Equis Art Online II

Chapters

Chapter 1-Guten Morgen
Chapter 2-A Spider's Web
Boss Battle-Wevoc
Chapter 3-Catching Up
Chapter 4-Date Day
Chapter 5-Date Night
Chapter 6-Coldsnap
Boss Battle-Frostprow
Chapter 9-Moments
Chapter 10-Yggdrasil
Chapter 11-Three Stupid Flame Giants
Chapter 12-Muspelheim
Boss Battle-The Warpriest
Chapter 13-Castle Crashing
Boss Battle-Torchbearer
Chapter 14-To Kill a King/Boss Battle-Syrt
Boss Battle-Syrt, Part II
Chapter 15-Well met by Candlelight
Chapter 16-Family Tied
Chapter 17-Starlit Nights and Glory Days
Chapter 18-Preparing
Chapter 19-The Story of Tonight
Chapter 20-The Nights We Have Together
Chapter 21-Return to Eqigard
Boss Battle-The Twilight Eyes
Chapter 22-Recuperation and Exploration, part 1.
Chapter 23-Fall of the King
Chapter 7-Beach Time!
Prologue-Starry Nights
Chapter 8-Frostbite

Chapter 1-Guten Morgen

Kazuto woke up to the light shining through his window. He could tell Sugu and Alice were already downstairs, due to the the sounds of breakfast being made. Kazuto smiled and dressed, before walking downstairs. Alice and Sugu were over by the stove, preparing eggs and toast. Kazuto yawned and streched, then he sat himself down.

"Morning, big Bro!" Sugu said, handing him a plate of eggs.

"Morning, Sugu." Kazuto said. "Morning, Alice."

"Hey, Kiri...I mean, Kazuto. Geez, that's going to be annoying for a while." Alice said, sitting down.

"Yeah, Asuna still has that problem sometimes." Kazuto said, laughing.

"I see. You know, Alice? You joining us in ALO? That's gonna be fun. Not sure if you're gonna be a player or a navigation pixie, though." Sugu said, turning off the stove and sitting down.

"Yeah." Alice said.

"Got any plans, Sugu? I'm free. I mean, it is spring break." Kazuto said, buttering a piece of toast.

"I'm free all day. Practice isn't in session for a few more says. Coach says we deserved a break for all of our hard work."

"Great. Mind messaging Klein, Liz, Silica, Aries, and Sinon? I'll take Asuna." Kazuto said, getting out his phone.

"Sure." Sugu said, getting out her tablet and typing away.

"One sec, guys." Kazuto said, speed-dialing Asuna's number.

"Morning Asuna! Sorry to call so early...Yeah, I'm great. You?...Hey, that's fantastic! You free today?...Great. We'll see you there then. See you soon. Love you too." Kazuto said, then he hung up.

"I take it Asuna's free?" Alice said, lying back in her chair.

"Yes." Kazuto said, finishing his egg.

"Great. Maybe in ALO, we can settle our little feud." Alice said guiltily.

"Hey, it's all good. Don't worry. I've had women fight over me before lots of times." Kazuto said, thinking back to his memories of old ALO.

"Yeah. I guess what Klein says about you being a total women magnet is true, huh?" Sugu said.

"Hey!" Kazuto said, standing up and tripping over his chair, falling to the ground. As Sugu and Alice began to laugh, the sun shone brighter in the sky.

====================================================================================================

ALfheim

Lizbeth's Shop

Yggdrasil City

Kirito and Alice watched as Lizbeth hammered away at his swords, repairing them. Alice was a Sylph with blonde hair, a result of her converted Underworld account. Her armor was similar to that of her old armor, only more robe-like. A blue sword engraved with a rose pattern rested at her side. She was talking to Leafa at the moment. Kirito watched Liz for a bit, then he got an evil smile. Right as Liz was about to start on Kirito's other sword, he smiled and yelped.

"You almost done. Liz?"

Lizbeth dropped the sword and flipped him off, then she smiled weakly.

"You know, Kirito? It takes time to repair gear to 100 percent durability. I'm doing my best. AND Don't think I've forgiven you for when you called me a swindler."

"I get it. Besides, it being just you and me, plus Yui, Alice and Leafa, so it's kinda boring." Kirito said, to which Leafa nodded, but at that moment, the rest of the group arrived. Klein, Silica, Sinon, Asuna, and Hyoma walked in, all of them chatting.

"Took you guys long enough." Lizbeth said, giving Kirito his swords.

"Hey. Early morning means still getting up. Besides, your little request for some orienting in ALO was last minute. Took me a while to get started is all." Klein said defensively.

"Point taken." Kirito said as everyone sat down. Leafa smiled at Aries, who blushed and sat down.

"Where's Yuuki?" Kirito asked Asuna.

"She's clearing floors in New Aincrad with the Sleeping Knights. She said she would have loved to join, but she was caught up with rehab and getting reoriented with ALO." Asuna said.

"Alright." Kirito said.

Leafa looked over at Aries, who was chatting with Silica. She smiled and sighed.

"I really do like him. He's cute in-game and IRL..." She thought.

"I'm really starting to think you two are made for each other." Asuna said, interrupting her thoughts, which caused Hyoma and Leafa to drop their jaws, look at each other, blush, and then shrug.

"Guess I'm right about that." Asuna said, sitting down next to Kirito, and leaning on his shoulder. Kirito smiled and leaned on Asuna, causing Klein to gag.

"What was that for, Klein?" Silica said disapprovingly, and Pina crowed approvingly.

"I swear, that guy has NO TROUBLE getting chicks to like him. I swear, it makes me sick!" Klein said, pouting by the window.

"Maybe it's your attitude about girls, Klein, that does it for you."

All eyes turned to the massive Gnome in the doorway, with a bright expression.

"Agil. Nice to see you." Kirito said nonchalantly, shaking his hand.

"You too, Kirito. Wife gave me some free time. Thought I'd join you guys with helping orient Alice." Agil said, sitting down.

"Thanks." Alice said, blushing slightly.

"No problem." Agil replied, then, a system dialogue opened up in front of each player, including Alice and Agil.

SYSTEM LOGIN-ID HEATHCLIFF

BRING UP STATUS FOR EQIGARD DLC-01 PASSCODE-INNOVATION

CHECKING...PASSCODE ACCEPTED

STATUS OPEN

SYSTEM COMMAND-REOPEN EQIGARD TERMINUS-RESURRECT BOSS-0

TERMINUS REOPENED

THE EQIGARD DLC IS NOW OPEN TO YOU

As the dialogue faded, Kirito gasped slightly.

"Hey Kirito? I thought the DLC for ALO was canceled. What's up?" Agil asked.

"It wasn't canceled. Kayaba used it as cover to open a portal between dimensions. Eqigard is the cover name for the realm of Equestria. YOu know that girl Twilight?" Leafa said.

"Yeah, we had a party at the cafe' for her. What about her?"

"She's from Eqigard. Or Equestria, I should say." Asuna said.

"Damn. Wasn't expecting that." Agil said, and Alice put up a thoughtful gesture.

"I don't remember meeting this "Twilight", Kirito." Alice said.

"We meet her three weeks before I met you, Alice."

"How did a being from another reality get to ours?" Agil asked.

"Kayaba." Asuna said simply.

"That clears up a bunch." Agil said. "I always knew he was alive."

"Technically, he is and he isn't, Agil. What do you say we head over to the dungeon where the portal is at?" Aries said, sliding his finger down the blade of his longsword.

"Sounds good to me." Agil said.

"Let's get going, then!" Kirito said, and a chorus of "YEAH!" erupted from each person.

===================================================================================================

Eqigard Terminus

The group watched the swirling rainbow vortex shimmering in the stone frame. Agil smiled and chuckled.

"Had I known there was a portal between realities in ALO, I would have notified the GMs."

"It's our secret, Agil. The only ones that know about it are us." Kirito said.

"Well, technically every player in ALO knows about it, since the DLC was announced." SIlica said.

"WE'RE the only ones that know its true purpose, though." Lizbeth said while stroking Pina on the head, who crowed.

"Yeah. Shall we?" Kirito asked. Asuna nodded and the two of them walked in together, followed by Leafa and Hyoma, Klein and Liz, Silica and Sinon, lastly Agil and Alice. As the last member entered, the portal waved and closed. Five minutes later, it reopened. Then, interrupting the silence, a Salamander walked down. Clad in heavy red armor with black stripes, and wielding a black greatsword, his face was obscured by a mask. He smiled and walked through the portal, with a smile on his face. Then, the portal finally closed.

====================================================================================================

Chapter 2-A Spider's Web

As the familiar white flash faded from their eyes, the group smiled. The familiar sight of the ruined castle they had stayed in graced their eyes.. Agil smiled and looked around.

"This it, Kirito?"

"Not really, Agil. There's more." Kirito replied.

"Good." Agil said. "This DLC better be worth the trip."

Kirito laughed a little, then he sat down next to Asuna. Silica and Liz sat next to Klein, while Leafa and Aries sat together. Alice and Agil finally sat down as well. Kirito opened his inventory and passed around a few loaves of bread and some fish.

"Man, this is the definition of roughing it." Kiritio said, taking a bite.

"Yeah. No pup tents and S'mores though." Aries quipped.

As the group laughed, Alice laid back against a wall and smiled.

"You know? When I first started playing this game, Kirito, I wasn't expecting this."

"Yeah." Kirito said. "Kind of a surprise for us too."

"We should get some rest. We'll need it." Agil said, looking at the sun dipping below the horizon.

"Alright." Klein said, yawning.

As the group extinguished the fire and drifted off to sleep, a small spider watched them. It squeaked, and then dove back into the forest.

====================================================================================================

Twilight woke up and stretched. She checked the DimGear rig. Red, as it had been for the past three weeks. She sighed and walked downstairs to Spike cooking breakfast.

"Morning, Spike." she said.

"Morning." Spike yawned, and his eyes darted from side to side.

"Anything happen yet?" She said, with a curious look.

"Star spider invasion." Spike said sleepily.

"WHAT!?" Twilight barked, and she ran outside. True to Spike's word, a massive Star Spider, bigger than Ponyville square, was screeching wildly. The Royal Guards stationed at Ponyville were doing their best to fend the Spider off, but they were failing. Twilight ran towards the guards, which the Spider noticed. It turned to look at her, the spider's fangs dripping with poison.

"Well, well, well." it said evilly. "You can see, little pony, that you and your forces are...outmatched." it cackled.

"How can you speak?" Twilight asked, shocked.

"Members of my brood can speak your tongue, pony. I am the last. I am Queen Wevoc, leader of Silkshard web." she cackled, before baring her fangs, dripping with bright blue venom.

"Whatever you are here for, Wevoc, I'm sure we can settle this peacefully." Twilight said.

"There will be no negotiation, pony. I fear no one. The world is an insect, ripe for dinner, caught in a web." it spoke, before charging, with its fangs bared. Then, there was a fiery explosion. The Guards and Twilight were thrown back. The spider clawed at its face in agony. Twilight gasped at the silver-black arrow embedded in one of Wevoc's eyes. She recognized that arrow. Only one being used those arrows.

"Hey! Ugly-ass spider!" a familiar voice yelled.

All eyes, pony and star spider, turned to the group of fairies flying in the air above Twilight. She gasped at the sight of her friends. Kirito. Asuna. Klein. Lizbeth. Silica. Aries. Sinon. There were two she didn't recognize, one with brown skin carrying a huge battle-axe, the other with honey-blonde hair and a blue shortsword. They set themselves down whilst drawing their weapons. Kirito walked over and helped Twilight up.

"Been a bit." he quipped.

"Kirito..." Twilight said.

"You want us to get rid of your little infestation?" Aries said, his face grinning. This comment made Wevoc growl in anger.

"Please do." Twilight said. "I don't think I can fight this one."

"Sounds good to me!" Kirito said, charging forward. One by one, the others charged as well. Wevoc bared her fangs and charged as well. Three green HP bars appeared, along with the boss marker and a name.

WEVOC-THE VENOMOUS SNARE

Kirito crossed blades with Asuna. This was it.

Boss Battle-Wevoc

Wevoc charged wildly, her fangs spewing acidic venom in all directions. Kirito and Asuna dodged the spray, crossing their blades in an X pattern. Wevoc recoiled, sucked in air, and then spat out several bright blue webs, laced with paralyzing venom. Asuna sped to the side to dodge, but Kirito slashed through them, weaving like a snake. Then, he slid under Wevoc and into her blind spot. Grinning, he thrust his black longsword straight into her belly. Roaring in pain, she rolled over and back, throwing Kirito over and into the street. Then, Asuna dove into the air and launched Starry Tear, landing five damaging hits across her thorax. Wevoc screeched, and her first HP bar nearly depleted. Klein charged in from the side and triggered a flame sword skill. Slicing neatly, he severed one of Wevoc's front legs in a flame-cloaked slash. Wevoc roared in pain and spat another series of webs. Klein flew up at the perfect moment, while Silica charged.

"PINA! Bubble Breath!" she yelled.

Pina crowed and spat out a large volley of blue bubbles. The bubbles hit Wevoc right in the face, confusing her.

"Now's your chance!" Silica yelled while slashing at the wildly thrashing legs.

"Got it!" Aries yelled, and he and Leafa charged, each triggering a sword skill. Slashing and diving, Aries sped past the encroaching venom-webs. Wevoc growled and tore up a huge chunk of the street. Throwing it like a Shot Put, the impact sent Klein flying, which slammed him into Twilight's palace. Groaning, he got back up and drank a health potion. He then charged, Lizbeth at his side. She slammed her mace into the left side of Wevoc's face. As she screeched in agony, her second HP bar depleted, leaving one at around two/thirds full. She then screeched loudly, and then she began to tear up the ground, smiling wide whilst doing so. The group stopped and tensed up.

"POISON WAVE ATTACK IN THREE!" Yui yelled.

"Two!"

"One!"

Wevoc then sprayed a large tidal wave of venom straight at the group. Before anyone could do anything, Aries kicked himself into the air, and chanting a spell, sent a tornado straight at Wevoc. The cyclone sent the venom in all directions, showering the town with poison. Wevoc took the full force of the spell, sending her flying backwards. The group charged, while Sinon leaped into the air and shot a fire arrow. After a massive succession of blows, Wevoc's last health bar depleted. Screeching, she disintegrated. Then, the familiar message appeared.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

The group cheered, and the loot screen appeared. Twilight walked up, and Kirito turned and smiled.

"Hey Twi."

"Kirito. You probably should have told me you were coming back."

"We didn't plan on it either." Asuna said.

"I see. Who are those two?" Twilight asked, and Agil smiled.

"I'm Andrew. You can call me Agil. This here's Alice." he said, placing a large hand on Alice's shoulder.

"Pleasure to meet you both." Twilight said. "You all hungry?"

"Yep." Klein said, smiling.

"I've got eggs on the stove. Come on in." Twilight said, and the group followed her inside.

Chapter 3-Catching Up

As the group sat themselves down, Twilight looked over at Kirito. His once warm face was showing signs of being tired.

"He seems a bit more...on edge." she thought.

"Hey Twi. I think we should probably update you on what's happened in our world."

"Go ahead."

"I almost died."

"Get outta here!" Twilight said, shocked. "What do you mean? Like, were you attacked or something like that?"

"Yeah. Here's what happened..."

=====================================================================================================

"And that pretty much wraps that up."

Twilight was saddened greatly.

"I should have been there for you..."

"It's fine, Twi. I'm over it. Kikuoka agreed to reimburse my folks for what happened, plus Kanamoto's now in prison. So, everything worked out."

"Okay. Let me tell you about what's happened since you left Equestria..."

=====================================================================================================

"And THAT'S what's happened."

"So Twi, you time traveled?" Klein asked.

"Yep."

"Again?" Klein added.

"Yep."

"Well, that settles it. I'm done with reality."

Agil laughed out loud.

"It's not funny, Agil." Klein said.

"It kinda is, Klein." Sinon said, chuckling herself.

"Not you too, Sinon?" Klein said miserably.

Kirito sighed as Asuna placed her head on his shoulder.

"Anything new recently, Twi?"

"Just a few dozen letters from Prince Blueblood." Twi said.

"About what?" Silica said. "What could that idiot want with you?"

"He wants..."

"What?" Everyone else asked.

"A date." Twilight said, exasperated.

"WHAT????" Everyone in the group yelled.

"Yeah. For the last TWO WEEKS I've gotten letters from him daily. They're all asking for the same thing. A dinner date in Canterlot."

"Why?" Aries asked flatly.

"Because we're both nobility, and we are on opposing sides."

"Of what?" Leafa asked.

Twilight took a breath. "Ever since what happened at the gala became public, at lot of ponies are hailing you all as heroes. Even a good amount of the nobility. Blueblood leads a group of ponies, all nobles, that claim you were all dangerous and should've been treated as such. They're not very popular, so I think Blueblood is trying to bridge that gap."

"So, it's politically motivated?" Aries asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, I have an idea." Aries asked.

"What?"

"You go on this date. Before you sputter and object, I'll be with you."

"How?" Twilight said.

"Simple."

Aries then pulled up his hood, and chanted a strange spell.

"Ek. Sterra. Vani. Heril."

Aries vanished from sight, leaving a faint outline of himself where he was standing.

"Impressive." Agil said.

"It's called Vanish into Night. High-level llusion spell. Renders caster and party, if wanted, nearly invisible. One drawback. It has a limited duration. It has to be recast, with an increasing MP cost, each time. Mainly used to sneak past monsters in New Aincrad, but I think with this, I can be your invisible guardian." Aries said, reappearing.

"Sweet." Twilight said.

"Also, I picked up a new skill."

Aries drew and threw a knife straight across the room. As he walked to retrieve it, Yui applauded.

"What's up, Yui?"Asuna asked,

"It's one of the hidden skills that was brought to ALO while you were in Underworld, Daddy. Apart from a few new sword skills, a few player skills were added. One of them was Knife throwing."

"Cool." Kirito said.

Aries sheathed his knife and walked back over to Leafa.

"So, Twi, you gonna write that letter to that complete-jerk-of-a-prince?" Sinon asked. "It is rude to not reply to letters regardless."

"Might as well."

As the group walked upstairs, Twilight sat down at her desk.

Dear Prince Blueblood,

I have received your...many letters. Though I know what you are like, and how you acted towards my friend Rarity, I accept your offer, but JUST. THIS. ONCE. And I do have a few conditions, which follow.

I will be bringing a guardian for my own personal protection. He will only intervene if there is a threat, direct, indirect, or any whatsoever, on me.

I expect to not hear ANY of your opinions on my guests, who you know as the Fairies of ALfheim, led by the Black Swordsman, Kirito. (Yes, he and his group are here again, and I am lodging them. They are pretty friendly once you get to know them, though.)

