embarrassing stories about her.

And even then, Tomo would usually fire back with something that made Asuna groan and flush. 

“Let’s just… get started on dinner,” I said, stepping around my partner and sliding into my usual seat at the table. Suguha strode into the room as I did so, her shoulders hunched. 

“Sorry mom, this’ll have to be a light dinner. I’ve got practice soon, and I can’t eat much.”

“Should I save some of the salmon for you?” My mom asked, putting the finishing touches on her own plate. Of course, she went and added some wasabi to her salmon. I never could understand how she liked it that way. 

“Mhm,” Suguha nodded, her hands all but flying over the arranged serving dishes as she scooped up what I would have classified as a “decently-sized meal.” It still amazed me just how much Suguha had to eat to stay in shape.

And she wasn’t even in one of the more active sports.

I tore my eyes away from my sister to settle them back down onto my partner as she took a seat on the diagonal across from me. “So, how’s your article going?” I asked.

“Ehh…” Tomo grumbled, “Not that good. I just don’t have the info network I used to. Can’t get enough data on in-game flight.”

“What exactly are you writing about, Tomo?” My mom asked, opening the fridge to store what remained of the salmon after all four of us had each taken a serving. 

“Flight paths in Alfheim Online.” Tomo started to pick at her food, slicing up her salmon with deft movements. “With the big unlimited flight update, everythin’ about travel is changin’, an’ I’m submittin’ an article about the fastest flight paths from each capital to Alne as my audition piece for MMO weekly.”

“Wouldn’t a straight shot be the quickest?” Suguha asked, settling down next to me and immediately starting to shovel food into her mouth.

“You’d think so, but…” I began, nodding at Tomo to let her pick up the statement.

“RECT went into some real hefty detail about the atmosphere o’ Alfheim.” The info broker leaned forward, starting to sketch something out on the table with her fingers. “The mountain ranges are a lot harder ta cross than ya’d think, since the cold air gives a debuff ta flight speed. In some places, it’s easier ta go through the underways than it is ta try an’ go over tha mountains.”

Suguha hummed a note of understanding through her full mouth. Swallowing, she grabbed a glass of water, washing down her food before she responded. “So, you’re having trouble figuring out which places those are?”

“Precisely.” Tomo emphasized her word with a clatter of utensils. “Kii-bou has been really helpful wit’ gatherin’ data, but he’s even more disconnected from the ALO player base than I am.”

“Well, if you need data, I guess I could contact Lady Sakuya, see if she’s started to notice any patterns.” Suguha shrugged, already beginning to eat again.

“See if ya can ask her why she’s so interested in Kii-bou, too.” I spat out a bit of salmon.

“Tomo!” I grabbed a napkin from the basket of them, wiping at my face.

“What?” My partner looked unrepentant. 

“No…” I took a deep breath. “Just… no.” The mere thought that another girl out there somewhere had a crush on me made me uncomfortable. I was already unimaginably lucky that Tomo and Asuna were willing to share. I didn’t want anything to disrupt what I had with them.

Thankfully, Tomo must have seen something in my eyes, because she let the topic drop in favor of trying to wheedle out just how extensive Suguha’s connections with the upper leadership of the Sylphs were.

“I mean, I wouldn’t say that I’m anyone important or anything,” Suguha said, only to be cut off by Tomo.

“Right. You’re only a trusted advisor of the faction leader, a squad leader for raids, close friends with all the other squad leaders, the champion of the latest Sylph PvP tournament, and on top of all that, you helped uncover a conspiracy to get the faction leader killed.” Argo folded her hands in front of her, leaning forward with a rather wide grin.

“Really Suguha? Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” My mom asked, finally sitting down with us at the table. 

“That last one was mostly Recon!” Suguha defended herself, her gaze flitting around the table uncomfortably. “And I…”

“Most people’s parents aren’t interested in gaming.” I answered, pulling the focus of the conversation away from Suguha slightly. “I know I didn’t share anything about my gaming achievements with you; I thought you were too busy with your job for me to annoy you with my online stuff, mom.”

My mom frowned, her chopsticks picking over her food hesitantly. “I…”

“But!” I interrupted, raising a hand. “I want to share that sort of stuff with you now, mom. If you want to hear it, that is.”

The corners of mom’s lips curled up into a smile. “I’d love to hear all about what you and Suguha have been doing. Who knows, maybe I’ll get a VR rig for myself.”

“The proper term is ‘Full Dive’, mom,” I groaned. Argo nodded in agreement.

“VR is that stuff with the in-room sensors and the handheld controllers. It’s waaaay less immersive.”

“I see…” Mom muttered in a baffled tone of voice. 

“Nevermind that,” Suguha said, dropping the topic. “So, what did you want to hear about, Mom?”

“Well… I heard that you won a tournament?” My sister’s eyes lit up, and she launched into a grandiose explanation of the Sylph Swordsmanship tournament, and how she’d used skills she’d learned from kendo to help her claw her way to victory. She was still going strong when I had picked my plate clean, with my mom interjecting questions and comments at fairly regular intervals.

“Of course, my opponents kept getting more difficult as I went up the ladder, and it wasn’t like Kendo alone was gonna help me get through all of them, so…”

Tomo caught my gaze, and nodded at Suguha, rolling her eyes fondly.  

I nodded back, picking my plate up. Tomo met me halfway to the dishwasher, nudging me in the side. “Would ya be willin’ ta dive back in ta ALO fer me?”

I raised an eyebrow at her question. “I thought that you were going to get the flight data from Suguha?”

“Well, I was, but…” Tomo nodded back at where my mom and sister were still engrossed in conversation. “I don’t think I’ll be gettin’ anythin’ out of her anytime soon. ‘Sides,” my partner continued. “She’d only know what the Sylphs know, an’ I need more sources than just Sylphs.”

