Love and Sacrifice
I moaned silently of pain as I tried silently tugging at the chains that held my wrists, like I had done the entire time I had been here. I could barely see from the blood that had seeped from the wound in my forehead, obscuring my vision and making my head feel heavy and dizzy. I breathed deeply and moaned again, my wrists beginning to burn and feeling numb as I hanged on the cold wall of the room.
I tried looking out in the room, but couldn´t. It wasn´t the rooms details I was trying to see though, but if any of the people I loved was here with me as well. The silent whimpers and cries, low grunts and cursing I could hear confirmed it all though. Everyone was here, all my friends from SAO, and Asuna herself, was locked in here with me.
"You son of a bitch!"
The angry but still young voice belonged to Klein, at least from what I heard "Let us go you psycho!"
A low but psychotic laughter could be heard emanating throughout the room, and sadly I knew the voice all too well. I knew the voice belonged to the Psycho I had tried to forget everything about for years now, and yet he still came back every time. It was Sugou.
"Oh, not yet darlings" Sugou said with a loud giggle "The fun is just about to begin!"
A snap of fingers could be heard, and a sharp light over my head suddenly turned on, even more on top of the effect my own blood added to my vision.
"G-Guys…" I mumbled weakly, barely able to say anything from my dizziness "Guys are you ok?"
"Oh don´t worry Kirito" Sugou whispered excitedly as he stepped over to me "They´re ok. But YOU won´t be for long"
I could suddenly feel several blows to my abdomen and stomach, feeling how the air left my lungs and how the pain spread throughout my body, leaving me speechless. I choked haphazardly at my own spit and coughed violantly as i closed my eyes sharply to endure the pain.
"Oh, you don´t have anything to say?!" Sugou giggled a bit before kicking me in my stomach again, grinding his shoe in "How unexciting"
"KAZUTO!" I could hear my girlfriend scream for me, but her voice sounded numbed. Like she called for me from another world.
"Hehehe yes, yes!" Sugou laughed maniacally "Scream for him more! Let me see more of your pain!"
He kicked me again, and this time I could have sworn I felt and heard something crack in my chest, probably a rib. I groaned deeply and hissed silently of pain, not wanting to give that bastard the satisfaction of seeing me in pain.
"You´re no fun Kazuto" He mumbled silently.
I widened my eyes a bit as I listened to him ramble on. He treated this all like a game! A dumb and forgettable play session! He thought of us as worth of nothing more than the dirt under his shoes!
I widened my eyes even more as my vision began to clear a bit, and I saw first of all Sugou, standing in a white long coat, dark grey jeans, black shoes and a smirk across his psychotic face, and a pair of slightly darkened sunglasses. Hmph. A bad attempt at trying to look cool.
What I was widening my eyes about though, was not his appearance, or his clothes, because honestly I've seen worse. No, what I was getting scared of, was the syringe he was holding, the container holding a green, see-through liquid, bubbling slightly in its container.
I growled softly, having an idea what the liquid was supposed to do.
"T-That needle…" Asuna whispered silently "W-What do you plan to do with that!?"
"Hehehe that should be obvious" Sugou said as he smirked back at Asuna "I´m going to kill your boyfriend of course!"
I growled silently as I looked up at Sugou with an increasing fear growing in my chest.
"I don´t care what you do to me Sugou" I growled silently as I hissed through my teeth, getting out of my half unconscious state by my fear "But if you promise not to hurt my family, I promise not to fight back when you give me that liquid!"
"KAZUTO NO!" Asuna yelled desperately, aggressively tugging at her chains.
"Kazuto please don´t!" Suguha sobbed silently as she looked at me with a desperate expression.
"I´m sorry guys, but I have to do this" I mumbled as I looked back at them with a gentle expression.
I growled softly as I turned my attention back to Sugou.
"So do you promise?!" I asked aggressively as I growled and tried to tug at my chain one last time, still too weak to do anything.
"Yeah, yeah whatever, I promise" He mumbled trivially as he readied his syringe, and stepped over to me.
I braced myself for whatever might happen, excruciating pain, death, whatever. I just wanted to keep the others safe. All the pain, and possible death, was worth it, as long as the people I loved at least got to live. I winched slightly as I felt the slight prick of the needle entering my arm, and I moaned softly as I felt the green liquid mix with my blood and run through my veins.