I expect clean and thoughtful conversation from you, and I daresay you expect the same from one who (Through the Titles of Nobility law of 1695) technically outranks you in status.

I await the date from you, and I do expect you to behave yourself, for I will not hesitate to leave if either I feel or my guardian advises it is necessary.

Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight sealed the envelope and placed in in her mailbox.

"This in gonna be a tough one." she said to herself, before she walked upstairs to rejoin her guests.

===================================================================================================

Chapter 4-Date Day

"This isn't a good idea, Twilight."

Twilight sighed. After summoning her friends (and telling them about the date) Rarity was less than pleased with the idea. That was the fifth time she had been told that it was a bad idea.

"Rarity, I can't stand it either. BUT I think It might actually do some good for him."

"HOW CAN IT DO GOOD? He was a complete moron to me!" Rarity said, shocked. "YOU KNOW!"

"But not to ME. He might act different towards a princess. I outrank him in social status. Besides, if anything goes wrong, Aries will be there."

Rarity gave Twilight a look that said simply "Remember the Gala?"

Twilight sighed.

"Yes, I do remember what happened at the Gala. Blueblood did say in the papers that he will give credit where credit is due."

"AND he also said that Kirito and his friends were dangerous and should have been locked up!"

As Twilight and Rarity continued to argue, Kirito looked over at Rainbow.

"Has it always been this bad?"

"Never this bad. Blueblood was a complete and utter jerk to Rares the last time they met."

"How big of a jerk?"

"Don't ask."

Kirito sighed and walked back upstairs. The group looked up at him from their card game.

"They still arguing?" Sinon said, drawing a card. "They've been at it for thirty minutes now!"

"Yeah. I know it sucks, but I think everything could go nicely. Twilight briefed me on Equestria's Titles of Nobility law of 1685, and she technically outranks her, based on the fact that she rules a kingdom."

"Then why isn't Blueballs an Alicorn then?" Leafa asked.

"Because he's not a direct descendant of Celestia. He is her nephew, but he's like medium distance relative."

"Wouldn't it be funny if that Blueblood pony actually..." Klein started

DING-DONG!

"Showed up." Aries said, finishing Klein's sentence.

"We'll get it." Kirito said, and Aries nodded. As they walked downstairs, Twilight opened the door to reveal a cloaked pony.

"Prince Blueblood. Come on in. Can't say I was expecting you." Twilight said with mock respect.

"How'd you know it was me, Princess?" Blueblood said, walking in and taking off his cloak.

"I got your letter." Twilight said as she waved Blueblood's reply in his face. "You didn't say you would show up early."

"Sorry about that. I hope I didn't interrupt anything. So, I have everything reserved and ready. I just came to confirm with you." he said, eyeing Rarity like a piece of roadkill, to which Rarity huffed.

"Fine. I already have my dress picked, so I could say I'm ready." Twilight said, breaking the tension.

"Alright. I will pick you and your guardian up at six sharp. I'll teleport us to the restaurant, so we can arrive on schedule for our reservations at seven, Princess."

"Thank you. I must say, you are being...surprisingly pleasant with me. No real formalities."

"I did look into the law you mentioned in your letter." Blueblood said. "You are in fact, correct. I was rather embarrassed to find that out."

"Like the time Yuuki kicked your ass?" Aries joked, to which Kirito nodded.

Blueblood glared at Aries, and then he turned to Twilight.

"I can presume that's your guardian?" Blueblood asked.

"You presumed correctly." Twilight said.

"I see. I had best get going. See you at six sharp."

Blueblood bowed, and in a flash, he was gone.

"That was unexpected." Rarity said, a little shocked.

"Big time." Twilight said.

"Twi? Can I talk to you for a sec?" Aries asked, and he pulled her into a corner.

"Something's up. I just know it."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember three weeks ago? How he treated us? I think that sort of thing doesn't go away without a fight. It's like a poison knife. You think the stab wound is bad, but the poison makes it worse."

"What does a poisoned knife have to do with this?"

"It means that's what happened to him. Yuuki kicked his ass, and insulted him in front of everyone. The ass kicking was the knife. The insults were the poison. Something is wrong here. From what I know, he's usually pretty uptight and fastidious about everything. Now, he's suddenly so casual? That, to me, makes no sense whatsoever."

"Yeah. I can see your point." Twilight said, thinking.

"I think he's gonna do something stupid tonight, so I wanna ask that do have a few...let's say...precautions in place."

"Go ahead."

"One. Keep an eye on your drink. A lot of things can dissolve in water, poison or drugs included. It it looks, smells, or tastes funny to you, don't. drink. it. PERIOD. Two. Don't turn your back on him at any moment. Simply put, watch him at all times. Three. If something is offered to you "on the house" or the like, don't accept it. And keep not accepting, especially if they're pushing it. Four. Be on your guard. If the situation feels unsafe or uncomfortable at all, for any reason, don't hesitate to call me over, or leave. Five. Don't accept gifts that can be eaten or drunk. They could be laced with something."

"Sounds fine." Twilight said.

"Okay. One more thing. WATCH. YOUR. BACK. If anything seems out of place, it most likely is." Aries said.

"Fine! Can we be done now?" Twilight asked.

"Alright. Just remember what I told you." Aries said, walking off to rejoin Kirito. As Twilight thought about what she had been told, Blueblood walked towards his private Train. He smiled to himself.

"It took some convincing, but everything is going smoothly." He thought. As he entered his booth, he looked at the small vial he had been given.

"It's showtime." He said, before lying back on his bed, his mind awash will malice.

Chapter 5-Date Night

"You ready, Twi?" Aries asked.

Twilight sighed. It was quarter to six. Rarity had made her a pastel-blue gown for the occasion. She was grateful for it, but the warning from Rarity of "Don't trust him, no matter what." still creeped her out.

"Yeah, he should be here soon. And don't you look great."

Aries smiled. He was wearing his green suit, only his bracers, boots, cloak, and swords were present. He looked at himself in the window.

"You know, I would't look out of place as a US Secret Service agent. You know, the people who protect the US President."

"I've read a bit about them, and I have to agree with that."

The doorbell suddenly rang. Twilight opened it to an immaculately groomed Blueblood, who smiled.

"I dare ask if you and your...guardian are prepared?" He asked, frowning at Aries slightly.

"We are. Shall we get going?" Twilight said, breaking the uncomfortable moment.

"We shall."

There was a bright light, and Twilight, Blueblood, and Aries were standing in front of a restaurant. Twilight could see the Canterlot skyline all around them.

"Canterlot? How appropriate." Twilight said, to which Blueblood nodded. Escorting them inside, Aries pulled up his cloak and turned invisible. Blueblood, preoccupied with talking to the usher, did not see it. Twilight nodded. As the usher brought them to a table near a fabulous view of the Skyline, a few ponies looked, whispered, and gasped.

"Don't mind them. They're always gossiping. As nobility, I learned that rather quickly."Blueblood said.

"I'm nobility as well, Blueblood. I think it would be helpful to remember that."

"Forgive me. When I learned of your coronation, I was rather taken aback. A commoner becoming a princess. Quite unheard of." Blueblood said, sitting down, along with Twilight. Aries sat on a veranda, near the door to the balcony.

"It was surprising for me, too. I mean, becoming a Princess. That to me, the thought was nearly impossible to fathom."

"Same for a few select members of the nobility." Blueblood said, taking a menu.

"What do you mean by that?"

"A few nobles have been filing with Celestia to strip your title from you or else do worse."

"Why?" Twilight said, shocked.

"They see commoners as forever commoners, no matter what happens. I would know this because as Celestia's nephew, I have access to Royal court records. Every judge in Canterlot has thrown their case out, Yet they persist like a dog after a bone. They claim that the spell you fixed isn't grounds for a coronation, let alone ruling a kingdom. They say your Alicornhood led directly to the Tirek incident."

"I really don't see why..."

"Listen, Princess. They're taking matters, shall we say, into their own hands. I've heard rumors of an assassination plot, to take place TONIGHT." Blueblood said in a dead whisper. "I tried to alert the police, but they were already paid off, I believe. We need to make this quick."

"Then why are we still here?" Twilight said.

"It's safe here. I reserved this room for reasons you should know. One entrance, and those windows are shatterproof. No one can get in here."

"What if the windows shatter somehow?"

"That would require tornado-force winds. Everything is fine. I checked the staff and server backgrounds myself. I had the Guard sweep the restaurant for hidden weapons, bombs, the like. We should be safe."

"Well, then how do YOU think of it?"Twilight said, a bit put off.

Blueblood sighed.

"As I said, it was a shock. You've done a lot for Equestria, I will admit. But you deserved it."

"Thank you. I must say, our dinner is here."

As the waiter placed their orders in front of them, Twilight, while Blueblood was occupied with the drinks, she scanned it quickly with a toxin-detection spell.

"Nothing." Twilight said, and Aries nodded, still cloaked.

"And thank you for understanding." Blueblood said, and the waiter nodded and left.

"Well, Bon' Appetit." Blueblood said, and they began to dine. After around thirty minutes, they finished.

"I must say, you do know how to treat a mare on a date, Blueblood."

"I certainly do." Blueblood said, and his horn glowed. A massive gold bubble encompassed the table, and before Twilight could react, she was hit with a paralysis spell.

"I've always wanted to do this." Blueblood said, taking out a vial of liquid. "It's called Imperium. The only known chemical that can kill an alicorn. I planned this to perfection!" he said, while drawing a knife. Standing on top of the paralyzed Twilight, a look of fright plastered on her face, he raised the knife, ready to kill.

"GAHHH!" he suddenly screamed, and a black iron sword blade threw itself through his chest. Aries decloaked as he gripped his claymore, now impaled in Blueblood's back.

"Not if I can stop you." he said, pulling his blade out of Blueblood's side, leaving a holographic red gash. He screamed in pain and collapsed, dropping the knife and the vial. Twilight, breaking free from the spell, stood up shakily.

"Aries..."

"Let's get out of here..." Aries said. As soon as he finished, Blueblood swung a rapier towards his. Quick as a flash, Aries drew his parrying blade and blocked the slash. Triggering a sword skill, he swung upwards, cutting the rapier blade in two. Aries growled, and slammed his fist into Blueblood's face, knocking him out. He stood up and sighed. Activating the message function, he sent an SOS to Kirito.

"The others are on the way. We should alert the Royal Guard." Twilight said.

"I'm not going to let you."

The eyes of Aries and Twilight turned to the waiter, along with around ten others, all wielding swords and clubs.

"You two shall perish here, and no one will BE THE WISER!" He screamed, hurtling fowards. Before Aries could react, he was slammed into the wall. The waiter had a maniacal gleam in his eyes. Twilight put up a shield, and the others stalked around it, like wolves on a deer. Aries gagged, the waiter's sword to his throat.

"NOW, DIE!" the waiter screamed, but before he knew it, he was picked up by an unseen being.

"Nice try."

All eyes turned to Agil, who was carrying his axe and the waiter, now squeaking with fright.

"Now, all you ponies scram and turn yourselves in. Understood?" Agil said, throwing the waiter straight into the mob, toppling a few. The mob was paralyzed with fright, and they didn't move.

"Nice timing, Agil." Aries said, getting up.

"Kirito and the others are getting the Guard. They should arrive soon. And We should get going." Agil said. At that moment, a large group of Guardsponies entered, followed by Celestia, Kirito, and Asuna. Celestia scowled at the unconscious body of her nephew.

"I expected better of you, Blueblood. Arrest him."

Three guards moved forward and cuffed him, and dragged him out, along with the mob.

"I thank you for saving Twilight, Aries."

"Thanks. Let's head to Ponyville and get some rest. We're gonna need some." Aries said. As the group teleported out, another fairy watched them. He was clad in maroon armor similar to that of a Greek legionnaire, with a brown cloak and a long black skirt. His iron longsword was broad and sharp. A large rectangular shield rested on his back. His face was completely obscured by a Greek-style helmet.

"Guess I'd better get moving." He said in a determined voice, and he pulled out a teleport crystal.

"Ponyville." he said, and he vanished in blue light, leaving no trace of him being there.

Chapter 6-Coldsnap

As Aries and Twilight teleported back into Ponyville square, they were greeted by what was left of the group.

"What the HELL happened?" Sinon said, shocked. "We just got your message..."

"Blueblood tried to kill Twi. I stopped him, though we had to teleport out in order to save our sorry asses from being slaughtered by a mob."

"Shit." Klein said, shocked.

"The mob was probably a bunch of Blueball's lackeys." Lizbeth said, hefting her mace onto her shoulder.

"Yeah. We should get moving back to Twilight's castle." Aries said, noting Twilight's labored breathing.

"I'm fine..." Twilight said, but she then gasped for breath.

"Twi?"

"He...got me." Twi said, passing out.

"TWI!" Everyone yelled, and they quickly gathered her up and launched towards the castle at top speed. Slamming the door open, they set her down on the bed. Liquid was coming out of her mouth, and she was coughing wildly.

"GET A DOCTOR!" Agil yelled, and Silica and Pina rushed out.

"Twi?"

Spike saw Twilight, and he gasped.

"TWI!"

"Spike, stay back! We don't know what's going on!" Aries said, and as he fumbled for a Cure potion, Silica arrived, along with Nurse Redheart.

"What's going on?"

"She just passed out and began coughing up that liquid."

"We need..."

"Me."

All eyes turned to Celestia, who nearly sprinted in the door. The surprising thing was that she was wearing a satchel. She sat down next to Twilight, and took what looked like gold, green, and black moss out of the pouch, and gently fed it to Twilight. She swallowed and soon, the coughing and liquid stopped, and she lay still, her breathing resuming back to normal pace. Celestia sighed and stood up. The group sighed as a whole.

"What was that?" Asuna asked.

"It's Ambrosia. The only known substance that can counter the effects of Imperium. It's the only known substance that can cure fatal wounds." Celestia said.

"Good thing you had that." Agil quipped.

"It is. She needs rest and protection. I know of a small town, Bristail, that I take vacations at sometimes. It's isolated and protected. I think you and the element bearers should stay there for the time being. The beach should do her good." Celestia said. "I'll notify the element bearers. They'll join you shortly. I'll also notify the Train conductors to prep a line for you."

"Thanks. I think a seaside town might not be bad." Asuna said, and Klein giggled a bit.

"What's so funny?"

"You gave me a funny image, a stupid thought, whatever you want to call it."

"Does said thought involve seeing Asuna in a swimsuit?" Kirito said, with a dangerous tone.

"It may...OUCH!" Klein yelped.

Kirito punched Klein straight across the face, with no holding back.

"Wrong answer, Klein." Asuna said, and Kirito laughed. Agil then had to hold Klein for a solid three minutes before he calmed down.

"Well, we should get moving." Alice said.

As the group walked out, Celestia teleported away in a flash, while the Salamander player watched them from the air. He smiled under his helmet.

"Now's the time...scratch that. When we get to this "Bristail," we'll talk."

As Twilight was brought out on a stretcher by a returned Celestia, then loaded onto the train, Aries looked up at the sky. He thought he saw another fairy, but he shrugged and hurried to catch up with the others. As the train left, with the Salamander on top, the air suddenly grew cold. A glittering frost came up from the ground, and a face formed. Black eyes and jagged pearl white teeth smiled evilly. As the frost settled itself near the smokestack, the moon disappeared behind a cloud.

Boss Battle-Frostprow

As Frostprow charged, the warriors prepared to dodge to the side. However, luck was not in their favor. Frostprow leaped into the air and slammed his horns into the ground. A massive barrage of icicles launched into the air and began to rain down like meteors. The blasts from their impact sent the players flying.

"This isn't looking good! He's too fast!" Leafa said.

"Double that!" Klein said, slashing through a particularly large icicle.

"We need to regroup and hit it with everything we have!" Aries said, drawing his claymore.

"Got it! Let's go!" Kirito said, kicking up sand as he drew his Frost blade. As he charged, Frostprow growled and recoiled back.

"Ice Quake attack in three!" Yui yelled.

"Two!"

"One!"

Frostprow slammed his right hoof into the earth, shattering the ground and sending an earthquake towards Kirito. Kirito leaped into the air, and slashed at Frostprow's horns. Landing a cut, he sneaked a look at the boss's HP bar. The slash had barely dented it.

"Damn." Kirito swore, dodging a stomp from Frostprow.

"How are we supposed to beat this guy?" Sinon said, shooting an arrow.

"Beats meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Klein said as the quake toppled him.

Suddenly, what looked like a large oaken war-horn appeared in the shattered ground. Aries's eyes opened in realization.

"Kirito! Get the horn!"

Kirito looked at Aries in surprise, but he ran forward and snatched it. Leaping backward, a system notification appeared.

KIRITO HAS PICKED UP THE HORN OF TRIUMPH

Kirito drew a breath, and blew into the horn. What he got was unexpected. A large blast of sound, similar to a guttural war cry, hit the boss straight in the face. Then, Frostprow collapsed on one knee, and another notification appeared.

FROSTPROW SUBMITS TO THE TRIUMPHANT

And a timer began to count down from thirty seconds. Agil rushed forward and slammed his axe into the boss's bent knee. Frostprow did not utter a sound, but his HP gauge depleted drastically, cutting down nearly seven-eights of the first bar.

"Kirito! It's a damage boost! Hit him now!" Agil yelled.

"On it! CHARGE!"

As the fairies charged, Frostprow continued to bow. As the warriors slashed, cut, and gouged, the timer ran out. Frostprow roared and stood back up. As the warriors backed away to safety, yet another notification appeared.

FROSTPROW RISES AGAINST THE TRIUMPHANT

As Frostprow stomped, slammed, and rammed at the Warriors, Asuna panted hard.

"Kirito! My MP's almost dried up! We need to finish this!"

"Got it!"

Then, another war-horn appeared. Thinking quickly, Agil blew hard, staggering the boss.

FROSTPROW SUBMITS TO THE TRIUMPHANT

As the warriors charged as one, each readying a sword skill, Kirito jumped and slashed wildly, leading to a massive succession of blows that finished off Frostprow. As the boss disintegrated, The group collapsed to the ground, exhausted. As the Congratulations message appeared, Kirito sighed.

"That was tough."

"Yeah. Is it me, or are these boss-fights getting progressively tougher and more complicated?" Leafa said.

"I have to agree with Leafa on that one. These bosses aren't from ALO, so who's making them? The GMs?" Aries added.

"You're right. It is really weird." Lizbeth said.

"Let's get some rest. We need it." Kirito said.

As the group entered the house, they saw Twilight talking to a fairy clad in strange armor. He noticed the group, and he smiled underneath his helmet.

"Nice job clearing that boss, Kazuto."

Kirito flinched slightly.