I nodded. Several times in Aincrad, she’d complain about not having enough informants in various guilds or the looser, semiformal organizations that tended to develop in the various merchant districts. It seemed this was the same sort of problem. 

“I’ll get right on it after I finish my workout.”

“Thanks,” Tomo heaved a sigh of relief. “I’d do it myself, but I still need ta finish my application.”

“Hey, it’s no sweat,” I reassured my partner, swinging open the dishwasher door with one hand. “I was probably gonna log back on later tonight anyways.”

“You gonna be tryin’ ta scale the fortress walls again?” Tomo deadpanned at me, sliding her plate in alongside mine. 

“I know they’re climbamble,” I grumbled under my breath as Tomo’s lips twitched in humor. 

“Just let me know when yer tryin’ them. I want ta get more footage of you fallin’ on yer ass.”

“Don’t you already have enough?” I complained goodnaturedly. She’d seen far worse. And as far as I knew, she’d never sold that particular bit of info.

“I can never have enough footage of ya…” Tomo let the phrase hang in the air, turning to me with her eyes hooded. “Screwin’ up.”

“Of course not.” I smiled as I closed the dishwasher. 

“Well, I’m off! The truth waits for no Rat!” Tomo cried, all but leaping out of the kitchen. 

“Just try not to get absorbed in double-checking your sources again!” I called after her, nodding at Suguha and my mom as they continued their discussion.  Then I left, ready to dive back into ALO, this time for a very different purpose.

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 3, Part 5: A Discussion with Mom

The table was already set when Asuna walked downstairs. The servants had left before she arrived. Her mother only made them stay when they had company over. Otherwise it was just the family.

Asuna shivered as she stepped into the dining room, a small, comparatively, affair, with a table just big enough for the four of them to sit around. The formal dining room, with its table to host a full twenty-four, was elsewhere.  

Her seat was already pulled out for her at the table; some small kindness from Mrs. Kozuki, most likely. She always tried to make things easier for Asuna. 

Her mother’s eyes followed her as she took her seat, as if reserving judgment. Asuna pretended not to notice them, instead surveying the meal on offer for tonight.

There was a meticulously arranged platter of Sushi, and a nice slate of Teriyaki, both shrimp and chicken. There was also a side of what were probably vegetable dumplings, if what the cooks had been working on in the morning when she made her bento was reflective of the meal. 

As she sat down, her mother seemed to unfold from her practiced position, her hands in front of her mouth. 

“Thank you all for coming. Let’s begin,” Kyouko Yuuki said, picking up the serving spoon for the dumplings. At that signal, everyone began to serve themselves.

Asuna started by helping herself to the dumplings. They were a rare treat, given the effort that went into making the dough. Still, as she bit into one, she couldn’t help but let out a pleased hum. They were good, perhaps better than any other food item she’d had since her return from Aincrad. 

Definitely better than her shoddy attempts at cooking.

It wasn’t long before her father began trying to make conversation. “So, how was school today, Asuna?” The lingering awkwardness between them had vanished slowly over the course of two months, and now her response fell from her lips as easily as it had before she had been trapped.

“Pretty good.” Asuna swallowed her last bit of dumpling before elaborating. “The test in science wasn’t as hard as I was expecting, and there was a really nice poem that we read in English.”

“Oh really?” Her father asked, serving himself a helping of sushi in the meantime. “What sort of poem?”

“It was by… Dylan Thomas,” Asuna said, casting her mind back to remember the poem. “It… had some really insightful moments about human will and resilience.”

“Do Not go Gentle Into the Good Night, right?” Asuna’s brother piped up, Yuuki Kouichirou nudged his sister with a grin as he reached for the sauteed potato discs that Asuna hadn’t noticed until now, hidden as they were behind the Sushi. 

“Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” Asuna quoted in response. She sighed as she took the opportunity to grab a new serving, this time of rice.

“And how was your math test?” Kyouko Yuuki’s voice cut across the table like an icy wind, despite the honest question in her tone. “You mentioned that you were worried about it.”

Asuna let out a deep breath before she answered. “Not that well. Tomo and Kazuto helped me study, but I’ll never have their grasp on numbers.”

“I doubt that they could provide much help to you,” Kyouko scoffed. “I highly doubt either have been to a school nearly as prestigious or competitive as the one you should be going to.”

“Kyouko—” Shouzou Yuuki attempted to interject, but Asuna cut him off. 

“Kazuto was coding his own programs by the age of eleven, and Tomo ran a very successful business in Aincrad. Neither of them are bad at math.” She set her chopsticks down on the table before something… unfortunate happened to them.

“Neither of which have anything to do with math,” Kyouko countered, picking up a piece of makizushi and popping it into her mouth. Asuna took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, counting backwards from ten. “If you’re really that worried about your math skills I’ll find a tutor for you.” 

Asuna blinked. “I’m happy with the tutors I have, thank you very much,” She said, her voice carefully even. 

Kyouko sighed. “I wish you would take your education more seriously.” Asuna bit down on a spoonful of rice to avoid snapping something rather mean back. 

You mean you wish I was following your orders like a drone, The fencer thought, grinding the rice between her molars as she worked her jaw in frustration. 

“Asuna,” Shouzou Yuuki said, shamefacedly trying to steer the topic of conversation elsewhere. “Did your friend ever get that job she was looking into?” His voice was tight, but his eyes were alight with curiosity. 

Asuna nodded. “She did. That’s actually part of why I was almost late for dinner tonight. I was helping her gather some info for her article.” 

“Oh, what sort of… info?” The patriarch of the house asked, furrowing his brow as he rolled the term over in his mouth. 

“Stuff like spawn patterns, boss attacks, and even the map layout. Apparently there’s a neat sum for getting guides on new bosses out quickly.” Shouzou nodded as Asuna explained further. 