I took a couple of deep breaths and looked up at Sugou with a growl.
"So what happens now!?" I asked silently, a slight warmth already spreading from the spot the liquid had entered.
"Now? You´ll feel intense pain, suffer, and die" He said with a smirk "While you watch me torture and kill your family and lover!"
"What!? You promised me you´d let them go you bastard!" I yelled, desperately trying to break free from my chains, feeling an intense pain growing in my arm.
"Hehehe, why would I keep that promise!?" He yelled as he laughed "Every person in here has somehow stood in my way! And I kill everyone I desire! I am the ruler of this world!"
"You sick bastard… Urgh…" I flinched slightly as the pain in my arm greatly increased.
"HAHAHA!" Sugou spun around in the room as he laughed maniacally, looking down at me with a fake pitiful expression "Aww, poor baby. Don´t worry it´s over soon"
I growled softly from anger and pain, but widened my eyes as I suddenly realized Klein had somehow broken free of his chains. He snuck up behind Sugou and put a finger on his lip to make me stay quiet, and I did exactly as he advised me to. Pretty hard when your arm was beginning to feel like it was burning up from the inside, and the feeling only grew to the rest of my body.
I panted slightly and looked up at Sugou with a soft chuckle.
"Huh? What´s so funny?" He suddenly stopped his insane laughter, and looked down at me with a surprised and confused expression.
"You just don´t know when to quit do you?" I said as I began laughing "You just don´t know when you´re being overpowered huh?"
"What the hell are you talking about!?" He yelled aggressively as he kicked me in the stomach again "Do you really want to die that desperately!? Already!?"
"No…" I mumbled as the air left my lungs again "But you´re going to jail, that is a certainty"
"Oh yeah? Why?" He asked angrily as he grinded his foot deep into my stomach, pushing onto my inner organs.
"Hehe, see for yourself" I managed to gasp out as suddenly, Klein grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the floor.
"ARRGH!" Sugou yelled loudly as his back head hit the ground below him "You tricked me you bastard!"
"Yeah we did, you psychopath…" I chuckled softly as I coughed up some blood "Rot in a jail cell you asshole…"
"You should keep your prison chains strong Sugou" Klein growled silently "When you´re not weak from poison they´re pretty easy to snap!"
I could feel how I was getting weaker by the second. If I wanted to live, I needed help now.
"Klein, knock him out and get the others out of their chains" I mumbled weakly, feeling weaker by the second.
"Got it" He mumbled emotionlessly as he hit Sugou in the head, and managed to knock him unconscious.
My vision was faded as I watched Klein grab the key for the chains from Sugou´s coat, and I gasped for air as the pain began knocking me into unconsciousness. The last thing I saw before I fell into unconsciousness was the image of Asuna and the others rushing over to me, desperately trying to keep me awake.
It must have been at least half an hour as I opened my eyes again. I had trouble breathing, with several plastic tubes attached to a mask over my mouth, providing me with any lack of oxygen I might have. I felt like I was moving, and as I looked around, a faded image of a long white hallway, and running people all around me, most of them dressed in completely wide.
Then my vision faded again.
The next time I woke up, I barely had the strength to open my eyes. When I finally managed to do so, my vision was still faded. There was a blinding light above me, and several beeps came from machines on both sides on me, and on my right a single chair stood, a girl about my age sitting in it, crying silently to herself.
I smiled softly as I immediately recognized the girl as Asuna.
"A-As…una.." I whispered, barely able to speak. She still picked up on it, and looked up from her hands.
She looked at me shocked and widened her eyes, desperately grabbing my hands in hers.
"Oh god Kazuto…" She yelled as she held my hands in hers, her whole body shaking "I thought I had lost you!"
"A-Asuna…" I mumbled softly, feeling how my eyes teared up a bit "I-I don´t know if I will survive…"
"W-What do you mean!?" She asked as her tears trickled down her cheeks, softly hitting my cold lifeless hands "Y-You´re awake now right!?"