"Have we met?" he asked. "I don't believe we have."

"We have met. Think carefully. Luck plays you into its hands..." he said. At that, Asuna started to chuckle, then she began to laugh out loud.

"Way to make an entrance, DAD." She said, hugging him tight and smiling wide.

Shozou Yuki smiled and hugged Asuna back, leaving the group, especially Kirito, aghast.

"Mr. Yuuki? You play ALO?" Kirito asked, rather shocked.

"Well, a few things, Kazuto. One, I decided to start playing a few days ago. Two, you can call me Shozou or Arec, depending on what you want. And three, well, Asuna's mother put in a good word for it."

"I see. Welcome to the group." Agil said. As they shook hands and introductions went around, the moon rose into the sky.

===================================================================================================

Chapter 9-Moments

As the group woke up, the sun was slowly rising. Rising up out of bed, Kirito yawned. As he stood up, he noticed the rest of the guys getting up as well, all in states of drowsiness.

"Great night. You guys?" Kirito asked.

"Never better." Aries said.

"Agreed." Shouzou said.

"Definitely." Agil said.

Klein yawned.

As the boys went downstairs, they found the girls and the element bearers cooking breakfast. Sitting down at the table, the girls set plates of food in front of each of them. Asuna took a seat next to Kirito and her dad, and they promptly leaned on each other. Shouzou sighed, and smiled.

"It was somewhat like that when I met your mother, Asuna." he said.

"I can see that." Asuna replied, not taking her head off Kirito's shoulder.

"Definitely." Kirito said.

As the conversation went on, the doorbell rang. Twilight answered it to reveal Cadance and Armor, who were both in various states of relief on seeing Twilight awake. As the talk continued, now including Armor and Cadance, the talk turned to the assassination attempt.

"It does seem odd why many of the nobility here would just...mark you as a threat." Shouzou said.

"It really is. I just don't know why they would just suddenly decide to kill me." Twilight said, sighing. Cadance put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder in a reassuring way. As the two of them hugged, Armor looked over at Shouzou.

"So, Shouzou...dang, can't think of a good conversation starter." Shining said, and Shouzou chuckled.

"It's often easy to find. People, or ponies, just don't seem to see that."

"I will admit, you are full of advice."

"Helps when you have a child like Asuna here." Shouzou said, and Asuna blushed.

"I see. Thing is, Cadance here's pregnant. And she's due soon. Twily and her friends know, but I think you don't. You got any advice for an expectant dad?"

Shouzou sighed.

"I've had two children, so I guess I can say a few things I've learned..."

"Like what?"

"It helps to alternate jobs and plan things out. Often, it leads to less fights over duties." Shouzou said.

Armor nodded and scribbled down the advice on a notepad.

"Shouzou? You said you had two children. Asuna's here, but where's the other?" Cadance asked.

"My son, Kouichirou, is in the United States for his education. He sends letters every so often." Shouzou said.

"I see." Armor said.

Yeah. Hey, Asuna? Would Kouichirou like me?" Kirito asked.

"He would. He's pretty easygoing." Asuna replied, and Kirito sighed. Aries set down his juice and walked upstairs. Leafa looked at him nervously, and then followed. As Aries entered the bedroom, he sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands.

"Aries? You okay?" Leafa asked, sitting next to him.

"I dunno, Leafa. I guess you could say I'm just tired." Aries replied.

"I am, too. I mean, that boss battle…"

"It's not the boss battle that's got me tired. It's the fact that Asuna and Kirito have so much together. I mean, I've never really been close with a girl before. Asher was the girl magnet in our family...when he was alive." Aries replied. Leafa smiled, and kissed him on the cheek, then she pulled back quickly. Aries blushed and turned away.

"That count as close with a girl?" Leafa asked, and Aries nodded.

"Come on. Let's head back downstairs." Leafa said, taking Aries by the hand.

Chapter 10-Yggdrasil

As Leafa and Aries sat back down, they mainly ate and listened to the conversation at hand, mainly, the Changeling incident.

"Wow, that was really bold...and really rude of her." Lisbeth said.

"Yeah. Twi found out just in time." Armor replied, ruffling Twilight's hair, and she blushed.

Aries nodded, and he pulled Kirito close.

"Can I talk with you in private?"

Kirito nodded, said "Gimme a sec" to Asuna, and they walked upstairs to the balcony. Aries began to lean on the railing, while Kirito leaned on the wall.

"Hey, Kirito?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I'm good enough for Leafa?"

Kirito flinched, sighed, and walked over. Setting his hand on Aries's shoulder, he smiled.

"To be honest, yeah. I think you are." he replied. "How long?"

"It may sound tacky, but when we talked at the gala, that one time, I really felt that I liked her. I didn't tell her though. To be honest, when we went upstairs, she kinda...kissed me." Aries replied.

"Definitely sounds like Sugu." Kirito replied.

"Yeah." Aries replied. "Do you think...how's she gonna react when I tell her that I like her?"

Kirito sighed.

"I really don't know. The only way to find out is tell her." Kirito replied. "Just be careful. She is my sister, you know."

"Yeah, yeah." Aries replied.

"So, wanna head back downstairs?" Kirito said, and Aries nodded. Walking down the stairs, they found Leafa and Asuna sitting on the stairs.

"Uh, Asuna? Sugu?" Kirito said, and they turned around. Asuna was smiling, and Leafa had tears in her eyes. Aries looked completely mortified.

"Did you…" Aries asked, still looking like he had just been run over by a freight train.

"Yeah. I heard everything." Leafa admitted.

"Ehh…" Aries said nervously, blushing bright red.

"There's really no need to blush." Leafa said, walking up and hugging him tight. Asuna and Kirito stood next to each other, smiling.

"Well, I guess we're a couple." Aries said. "Never thought I'd see the day, real or virtual."

Leafa smiled and pulled him closer. Then, a message popped up beside the four of them.

SYSTEM MESSAGE-ID HEATHCLIFF

THE WORD TREE IS UNDER ATTACK BY THE FLAME GIANTS.

GET BACK TO ALFHEIM. RAGNAROK HAS BEGUN

As the four sprinted back into the dining room, they stopped. Every fairy, except Alice, Agil, and Shouzou, were staring at the message with either shock or curiousity.

"What's going on?" The ponies asked.

"Simply put, we need to go NOW. If we don't do something, the Cardinal system, the program that runs ALO, is gonna delete the game."

"That would mean…" Twilight said.

"The portal would close for good." Agil said.

"I'm coming with."Twilight said. "I'll get the DimGear rig."

"Go ahead." Asuna said. As Twilight ran upstairs and set herself down on a bed, she pulled the DimGear rig out of magic storage. Placing it on her head, she uttered the familiar words.

"Link start!"

Her eyes opened, and the login screen for ALO greeted her. As she selected her avatar, she braced herself, and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was looking up at Kirito and Asuna. She was helped up and she saw she was in a comfortable wooden cabin. She stood up and spun around, her mage robes twirling.

"Good to see you, Twilight." Kirito said.

"Yeah. Where's everyone else?"

"Outside. Let's get going." Kirito said, and as they walked out, true to Kirito's word, every member of the group was there, along with Alice.

"Where's Yuuki?" Twilight asked. "Should she be here?"

"She's leading players who are battling the flame giants. Miss Twilight, thing is, the Flame Giants have complete control of the surface. They are currently camped in the northern part of Aarune. I have data that suggests he will make his move towards the World Tree tomorrow." Yui replied.

"So, what about the other online players?" Twilight asked,

"Every online player is battling the Flame Giants on the surface. General Eugene is leading the main groups, along with Sakuya and Alicia Rue. Most players are currently occupied, so we are on our own." Yui replied.

"Okay, should we get moving, then?" Twilight asked.

"We should." Asuna said.

"Alright." Kirito said, and everyone voiced their agreements. Heading towards the teleport gate to the surface, they had no idea of the adventure ahead of them...

Chapter 11-Three Stupid Flame Giants

As the players soared through the skies of Aarune, Twilight looked down at the ground. The once vibrant landscape was scorched in many places, and she had counted at least five groups of players heading towards their destinations.

"Where are we heading, Yui?" Kirito asked.

"Towards the Muspelheim portal gate. When we get there, a quest should start." Yui replied.

"'Kay." Twilight said.

After around five more minutes of flying, Yui called out suddenly.

"Heads up! Muspelheim portal incoming!" Yui said, and Kirito dived down. As the group set themselves down in a grove, Klein moved some bushes to reveal a small Flame giant squad, consisting of three giants, was patrolling around the gate. Then, a notification came up for each player.

QUEST-OVERTHROW

The king is here. Dethrone him.

REWARDS

Main

UNKNOWN

Possible

LEGENDARY ITEM

As each player accepted the quest, Kirito drew his sword, but Aries put his hand on Kirito's arm.

"Maybe...we don't need to fight these guys." Aries said, and he chanted Vanish into Night. As each player disappeared from sight, Kirito nodded and stepped out of the grove, with each player following.

"Man, those monsters are huge." Silica said, shivering slightly at the sight of them.

"Yeah. If these are regular Flame Giants, then I'm not sure how big Syrt's gonna be." Lizbeth replied.

"Ssh. They can't see, but they can hear us." Aries said. "We still have to avoid them."

As they neared the portal, Aries noticed the timer for the spell.

15 Seconds remaining!

"Get to cover!" he whispered, and each player dived behind one of the many pieces of masonry dotting the ruins near the portal. Then, the ground began to shake. One of the flame giants walked near the portal and stopped. He growled and spun, looking around.

"Sirvl, what's wrong?" A second flame giant walked up.

"Meh. Right now I'm contemplating my reason for existence." Sirvl said meekly. (Every member of the group dropped their jaws at this.)

"I don't care! Sit down! Dinner's ready!" a third giant said irritably, pulling Sirvl over to a large campfire, with a boar roasting on a tripod. As the flame giants began to eat, Sirvl sighed.

"We should've had a nice quiche." he said miserably.

"Alright, that's IT!" The third giant said angrily, storming over to the first.. "Instead of eating it simple like every good flame giant should, you always wanna do something fancy with it! So shut up and eat your boar!" the third said.

"But quiche is so delicious!" the first one said. "It's rich and creamy and…"

"SHUT UP!" the third said.

As the flame giants continued to argue over the merits of quiche, Kirito and the group looked at them in shock and a mixture of emotions that could be summed up with "What the HELL am I watching right now?"

"That's...something I did not expect.." Sinon said, her eyebrows raised as high as they would go.

"Did Pinkie teach that first giant how to cook? I mean, when I think of a giant, I'm pretty sure they eat meat raw, with bloodstained teeth and meat juice dripping down their chest.. Not sure if I've read anything about them eating quiche or contemplating the meaning of life." Twilight said.

"Yeah. I'm not sure we need to see this. Let's get going." Kirito said, activating the gate. As they were about to step in, there was a loud cry of pain, and the group turned to see the third flame giant viciously punching the first one in the face repeatedly, while the second one just sat there, eating his boar. Kirito sighed, shrugged, and led the group through the portal. As everyone except Aries entered, the three Stupid Flame Giants kept arguing, now over the third's ability to cook. As Aries entered last, he sighed, turned around, and entered.

Chapter 12-Muspelheim

As the group stepped out of the portal, they gasped. Muspelheim greeted them in all of its volcanic, ash-filled glory. The charred and blackened landscape was dotted with dead trees, volcanoes, and mountains. Plumes of flame blasted from ash geysers. The sky was a pale red and black, which Twilight guessed was from the sheer amount of volcanic ash. Kirito sighed and sat down.

"Looks like we're gonna be facing fire-based enemies. Asuna?"

Asuna nodded and chanted a fire resist spell. As the buff took effect, it then dissipated. Asuna gasped slightly, and then a notification popped up.

The ash sickens you

-positive buffs removed and cannot be applied for duration

-respawning restricted.

-flying time limited.

"Damn." Asuna swore loudly, garnering her a curious look from Kirito.

"Kirito? What is it?"

"It's...just been a long time since I've heard you swear." Kirito said. "We should get moving."

"Right." Everyone else agreed, and as they took to the air, the shadow of a huge volcano towered over them. As they flew, Aries checked the map.

"Looks like quest objective is that huge volcano over there." Aries said.

"You mean the one with the huge castle built into the side?" Leafa said.

"Yeah. But if our flying time is limited here, we'll have to walk it most of the way." Kirito said. "Yui? How much time before Syrt attacks Aarune?"

"About three more hours." Yui replied.

"Then we'll have to get as close as we can by flying before our flying time runs out." Kirito said, activating his wings. As the group took off, the sky cleared for a single, bright moment, before it resumed its red coloration.

==========================================================================================

After an hour of flight, their flying time expired, so the group set themselves down near a river close to the volcano. As Kirito broke out water and food, the group took a break.

"I wonder how this got into ALO. I mean, from what you guys told me, you already ended Ragnarok already." Aries said.

"You're right. So, what gives this time?" Klein added. "I tried contacting a GM, it gave me an error message."

"We should get moving." Asuna said, looking at the time.

"We should." Kirito said, standing up. After another hour, as the group neared the volcano, a large walled courtyard greeted them. As they entered, the portcullis slammed to the ground, and a notification popped up.

QUEST UPDATED

-Face the Warpriest

Then, the castle doors opened to reveal a flame giant, about half the size of Thrymr, wearing heavy black armor. A large iron cleaver rested on his back. His face was obscured by a shark's head-shaped mask, and to complete, a crimson red cloak rested on his back. He roared, and then smiled evilly.

"So...the fireflies from Alfheim think they can end the King? I shall prove you wrong," He said, and the ash around them dispelled. A boss marker and four HP bars appeared.

THE WARPRIEST

As he charged and leaped into the air, he readied a flaming punch. Kirito charged, his blades held high.

Boss Battle-The Warpriest

As the Warpriest's blazing punch slammed into the ground, Kirito launched into the air and slashed with his black sword. Leaping to the ground, Kirito looked up and smiled slightly. His blow had done damage. Then, the Warpriest drew his cleaver and nearly chopped Kirito into two, with him leaping out of the way.

"Now his incineration attack!" Yui cried out.

Kirito and the group took to the air as the Warpriest threw his hands up, and a massive sphere of flame formed. As the Warpriest threw it like a beach ball, it exploded into several cluster missiles. As they impacted, the group dived, dodged, and leaped to avoid being hit by the blazing missiles.

"How are we supposed to beat this bastard?" Twilight said, casting a healing spell to heal a wounded Klein.

"Dunno! Just keep your eyes open!" Kirito said, dodging the Warpriest's repeated attempts to punch him into oblivion. Then, suddenly, the Warpriest fell to one knee and his beard of flame went out. Kirito gasped, then he saw the notification.

THE WARPRIEST'S ARMOR IS SUNDERED

Kirito charged and triggered Skill Connect. Slashing with several sword skills, the Warpriest roared in pain, though he did not move. As each of the group slashed, pummeled, or cut, the Warpriest suddenly launched up and blasted a gust of hot wind, throwing the attackers back.

"HELL RAIN ATTACK IN THREE!" Yui cried.

"TWO!"

"ONE!"

"ZERO!"

The Warpriest roared as flaming meteors formed and fired at the group. As they dodged, Kirito growled and continued to slash, engaging the Warpriest on his own. Then, he broke of and drew his second sword.

"CHARGE ON MY MARK!" he suddenly yelled, and Twilight nodded. The Warpriest roared again and threw a second flaming punch. Kirito dodged and landed an uppercut slash to the Warpriest's neck. His head was thrown back and Kirito slashed, gouged, and cut, his strikes glowing a bright blue. Asuna and Klein gasped, recognizing the attack.

"Starburst Stream..." Asuna said, shocked.

"Now! He's open!" Kirito yelled, leaping back. Asuna summoned her sword and charged alongside Leafa. Slashing, they carved a perfect X on the Warpriest's chest. He roared and stepped back, then Klein jumped and heaved a heavy blow to the Warpriest's damaged armor. As the cuirass shattered, the Warpriest roared and threw a final punch, only his time was up. Kirito charged and spun, slashing with both blades at the same time. As the Warpriest collapsed, he began to laugh.

"So, the flies defeated me, the Warpriest of Syrt...well, be proud of your victory. There is still greater perils to face..." he said mysteriously, before dissipating into blue and green particles. As the loot screens and CONGRATULATIONS!! appeared, Kirito turned and smiled to a stunned group. Klein was the first to speak.

"Okay, Kirito. WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?"

"You know. So why are you asking?" Kirito replied nonchalantly.

"How the hell did you get an SAO Sword Skill here?" Klein said.

"Well, technically it wasn't mine. You guys remember the august update? The Sword Skill one? You know that you can now use some SAO Sword Skills, right?"

"Yeah?" Klein replied.

"Well, I was checking my skills while we were waiting for Twi, and it was just there." He replied. "Look, it's not a big deal. What is the big deal is the imminent deletion of ALO and the Portal. So, we should keep moving." Kirito said, and the group nodded. As they entered the castle, unknown to them, they were being watched. An NPC wearing a red dress with black and silver detailing, with pure white hair, watched from a castle window.

"Vilja?" a voice said. The NPC turned to see another NPC, clad in the armor of a flame giant chieftain, walk in with a concerned look.

"What's wrong?"

"I just saw some fairies defeat father's warpriest." she replied.

"Well, good riddance. I think father was relying on him too much. But if they make it past the Torchbearer..."

"You know well that NO ONE makes it past...that...thing." she said, shaking slightly.

"I know." the male said. "Sad, really. I will admit the Torchbearer is a complete monstrosity, but keeping it in the gatehouse? That's cruel, even to that monster."

"Bjorn, what should we do?" Vilja asked.

"We wait. If they defeat the Torchbearer, then we act. Now? We do as father says. He is king."

Vija sighed and turned back to the window. Bjorn bowed and closed the door.

Someday...I'll see the surface...Someday...I'll leave this realm of fire...

Chapter 13-Castle Crashing

As the group entered the castle, Klein scoffed.

"Red. Predictable."

Sure to his word, as they entered the gatehouse, the red stone masonry and black curtains gave the place a hellish aura. As they walked, Kirito sighed and turned to look at Yui, who was perched on Asuna's shoulder.

"Yui? Do you know where Syrt is or even where we are?"

"We are in Syrt's Gatehouse, in the first section of the castle. Syrt is currently in the Throne Room, in the second. We have to pass through a secondary tunnel under the volcano to get to the second part, though I am reading data that suggests there is a powerful boss guarding the tunnel. However, there is a secondary quest objective that I do not understand." Yui said, and a notification appeared.

QUEST UPDATED-OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE

GAIN TWO ALLIES

"That is weird." Asuna said. "It doesn't give us any clue to where or who those allies are."

"You are right, though..." Twilight said.