“Hmm that makes sense. I still don’t understand why your people get so worked up over being the first person to defeat a certain difficulty, but as long as your friend can support herself, I suppose it isn’t too bad.” 

“We might be able to spin things like this for publicity, father,” Kouichirou Yuuki chimed in, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “The Firmament is really taking off at the competitive level, and just the ad revenue from having an official tournament might be more than enough to offset the costs of prizes and getting people to attend. People still go to see CS:GO tournaments, after all.”

“Maybe a sort of ‘boss race’?” Shouzou elucidated, his brow furrowing further as he deliberated on the matter more seriously. “Have different teams attempt to complete a dungeon as fast as possible?”

“I’m not certain that it would be that popular,” Asuna plunged herself back into the conversation. “I mean, Tomo mentioned that the most popular Pro games are all PvP based, and The Firmament may be popular with speedrunners, but it doesn’t exactly have a thriving Pvp scene.”

Shouzou nodded, brushing his hand against his napkin. “Well, all the same I think an official event of some sort would be a good idea. I’ll mention it to the board and see what they think.”

“That’ll be fun. I’ll talk to my friends about it too. They might not play The Firmament, but they may have a few good ideas.”

“So, Asuna, how are the rest of your studies going?” Kyouko cut into the conversation with all the tension of nails sliding across a chalkboard.

Asuna took a deep breath. She was calm. She needed to be calm. “Kyouko, I think—”

“Is that all that matters to you? My grades?” The young woman cut her father off. Words fell from her mouth as she stood up, her voice rising in anger. “Is what number I can get on a piece of paper the only thing you care about?”

“Are you content to throw your life away playing games with people who won’t matter to you in a few years time?” Her mother riposted. Asuna’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’t you dare insult my friends like that.” Asuna’s words came out in a hiss as she leaned over the table, staring into her mother’s eyes and summoning up every bit of festering rage she could muster into one insult. “They were the ones visiting me in the hospital.”  

Kyouko Yuuki rocked back as if struck, her eyes flying wide in shock.

“Asuna!” Her father was staring at her, a stunned expression all but etched into his face. “You… I…” As he floundered for words, Asuna felt herself deflate, all her anger popping as if a bubble had burst within her chest. 

“Thank you for the dinner,” She said, stepping out from her chair. “I don’t feel hungry anymore.”

No one spoke as Asuna left. She made it past the doorway and around the corner before she broke into a run. It didn’t take long for her to rush up the stairs, then slam and lock her door behind her. Her surroundings settled, Asuna took a deep breath in, her brow furrowing.

And then she breathed out. She repeated the process several times, her shoulders heaving as she tried to reign her temper in. 

Eventually she flopped onto her chair. “Why does she have to be so…” Asuna muttered to herself, cradling her head in her hands. An old picture caught Asuna’s eye, standing on the side of her desk. In it, Her mother was leaning on a railing, watching as Asuna scattered food for a school of Koi in the pond beneath. To the casual observer, she looked indifferent, but Asuna could see the way her eyes wrinkled and her lips twitched upward in amusement. 

That had been after she’d passed her high school exams. 

Asuna frowned at the picture. It was the only one she had of her mother looking happy. In a fit of anger, she tipped the picture over, setting it facedown on her desk, and grabbed her Amusphere. Alfheim called to her.

* * *

The chill night air rose goosebumps on Asuna’s skin as she flew, her wings beating a steady pace as she drove herself harder, faster, higher. She soared past the old flight limit, the air tearing at her hair and clothes, rippling them as she pushed herself faster still.

She tore past the cloud cover, spinning in a circle before halting herself by flapping her wings to cancel out her horizontal momentum, took in a deep breath and roared. The Undine released all the frustration and anger that coursed through her body into a single, enormous bellow.

Nearby, a flock of passive bird mobs startled and dropped momentarily in altitude before angling away.

The roar rang out for a long moment as Asuna vented her frustrations. When it subsided, she was left panting, her shoulders heaving. 

For a crucial moment, Asuna let her wings droop. Like a stone, she began to plummet through the air. As she fell towards the clouds, she adjusted herself, her eyes narrowed in concentration even as her heart beat faster and faster. Then, a shape burst through the cloud cover and met Asuna mid-air, strong arms arresting her momentum as she was wrapped into a hug. 

“We have got to stop meeting like this.” Asuna’s eyes widened as her savior spoke. 

“Kirito?” She withdrew gently, holding him by the forearms, their wings beating in tandem as they hovered only a few feet over the clouds.

“Hey, Asuna,” Her partner smiled cheekily. “Wonderful night out, isn’t it?”

“Very,” The Undine said as the two started to slowly move in a circle, their feet brushing the tops of the clouds.

“I still don’t know why more people don’t come up here at night,” Kirito said, pulling back further until they were linked only by a hand in the other’s grip. “I mean, even Aincrad had nothing like this.” He waved a hand out across the sky, tracing a pattern in the stars. 

Asuna nodded. “Well, it’s all the more for us, isn’t it?” 

Her partner nodded. “There is that.” Something about the way that Kirito held himself, his back straight and his arms out gave Asuna an idea.

“Hey Kirito?”

“Yes, Asuna?”

“It’s been a while since we danced, hasn’t it?” Surprise flashed across her partner’s face, before his eyes widened. 

“No, Asuna, we’re thousands of feet in the air we can’t—” Asuna laughed, pulling Kirito closer to her, wrapping an arm around his back as he instinctively settled down into the follower position. The Undine began to step over the clouds, her wings fluttering gently as they propelled her in the gentle circular motions of a waltz.

Kirito clung to her, his grip like iron as his wings fluttered nervously. 

“Relax, Kirito,” Asuna whispered. “We’ve got something amazing here. Let’s make the most of it.” The answering smile that her boyfriend sent her almost made Asuna miss a step.

“You’re right.” He leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose. “And then when we inevitably fall to our deaths we can hold each other close.”

“Not if we’re careful,” Asuna countered, a gust of wind blowing through her hair. 

And then they were dancing. Twirling and stepping over the clouds, their wings keeping them aloft as they stepped over thin air, each one trusting their partner to hold them up and support them.

The stars seemed almost to shimmer, the moon casting everything in a pale glow. Kirito seemed almost to transform beneath Asuna’s gaze, the sharp features of his spriggan avatar seeming almost blade-like in the whiteish light. 

Thoughts of her mother, her exams, and her future faded away as She moved to an imagined beat with Kirito, the two of them following a pattern only they could hear as they danced above the clouds in the light of a full moon. 

It was a perfect date.

And yet… something was missing.

A warm, cheerful presence, ribbing and needling playfully at the two of them, who would worm her way between them and force them to take turns dancing, or else form some unholy three-person dance that would have them stepping all over each other’s toes.

As Asuna met her partner’s eyes, she saw the same acknowledgement there.

“We should do this again,” She said as they drifted to a stop, holding each other so close that she could feel her heart beating against her partner’s chest.

“Yeah, we should.” Kirito lifted slowly untangled himself from her, smiling gently. “But let’s invite Argo next time.”

Asuna smiled.

They descended slowly, no longer holding hands, but still close enough that their wings brushed together occasionally. Before long, they landed in the town of [Drakeport], the closest hub to the {Blackroot Depths}.

“So…” Kirito began as they lounged together on the edge of the building, their legs draping over the lip of the roof and his arm wrapped around Asuna’s shoulder. “Do you mind sharing why you were up there?”

Asuna almost pulled her knees up to her chest. It was only Kirito’s arm around her shoulder that stopped her. “It’s… my mom again.”

“Do you want me to call Argo?” Kirito asked, and for a moment, Asuna remembered just why she had fallen in love. 

“I… think that might help.”

“In the meantime,” Kirito said as he pulled up his messaging system, “Do you want to-”

“Let me handle this, Papa!” Yui cried, the flap of the pocket where she normally spent her time popping open as the nav pixie fluttered out. “I think I can really help Una-mama with this!”

“Oh right!” Kirito’s eyes lit up. “You were supposed to…”

“Help the players.” Asuna concluded.

“Mhm!” Yui nodded, before fluttering over to hover in front of Asuna. “So, did you want someone to listen, to talk, or solutions?”

“About my mom?” Asuna crossed her arms, her shoulders tensing even with her partner’s arm around them. “I don’t know… talk, I guess?”

“So what’s she been doing lately? I’ve heard that she’s been trying to get you to transfer.”

“That’s only half of it.” Asuna said, her fingers digging into the skin of her undine avatar as she thought back on dinner earlier. “She keeps telling me that anyone I’m friends with at the Survivor School is just going to drag me down; that I shouldn’t even associate with anyone from there.” 

Kirito’s hand tightened on her shoulder. “Well, that’s not good,” Yui said in a very matter-of-fact tone. Asuna couldn’t help the giggle that burst from her lips. It was just so… strange, seeing her daughter this serious and mature. Especially because she still looked like she was about six, even as a nav pixie.

“No, it really isn’t.” Asuna agreed, reaching a hand out to let Yui land on it. “She’s started leaving brochures for cram schools on the dining table, and while I don’t think Father would let her sign me up for one, I’m worried that she might convince him that it’s a good idea. He’s always found it hard to deny her.” 

“Maybe you could convince her you’d rather take an online course?” Kirito asked. Asuna reached up and gently patted his cheek. 

“She’s rather old-fashioned.”

“Oh.” Kirito sounded as if he couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t accept online schooling. 

“Yep.” Yui settled down into Asuna’s hand, her face creased with a serious frown. 

“I took most of middle school online?” Kirito said, and Asuna bit back a laugh. 

“While that explains a lot,” Asuna giggled, ignoring Kirito’s bewildered look, “I don’t think it’ll help with my mom. She already doesn’t think you’re an “Adequate Tutor”, whatever that means. Never mind that you have a grasp of math that I still don’t know how you acquired.”

“There’s a lot of math involved in optimization.”

“Optimization doesn’t involve Calculus ,” Asuna stressed. Kirito’s eyes perked up. 

“Actually, there was this one strategy game I got into when I was twelve that involved spaceships, but you couldn’t pilot them the way that you could in most games; the designers prided themselves on the realistic space sims, and I challenged myself to see just how efficient the routes could get…” Asuna smiled as Kirito continued to ramble. It was always pleasant to see him sharing like this. 

A blip on her minimap dragged her out of her reverie. Ah, that would be Argo. Asuna waved to the Cait Sith as she came coasting in, an irreverent grin stretched across her face. 

“Hey Aa-chan!” Argo called in greeting as her wings faded, her girlfriend sitting down on Asuna’s other side. “What ya talkin’ about?”

“Kirito teaching himself calculus.” Argo tilted her head, blinking owlishly. “At age twelve,” Asuna continued, enjoying the way that her girlfriend’s expression curled into confusion. 

“Let me get this straight, Kii-bou.” The info broker began, “Ya know how ta do calculus, but ya needed me ta help ya through long division yesterday?” 

“I panicked!” Kirito defended himself. “I don’t normally work with paper math anymore!” Asuna wrapped an arm around his shoulders. 

“It’s okay,” She reassured her boyfriend. “We’ll help you with all the hard multiplication and division.”

Kirito grumbled something under his breath, but leaned into her shoulder. 

“It’s alright, Papa,” Yui began, settling down onto Kirito’s lap. “The inability of skilled mathematicians to do basic mathematics is a well-documented phenomenon.”