"What's up?" Leafa asked.

"I get the feeling we're being watched..." Twilight said, and they surveyed all around them. They didn't think to look UP though.

Vilja watched as the fairies talked among themselves, one of them, a Spriggan, clad in black gear, seemed to be their leader. As she watched, she focused on a mage in the back of the party. She was an Imp, with purple and silver mage robes.

"She wasn't one of the seven..." she said to herself. She then quietly snapped her fingers and ducked behind the balcony.

"When they battle the Torchbearer, I'll see for sure."

==========================================

After about thirty minutes of exploring, they found the entrance to the tunnel. As they entered, Aries cast a illumination spell, appearing as a dancing white ball of flame. Its pale light flickered off the walls.

"I'll tell you guys, this is creepy." Sinon said.

"It is. There's no monsters here, and the only thing standing between us and Syrt is one last boss." Leafa added.

"Yeah. Keep your eyes peeled, everyone." Kirito said, and then he stopped. A massive iron door, with a carved image of a blazing torch, greeted them. Kirito and Asuna stepped forward, and pushed it open. Total darkness greeted them, and Aries's illumination spell expired. Then, ghostly torches appeared and lit themselves along the walls. Then, a loud, guttural roar erupted, and a huge thing came up from a pool of black liquid. It was bipedal, with an indescribable ugly face. Tentacles like spider's legs were churning on his back. Then, a massive trail of flame came out of a large yellow mass on his back. He roared again, and a boss marker appeared, along with a name.

THE TORCHBEARER

"RRYAYWG!" it bellowed, roaring like a angry elephant, then, it charged on all fours towards Kirito. Kirito drew his blue longsword and charged as well, ready to clash.

Boss Battle-Torchbearer

As the Torchbearer slammed with his fist, Kirito dived to the side and slashed several times. Diving backwards, he looked up and scowled. The boss had taken barely any damage, his three health bars untouched.

"Damm!" Kirito swore. "How are we supposed to beat this guy?"

The Torchbearer roared and sent flying bolts of purple energy towards the group, and Twilight quickly put up a shield to block them. Klein growled and charged, while drawing his sword. The Torchbearer growled and spat a bomb of purplish green venom towards him. As Klein attempted to dodge, he was grazed by the attack. Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground, his health bar frozen, and a strange notification appeared on his HUD.

The Torchbearer's venom attacks you!

Klein gagged and tried to stand up, only to have his HP bar deplete by a large amount.

"I'm down!" he cried, wincing in pain.

"Got it! Just hang on!" Aries said, dodging another ground slam form the Torchbearer.

"We've got to hold out!" Asuna cried.

==================================

After thirty more fast and furious minutes, the only ones left standing were Asuna and Kirito. Aries had thrown himself to save Leafa, only to have the splash hit her too. Silica and Liz had nearly dodged theirs, only to be hit by a follow up blast. Twilight had almost protected herself, but the attack was too much for her shield. Alice was the most recent to fall. Now, low on HP and MP, Asuna and Kirito looked up exhaustively at the Torchbearer. His HP had only gone down by a half of the first bar. Then, Yui cried out.

"Get ready! Something big is coming up!"

The Torchbearer roared louder than ever before, and he charged. Asuna tried to jump out of the way, but she missed her mark and the torchbearer sent her flying. Crashing into the wall, she winced and tried to stand up. The Torchbearer let out a small noise, and raised his fist to crush her. Kirito launched himself at the boss, slicing down his back. The Torchbearer roared in agony, and the boss's HP dropped by a substantial amount. The Torchbearer's tentacles covered the wound, and he focused solely on Kirito. As the Torchbearer charged, Kirito charged as well. Only this time, the Torchbearer triumphed. As Kirito was thrown into the wall, The Torchbearer raised his fist again, raedy to crush him. As the first descended, Kirito closed his eyes. Then, a voice yelled.

"HALT, TORCHBEARER!"

Kirito opened his eyes to see an NPC clad in an ornate red dress, with silvery blonde hair spread her arms out in a protective gesture in fornt of him. The Torchebearer stepped back and lowered its fist, like a dog obeying its owner.

"Return to your slumber." the NPC said, and the Torchbearer collapsed, the only noise coming from it soft snores. The NPC walked up, and placed her hand to its head.

"May your ashes find their rest." she said, before a bright yellow bolt pierced its head. The Torchbearer then stopped breathing, and dissipated into blue and green particles. She turned to look at the group, now thoroughly shocked. Kirito stood up and walked over.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I am fine. It is you and your party that I am more worried about." she replied. "Allow me to do you a favor."

She chanted a spell, and instead of green words appearing, they were red. Healing particles appeared over every member of the group. A notification then came up.

You have been cleansed of venom

"Why did you help us?" Alice asked.

"Because you are the only ones that can end the King's reign. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vilja, Daughter of Syrt, king of the Flame Giants."

"You're Syrt's kid?" Klein asked, shocked.

"I am, Salamander. Now? We must move." She said, opening the door at the end of the hall to reveal stone stairs, carpeted in rich crimson. As they followed Vilja into a large Great Hall, she stopped and looked at a balcony.

"The King's chambers are through that door. But tarry a bit. There is much I need to speak with you about."

"One sec." Kirito said. "Yui? How much time do we have?"

"About two hours left, Daddy." Yui replied.

"Alright. Go ahead." he said to Vilja, who sighed.

"My father was not the warmongering demon he is now. He was once wise and benevolent. Until it came his time to die. In order to reign forever, he delved too deep into the black arts of our ancestors. He slowly grew insane. His age and life were prolonged, but his mind began to wither. He became demented, believing the Fairies of Aarune and Alfheim knew the cure for his madness."

"Then why is he attacking it?" Aries asked.

"Because father does not care what stands in his way. He wants to destroy in order to save himself. Many times he attempted to find thecure, only to fail each time. As he lived, The King grew tyrannical, evil. He ordered his Warpriest to silence all that opposed him. And he created the Torchbearer to devour those who survived the Warpriest."

"How do you know the Torchbearer so well?" Alice asked.

"Because before he was that monstrosity, he was a proud Flame Giant warrior, named Vorlan. He was one of father's favorites, and treated him like a son. And I loved him like a brother. One day, Father stole a single drop of Venom from the serpent Nidhogg, believing it to be the cure for his madness. The venom does not kill, but corrupts and changes, you should know. One night, in a fit of madness, Vorlan attempted to calm him. A fatal mistake. The king forced upon him the venom. I saw the whole event. His changing, his resulting form. When father calmed himself and found out what he did, he was distraught. He sent Vorlan to the pit under the volcano, where he became the Torchbearer." Vilja said.

"I'm sorry." Asuna said.

"Thank you, Undine. Now time is short. You must slay my father, though it will be a difficult task. His weakness is concealed, hidden. The many years of curses he has evoked on himself has hardened his skin and soul. He will not try to reason, for he will try to kill you."

"Then how are we supposed to beat him?" Silica asked.

"That Chalice." Vilja pointed to a golden goblet, about the size of Kirito's hand, dancing with pure white flames.

"The Chalice of Light will give you the strength to defeat my father. But I must come with you. In order to succeed my father's throne, I must be present at his death. Such is our way."

"Fine." Kirito said. As Vilja joined the party, Kirito led the way up a spiraling staircase to the door leading to Syrt's chamber. Kirito drew his blue longsword, and pushed the door open.

Chapter 14-To Kill a King/Boss Battle-Syrt

As they entered the room, they gasped. They were on some sort of columned balcony, and it was totally dark, the only light coming from the slits between the columns. As they walked further, a deep, withered voice spoke.

"So, you have finally come for The King."

Everyone focused on a huge rough-hewn rock throne at the end of the hall. A slouched figure was sitting in it, his head not visible.

"I have long expected this day. The cure has evaded me for too long. I am near death. But I shall fight to the end. Once my conquest is complete, I will reign forever."

"There is no cure, father! Can you not see that your search has blinded you!" Vilja cried, stepping forward.

There was a weak laugh.

"Vilja, your own father? This is one of the few times you have defied me. I have never punished you because what little love in my heart for persevered, but that is now long gone."

There was a loud crack, and Vilja was thrown back, clutching her face. A long red cut graced her cheek, making Klein growl. She recoiled and coughed, but stood back up.

"Even now, you persist. I had hoped to spare you the fire I that now will soon envelop Alfheim, but now, I see I was fooling only myself. I condemn to the fires of the underworld."

"That does not matter." Vilja spoke.

The figure laughed again.

"As for the warriors, I commend you. Defeating my Warpriest and my Torchbearer? Your skills are impressive. For even we have heard tales of your bravery, how you ended Thrym."

Kirito gasped slightly.

"Your claiming of the Holy Sword was a fine feat. But It will not serve you here. You are brave, but foolish. Only the gods of Asgard have been able to defeat my ancestors, and even though they perished, their arts did not. It will take more than steel and skill to defeat me. I expect a great battle, worthy of the sagas, from you, and know this..."

Kirito braced himself, along with the group.

"I will hold nothing back. I shall use every last breath in me fighting you. PREPARE YOURSELVES!"

The figure on the throne stood up, and white light poured into the room as the skies cleared, revealing a white sky. Syrt was now revealed to the fairies in the flesh. His face had traces of a once-handsome figure, but it was now worn, gaunt, and Cris-crossed with wrinkles and lines. His reddish-purple eyes were sunken in their gaunt sockets, and his hair was worn and tangled. His chest still bore a well-toned, muscular body, though it looked like he was severely malnourished. As he stood up, he was revealed to be wearing a frayed, blood red cloak, with armor similar to that of a Viking Warrior. A massive black gash scar decorated his forehead, and as he stood up to his full height, his blackened teeth made Twilight cringe slightly. As his colossal form looked down on them, not one, not two or three, but SIX HP bars appeared, with a name.

SYRT-THE KING OF ASHES

Kirito smiled.

"This is it, guys! We pull this off, we save Aarune and Alfheim! We can't lose this! Remember to listen to Yui! Keep your eyes and ears open! LET'S FINISH THIS!"

"YOU GOT IT!" Came the response from everyone but Vilja, who nodded gravely and a small blue flame appeared in her palm. Kirito attached the Chalice of Light to his belt, and as Syrt leaped into the air, his fist enveloped in black, red, and purple energy he threw a colossal punch towards Kirito...

Boss Battle-Syrt, Part II

As Syrt threw his punch, Kirito flew up into the air, and slash twice with his swords. The slashes cut a small amount of HP off the King's Health Bars. Klein rushed up from behind and cut a heavy gash on the King's back. The King spun and punched Klein, sending him hurtling into a pillar.

"Asuna!" Kirito yelled, and she chanted a healing Spell. As the green particles covered him, he sighed and stood back up. Aries took this moment to charge, and as he attempted Wind's Edict, the King grabbed his leg and threw him hard, sending him into a massive pile of treasure and gold that was one of several that dotted the room. Aries watched as his parrying blade, Avenger, dropped to zero durability, causing it to be destroyed. He gasped in shock and sadness as he was thrown into the pile, sending gold everywhere.

"Aries!" Leafa cried.

Aries groaned and tried to stand up, only to have red electricity crackle over him, and a message appeared.

The Black Arts incapacitate you! 3:00

As the timer began to count down, he called out.

"I'm out for three minutes! Stall him!"

"Got it!" Leafa cried, charging. Triggering a sword skill, she slashed several times up Syrt's leg, causing him to roar. The HP bars dropped by a good amount, though he still had six remaining.

"Damn!" Klein swore, flying over next to Kirito.

"I know. How are we supposed to beat this guy?"

The King roared and spread his hands out, and two black and white balls of energy appeared, and he prepared to smash them together. Yui then cried out.

"DOXOLGY ATTACK IN THREE!"

"TWO!"

"ONE!"

"ZERO!"

The King slammed his hands together, causing a black shockwave to blast towards the group. It hit hard, and as the group was thrown backwards, they toppled and fell to the ground. Each player checked their health bars. Each was at an even 50% .

"We take another one of those, and we're screwed." Sinon said, drinking a health potion.

"Yeah." Kirito said, then Alice rushed forward, drawing her sword. She leaped into the air, thrusting several times at the King's forehead. He groaned as he was sent to the ground. She growled in anticipation as the King stood back up.

"I'll cover you! Get your HP back up!" she yelled, taking the liberty of slashing more at the boss. Kirito nodded and motioned to the group. As health potions were drunk and HP was restored, Alice continued to play cat-and-mouse with Syrt, whose HP bars were decreasing at a slow but steady rate. Soon, he roared again and leaped backward to throw a second flurry of punches. As Kirito and the group, now fully healed, charged again at Syrt, suddenly, Aries burst out of the gold pile, clutching a shield made from some kind of bone. As The King threw a punch straight at Aries, he raised the shield, and a fiery vortex appeared, and the punch was deflected. Aries motioned to Leafa, and the two of them led the charge. As they attacked Syrt, now on one knee, with two HP bars remaining, he suddenly roared and leaped back, and spread his arms out. Yui then cried out from her perch on Asuna's shoulder.

"Obliteration attack coming up! If this one lands, we all die!" She cried, and Kirito charged, his swords held high. Then, a blur sped past him. Alice leaped up into the face of the purple-black orb and thrusted deep with her Blue Rose Longsword. The thrust punctured the orb of energy, causing a tremendous explosion, throwing Alice down with a sickening crunch. As Syrt collapsed, he groaned and fell to his knees, his last vestige of health depleted.

"So...you defeated me...the King of the Flame Giants...be proud, fairy warriors. Be proud of your victory..." he said, before he disintegrated. As the red clouds that coated the skies of Muspelheim began to turn white and disappear, Kirito sighed and rushed over to Alice, who was standing up shakily.

"You okay?" Kirito asked, and Alice nodded. As the group checked the loot they had received, Kirito looked around to see kicking the ground.

"What's up?" Kirito asked, and Aries sighed.

"My parrying blade broke. The one I've had since I first started in ALO. It's gone." Aries said.

"Then allow me to compensate you."

Aries turned to Vilja, who was holding a small blue-red ball of flame. She took Aries's shield, and threw it to the ground, and she set it on fire. Aries gasped, but Vilja held up her hand. As the flames extinguished, they gasped. The shield had been transformed. Instead of a dull blackish brown, it was tan and silver, with a large skull, similar to that of a dragon's, in the middle. Three red feathers adorned the skull, and it had a small ring of smoldering flames covering the edge of the shield. Vilja picked it up, and offered it to Aries.

"What is that?" Aries asked.

"The Ashbane Crest." Vilja said. "Father once slew a flame dragon, or wyrm, that was threatening the castle, and he claimed one of its scales and its bones. From it, he forged this shield. It belongs to you now."

Aries checked the shield, and equipped it. As the group smiled, Vilja cleared her throat.

"I believe we have come to a parting of the ways. Return to Alfheim and rejoice in your victory. The flame giants there should be departing. Muspelheim is now open to you." Vilja said, walking away. As the group bumped fists and shared high-fives, they teleported back to the surface.

=====================

One hour later

=====================

Back at the cabin on Floor 22 of New Aincrad, the group, along with Eugene, Sakuya, Alicia Rue, Recon, and the Sleeping Knights, with a recently arrived Shouzou (he had logged out before the raid) were having a fun time telling stories and swapping loot. Asuna and Kirito were on the sofa with Yuuki and Alice. As the others conversed, Asuna checked the time.

"It's getting late, Asuna." Shozou said. "We should head home."

"Okay, dad." Asuna said.

"I'll call you later, Asuna. Okay?" Kirito asked.

"Sure."

As the two of them logged out, Kirito sighed.

===================================

Asuna woke up blinking to her bedroom. As she changed into a t-shirt and some shorts, she began to walk downstairs. When she entered the dining room, she was surprised to see her mom, Kyouko, already sitting down.

"Hey, mom." Asuna said.

"Evening. Asuna? May I ask you a question?" Kyouko said, and Asuna gulped.

"Yeah. What is it?"

"It's your grades. I have a question about them."

Asuna gulped again. Suddenly, her mom smiled, and began to chuckle slightly.

"Sorry, the tension is killing me." she said, smiling.

"Mom?" Is something the matter?" Asuna said.

"Well, when we made that promise of yours, I decided to check your grades, since I haven't had the time to do that in a while, and I was fairly surprised at the results. Your grades have gone up by at least five percent in every category." Kyouko said. "And I noticed that you have been playing that...game of yours quite frequently, so I thought you could have..."

"Mom, I didn't cheat on anything." Asuna said. "But...You know how I've been rushing upstairs after dinner?"

"Yes?" Kyouko said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, ever since we talked that night, I sort of felt I wasn't holding up to my end of the deal...so I asked my teachers if I could work on anything extra to bring my grades up. So, my teachers sent me a few things via email, and I've been doing them in ALO in my spare time, and when I have time, I've been doing them here as well. I got seven total, and I've been working on one a day for a week. I just barely finished by the deadline I set for myself last night." Asuna said, sighing.

Kyouko smiled slightly, and walked over, and she stood next to Asuna's chair.

"Asuna...I'm impressed."

Asuna gasped slightly.

"I've never seen so much initiative out of you before. Doing all that in secret, with all that hard work...I'm proud. Very proud. I would've helped you, had you been willing to ask." Kyouko said.

"You've been so busy lately, I didn't want to bother you." Asuna admitted.

"Either way, I'm very proud of you." Kyouko said.

"Thanks, mom." Asuna said.

"One more thing." Kyouko said.

"What?"

"Dinner. Six. Will he be there?" Kyouko asked. Asuna nodded, realizing what she was saying.

"I'll call."

"Fine."

As the two of them sat down, Asuna suddenly giggled, then she began to laugh, which made Kyouko smile, then chuckle as well. As they sat down and laughed, Shouzou watched from the doorway. He smiled, and sighed, and he shut the door gently.

"I'm not gonna ruin the moment." he said, and he turned back to the stove.

=============================================================

"Hey, Kirito!"

"Hey, Asuna, what's up?'

"My mom's taking us out to dinner on Friday at six, and she wants you with us. She.well..."

"Well..what?"

"Want's to get to know you." Asuna said.

"Well, I'm free pretty much the whole day, so I could pop over around five or so."

"Great. See you soon."

"Love you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

==================================================================

Three days later

=================================================================

Asuna spun around, her dress spinning with her. It was cream colored, with a small brooch and a ivory chemise, with a medium skirt. She smiled, tucked her phone into her pocket, and walked downstairs. Shouzou and Kyouko, who were both wearing suits, were sitting in the family room. Asuna walked in, and sat down.

"You look great, Asuna." Shouzou said, and Asuna blushed.

"I have to look nice. Besides, this dress kinda brings back memories." Asuna said.

"Of Sword Art Online?" Shouzou asked.