Kirito groaned. 

* * *

“You know you’re going to have to apologize to her.” Kyouko Yuuki continued tapping at her computer. There were papers she had to grade, and if even half of them were as bad as this one was, she had her work cut out for her. 

“Look, I don’t like Asuna having any more connection to that place than you do, but… Kazuto visited her hospital room nearly every day since he got out, and Tomo was almost as frequent a visitor. She… Asuna made friends in there.” 

“You think I don’t know that?” Kyouko snapped, curling her fingers on the keyboard. “I’ve seen how they look at each other, Shouzou.” Kyouko paused to take a deep breath. Behind her, her husband waited for her to continue. “But what happens when the press gets their hands on her and her new friends? I looked into them, and—” 

“You ran a background check on our daughter’s friends?!” Kyouko curled her lips into a frown.

“Well, obviously I should have ran one on Nobuyuki before offering that marriage contract,” Kyouko dismissed her husband, ignoring the way it made him wince as she clicked through to the next page of the assignment. Almost instantly, she was met with an uncitated claim. Her fingers stabbed at the keyboard as she input a correction. “And these people that Asuna’s chosen… the tabloids will tear them apart.”

“I think the tabloids have enough to focus on with my own mistakes.” Her husband’s hand on her shoulder was gentle, reassuring. It also wasn’t enough to allay her fears. With a scowl, she shrugged his hand away. 

“The tabloids never have enough. And Asuna isn’t prepared for high society. Her peers will tear her to shreds, and her friends with her.” Kyouko blinked away an old memory of standing alone and friendless in the middle of a ball, clearly able to hear the men and women around her gossipping about everything from the cut of her dress to the way she had styled her hair to the car she had arrived in. Not a single comment was complimentary.

“Kyouko…” Shouzou sighed, before turning her chair, pulling Kyouko away from her computer. “I don’t think Asuna wants to be part of high society.”

“It’s expected of her.”

Shouzou sighed, looking more worn than he had been in years. “If only the board wasn’t insistent on the whole family attending.”

“And that school is horrific. They’re teaching her middle school curriculum!” Kyouko’s eyes narrowed. “She needs to be in an environment that challenges her academically, not one that coddles her.”

Her husband looked for a second like he was about to say something, before firmly shutting his mouth. “Well, if that’s your decision.” Then, with a nod, he turned to leave. “Just… try to talk to Asuna about this? Without arguing with her?”

Kyouko turned back to her computer. Her assignments wouldn’t wait for her. “I’ll try.”

Chapter Text

Caring For A Rat: Book 3, Part 6: Unstable Ground

The wind whistled through Argo’s hair as she dived down, following the slope of the mountain. She had to be careful here: too close and she would careen out of control and crash into the mountainside. Not close enough and she wouldn’t be able to take full advantage of the wind blowing down the slope.

A whisper of wings alerted her to Asuna’s position behind her. The tip of Argo’s extra ears twitched. The Cait Sith frowned as her additional appendages once again made themselves known. It was strange, having a pair of cat ears atop her head and a tail growing from her spine, but the info broker was nothing if not adaptable, and she had adjusted to her new anatomy quickly.

Less easy to adapt to was the almost constant presence of Asuna, Kirito, or both whenever she was gathering info. The two had worked for her before, indirectly and directly, but almost never alongside her. 

It wasn’t a bad sensation, Argo reflected as she twirled midair to catch sight of her partners. Just new, and interesting. 

Muscles in her neck that Argo hadn’t even realized were tense relaxed as she took in the view of Asuna flying five meters behind and three above her. Kirito was similarly removed from Asuna, so distant that his features were slightly indistinct. Argo flashed a cheeky grin at her partners, before twirling back over and tilting her wings forwards. 

With a whoop, Argo rocketed forwards, leaving Asuna and Kirito behind her as the pair struggled to catch up. After days of poring over spreadsheets to find the optimal combo of skills to take out a boss, the field testing was a welcome change. No matter how much she loved parsing through info, there was only so much she could do before she became sick of it, and fieldwork, gathering info, was the perfect change of pace. Not only did she get some exercise, but she also got more info to catalog and sort. 

It was a neat little cycle she had established for herself, and it translated well to being a games journalist. The only difference was that she had to answer to an editor instead of deciding what articles to publish herself.

Articles like the one she was currently writing about optimal flight paths through Alfheim. 

Argo flared her wings out as she approached the bottom of the mountain, the sudden motion jolting her perpendicular to the ground. The info broker held her wings still and let her momentum drag to a halt. It was a tricky maneuver, and Argo stumbled as she landed, but she was getting a lot better.

The first time she had tried this specific method of touching down she had fallen and skidded almost a dozen feet. Kirito and Asuna had fretted over her for almost an hour afterwards. Sure enough, Asuna came almost barreling down, landing in a maneuver that was much less graceful, but also required less skill as her eyes raked over Argo. 

“Ey, Aa-chan, eyes up here,” Argo said, tilting her head and pointing a thumb upwards. The Undine flushed. 

“I wasn’t—”

Kirito landing nearby cut further conversation short. Asuna’s eyes promised vengeance. Argo just smiled beatifically. “Alright, everyone got their timers?” Argo asked, changing the topic.

“Yep,” Kirito said, fiddling with his menu. “I got three minutes, twenty-two seconds and four tenths.”

Asuna piped up next. “I got three minutes, fourteen seconds and seven tenths.”

Argo glanced at her own menu, where the timer was flashing, having stopped the moment her feet touched the ground. “An’ I got three twenty. Looks like it’s best ta be flyin’ about six meters away from the mountain when goin’ down it.”

“We should run more tests,” Kirito mused, staring up at the mountain. “I mean, we didn’t all take off from the same spot, or land at the same spot, and the impact sensor for the timer may have malfunctioned.”