"Yeah."

Then, they heard a car drive up, and they heard three knocks on the door. Asuna opened it to reveal Kazuto, in a suit.

"I didn't know you had a suit." Asuna said.

"I have to impress." Kirito said, kissing Asuna's hand, which made her blush. As they walked in, he and Shouzou shook hands.

"Good to see you again, Kazuto."

"Hey, Mr. Yuuki."

"You're being a bit formal." he said.

"Just trying to be fancy, you know? It's not exactly one of my best strengths." Kazuto said.

"Well, you do look dashing. It's almost time. We should get going." Shozou said, and as they entered the car, the moon rose into the sky.

Chapter 15-Well met by Candlelight

As the car drove up to the restaurant, Kazuto looked over at Asuna, whose head was on his shoulder. She gave off a contented sigh, and Kirito smiled. He gently tapped her on the cheek, and she opened her eyes and smiled.

"We there?" she asked drowsily.

"Yes." Kyouko said.

"Alright." Asuna said, undoing her seat belt. Kazuto got out and helped Asuna out of the car. As they entered, Kyouko spoke with the waiters, who guided them to a small, private room for four. As they sat down, the waiter handed out the menus. Kirito looked over the entrees, and nearly gasped. Everything was expensive, almost as expensive as the Cafe' where Chrysheight had told him about Death Gun.

"I can pay, If you want." Kazuto said.

"We'll handle the tab, Kazuto." Shouzou said.

"Well, I guess, but I still have some money left over from a job I did, so I was hoping to use that. You know, make a good impression." Kazuto said.

"It's no matter. We'll handle paying." Shouzou replied.

Kazuto sighed and put his arm around Asuna, who smiled and leaned on him.

"You seem very close." Kyouko said. "Mr. Kirigaya, may I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure." Kazuto replied.

"How did you two first meet?" She asked.

"Well, it was day two of SAO's release." Kazuto said. "Nearly every player in the newly formed assault team was forming groups to take on the first floor boss. I saw Asuna had no partner, and I asked her to join my group, and she accepted. After the boss battle, I gave her some advice. If she wanted or was invited into a guild, go ahead. I had no idea she would join and become the second-in-command for the biggest guild in Aincrad, the Knights of the Blood Oath. We went our separate ways for a while after that."

"I see. Then how'd you get back together?" Kyouko asked,

"It was, well, interesting. We and a bunch of other players were discussing how to take out the 27th floor boss, the GeoWeaver, and since the K.O.B. was leading the assault, she was leading the meeting. After an argument, I was lying down under a tree, enjoying myself, when Asuna showed up. I kinda asked her out to lunch, and she reluctantly accepted." Kazuto replied.

"After that," Asuna added, "We got caught up in a murder investigation, which we ended up solving and catching the criminals involved.."

"Criminals?" Kyouko said, not flinching.

"Yeah. You should know, that if you committed a criminal act in the game, you got an orange marker for a few days. The orange marker usually went back to green after a bit, but If you committed too many crimes, you got a red marker, signifying you as a criminal. That one didn't go away, so you got called a "Red Player."" Asuna said. "Red guilds, or criminal guilds, when they got cleared, their members were usually sent to the prison. PK'ers...player killers...were included. It was knowledge to a certain group of people that if player-killing wasn't in the rules of SAO, it wasn't against them."

"Who were these people?" Shouzou asked.

"They called themselves...Laughing Coffin. Also known as...the Murder Guild." Kazuto said grimly.

Kyouko and Shouzou flinched.

"They went around killing on a daily basis. They knew that if they dropped a player's health to nothing, they would die. But they didn't care. The assault team eventually stepped in to capture them. During the attack, they ambushed us, since they knew our plan. In the middle of the chaos...I killed two of them." Kazuto said. "I didn't get an orange marker due to both being self-defense."

Kyouko sighed.

"And how did you deal with the fact that you killed them?" she said after a few seconds of silence.

"I attempted to force myself to forget it even happened. Until recently, that is. That's another story, for another time. But now...I think that if I learn to accept it and move on, I'll get some peace." Kazuto said.

Kyouko nodded. "Continue."

"After that, I had just returned from hunting a Raggout Rabbit, one of the rarest monsters in Aincrad. My friend Agil, a merchant, and I were talking about it when Asuna showed up with her guild-appointed bodyguard, Kuradeel. We had a rather...interesting discussion about trading the ingredient for it to be cooked up, and Asuna said..."

"Half. Deal?" Asuna said, finishing the sentence.

Shouzou laughed a little.

"A rather interesting bargain."

Kazuto chuckled.

"It was. I spent the night at Asuna's place, before I headed to a meeting spot we had arranged. Then, she came tumbling out of the portal gate and right onto me. I kinda made a little mistake and she slapped me, before running and shielding herself with me. Turns out her bodyguard was staking out her house early in the morning. He tried to force her to come with him, but I protected her. He challenged me to a duel, I beat him, and then..."

"I fired him." Asuna said proudly.

Kyouko smiled.

"I'm glad you did. He sounds like a rude man."

"Was." Kirito said.

Kyouko looked ad him.

"Later, after a particular series of events, involving me losing a duel to Heathcliff, the K.O.B's commander, and me joining his guild, I was out on an expedition with Kuradeel and a player named Godfrey. Kuradeel poisoned out water and he killed Godfrey right in front of me. Remember Laughing Coffin? Turns out Kuradeel was a member. You should know that once your orange marker went away, you could pass as a regular player, and join guilds. Red players could infiltrate guilds that way. Kuradeel dropped my HP to almost nothing before Asuna rushed in and saved me. After she got up and almost killed him..."

"I let my guard down." Asuna added. "Then, he almost cut me in two, before Kirito blocked the slash with his arm. He lost a hand, but he used his other one, using a Melee skill, to drop Kuradeel's HP to nothing." Asuna said, and Kazuto nodded. "After that, I kind of broke down, and then Kirito..."

"What?" Kyouko asked.

"I pulled her close and I kissed her." Kazuto said. "Then, we made a promise to stay together, to the end of our lives, in Aincrad and in the real world. I then asked her If I could stay with her for the night."

"And I thought he wanted...well...you know..." Asuna said sheepishly.

"I do. Did you..." Kyouko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No. I just wanted to keep her company. When she found that out, she lunged at me, clad in her underwear. I will say, nothing's more scary than a mad Asuna, coming right at you with a punch, clad in her underwear, calling you a dummy at the top of her lungs." Kazuto said, and Asuna blushed. Kyouko smiled, and Shouzou chuckled.

"And then?" Kyouko continued.

"We got a house together on floor 22 of Aincrad. We also got married. In game." Kazuto said.

"It was the best week or so of my life there." Asuna said.

Kyouko smiled.

"Then...well..." Kazuto said.

"Should you tell her, or should I?" Asuna said.

"Tell us about what?" Shouzou asked.

"We..kinda adopted one of the most powerful AIs ever developed, named Yui, made to manage the psychological states of the SAO players, as our virtual daughter." Asuna said. "The reason I've had my phone out while I've been doing homework is that she's currently programmed into it."

Kyouko gasped slightly, and Shouzou raised an eyebrow.

"And...She's your virtual daughter?" Kyouko asked.

"Yeah. We were the ones who found her in SAO. She's been with us ever since." Kazuto said, and Asuna took out her phone. Dialing Yui's number, Kyouko then heard a yawn come from the phone.

"Mommy? I was sleeping. What's going on?"

"I just wanted you to meet your grandma." Asuna said, and Kyouko blushed.

"Wow!" Yui replied. "Give me a second!"

The phone's screen turned gray, and the image of Yui's human form, though a bit pixilated, became visible. Asuna set her phone up against a glass so she could see.

"Hi Gramma!" Yui said with glee, seeing Kyouko. Kyouko smiled, blushed, and picked up the phone.

"Hello...Yui. It's nice to meet you." she said.

"it's nice to meet you too!" Yui replied, smiling. "If we were in ALO, I would give you a hug!"

Kyouko blushed and replied "I would too."

"Yui, if you're ready, you should go back to sleep." Kazuto said.

"Okay, daddy! See you soon!"

Kyouko handed Asuna the phone, and after telling her "goodnight." Asuna ended the call. Shouzou smiled at Asuna, who blushed.

"Asuna...why did you hide this?" Kyouko asked.

"I didn't know how you'd react, that's all." Asuna said.

"Well, most likely, I would've reacted how I just did." Kyouko said. "I'm impressed with you, Asuna."

"Thanks, mom." Asuna said.

"I think our orders are here." Kazuto said, as a waiter set their respective orders in front of them. As they began to eat, Asuna cleared her throat.

"So, If I may, I'd like to finish." she said, and Kazuto nodded. "After that, and after our leave of absence, where we met Yui, and almost lost her, we were brought back to the front lines to clear the 75th floor boss, the Skull Reaper. After the battle, Kirito exposed the commander as Akihiko Kayaba. And they dueled, and If Kirito won, he would clear the game and log everyone out, no strings attached. When Kirito was about to lose, I threw myself in front of him to keep him alive. Then, as I dissipated, I saw Kirito drop Kayaba's HP to nothing. Then, the two of us woke up on a platform outside Aincrad, and we talked with Kayaba. Then, he logged us out. Then...Old ALO." Asuna said.

"I see. And Sugou." Shouzou said grimly.

"Yeah. I'd rather not talk about that, if that's okay." Asuna said.

"It's fine." Kyouko said.

"Yeah. So, that's pretty much the whole story of how we met." Kazuto said.

Kyouko sighed.

"Kazuto...I'm sorry."

"What for?" Kazuto asked.

"I misjudged you. Thoroughly. When Asuna first told me about you, I wasn't sure if you were the right one for her, truth be told. But now, I see I was completely, and totally wrong. Kazuto, accept my thanks, and my approval."

"I accept. Thanks, for giving me a chance." Kazuto said.

Kyouko smiled.

"There's no need for that."

As the dinner continued, suddenly, they heard a phone ring. Kyouko took out her phone and sighed.

"I had hoped this would've come later. Asuna, Kazuto, Shouzou, will you excuse me?"

"Sure."

As Kyouko walked outside, Asuna looked over to see her stand by the window. Through the breeze and the silence, she could make out a few words.

Sister...proceedings...tomorrow...

Asuna's thoughts ran rampant with worry. As Kyouko reentered the room, Asuna looked at her.

"Mom, is there something going on that I should know about?" Asuna asked, and Kyouko sighed.

"There is. Your father and I are adopting a child."

Asuna and Kirito's jaws dropped.

"I had hoped to keep it a surprise, but I didn't know for how long. Her name is Harushi Takamodo. She's twelve years old. Her family died in a fire, and a close friend of mine manages her case. When she asked me to adopt her, as there were no other open families, I couldn't say no. Your father's already agreed to this."

Asuna sighed, and then smiled.

"To be honest, mom..."

Kyouko looked at Asuna.

"I've always wanted a sister." she said, crying tears of joy.

"Good news, then. She arrives tomorrow at six PM sharp. You may feel free to attend, Kazuto, if you wish." Kyouko said.

"You want me there?" Kazuto asked, Asuna sighed.

"Could this be a family thing, Kirito?"

"Alright. Wait...I have an idea." Kazuto said.

"You wanna bring her to the Dicey Cafe'?" Asuna said.

"I'm pretty sure that the group's gonna want to meet her too." Kazuto said.

"The "Dicey Cafe'?" Kyouko asked.

"Remember Agil the merchant?" Kazuto said. "That's the cafe' he and his wife run downtown. Despite the name, it's very nice and respectable. We go there often."

"We do indeed." Asuna added.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Shouzou said.

"Fine. After she gets settled, we'll take her over." Kyouko said.

"Alright." Asuna said. "And mom?"

"What?" Kyouko asked.

"I think Yui's going to faint when she finds out she has an aunt now." Asuna said.

"She most likely will." Kazuto said, and everyone laughed.

As the dinner continued, the moon rose from behind the clouds and into the sky.

Chapter 16-Family Tied

Asuna combed her hair, watching herself in the mirror. Today was the big day. She would have a sister today. Asuna smiled and began to imagine how or what they would do in ALO.

"Stop getting ahead of yourself. She's not even here." Asuna said to herself, while she finished combing. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she smiled. Her school blazer and skirt, impeccably clean, was her garment of choice. She picked up her phone, and walked downstairs. Kyouko was writing on her laptop, Shouzou was pacing by the door. He noticed Asuna coming downstairs and he smiled.

"Dressed for the occasion, I see." he said, and Asuna chuckled.

"You could say." Asuna replied.

"She should be here any minute now." Kyouko said, shutting her laptop and walking over. As they stood outside, waiting, they saw a car drive up. Asuna smiled as it stopped, and the door slid open to reveal a girl, about twelve years old, with silvery-black hair, and a kind face, slip out and walk up.

"Hey." She said quietly, and a bit timidly.

"Hello. I'm Asuna. Your new sister." Asuna said, hugging her. Harushi flinched, but she hugged back and tears started to flow. Shouzou and Kyouko smiled.

"Glad to see she'll be well loved."

Kyouko turned to see her friend Kanata walk up, with a large manila envelope.

"The papers are inside. If you need anything, call. Again, thanks so much." Kanata said.

"It was our pleasure." Kyouko replied.

"I should get going. Goodbye, Harushi."

"Bye." she replied, a little louder this time. As they helped unload her suitcase and sidebag, Shouzou smiled.

"Asuna, take Harushi up to her room. We'll bring her things up."

"Okay, dad." Asuna said, gently tugging Harushi upstairs, as she was still taking in the sights of her new home. When they arrived, Harushi gasped. The room was modestly furnished, with a large bed and desk, dresser, table, mirror, walk-in closet, and a bookcase. Harushi walked over and sat herself down on the bed.

"We didn't know how to furnish it or how you'd like it, so we just went with the flow." Asuna said.

"It doesn't matter. Most of the time at the foster home, I slept on the couch. There weren't enough beds or cots for everyone." Harushi said.

"That's sad." Asuna said. "Did you have any friends?"

"A few. Most of them got adopted or left, though. I lost my parents in a fire when I was eight or so. I was an only child." Harushi said. " I still miss them."

Asuna smiled and placed her arm on Harushi's shoulder.

"We're not going away anytime soon. And besides, if you ever need anyone to talk to..."

Asuna hugged Harushi tight.

"talk to me."

"Okay." Harushi said, crying. "Sister?"

"Sister." Asuna replied, hugging tighter. Eventually, Harushi pulled away, and Asuna smiled.

"By the way, we have a little...event we planned for you for after when you get settled. We're going a little place I like going to often, and a lot of my friends will be there." Asuna said. "We kinda wanted to welcome you."

"That sounds nice." Harushi said.

"Asuna! Mind giving me a hand with this?" Shouzou called from downstairs.

"Be right there!" Asuna said, walking out. Soon after, the suitcase and sidebag were dragged in, and as they unpacked and set things around, Harushi sighed.

I have a family now...I have a real family...a real sister...

"Harushi?" Shouzou asked.

"Yeah?"

"You were staring off into space. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

As the last few things were unpacked, and the suitcase put under the bed, Harushi sighed.

"Are you ready to go?" Asuna asked, and Harushi nodded. As they walked downstairs and into the car, Harushi smiled to herself.

I'm Home...

=======================================================

As they drove up to their stop and got out, Asuna took Harushi's hand, and led the way. When they stopped, Harushi looked up at the sign on the door.

Dicey Cafe'

"This is where you like to go?"

"Yeah. It's a nice place, trust me."

As they opened the door and walked in, Harushi dropped her jaw at the amount of people.

A girl with two ponytails, who was helping pass out drinks.

Another girl with short, curly hair, who was at the bar.

A third girl with black hair and glasses.

A fourth girl, with short black hair and a kind smile.

A fifth girl with honey blonde hair and a ready face.

A girl in a wheelchair with a worn, and pale face.

A girl with hair so black, it was almost purple. She had a regal pose.

A man with flaming red hair and a bandanna.

A boy with almond hair, and a small smile.

A colossal African man with a small goatee and a kind face.

And finally, a boy of about Asuna's age, with black hair and an enchanting face. As they all looked at her with smiles, Harushi smiled back confidently.

"Hey there."

The black-haired boy walked over, shook hands with Shouzou and Kyouko, kissed Asuna on the cheek, and dropped to one knee. As he looked at Harushi, he smiled. Harushi looked away slightly, but she kept up her smile.

"I'm Kazuto. Allow me to introduce you to everyone. That's Keiko, the tripped-up beast tamer..."

"Hey!" Keiko said, though she blushed as well.

"Rika, the rip-off blacksmith..."

"I outta rip you apart!" Rika yelled, though she couldn't contain giggling.

"Asada, the semi-precise sniper..."

"Semi?" Asada replied incredulously, though she smiled slightly.

"Sugu, the best assistant ever..."

"Uh...Assistant?" Sugu asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Alice, the somewhat-human..."

"Somewhat?" Alice said, crossing her arms.

"Yuuki, the best swordswoman ever..."

"Umm...that's a bit much..." Yuuki said, though she giggled.

"Twilight, the always a student, never a teacher kind of girl..."

"Really?" Twilight said, rolling her eyes.

"You remembering all this?" Kazuto asked Harushi, who nodded. By this time, Shozou and Kyouko were talking with Agil at the bar, and Asuna, Kazuto, and Harushi were sitting down as well.

"Now for the guys. Ryotaro, the semi-perverted fire-head..."

"Hey!" Ryotaro said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Andrew, called "the Wall", though he's a bit softer than a real wall..."

"What did ya just say?" Andrew said, before sighing and going back to talking with Shouzou and Kyouko.

"Hyoma's so old he needs walkers..pun intendend."

"What was that for?" Hyoma said, crossing his arms.

Kazuto sighed and turned back to Asuna and Harushi.

"Well, That's pretty much everyone, so, wanna get something to eat or drink?" Kazuto offered, and Harushi nodded. As the lively party began, Harushi finally began to feel at peace.

Chapter 17-Starlit Nights and Glory Days

As Harushi watched the festivities unfold, she sighed and took another sip of her water glass. As Asuna and Kirito watched from across the table, she yawned and put her head down.

"Harushi?" Asuna asked, poking her gently. She stirred and looked up.

"Sorry. I'm just so tired." she said, yawning.

"Well, it is around nine. Hard to believe we've been here for three hours." Kirito said, and Asuna smiled.

"Yeah." she replied, yawning slightly. "I'm kinda tired too."

Then, Harushi yawned and collapsed, her head on Asuna's shoulder. Asuna smiled big and gently placed her hand around her sister and gently brushed her cheek lovingly. Kirito stayed back, knowing this wasn't a moment he should interrupt, yet he smiled. As Shouzou and Kyouko watched them, Andrew smiled.

"I can't believe they're like this now. Back in SAO, they used to hate each other for a good few months or so. Then, well, things happened." Andrew said.

"Kazuto told us a story about how they met in Sword Art Online. He neglected to tell us that part." Shouzou said.

Andrew chuckled.

"He's always been one to keep friends close, and enemies a pretty good distance away."

"I can see that." Shouzou said.

"Asuna? I think it's time we get Harushi to bed." Kyouko said.

"Okay, mom. Call you in the morning, okay, Kirito?"

"Sure."

As Kazuto stood up, he kissed Asuna on the cheek, waved goodbye, and walked out. Then, they heard his motorcycle driving off. The noise woke Harushi, who yawned.

"We going home?" She asked.

"Yeah." Asuna replied. As the Yuuki family walked out, they entered their car. Asuna smiled and helped a very tired Harushi into her seat, and when they started to move, she collapsed in sleep again on Asuna's shoulder. Asuna smiled, and placed her hand on Harushi's cheek. She smiled and whispered.

"Goodnight, sis."

========================================

As Asuna gently helped Harushi into bed, she pulled the covers up to her cheek and sighed.

"See you in the morning." she said.

"You too, sis. You need help finding the dining room in the morning for breakfast?" Asuna asked.

"I might." she replied.

"Okay. Goodnight."

"'Night."

As Asuna gently shut the door, she smiled and walked into her room. As she changed, she smiled and sighed. As she turned out the lights, she sighed and looked out the window at the rising moon.

"I have a sister." she said, before closing her eyes and going to sleep.

==========================================

The noise of the birds chirping woke Asuna from her slumber. She slipped out of bed and changed, and then she walked down the hall to Harushi's room. She opened the door to reveal Harushi sitting up and looking outside.

"Morning." Asuna said.

"Morning, Sis." Harushi replied.

"Wanna get something to eat?"

"Sure."

As they walked downstairs, Asuna turned on the stove and began to fry some eggs for the two of them.

"That was a nice night." Harushi said.

"It was." Asuna said.

"How'd you meet them all?" Harushi asked.

"It's a long story. Simply put, I most of them in a VR game." Asuna replied.

"I see. Which one was it?" Harushi asked.

"I think you've heard of it. It was called Sword Art Online." Asuna replied.

Harushi gasped slightly.

"You're a survivor?" she said, shocked.

"Yes. So's Kazuto, and except for a few others, every one of my friends is a survivor." Asuna replied.

"Wow." Harushi said.

"There was nothing "wow" about that death game." Asuna said.

"Sorry." Harushi said. But she got up suddenly and embraced Asuna in a tight hug.

"It's all over? It's not happening again, right?" Harushi asked.

"It's not happening again. I promise." Asuna replied.

"Okay."

As they broke the hug and sat down, Asuna sighed.

"You okay?"

Harushi nodded.

"Just a bit shocked, that's all."

"Okay."

As they ate, Asuna and Harushi's mood gradually improved. Then, Asuna's phone rang.

"Hi, Kirito!" Asuna said.

"Morning, Asuna! Harushi!" came the reply. Harushi blushed slightly at hearing her name.

"What's up?"

"Check the ALO forums. It should be the first post you see." Kirito said mysteriously.

"Okay.." Asuna said, pulling it up on her phone. When she logged into the forums and read the post title, she gasped.

THE YGGDRASIL BALL-HAPPENING THIS WEEK!

Harushi hopped up and over to Asuna's side. Asuna clicked on the post, and began to read.

The first YGGDRASIL BALL will happen soon, (Yes, that kind of Ball) as a special in-game event atop the World Tree as a little reward for everyone! Players lucky enough to snag an invitation, gained as a rare monster drop, will be allowed to ascend to a branch of the World Tree, and dance the night away. One invitation allows up to two players, commonly one boy and one girl, to enter, so partner up, players! A special vendor in the Yggdrasil city plaza will be selling special formal suits and dresses, exclusive to this event. The Ball will begin at 10:00 PM Japan time on Wednesday, and the dance floor opens at 10:45.

Good luck, and happy hunting!

GM Aria

Asuna smiled and redialed Kirito's number.

"You see the post?"

"I did. I don't think you need to ask." Asuna said.

"I will, just for the sake of doing it. Will you go with me?"

"Yes." Asuna replied.

"Great. 9:30 at the Cabin sound good?"

"Sounds good. See you then!"

Asuna ended the call, and Harushi looked at her.

"This is good, right?"

"It is. I have an extra AmuSphere, so, wanna try out New ALO?"

"What's the difference?" Harushi asked.

"New map, new company, new Yggdrasil City, and New Aincrad." Asuna said.

"I guess." Harushi said.

"Alright. Let's eat. The eggs are getting cold." Asuna said. As they ate, the sun flashed a rainbow through the dew on the window.

Chapter 18-Preparing

Welcome to ALO, Player! Choose your race!

Harushi chose Imp.

Enter your avatar Name!

Harushi thought for a sec, then she entered a name.

Runa

As she styled her avatar to her liking, she smiled and hit CONFIRM.

"Welcome!"

As Runa spawned, she opened her eyes to see Asuna and Kirito looking down at her.

"Hey, Runa." Asuna said, helping her up.

"Hey, Asuna." she replied, getting a feel for her new avatar and body.

"So, where are we?"

"In our house." Kirito replied.

"You own a house here?" Runa asked.

"Yeah. And for a while, we've been flat broke." Kirito said, and Asuna punched him in the arm. Runa giggled slightly and stood up and spun around, her robes twirling with the motion.

"This'll take some getting used to." She said.

"It does." Asuna said.

Runa laughed and walked outside with Asuna and Kirito. She gasped at the view of the lake and the forest.

"Wow...this is amazing!" Runa said.

"It's pretty much the house we got in SAO, Runa." Asuna said. "It brings back memories."

"I guess it can." Runa replied. As she equipped her basic staff and sword, she looked up into the sky.

"I think I'm gonna like it here."

=============================================

Three hours later

=============================================

Runa and the group walked through the streets of Yggdrasil City towards the plaza where the vendor was. Runa was holding hands with Asuna, and she and Kirito were right beside each other. As they neared the vendor, a notification appeared on each of their HUDs.

Check your inventory, player. It's on us.

GM Aria.

As they opened their inventory, they gasped. Two new items had arrived. One, a VIP Ball invitation. Second was a Gilded Seal coupon that allowed half-price from the merchant. As the notifications went away, Aries put his hand to his cheek.

"I wonder why the GMs did that." Aries said.

"Maybe it has to do with Muspelheim." Asuna said.

"Maybe." Kirito added. As they walked up, the merchant greeted them. Asuna looked through the selection of gowns, but nothing really stood out. Until she saw it under "Special Orders." A dress called "The Maiden's Tear". Something about it called to her.

She inspected the item and dropped her jaw slightly. Quickly, she purchased it and put it in her inventory, along with its respective jewelry, gloves, and shoes. She made sure everyone else was occupied, and took a look in the comparison window. She gasped at it's beauty. It was white and sky blue, with a princess line style, and even in the virtual window, it sparkled like a diamond. The corset was expertly engraved with a intricate, rococo-styled gem-like pattern, with two armlets on the shoulders, with a rose pattern along the top of the chemise. The large, full-length skirt, complete with a small ruffled edge, finished with a small teardrop gem necklace and tiara, with sky blue gloves made for a graceful image. A wispen, silk shawl completed the picture of a princess maiden, ready for a grand event. She admired the dress one last time before putting it away in her inventory. She looked over at the rest of the group, who were choosing their dresses or suits. She walked over at tapped Kirito on the shoulder.

"Asuna? You find one?"

"I did."

"You gonna show it?"

"I wanna keep it a surprise." she said.

"Fine." Kirito replied. "Allow me to show you my pick."

It was a black suit, with two coattails and a small silver sash. Plain, yet elegant, it was a respectable finish.

"Looks great." Asuna said. As she and Kirito held hands, Runa purchase her dress and looked at them.

"They're so into each other...with good reason, I guess." (indent)

"Runa?"

She flinched and looked over at Leafa, who was smiling.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just this whole thing is kinda overwhelming."

"Yeah. I mean, I don't really dance, and I don't ballroom dance at all, but I should be fine." Leafa said. "You should be fine, too."

"I hope so." Runa replied.

As they finished up and bought their chosen apparel, Runa looked over at Asuna, who was helping Yuuki pick hers.

"I hope we have fun, sis."

=============================

Harushi opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She sighed and took off her AmuSphere rig. She opened her door to see Asuna standing near the door.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I was waiting for you. It's almost dinnertime. Let's keep the ALO talk to a minimum, okay? Mom's not entirely sure that she likes it or ALO, for that matter."

"Okay."

As they sat down, Kyouko looked over at Harushi.

"Did you enjoy your gaming today?"

"We did. We mostly shopped, though. There's an event coming up, and we needed to pick a few things out."

"I see. Anyway Harushi, I looked into schools in the area for you, and I found one relatively close to Asuna's school. Since I was able to get your papers in early, you should start on the same day Asuna returns from Winter Break."

"Okay. It's really my first time in a school, though. Back at the temp house, I was homeschooled."

"I anticipated that. I've hired a tutor to help you until you are...shall we say...up to speed on the academic subjects."

"Fine." Harushi replied. "Who is it?

"A girl by the name of Shino Asada."

"Sinon?" Asuna asked.

"You know her?" Kyouko asked.

"Yes. She's one of Kazuto's friends. She's a nice girl, and she was at the party at the cafe'. Black hair, glasses?" Asuna asked.

"I do remember her. Glad I chose her, then. We should eat. Asuna, If I may...what kind of event is it?"

Asuna blushed.

"It's a formal dance. I'm going with Kirito."

"I see. Do you know what time it begins?"

"I'm meeting Kirito at 9:30 in our house. It officially starts at 10:30."

"Fine. " Kyouko said. "Try to be back by 1:00. The day after tomorrow school resumes."

"Okay, mom." Asuna said.

"One more thing." Kyouko said.

"What?" Asuna asked.

Kyouko smiled.

"Have a nice time."

Chapter 19-The Story of Tonight

Asuna sighed and turned out the light in her bedroom. Tonight was the Ball, the thing she had been waiting for all week. She smiled as she laid down on her bed. She placed her AmuSphere on her head, and closed her eyes.

"Link Start!"

As her eyes opened, she smiled at the familiar location of her and Kirito's cabin. She ducked inside and checked the time.

9:20

She smiled and ducked into the bedroom and closed the door. Opening her inventory, she smiled and sighed. Then she heard a knock on the door.

"Asuna? You in there?"

Asuna smiled at hearing Kirito's voice.

"Yeah, gimme a sec! Wait on the couch, will you?"

"Sure!"

Asuna opened her inventory and changed into The Maiden's Tear. As it materialized, Asuna sighed, pleased with how it fit and felt. She slipped on her shoes, her tiara, and her gloves. She walked out to see Kirito waiting on the couch. He smiled upon seeing her.

"You look like a princess." he said, and Asuna blushed.

"I feel like one too." She replied.

"Let's get going then, milady." He said with a smirk, and Asuna took his hand. Opening their inventories, they activated their invitations. As they teleported to the ballroom, Asuna focused on one thought in her head.

"Let's dance...Kirito."

==========================================

Asuna and Kirito walked into the ballroom and both gasped. There were at least fifty players already present, all in dresses or suits. Then, they saw the group waving, and they settled themselves down at a table near the dance floor. Kirito looked around and smiled. Silica was wearing a dress similar to her dress from Rarity, but gilded and more ornate. Liz was wearing a pink suit with a small skirt. Leafa was wearing a Ivory and Green yukata, with her hair done in a bun. Alice wore a white dress with blue sleeves, and like all of her attire, it was based off of her Underworld armor. Klein was wearing a suit of beige and red. Twilight wore her Gala dress from Equestria. Aries wore a black suit with a Green sash, and a small shoulder epaulet. Sinon was wearing a yellow dress with a small rose corset. Runa was wearing a blue dress with a small sash, simple but elegant. Asuna sighed and put her head on Kirito's shoulder.

"Hey guys. Glad that we all made it." Kirito said.

"Yeah. Not many occasions real or virtual we get to black-tie dress." Aries quipped.

"I agree." Agil said, walking up. He was wearing a tan suit with a black set of monograms.

"Totally." Liz said. "By the way, the food's great!"

"Well, that settles it, then." Klein said, getting up.

"Not so fast, Klein. You do know that you're supposed to dance, right?" Silica said.

"Yeah. I really don't know If I can though." Klein admitted.

"I'll partner with you." Twilight said. "We can learn as we go."

"Thanks, Twi. Lifesaver." Klein said, sitting back down.

"You do know the floor's not open yet? So, what now?" Sinon asked.

"Silly! We talk, of course."

Kirito turned to see Yuuki walk up with the Sleeping Knights. Though Yuuki had changed considerably in terms of her avatar. She was still an Imp, though her hairstyle and features had changed to be more pointed and less feminine. She had also changed her hair color from black to a more gray, plus, her name had changed.

"Yuzaki?" Asuna asked.

"Yeah. I decided to retire my old account and make a new one from scratch and move all my items over. I kinda like starting over again, you know?" Yuuki replied.

"I see. You all look great, by the way." Asuna replied.

"Yeah." Siune replied. As the Sleeping Knights sat down, the next to arrive was the unlikely couple of Sakuya and Eugene.

"Wow, I didn't think you two would partner up." Kirito said.

"Well, it's a funny story. Wanna hear?" Eugene asked.

"Sure." Asuna replied. As they sat down, Sakuya smiled.

"You wanna start, or should I?"

"I'll start. So, I walk into my favorite coffee shop." Eugene said. "And I notice the waitress has a t-shirt on with the Sylph logo. We chatted, and we eventually recognized each other. I was never so embarrassed IN MY LIFE." Eugene said.

"Yeah. And things kinda went from there." Sakuya said.

"Wow. That's lucky." Kirito said.

"It is. Kirito? Can I ask you something?" Sakuya said, and he nodded.

"Back in Old ALO, when we first met, you said the reason you were playing was to find someone. Was that someone Asuna?" Sakuya asked. Asuna and Kirito both flinched, then they nodded.

"I see. Asuna? What were you doing in Old ALO?"

Asuna sighed and told them about her captivity while leaving out a few parts, and at the end, Sakuya sighed, and Eugene gasped.

"I'm sorry." Sakuya said.

"Thanks. It's all over now, and that's what matters." Asuna said. "To be honest, it's not something I like to remember."

"That's okay. Hey, it's 10:50. Wanna dance, Sakuya?" Eugene asked, and she nodded. Kirito turned over to Asuna, and she smiled. As they stood up, Leafa looked over at Aries, who was standing next to her nonchalantly.

"You wanna dance?" She asked.

"Sure. I mean…" Aries said. "Yeah."

"Okay." Leafa said, taking his hand and leading him to the now lit dance floor. As the two pairs stepped on, an NPC band, with ballroom instruments, appeared. A conductor appeared, and they began to play a waltz. As the dancing started, Asuna placed her head on Kirito's chest.

"To be honest...I'm really enjoying myself." Asuna said.

"Me too." Kirito replied. As they waltzed, Asuna felt warm and at peace. Runa watched from a distance, with a smile on her face.

"Runa? You okay?"

Sinon walked up, and Runa sighed.

"Yeah. I'm fine. You ready to start on Friday?"

"Ready. I'll be there about thirty minutes after you get home, from what your mom and I talked out."

"Great." Runa said, leaning on Sinon, who placed her arm around her. As they watched Kirito and Asuna do another round, Leafa and Aries finished their first round.

"You know, Leafa? I really am enjoying this." Aries said.

"Me too. I'm really content right now. Just right now, here in the moment."

"Yeah."

As the dancing continued, and the laughter continued to resonate, the moon came out from behind a cloud, illuminating the hall with rays of moonlight.

==========================================

One hour later

==========================================

Asuna sighed and placed her head back on Kirito's shoulder. They had finished their third round, and Asuna was getting tired. Kirito wrapped his arm around her and smiled.

"When we log out, do you want we to spend the night with you? The rest of it, I mean."

"That would be nice." Asuna replied. "We should log out, anyway. It's getting late."

"Agreed. See you soon."

As they two of them logged out, the moon shone brighter than before.

Chapter 20-The Nights We Have Together

Asuna blinked her eyes and stood up. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she smiled and changed from her day wear into her PJ's. Then, she heard a knock on the door.

"Asuna?" came Kyouko's voice.

"Yes, mom?"

Kyouko opened the door and sat down next to her.

"DId you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes." Asuna replied. "I really did."

"Good. By the way, Mr. Kirigaya called, said to expect him shortly. Did you plan this?"

"Yeah." Asuna replied.

"Fine. I just wanted to be sure. Goodnight." Kyouko said, smiling.

"Goodnight." Asuna replied. As she curled up under the covers, she felt warm and safe. A few moments later, the door opened revealing Kazuto. He smiled, walked over, and sat down on the bed next to her. Asuna's hand touched and held his, and he placed his other hand on her cheek. Brushing it gently, he smiled.

"Evening." he said.

"Evening." Asuna replied, smiling. After a few moments of silence, Kazuto sighed.

"You know on Wednesday, we head back to school, right? Gonna mean a change for us and Twilight."

"Isn't she staying with you?"

"She warps back home during the night, and stays here during the day. Apparently time flows differently, and our day and night cycles are reversed. The many strange mechanics of parallel worlds." He said, and Asuna giggled.

"Yeah." She said.

"You know, I mean, when we...I mean...if we get married, you know…" Kirito said.

Asuna smiled, stood up, and pressed herself against him in embrace.

"To be honest, Kirito, I would want nothing more than to be married to you." she said, smiling.

"Same here." Kazuto replied, touching her face lovingly. Asuna smiled again and laid back down, curling up again.

"You know...Kirito, tonight kinda reminds me of our first night in Aincrad together."

"It does." Kirito said. "Though there, you were..well…"

"Naked?" Asuna asked.

"Yeah. Well, partially."

"Eh." Asuna said. "It was still probably one of the greatest nights of my life."

"Again, same here." Kazuto said. "Would it be too overwhelming if I proposed for real right now?"

"Maybe." Asuna said. "Would be a nice touch, though."

She closed her eyes and yawned sleepily, and Kazuto sighed again.

"You know Asuna, I don't get tired of saying I love you."

"Neither do I." Asuna replied. As they sat in silence, basking in each other, Asuna smiled.

"Kirito?"

"What?"

"Could you...kiss me goodnight, if you don't mind"

Kazuto smiled, kissed her deeply on the cheek, and sighed.

"You don't even need to ask." he replied. Asuna blushed and laid down, setting her head on the pillow. As she closed her eyes, Kazuto stood up and pulled on his jacket.