“Nah,” Argo swiped that section of her menu closed, opening up another one as she did. “This data’s good enough for a draft. I still got a few days ‘fore I got ta get this article in an’ it’s gettin’ late.” 

“Let’s go again,” Asuna said, shutting her own menu down. “Too much info is better than too little.”

“Spoken like someone that never had ta deal wit’ too much info,” Argo yawned, blinking tiredly. “It’s gettin’ late, almos’...” The info broker’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the in-game clock. “Eleven-thirty?” 

Kirito frowned. “Mom’s probably going to come into the room if we take too much longer.” Argo shudders. 

“I don’t want her ta catch us in a compromisin’ position,” the info broker said, nodding with finality. “We should prolly get off soon.”

“One more run can’t hurt, can it?” Asuna asked, more insistently than before. Argo blinked as the Undine whirled around to face her. She looked almost like she did before a boss. “It’s only a few minutes up to the top and back down. Besides, you need info about how fast you can climb the mountain, right?”

Argo opened her mouth, a question on the edge of her lips, only for Yui to buzz into view, hovering in front of Asuna. 

“You can’t hide from your family forever, Una-mama.” Asuna flinched at the Nav pixie’s words. “And the longer you put this off, the harder it’s going to be.”

“I know that,” Asuna growled, her hands clenched. “I just…”

“You don’t have to talk to them today,” Yui continued, hovering closer. “But you do need to talk to them eventually.”

“Ya want ta call and talk strategy?” Argo asks, the words surprising her. “Or maybe afterwards, if ya need ta vent?”

Asuna slowly let out a breath, her shoulders untensing as a smile plastered itself across her face. It’s a painful, fragile thing, Argo thought, and her instincts screamed at her to say something, anything. But she’d never been good at this kind of talk, and no words came to mind. 

“Want to come over tomorrow?” Kirito offered, and Argo almost slapped herself for not thinking of it sooner. “Maybe make it a sleepover?”

Asuna’s smile faded into something a little less forced, a little more real. “I’d like that.” 

“Do I need ta get some condoms?” Argo asked before she could stop herself. “‘Cause I’d rather not have ta raise another kid so soon.”

“Argo!” Kirito yelped, whirling to face her as the info broker let a familiar cheeky grin settle onto her face. “There—Why—No—”

“Not yet,” Asuna said, resting a hand on Kirito’s arm. “I don’t want Kirito’s family to be overhearing us.” 

Kirito blanched. “Ah, yeah, no. Not ever.”

“Is that why ya haven’t snuck inter my room yet? I’ve been keepin’ the door unlocked.” Argo asked with a raised eyebrow. Kirito shook his head, grumbling something incoherent.

Asuna raised a finger. “You two better not be playing any games …” She warned, making Kirito sigh in relief. “...Without me.” The Undine concluded.

The sigh Kirito gave this time was much more exasperated. “Good night, Asuna, Argo.” He pulled up his window, fingers searching for the logout button. 

Argo couldn’t help it. She had to get one last jab in. “Ya better not be doin’ anythin’ ta my body ‘fore I get out!” She called as Kirito’s form flickered into a remain light. 

“Right!,” Argo slapped her thigh, turning to face Asuna. “See ya tomorrow?”

Asuna nodded. “That sounds good.”

* * *

The room was dark when Asuna pulled off her Amusphere. When she reached out blindly into the gloom, Asuna banged her hand against something hard. Recoiling with a hiss, the young woman readjusted her reach a little closer, flicking the switch on her bedside lamp a few seconds later. 

“That switch is a lot closer than I remember,” Asuna muttered, rubbing her sore knuckles. Cradling her hand, the young woman rose from the bed, blinking sleep from her eyes. One of the peculiarities about the Amusphere was that while it was no substitute for proper sleep, it did allow for a modicum of rest. In fact, her father had expounded about how it was a breakthrough almost as revolutionary as the Nervgear. 

Asuna wasn’t quite sure about that, but Kirito did agree that it was a large step forward. 

Still, there was one thing that no full-dive system could replicate, and that was food. “Maybe Dad put some leftovers in the fridge,” Asuna muttered to herself as she slowly shuffled towards the door. As she rested a hand on the knob, she cast a glance back at her bed.

Her bed, and the headset that rested on it. “Wish I could spend more time with you guys,” The young woman grumbled, “It’s not fair that you guys get to live together now and I’m alone.”

Asuna’s shoulders slumped. “What am I even doing, speaking to an empty room. I need food. Food, and actual sleep.” Determined, the young woman opened the door forcefully, already mapping out the route that possessed the least chance of accidentally running into her mother.

However, her wish to pass undisturbed would go denied. Waiting right outside the door, with his hand raised to knock, was her brother. “Oh, Hello!” Asuna said, biting back the surge of frustration that welled up within her. Kouichirou had been well-meaning, if not exactly understanding.

“Hello as well, Asuna,” Kouichirou said with a nod. “I was going to ask if you wanted something to eat. I tried to check on you earlier, but I think you were still diving.”

“I was…” Asuna trailed off, winding a strand of hair around her finger.

“Look, I know that we haven’t really been… seeing eye to eye,” Kouichirou began.

“That’s an understatement.”

“But.” Kouichirou leaned into the emphasis on that word, his face hardening momentarily, before it softened. “You’re still my little sister, and I care about you. You were going to get something to eat, right? C’mon, I saved you something.” Asuna’s eyes widened as Kouichirou turned around, striding off down the corridor. She recognized the steps of a nervous man, but…

At least he was trying. Asuna ran a little to catch up, falling in at her brother’s side. “So, what did you save for me?”

Kouichirou smiled secretively. “It’s a surprise.”

“C’mon!” Asuna whined. “I’ll know soon anyway.”