"Goodnight, Kirito." Asuna said sleepily. Kazuto turned and looked at her.

"Goodnight, Asuna."

Kazuto shut the door and walked down the hall. As he entered the family room, Shouzou called him over.

"I heard a little of your conversation. To be honest...you're exactly the type of person I would want as my son-in-law." he said, and Kazuto scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Thanks, Mr. Yuuki." He replied.

"No problem. By the way, I think I've got what amounts to hobby now."

"Really?" Kazuto asked.

"Follow me." he said, leading Kazuto to his den. He proudly showed him a model plane, a Zero from World War II.

"I got it from a friend as a retirement present. It's been here for a while, and I thought I would try it. Truth be told, I think I'm hooked." He said.

"Sounds great." Kazuto replied.

"Thanks. You had best get going. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Sure. See you around."

As Kazuto exited the house, and drove off back to his house, the moon shone like a pale gem.

Chapter 21-Return to Eqigard

Deep Below the Crystal Empire

============================

In a black crystal-lined cavern, deep below the Crystal Heart, a single red object lay on a pedestal. Then, the crystals glowed purple, and black lightning flowed into the horn. Then, the horn rose into the air and took form. Sombra opened his eyes, fully formed. As he took his first steps, fully given form, he began to laugh evilly.

"I'm free!" he roared, and he set off towards the surface.

=================================================

Twilight walked through the streets of Tokyo, smiling as she did. Since starting her trip to the human world, she had plenty of experiences. Then, she noticed a message from the DIMGear appear. She dived into an alley and crouched behind a dumpster, and opened the message.

TWILIGHT,

SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG IN EQUESTRIA. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT, BUT CELESTIA ASKED ME TO ALERT YOU TO THIS. SUMMON KIRITO AND THE GROUP AND RETURN TO EQUIGARD IMMEDIATELY.

HEATHCLIFF

Twilight gasped and started to panic. As she opened the DIMGear's warp system, she teleported herself to a marker known as "Kirito's." As she appeared in the middle of the family room, she saw Alice stand up with a start.

"Miss Twilight? Is everything okay?" She asked.

"No. I just got a message something went wrong in Equestria. Can you get the group notified that we need to head there as soon as we can?" Twilight said.

Alice nodded and began to sent a text message to each group member's phones, while Twilight logged out of the human realm and back to Equestria. As her eyes opened, she saw she was in her room at her castle. She stood up and walked downstairs to find Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Armor, along with her friends.

"I got back as fast as I could!" Twilight said, out of breath. "What the heck's going on here?"

"Twiley, It's Sombra." Shining said. "He's back, and he's got an army of monsters with him."

"No way…" Twilight said. "He was defeated!"

"But not destroyed." Celestia said. "His horn, the focal point of his powers, wasn't destroyed in the blast. He managed to recover the dark energy that keeps him alive, and he's recovered his dark magic as well."

"But…The Crystal Heart! Can't we use that against him?" Twilight said.

"He's already got the Empire." Cadance said. "We evacuated all of the Crystal ponies and we got the Heart out safely, but he's in control of the Crystal Empire. He's launching raids against Equestria, and we can't hold out much longer."

"Then we'll have to take him down."

Twilight then saw Kirito and the group, consisting of Leafa, Silica, Lizbeth, Sinon, Asuna, Klein, Agil, and Alice, come down the stairs and walk over.

"Glad you could all make it." Cadance said. "Where's Arec, by the way?"

"He had business to take care of." Asuna replied. "Anyway, where's Sombra now?"

"We don't know. We presume he's still at the Empire, but we can't say for sure." Luna replied.

"So, want us to take care of him?" Sinon asked.

"He's too well protected for a strike this early." Celestia replied. "And there's the fact that he has an army of monsters at his back from all across Equestria."

"Then we'll have to take him out like we did Syrt." Alice said.

"Only, the problem is, we don't know where he's at…"

"YOU ARE ALL VERMIN!"

Then, the lights went out. A black mist formed into a ghostly copy of Sombra, that began to speak.

"You think that the so called "Fairies" can defeat me? I have an army. You have a group of so-called "warriors." I issue you this challenge. Send out your best to fight my champion, at the Equestrian plains. If you win, I shall honor you with a challenge at the EMpire. If I win...I claim Equestria, and all in it. You have one hour to decide."

As the ghostly image faded, Twilight looked over at Kirito, who sighed.

"We'll fight for you." He said.

Twilight nodded. Celestia tried to speak, but Twilight looked at her.

"I'm more than capable of defending myself." She said.

"That's not what I'm worried about." Celestia said. "Sombra has made it his intention to claim you if he conquers Equestria."

Twilight growled angrily.

"What is with stallions trying to get me in their bed?" She said under her breath.

"Don't worry, Twilight." Kirito said. "We'll beat his champion, no sweat."

As they teleported out to face Sombra, the sun was obscured by a black cloud.

===========

As they reappeared at the plains, Twilight saw Sombra walking towards them, backed up and flanked by three Hydras, who were coursing with dark magic.

"The fairies?" Sombra said. "How...quaint."

"You know, you're rather overconfident." Kirito said, stepping forward, along with the group, who drew their weapons.

Sombra cackled with laughter.

"And you think you can defeat me? It took the power of the Crystal Heart to even banish me. To think your blades can defeat me is simply impossible."

"That's what you think, pal." Aries said.

Sombra laughed again.

"We are far from "pals", fairy. I shall show you why."

A massive black cloud formed behind him, and sharp black crystals formed an arena around the fairies and Sombra. Twilight and the other ponies were cut off, their only way to know what was happening a window on the arena. Sombra's horn crackled with purple energy, and a large shape began to take form. Then, features formed, and Kirito gasped at the completed being. It was tall, Minotaur-like, and bedecked with golden ornaments. A large single-edged sword rested on his back. Horns covered in black crystals rested on its head. Then, it roared with a guttural cry. Then, a boss marker appeared, followed by six health bars. Then, its name appeared.

THE TWILIGHT EYES

Kirito looked up as he drew his Dark Repulsor sword, dual wielding it.

"Rematch." He said before he and the group charged.

Boss Battle-The Twilight Eyes

As the group charged, The Eyes grinned and drew a sword similar to the Gleam Eyes. Raising it into the air, he slammed the ground, causing a tremendous explosion and earthquake. As Kirito jumped to dodge, the Eyes slammed his fist into him, sending Kirito flying into the coliseum walls. Asuna cried out, and charged, her rapier ready. Landing a Sword Skill to the boss's chest, it roared before attempting to slice her in two. Asuna used her wings to dodge the blow, but just narrowly, as she felt the blade's edge nearly slice her cheek. As she fell back to heal Kirito, Leafa took up a defensive stance, while The Eyes cackled in a demonic way.

"Is that the best you can muster?" Sombra bellowed from his position atop the coliseum. "Is that truly the best you offer?"

"Not by a longshot!" Alice roared, drawing her sword and charging. Deftly dodging The Eye's swipes, she curled and landed a heavy blow to the underside of his long muzzle. The Eyes roared in pain, and his HP bars depleted by a decent amount. Kirito, now healed to full HP, charged alongside Lizbeth, who slammed her hammer into his left thigh. The Eyes staggered, and Kirito seized his chance. Drawing his Dark Repulsor, he slashed several times. The Eyes roared before landing an uppercut straight to Kirito's chest. Flying into the ground, he groaned.

"That...hurt.." he said, drinking a potion. Sinon fired a series of arrows, but The Eyes swatted them away like flies.

"You are making fools of yourselves!" Sombra laughed. "Just give up!"

"Screw you!" Klein replied, helping Kirito up. "We've still got HP left, and we can still fight!"

"A lovely sentiment." Sombra replied. "But it will cost you your LIFE!"

As Klein dodged the resulting slash from The Eyes, Kirito growled and stood up again. Looking over at Asuna, she nodded. As the two of them charged, The Eyes reared back and sent a purple blast of energy towards them. As they dodged to the side using their wings, Kirito landed his foot on the ground. Using his momentum, he gave himself a burst of speed that allowed him to plant both of his swords into The Eyes's side. As the Boss tried to swat him, Asuna leaped onto his arm and launched Starry Tear right to his face. As the boss recoiled, Kirito withdrew his swords with a mighty slash and triggered Skill Connect. As the two players fought against the boss, Sombra watched them with interest.

"The blue one seems to hold affection for the one known as "Kirito." I might exploit that later. But...now, let's make things...interesting."

Sombra triggered his Dark Magic, and three beams of black energy struck the field. They formed into smaller versions of the boss, only without the golden jewelry, and they carried smaller blades.

"Minions!" Aries yelled, engaging them alongside Silica and Agil.

"Got it. Hold them off!" Kirito replied, still battling the boss alongside Asuna. Then, The Eyes began to glow black and purple.

"What's going on?" Agil yelled.

Then, The Eyes roared with greater force, and he prepared to smash the earth with his fists.

"Midnight Rage attack incoming! Get into the air!" Yui yelled from her perch at Asuna's shoulder. As the group scrambled to get airborne, the Eyes smashed the ground, causing a black, crystal-laced energy wave to blast in all directions. As the smoke cleared, Asuna and Kirito gasped. The only players who had managed to get airborne were them and Alice. Everyone else was on the ground, crackling with black electricity.

"We can't move!" Klein yelled, struggling to get up.

"Just hang on!" Alice replied. "We'll finish this!"

As The Eyes slashed and them, they dodged and weaved, reasoning it wasn't safe to touch the ground. As Alice, then Asuna fell to the earth, Kirito growled. Charging with all his might, he prepared to slash with everything left. Then, the Eyes opened his arms and caught him, before throwing him into the ground with a sickening crunch. Was everyone gasped, Kirito was sent flying back. As he slowly stood up, Asuna gasped. His coat had torn in several places, and there was a large gash on his cheek. Then, he growled.

"That the best you got?" He chuckled. "Let me show you mine."

As he chanted a spell, Yui gasped.

"Yui? What's wrong?"

"That's a Spell from Old ALO that Daddy knows! It just might win this!" Yui said.

"What spell is it?" Asuna said.

"Beast Form!" Yui yelled as a cyclone of fire covered Kirito. As it whirled around, Asuna saw Kirito's body changing. As the cyclone exploded, Kirito had changed. He was now similar to that of the Gleam Eyes, only his skin was a dark ebony, unlike the Boss's purple skin. He didn't carry a sword, but razor-sharp claws and a bladed tail were the only weapons he needed. As Kirito's eyes opened, Asuna has his HP being restored to full, and then, it glowed black, and three additional bars appeared. Kirito roared guttural lay and charged, slamming his clawed its into the boss's chest with enough force to make The Eyes recoil. He slashed and clawed away, as The Eyes landed punches and slashes with his sword. As the two titans fought, Asuna was focused on the steadily decreasing HP bars belonging to both of them.

"Be careful..." She whispered. "...Kirito."

As Kirito blocked a slash from The Eyes with his armored fist, he grabbed The Boss's sword hand and bent it back, breaking the Boss's Grip on his sword. As it felt to the ground, Kirito launched a punch towards the boss's chest, while The Eyes launched a bite to Kirito's throat. As the two attacks collided, Asuna gasped as the HP bars decreased. Then, there was a crack, and the Boss disappeared, defeated. Asuna saw Kirito's HP drop to practically nothing before he slumped over and returned to his fairy form. As Asuna sprinted over and caught him before he fell to the ground, she looked down at him. He had taken several hits, and his HP was on the point of being depleted. His face was cut in several places, and his coat was torn and part of it was ragged. Asuna buried her face in his shoulder and cried. Sombra looked down at them, and he cackled.

"Bravo!" He said. "Bravo! I commend you on your victory, but do not rest on your laurels. There are worse fights ahead of you if you attempt to take back the Empire. I await your next move. But be warned. I still have many tricks left up my sleeve…" He said ominously as he disappeared into black smoke. As the alicorns and the ponies walked over, Asuna tightened her grip on Kirito, still crying.

"You..reckless...idiot…" She murmured. "Why'd you have to do that? Why?"

She cried more, and Yui hugged her cheek in an attempt to console her. As Asuna shouldered Kirito, Cadance sighed.

"In case he's been exposed to dark magic, can I cast a purification spell on him?"

Asuna nodded, and Cadance's horn glowed. As Kirito was covered in green particles, Asuna sighed at seeing his HP bar go up a small amount. As Asuna, along with Alice, helped carry Kirito back into Ponyville, Twilight shepherded the group to Ponyville Hospital, where they were given a private room. Rarity took Kirito's coat for repairs, while Asuna helped place him in a hospital bed. As the doctors set up medical tech, Asuna placed her head against his chest. She manipulated his hand and opened his inventory, and she equipped his casual t-shirt for him. As she laid back down, she began to cry.

"Mommy...Daddy…" Yui said, turning to her human form. As she curled up next to Kirito, she began to cry. Asuna stroked Yui's hair, soothing her.

"He'll be fine, Yui. I know he will. Just as you reassured me when he was in GGO, let me reassure you now that he'll be fine."

"Okay…" Yui replied.

"It's getting late, Asuna." Alice said, placing her hand on Asuna's shoulder. "Let's get some sleep back at Twilight's, and we'll check on him in the morning."

"Alright. Yui, let's go." Asuna said. Yui returned to her Pixie form and perched herself on Asuna's shoulder. As they rejoined the group and walked over to Twilight's house, they were led upstairs by Spike to a guest bedroom. As each player collapsed in exhaustion, Asuna picked a bed and slipped under the covers, and soon, she was asleep. As the rest of the group relaxed as well, Alice looked out the window towards the hospital.

"C'mon, Kirito." She said quietly. "Asuna was there for you in Underworld. Now, it's your turn to make it up to her. Fight for her. And me." She said.

==============================

THE NEXT MORNING.

As Kirito blinked his eyes and eventually fully opened them, he looked around and saw he was in a hospital room. He looked out the window and saw to his relief that he was still in Equestria. As he stood up, he looked around. Then, he saw the door open, and Asuna came in. She, upon seeing him awake, smiled.

"Hey." He said quietly. "Sorry about that."

"Dummy." Asuna replied, throwing herself into his arms. "Did you have to nearly kill yourself like that?"

Kazuto sighed and hugged her tightly.

"Well, it was the last option I had."

Asuna looked up at him, into his face, and sighed.

"You're right." She said. "You hungry?"

"Yeah." Kirito replied. "Where's my coat?"

"Rarity has it." Asuna replied, helping him out of bed. "She said it was so torn up, she nearly had to make you a new one."

"Figures." Kirito said, as the two of them walked towards Sugarcube Corner, where the group was having breakfast. As they walked in and sat down, the group walked over and sat with them.

"Man, Kirito. You really enjoy doing crap like that?" Klein asked, taking a sip of coffee.

"Well, depends on what you mean by enjoy." Kirito said, as Asuna leaned on his shoulder.

"He has a point." Sinon said.

Klein scoffed and looked outside.

"Helluva Boss fight, huh?" He said.

"Yeah." Silica said. "I've never seen a boss summon minions here before."

"Must be a new feature." Aries said. "I mean, most bosses in New Aincard or ALO don't have them, and if they do, they're weak. Those monsters were giving me a run for my money."

"Speaking of." Alice said. "I think that Sombra might have more bosses like that in reserve. He did say something like that."

"True." Lizbeth said. "We'll, I guess we'll find out."

As they ate in silence, Twilight walked in.

"We've got good news. Sombra's army is pulling out of Equestrian territory. He's concentrating his forces at the Empire. I think that if we strike now, we'll be able to end him."

"Thing is…" Kirito said. "Didn't it take the Princess's combined powers to banish him the first time, the Crystal Heart the second time. What's it going to take to kill him?"

"You're right." Twilight said. "It has to do with his horn, and both times, that wasn't destroyed. I think that if we manage to find his weakness, we'll find a way to end him for good. For now, let's get some rest."

"Right." Everyone replied. As they ate, the sunlight illuminated Asuna and Kirito.

Chapter 22-Recuperation and Exploration, part 1.

As Rarity worked on Kirito's Coat, she huffed in annoyance. It was torn in several places, and a sleeve was nearly torn off completely. She smiled as she put the final stitches in the repairs, and picked it up. Placing it in a bag, she smiled.

"Kirito's going to love this!" She said happily, as she set out for Sugarcube corner.

=================================

As Kirito and The group walked out of Sugarcube Corner, Twilight sighed.

"What's wrong?" Liz asked.

"I've gone through all the records we have on Sombra. There's nothing indicating any sort of weakness. I don't know how we'll beat him..."

"We'll be fine." Silica said. "We always are."

Twilight thanked the Cait-Sith player, and as they headed back to the castle, They found Rarity waiting for them.

"Kirito, I did some modifications and repairs to your coat while you were out." she said, handing Kirito the bag. "I hope you enjoy."

Kirito opened hte bag, and smiled. The coat looked as good as new, and a small winglike pattern was sewn into the back of the coat. Equipping it, he tested it out, moving his arms.

"Feels great. Thanks a lot." Kirito replied.

"Don't mention it, dear." Rarity said. "Do keep it in stable condition this time."

Kirito nodded and sat down next to Asuna, who sighed and placed her head on his shoulder. It wasnt long before Celestia arrived with news.

"Many new monsters unlike anything we've seen before are coming up everywhere, leading monster bands that are attacking villages. Kirito, we believe they originate frrom your world's VR games.'

"It would make sense." Kirito replied. "The only way he could access them is by getting into the Cardinal System or the World Seed. Those originate from our world, though."

"Any chance he could access them, or even control it?" Celestia asked.

"No. The Cardinal System can't be controlled. I saw what happened to a person who tried to control it firsthand." Kirito said, thinking of his battle alongside Alice and Eugeo in Underworld's Throne Room, where Eugeo sacrificed himself to save Kirito. Celestia saw Kirito's pained expression and decided not to press further.

"So..." Celestia said, changing the subject. "How should we prepare if we need to fight them?"

"You'll need strong fighters and a lot of strategy." Asuna said. "Back in Aincrad, Kirito and I planned a few battle strategies against the Floor Bosses. Our best record was two casualties out of fifty-odd players." Asuna said.

"I'll send you our current strategies, then." Celestia replied. "See what you can do."

"Consider it a favor." Asuna replied, and Kirito nodded.

"Well, I dunno about you guys, but I'm bored. What's to do around town?" Klein asked, looking out hte window.

"Figures." Sinon said. "You've always been one for action, Klein."

"Eh." he replied.

"Well, feel free to explore." Twilight said. "I'll alert you if we need you."

"Sounds good." Kirito said, he and Asuna standing up. "Let's take a breather guys. Meet back here when you're finished exploring. Partner up, everyone."

"Right." came the reply from everyone.

=======================================

Lizbeth and Sinon decided to explore the western part of town. As they browsed the market stalls, Liz noticed a clamor coming from a small field. They walked over and discovered a group of ponies watching an archer demonstrate his skills.

"Archery, huh?" Liz said. "Might be a challenge, Sinon."

"Let's see what he's got." Sinon said, walking over. "Hey."

"Yo." The archer replied. "Came to watch?"

"Nah. I came to challenge." Sinon said, drawing her bow. "You up for a shoot-off?"

The archer grinned.

"No one's beaten Sharp Eye before. I'll bet you fifty bits you can't beat me."

"I'll take it." Sinon said. "Pick your target."

Sharp Eye grinned and drew his bow, nocking an arrow. Aiming at an apple tree over near the orchard. Loosing an arrow, he shot an apple through. As the crowd cheered, Sinon scoffed.

"Lucky shot. I'll show you what I can do."

Nocking an arrow, she aimed at the same apple. Then, she chanted.

"Ektor. Skorri. Fellis. Marin."

Then, she fired. As the arrow flew, it pierced Sharp Shot's arrow, before flying in an arc into the sky, and landing vertically in the apple, knocking it to the ground. As Sharp Shot's jaw dropped, everypong spectating gasped.

"Now where's that fifty bits you owe me?" Sinon said, resting her bow. Sharp Eye soundlessly offered her a small bag of bits, and Sinon placed it in her belt.

"Thanks. Nice shooting, by the way. You're not a bad archer. But I'm more than that. I'm a sniper."

As Sinon and Liz walked off, Sharp Eye passed out.

=============================================

Chapter 23-Fall of the King

As the remaining members of the group returned from their excursions around town, Kirito, Asuna, and Celestia looked over a map of the battlefield in a different room.

"It seems he's pulled out most of his raiding bands and used them to reinforce the capital." Celestia said. "If we only had an opening…"

"Maybe there is one.." Asuna said. "But we still have to locate it."

"I know. But it's not likely. Sombra has been alive for many, many years. He is an experienced warrior and strategist. The only way we were able to overcome him wsa with the Elements of Harmony, but they are gone now."

"Alright. Maybe if we took a diversionary attack…" Kirito said, sweeping a finger along the Empire's northern border. "And lured him out. Then, we strike."

"It might work." Celestia replied. "However, he still has powerful monsters awaiting us."

"If you can handle the monsters, we can handle Sombra." Asuna said. "I think it's about time for the show to start."

"Indeed, Asuna." Celestia replied. "Ill notify our forces to the north. We'll get you as close as we can. The rest is up to you."

"We understand." Kirito said. "Let's go."

As Celestia studied the maps further, Asuna and Kirito sent messages to each of the group, telling them to get ready.

==============================

As the train docked at the station, Kirito and the group stepped out into the biting, freezing wind. As they approached the Equestrian trenches, a guard came up and saluted them.

"We've done some scouting of the enemy force. Sombra must be keeping moore in reserve then we thought."

"Why is that?" Kirito asked.

"Because there's nothing in the trenches." the guard replied. "The only thing left out there is snow."

"Alright. Everyone take positions." Celestia said. As Kirito and the group proceeded to the front trench, Asuna saw a figure approach. Drawing their swords, the group went over the top to face it. Sombra came into view and laughed.

"Well, fairies, we meet again. I expected you to be less of a fight. However...your fight is far from over. I challenge your best to a duel. If their champion wins, the Empire is yours. If I win...Equestria is mine." he said. "Send out your best!"

Kirito stepped forward, drawing and dual-wielding Elucidator and Dark Repulsor. Sombra cackled and summoned a greatsword made of black crystal, and a blood-red shield. Kirito smiled, as he knew how to fight against this setup. Sombra assumed a ready stance, and Kirito did the same. Then, they lunged towards each other. Sombra's blade met Kirito's, and the sound of clashing steel resonated across the field. As they traded blows and parries, Kirito had to admit, his opponent was skilled. Sombra's shield blocked nearly every slash or cut that Kirito made, and his sword was often just missing its mark. Kirito growled as he triggered a Sword Skill, cloaking his sword in flame. Launching a downward slash, Sombra blocked with his sword, though the force sent the evil king back a few inches. Sombra growled and attempted to ram Kirito with his shield, though Kirito managed to dodge in time.

"Your skills with the blade are commendable…" Sombra said. "But they will not save you, nor the one you love…"

"Don't...TOUCH HER!" Kirito yelled as he launched Starburst Stream. Sombra was sent back inches with each successive strike. He growled and focused a beam of Dark Magic, sending it towards Kirito. He dodged in time, though Sombra used this to press the attack, driving Kirito backwards. Kirito took in a breath, ragged and deep. He knew that he would lose if he kept fighting at his current, ferocious pace. Sombra seemed to have a limitless pool of energy, coming from nowhere. Kirito growled as Sombra feinted towards his legs. Kirito attempted to parry the incoming strike, but just before the blade could sever Kirito's neck…

"SHUNG!"

The sound of steel breaking erupted as a white flash speed into Kirito's view. Kirito's eyes widened at Asuna living up to her Aincrad moniker, the "Lightning Flash". She expertly parried Sombra's counterstrike, and she mounted the offensive. As her thrusts drove Sombra back, he growled.

"DIE!" he roared, sending a plume of Dark Magic towards him. Asuna leaped into the air, and unleashed Mother's Rosario. As her final blow connected, Lambent Light drove its blade straight through Sombra's shield and pierced his heart.. As he collapsed, Asuna sheathed her rapier and fell into Kirito's arms. As they turned and watched, Sombra began to disintegrate. He said nothing, only a moan of longing as he died, once and for all. While the troops rejoiced and the sun poked out from behind the clouds, Asuna looked at an exhausted Kirito.

"You save me, I save you." she said simply.

"True." Kirito replied. As they were helped up by Klein and Lizbeth, the group entered the Empire, ending Sombra's reign of terror forever.

Chapter 7-Beach Time!

As the train chugged through the night, Kirito looked over at the other bunks. All asleep. Asuna included. A bunk was empty, being Aries, who was helping keep watch over Twilight. He slipped out of bed and into the main car. Sitting down on the sofa, he kicked up his legs onto the table, and he sighed.

"Poor Twi..." he said, looking down at himself.

"Kirito?"

Kirito turned to see Asuna standing in the doorway.

"What's up? Can't sleep?"

"Yeah." Asuna said as she sat down next to him, still clad in her PJs. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Kirito sighed.

"I couldn't sleep either."

"Yeah. With Twilight still in a coma, who knows how she'll be?"

"Celestia says that she should fully recover, but how'd she get poisoned in the first place?"

"Good point. I mean, Aries was the only one there, and he knocked Blueblood out cold. So..."

"We're out of options." Asuna said, sighing. She then yawned, and Kirito followed suit.

"Come on. Let's get some rest."

As Kirito and Asuna settled themselves back in their bunks, the moon shone bright in the night sky.

===================================================================================================

"We're here!"

Silica pranced towards the door of the house, followed by Pina, who was crowing excitedly. The rest of the group followed her in, and they took in the modest proportions. A large walk-in kitchen stood next to a main room, modestly placed with furniture. A seashell lamp hung up above them. Kirito and Asuna sat down on the large, comfortable couch, and sighed.

"Reminds me of the coastal house dad owns." Aries said, sitting down at the table.

"What does your dad even do?" Agil asked.

"He's a businessman, and always traveling. I rarely see him. He usually shows up for important things, like Asher's funeral."

"I see." Agil said. After a few minutes, Celestia joined them, along with Twilight, still in a coma.

"I've given her all the treatment she needs. She'll wake up when she's ready." Celestia said, sighing. "If there's any trouble, there's a doctor in town by the name of Tender Wing. He's already been briefed about what to do."

"Thanks, Celestia." Lizbeth said from upstairs.

"I should have a few food parcels arriving soon, to keep you fairies fed. Expect them later."

Celestia bowed, and walked out.

"Well, what now?" Aries asked, picking up a book from the bookshelf.

"Hey guys! There's a HUGE cache of swimwear up here!" Silica yelled. "Anyone wanna head to the beach?"

Everyone shrugged, so they walked upstairs and changed. After a few minutes, they were on the sandy beach. Silica dived into the water and began to splash around with Pina. Klein and Agil set up some chairs and began to sunbathe. Asuna and Kirito got a few chairs out and sat down, with Yui perching on Kirito's head. Aries and Leafa started making a sand castle with Liz and Alice. The bright and sunny day made for a peaceful atmosphere.

"So, Asuna, ever been to the beach before?" Kirito asked.

"A few times, when I was younger. We never really had a lot of vacation time. Luckily, my grandparent's house was really the only vacation I needed. Speaking of, my grandparents really would have liked you, Kirito, had they been able to meet you." Asuna said, smiling.

"I hope so." Kirito said, and they both laughed. Klein gagged slightly at this, to which Agil punched him in the shoulder.

"Well, I hope I find my soulmate soon." Klein said.

"I know you will. You may have a head full of rocks, but you got a heart made of gold. That's what counts." Agil said, smiling.

"I guess."

As the sand castle progressed, and as time passed, Silica eventually came out of the water and wrapped herself in a towel, with Pina perched on her head. After a few hours, the group headed inside, warm, sunbathed, and tired, to see Twilight, awake and well, sitting on the couch.

"Twi! You're awake!" Silica said, hugging Twilight.

"I woke up a few minutes ago. I was wondering where you went. Seems you went to the beach?"

"Yep. Just got back."

"I see. I finally managed to find our how I was injected. When Aries knocked Blueblood out, the syringe hit my hoof with enough force to inject. So, you could say it was an accident."

"That's good to hear." Leafa said.

"Yeah. We got anything to eat?"

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Aries opened the door to find a medium-sized crate, with a note attached.

Did I say parcel? I meant crate.

Celestia.

Aries giggled, and he pushed the crate inside. After opening it, they found a large selection of food, including some baked goods (Which Klein guessed were probably from Sugarcube Corner) and fish for the fairies. As they broke out and began to eat, the sun began to set in the sky.

Prologue-Starry Nights

Twilight Sparkle sighed and turned back to her work. It was late at night. Almost midnight. She sighed and looked out the window. The stars twinkled, and she smiled to herself. The moon shone brightly over Ponyville. Ever sine Starlight Glimmer's defeat, she had been assaulted by the endless amounts of free time. She had never had this much time to spare. Her copy of Legends of ALfheim was now well-worn, and taped together in several places. She smiled and thought of her friends in Equestria, but her thoughts eventually settled on the friends she had made in the human world.

"Three weeks." She said to herself. "Three weeks since I left the human world and ALfheim. I wonder..."

She turned back to the DimGear rig given to her by Akihiko Kayaba. The once bright blue LED was now shining red. She frowned, and turned back to the papers on her desk. She sighed and stacked them neatly. Then, she smiled and pulled open a desk drawer. Inside was a well-worn book. The gold typing on the cover was still bright and new. Legends of ALfheim, volume II. She opened the book and memories washed over, memories of her time in ALfheim Online. She remembered taking down her first boss, the quests she had done, all the fun she had. Until one day the DimGear device notified her that once she returned to Equestria, she would no longer be able to return. She left Kazuto and Asuna, along with all the friends she made, back on Earth, and she returned. After battling Starlight Glimmer, she was now sending letters to her daily about her progress. She opened the most recent letter and began to reread it.

"Twi?"

Twilight turned to look at Spike, who was walking up with a book in his hands.

"What's up, Spike?"

"I found this in my comic book box. I thought you might want to see it."

Twilight took the book and looked at the cover. A bright silver Legends of Underworld was typed on the cover. Twilight skimmed the book, and after around ten minutes, she closed it.

"Hmm. This is interesting. If I ever go back to the human world, I might have to show this to Kiri...I mean, Kazuto. He'll probably know what this means."

Spike nodded and walked back upstairs. Twilight placed her pen back in the inkwell and turned off the lamp. She smiled and walked to bed. As she did, the book shone in the moonlight.

====================================================================================================

Kazuto Kirigaya looked back at his watch, turning his gaze from his computer screen.

"Midnight. Wow, time really can fly!" he laughed quietly, careful not to wake Alice and Sugu, who were sleeping. He smiled and looked pulled up his shirt, revealing a small scar from a syringe. He frowned at the wound he received form Atsushi Kanamoto, the third Death Gun, now in prison. He pulled his shirt down and looked at the ground. He was thankful for the time he spent in Underworld, and the opportunity to meet Alice and...

"Eugeo." he sighed, shedding a tear for his fallen friend. He wiped his eyes and sat up, turning his gaze to a photo of Twilight's last day in the human world. They had thrown a party for her at the Dicey cafe. He looked at the photo with a smile. Twilight had so much fun in the human world. He missed her quite a bit.

"Three weeks since Twilight left. Three weeks since Underworld." he said quietly. He turned off the computer monitor, and he flopped into bed. He sighed fondly at the photo of Asuna on his nightstand. He was about to got to sleep, when the door opened slight. Alice looked in, with a concerned look.

"Alice, what's wrong? Can't sleep?"

"You could say."

Alice walked in and sat herself down on the computer chair. Kazuto smiled at the Humanoid AI, who smiled back.

"You doing okay? I mean, ever since we left Underworld, you and Asuna have been spending a lot of time together."

"Yeah. You could say that. Thing is, ever since Underworld, I've wanted to be with her more. Since she had to go without me for a while, i wanted to...you know, make up for lost time. I really missed her, and her logging into Underworld to be with me, well, that was really a blessing. It just boils down to the fact that I really like, and want to, spend time with her."

"I see. I guess I can see what you mean. And I respect that." Alice said. "You know, I finally understand now."

"You understand what?" Kazuto asked, curious.

"i understand that you will always be with Asuna, that the two of you will always be there for each other. I know we've had many memories in Underworld together, but what happened in Underworld should stay in Underworld. I really understand now that Asuna and you, well, you're meant to be together." Alice said, turning away slightly.

"Thanks, Alice. Even though you're an AI, I think you're one step closer to being human. Maybe now, you should try to get some sleep. I'm rather tired." Kazuto said, flopping back into his bed. Alice smiled and walked out, back into Suguha's room. Lying down on a sleeping bag, she smiled, and her eyes closed.

====================================================================================================

Asuna Yuki watched as the moon shone through the window. She turned and looked over at the photo of Kazuto on her nightstand. She picked it up, and smiled at the image.

"Mommy?"

Asuna turned to her phone, now resonating with the voice of Yui.

"Are you okay? I'm a bit worried."

"I am a little worried, Yui. I mean, we spent the whole day together. And I'm glad we did, I had a lot of fun, but I'm a little scared."

"Why, mommy?"

"Kirito almost died protecting me from that Death Gun. I mean, I was so scared, I couldn't do anything. If anything like that were to occur again, I don't know..."

"Asuna?"

Asuna looked at her dad standing in the doorway, with a concerned look.

"Is something wrong?"

"Something is, dad. Kirito almost died right in front of me. I don't know if I can get over that." Asuna said.

Shouzou nodded and sat down next to her, and he placed his arm around her.

"You know, when you were trapped in Sword Art Online, I was afraid you wouldn't remember me."

"Really?" Asuna said, shocked.

"Yes. When I found out Sugou was holding you captive, he quickly turned that against me. I wanted my daughter back. Sugou wanted a...well, you know. I'm to disgusted to say it."

Asuna nodded, seeing what he meant.

"When Kazuto told me what he saw him do to you, I was more than shocked. Truth be told, I was ready to kill him. Kazuto convinced me to call the police instead, and he gave me Sugou's location. Now, I think that I did the right thing. The police were initially reluctant to charge Sugou with again, you know, but I convinced them otherwise. They were completely ready to charge him with attempted murder and kidnapping, however."

"Dad..." Asuna said, shedding tears.

"Don't cry, Asuna." Shouzou said, hugging her tight. "It's all over."

Asuna cried more and sighed, letting her grief go. After a few minutes of crying, Asuna stopped.

"There, there. Everything's okay." Shouzou said, gently breaking the hug.

"I know, Dad. I just don't want to lose Kirito again."

"He won't desert you, nor you desert him. I know that." Shouzou said, hugging her again.

"Thanks, Dad." Asuna said.

"It's alright, Asuna. See you in the morning. You should get some sleep. By the way, your mother told me about your talk in ALfheim Online, who knows, I might buy one of those AmuSphere rigs, and start playing myself." Shouzou chuckled.

"That would be nice, better than nice, actually, Dad." Asuna said, covering herself with the blankets.

"Alright. Goodnight, Asuna."

"'Night, dad."

Shouzou turned out the lights, and Asuna slowly closed her eyes in sleep, along with Yui. As the moon rose, a shooting star shot past the moon.

Chapter 8-Frostbite

As the group woke up, the sun was shining brightly. Grabbing their gear, the group headed downstairs to find Leafa, Silica, and Twilight cooking breakfast.

"Morning." Kirito said as he and the rest of them sat down.

"Morning!" Twilight said, setting a plate down in front of him. Kirito smiled at the plate of fish and eggs, perfectly suitable. As the group ate, Aries brought up the subject of a bossfight.

"Now that you mention it, we haven't had a boss fight here in a while. Wonder what we'll face this time..." Sinon said, and at that moment, the doorbell rang. Klein answered to reveal the rest of the element bearers, all in grand states of relief in seeing Twilight up and awake. Pinkie, most of all. After coaxing her out of the bear hug she had Twilight in, she whipped right into the kitchen to help with the cooking.

"Sorry about Pinkie, Twi. She got a little upset when she found out you were poisoned." Rainbow said.

"That's an understatement!" Pinkie said, leaping through the screen, into my face, and back into the screen, resuming her place in the story, much to my shock and disbelief.

(Ouch. You got my nose, Pinkie.)

While the rest of the group got their sense of reality back in order, Fluttershy shivered suddenly.

"Hey guys, why's it gone cold? Like, really cold?" Liz said, shivering herself.

"Yeah...Guys? Who turned off the heat?" Klein asked.

"Uh, everyone?" Aries said, looking out the window.

"What?" Everyone else replied.

"Speaking of a boss-fight, you should check the ocean..."

The group crowded around the windows to see what looked like a bull's horns coming out of the water, freezing all the water it touched. Then, as it neared the beach, the horns moved up to reveal a bull-like creature, covered in a frosty aura. Ice crystals covered its back. Its horns ended in drill-like prows. Its piercing blue eyes seemed to stare into the soul of the players. It stepped onto the beach and it roared loudly in a guttural voice, and three HP bars appeared, along with a boss title.

FROSTPROW-THE ICY RAMPAGE

As the bull dug its hoof into the sand, the group sprinted outside. Readying their weapons, they charged at the boss.