“Nope!” 

“Meanie,” Asuna said, pushing past Kouichirou and scampering down the steps. 

“Judicious secret-keeper.” Kouichirou corrected behind her. Asuna rolled her eyes. 

“This isn’t my birthday, Koichi. Mom’s not gonna be upset because you revealed that she got me another set of gel pens.”

The dining room was a lot darker now than when she had left it. The last time she had lived here, her Father usually stayed here reading the newspaper when he was home from work, and her mother marked down essays on her laptop at the table. Sometimes, the TV would be blaring a mindless show if one of her parents was feeling particularly upset.

It hadn’t always been the most welcoming place, but it had been alive. Now her father’s recliner stood empty. It looked unfamiliar without a newspaper draped over its arm.

“Let’s see what you got for me,” Asuna said, making for the fridge. 

“Ah, hang on, let me open it.” Kouichirou tried to cut around her, already lifting an arm to grab the handle. Asuna preempted his intervention with a judicious step, cutting off his forward momentum with her body and almost stepping on his foot. 

“I got it,” she chirped, swinging open the fridge door. Almost immediately, her eyes honed in on an obviously new package. Oh. she thought. He saved the dumplings.  

“Asuna,” Kouichirou sighed. “I wanted to get that for you.”

“I’m not an invalid anymore,” Asuna snapped, her annoyance bubbling over. “And while I appreciate you saving these for me, you don’t have to act like I’m still stuck in a wheelchair.” She firmly ignored her aching legs. She’d pushed herself hard today at the swimming pool, but she couldn’t show any weakness in front of her brother. He’d just use it as an excuse to coddle her.

She had to be strong.

She had to.

Asuna pulled the plate of dumplings out of the fridge, stomping over to the table, pausing only to grab a pair of chopsticks from the drawer. No matter how hungry she was, she wasn’t a savage. 

Kouichirou settled into the seat opposite hers. He shifted from side to side, his shoulders tight underneath his jacket. Asuna grumbled as she picked up a dumpling. 

“If you have something to say, then say it.”

“Why are you going back into ALO?” Kouichirou raised his hands defensively as Asuna drew in a sharp breath. “I mean, with everything that Sugou did, I expected you to want to stay out of that game.”

Asuna closed her mouth. How could she explain it? The feeling of freedom, of escape that came with donning her Undine guise and soaring through the air. How everything that seemed wrong with her life was ignorable while in Alfheim, that it let her see Tomo and Kazuto. In the end, she settled on the simplest explanation.

“Because it’s fun,” she said, and bit into a dumpling. It didn’t taste quite as good cold, but it was still a very tasty food item, easily on par with what she’d made using rank B ingredients in Aincrad. She chewed it and swallowed, her brow creased in thought. There was more cabbage in there than she had expected, and the spice mixture was unusual on her tongue. She might actually have to go and ask the chef for the recipe, if only to satisfy her own curiosity.

“Fun?” Kouichirou shook his head. “Sorry, I guess I don’t get…”

“How I could want to go back to something that I was trapped in for years?” Asuna tapped the clean end of her chopsticks against her chin, letting her gaze unfocus as she leaned back into memory. 

“Yeah.”

“Well, Aincrad wasn’t all bad. I met my friends there, after all,” Asuna began, and Kouichirou smiled. “What?”

“Nothing,” Her brother shook his head. “It’s just… before this you’d never mention any friends at school, or if you did it was usually about how you had to keep your guard up. I’m glad you found people you can be yourself around.”

Asuna paused. She really had been lonely before Aincrad, hadn’t she? 

“Well, in any case, I was free to figure out who I wanted to be in Aincrad. And then become that sort of person. It was… hard at times, but it was a journey I’ll never forget.”

“But still… why go back?”

“I’m… not sure I can explain.” Asuna admitted, shrinking in on herself under her brother’s gaze. “There’s… so much, and I’m not even certain about some of it.”

Kouichirou sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I shouldn’t have let you try my Nervegear out.” Asuna recoiled at the thought, her chopsticks dropping onto her plate.

“No, you couldn’t have-”

“Why shouldn’t I have?” Kouichirou’s voice rose, cracking with emotion. “I had to watch you lie in bed, not knowing if the next time I came in you’d be dead for two years!” Kouichirou rose to his feet, his hands flashing angrily as he ranted. “And now when you finally wake up, it feels…” Asuna’s brother took a deep shuddering breath, visibly deflating. “It feels like I don't even know you anymore.”

As Kouichirou fell silent, Asuna sat paralyzed. How could she respond. Could she even respond? To this man who grew angry at the drop of a hat? To this stranger that wore her brother’s face?

Eventually, Kouichirou sighed and straightened up, bowing stiffly. “Enjoy your dumplings.” Then he turned and began to walk away.

As he reached the door, Asuna called out.

“I’m not the only one who changed.” 

Kouichirou paused, one hand on the doorframe. His shoulders slumped, and his head bowed. 

“I know.”

Then he left, leaving Asuna alone in a house that had once been her home, at a table that had once been the center of her family, with a plate of dumplings that tasted like ash.

Chapter Text

Asuna wished that she was wearing her heels at the moment. They would click nicely against the tiled floor of the school, letting everyone know that she was not in a good mood. As it was, she just had to scowl, and hope that everyone would stay away. 

The sound of shoes on the floor let her know that her hopes were in vain. Letting her scowl sharpen into a snarl, Asuna whirled around, ready to verbally lambast whoever had dared to approach her. When she caught sight of just who was behind her, she froze.

“Hey Aa-chan. What’s buggin’ ya?” Tomo sauntered up, her lips twitched into a smirk. It was tighter than her normal expression, and her eyes were hooded as they scanned Asuna’s uniform. 

“Who else,” Asuna grumbled, her shoulders untensing slightly. Tomo flinched, before a bitter smile spread across her face.

“I hoped she wouldn’t be gettin’ ta ya still. But at least there’s tonight ta look forward to.”

A brief smile flitted across Asuna’s face at the thought of getting to spend the night with her partners. Then it was quashed by a realization. “I forgot to pack last night.”

“Eh… that’s not too bad,” Tomo dismissed the complaint with a wave, spinning around to start walking down the corridor backwards ahead of Asuna, her hands tucked behind her head. “I mean, I don’t mind sharin’ if ya need it, and I doubt you’ll need much fer just one night.”

“Probably not.” Asuna admitted, dipping her head. “And watch where you’re going, you might hit something.” 

“Nah,” Tomo smiled, her eyes crinkling happily. “Nobody’s gonna be approachin’ ya while yer this—oof!” The collision was sudden as Tomo walked backwards into someone familiar standing in the middle of the corridor, staring at a classroom. 

“Geez, watch where you’re going…” Rika moaned, steadying Tomo with a hand. 

“Bah, sorry,” Tomo wheeled around. “But what were ya doin’ standin’ in the middle o’ the corridor like that? Don’t ya know yer interruptin’ traffic?” Rika glanced around at the empty corridor, before fixing Tomo with a steady gaze and an arched eyebrow. “You know what I mean.” The info broker waved Rika’s gaze away. 

Just as Rika opened her mouth, the bell for homeroom rang. Tomo yelped, and took off down the corridor. “See ya fer lunch, Aa-chan! Make sure Kii-bou saves a seat for me!” Asuna waved an affirmative down the corridor, barely catching a glimpse of Tomo’s grin as she rounded the corner.

“You should keep an eye on her.” Asuna nodded. 

“I’m worried about her burning out trying to keep up with schoolwork and her journalism at the same time.”

Rika shook her head. “That’s not what I mean.” Then the other girl left, a stiffness to her gait that normally wasn’t there. Was she injured?

Asuna shook her head as she walked over to her seat. The last thing Rika would want was for Asuna to be worrying about her. The engineering student was rather proud of her independence, after all. 

The homeroom teacher rapped his knuckles on the desk, calling for quiet, and Asuna allowed herself to sink into the routine of school. 

After the first period, Kirito rose from his seat and walked over to her, Asuna almost rose to meet him halfway, but with a little wave of his hand he signalled her to stay put. Her boyfriend pulled a chair out from behind the desk next to hers, who’s owner had gone to the bathroom and settled down into it. 

“So, you looking forward to tonight?”

Asuna nodded. “Definitely. It’s been too long since we were able to just have a night for the three of us.”

Kirito smiled, that carefree grin that had twisted her heart into knots once upon a time. Now it just brought her a sense of peace, like all was right with the world when Kirito was smiling like that. “Good. I asked Mom if she’d be willing to break out some of the old board games for us, and she found a couple that aren’t too complicated.”

“Aren’t too complicated for me, or aren’t too complicated for you?” Asuna asked, tilting her head. “Because the last time you tried to introduce me to a simple game, the “basic tutorial” you sent me was over ten hours long.”

Kirito flinched. Tomo was still holding it over his head, apparently. “They should be easy to learn for anyone. I played a practice game with Suguha and she seemed to pick up the rules easily enough.”

“Well, then they should probably be okay.” Asuna smiled. Before they could continue their conversation, the bell for the next class rang, and Kirito dragged his seat back into place. The next few classes passed slowly, although Asuna learned that Kirito had gotten permission from his mom to have her over, and that Suguha had volunteered to let Asuna stay on a futon in her room, since the normal guest room was taken up by gaming equipment, and “She deserves better than having to share a room with your NerveGear.”

“That’s nice of her, but I was hoping to sleep with you, and… well, with you.” Asuna barely managed to catch herself before Tomo’s name fell from her lips. From the way that Kirito’s lips curled upwards, it was clear that he understood what went unsaid. 

“Unfortunately…” Kirito smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with one hand. “I don’t think mom would consent to us sharing a room. At least, not while she’s in the house.”

“It’s not like we can’t be quiet.”

“I know that we can, but can Tomo?” Asuna paused, remembering the last time that the trio had managed to sneak some time alone together.

“Bleh.” Asuna shook her head. “Maybe we can try and pass Tomo off as a chaperone?” Kirito opened his mouth to object, but before he could say another word, the aforementioned info broker wrapped an arm around Asuna’s shoulders, sliding into the scene as if from thin air.

“An’ what exactly would I be chaperonin’?” 

“Hi Tomo,” Kirito greeted their girlfriend with a slightly dopey smile. He always got like that whenever he saw the two of them being affectionate. 

Well, it’s better than him being jealous. Asuna thought to herself. She took a moment to bask in the warmth of her girlfriend’s touch before she shrugged away her arm. Tomo took the gesture without complaint, leaning back against one of the desks, her smile undimmed. 

“To answer your question…” Asuna paused to grab the small bento boxes she’d prepared in a rush this morning. “Kirito was just informing me that his mother wouldn’t let me put a futon in his room tonight.”

“An ya wanted ta see if she’d let me supervise ya?” Tomo’s smile grew even bigger. “Well, I promise I won’t bring a camera in, if ya let me get a peek.”

“That’s exactly why mom won’t let either of you put a futon in my room,” Kirito groaned. Tomo giggled, completely unrepentant.

“Eh… why not just take over the livin’ room fer the night? It’s not like we’re gonna be sleepin’ in the nude.” Tomo pointed out. Asuna met Kirito’s eyes, and blinked. Kirito blinked back. 

“Why didn’t I consider that?” Kirito asked himself, rubbing his forehead. “That solves so many problems…”

“It probably would.” Asuna rubbed her chin. 

“I’ll text her the question.”