"Yeah, I am…" I mumbled as I tried moving my hands, but couldn´t "But I can barely move.. I don´t know what that liquid was…"
"Apparently some kind of deadly poison" Asuna said with a sob "From some of the most poisonous snakes in the world"
"Do you see what I mean?" I asked silently as I felt my own tears roll down my face "I don´t think I´ll survive this"
"P-Please don´t say that Kazuto…" She pleaded as she let her hair hide her face in agony "Please, you can´t die… You´re the black swordsman, you´re my hero… You´re my life…"
"Please Asuna…" I mumbled as I finally managed to squeeze her hands a little "Just take care of Yui for me… Can you do that?"
"I-I can´t live without you Kazuto…" She almost screamed as she cried "I can´t just move on from this…"
"Asuna, you have to…" I whispered silently "You have friends and a family that´ll help you… I don´t want to haunt you and your past"
"NO! I AM NOT ACCEPTING THIS!" She yelled as she squeezed my hands in desperation "You can´t leave me like this Kazuto!"
"I´m sorry Asuna…" I mumbled silently, feeling my strength slip away "I´m sorry I can´t be there for you anymore…"
I felt my fingers getting weaker, slowly letting go of the grip on my significant other´s hands.
"No Kazuto…" She whispered desperately "We promised each other… We´d get married.. We´d live to see Yui come into the real world… We promised each other we would grow old together dammit!"
"I´m… Sorry…" I managed to mumble before my eyelids became too heavy, and I felt myself leave the real world once again.
"Kazuto...? Kazuto!?" I could still hear everything. Asuna was desperately pleading me to come back.
*Beep* *Beep* *Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*
~About 8 years later~
The young woman stepped onto the soft pebble grounds of the graveyard nearby her church, holding a little girl with long black hair and dark onyx eyes in her arms.
She let her chestnut brown hair hang behind her head in a short ponytail, her snow white dress almost touching the ground as she let the young girl let go of her grasp, and jump down onto the ground, instantly grabbing her mother´s hand in the unfamiliar environment.
"Mommy?" The young girl asked nervously "I´ve never seen this place before.. You sure this place isn't dangerous?"
"Yes, I´m sure little one" The young woman said with a fake smile "Though it is a long time since I´ve been here last time"
"Huh? Why were you here before?" The little girl asked silently as she looked up at her obviously saddened mother.
"I´ll tell you in a bit honey" She said while patting the little girl´s head "Let´s just find the right spot"
They began walking along the paths of the graveyard, the stones silently crackling under their feet as they walked in-between the numerous tombstones and graves. The young woman instantly knew which way to go and which place was the one that belonged to her loved one, since the last time she had been here was a memory that had forever been engraved in her memory.
They finally arrived at the right spot, and stood there for a moment, looking at the gravestone silently. The small space her old love had received seemed so small compared to some of the others she had seen, but his testament had specifically told everyone that he wanted something small.
The flowers that had been put and planted there had died years ago, lifeless and withered, the dead petals scattered with the wind a long time ago. The young woman sighed softly as she put a bundle consisting of about 20 beautiful roses on the grave, a cold November wind running across the graveyard, remembering the young woman how cold her life really had been ever since that faithful day faith decided to take that special person away from her.
Above the two´s heads dark grey clouds began to gather, signifying that it was going to rain. The clouds was big and looming, and signaling hard times ahead.
The tombstone was small, but beautiful. In the upper middle was engraved two roses on each side, with the special someone´s signature weapons, his Elucidator and Dark Repulser sitting in the middle. In the lower middle of the tombstone was engraved a few words to tell people what a good person lied there.
"Here lies a great hero. He died protecting the people he loved. The Black Swordsman will be remembered forever, in reality, and virtual reality"
The little girl that held on to the young woman´s hand, looked up at her mother with an uncertain expression. She didn´t really know what was going on, or what or who they were here for, but judging from her mother´s behavior, it must have been someone really important to her. The little girl managed to put two and two together, and suddenly she realized who it must have been that lied there in the ground.
"Mommy? Is that daddy?" The little dark haired girl asked silently, not wanting to hurt her mother even more.
The young woman nodded silently and smiled slightly as a single glistening tear rolled down her cheek, landing on the red petals of one of the roses she had brought with her.
"Yeah, that´s right" She mumbled silently "Your daddy lies here Yui"
The little girl called Yui deepened her concerned frown, looking back at the small tombstone as she took a single step forward, gently scraping her fingers against the rough rock edge of the tombstone, reading the small text over and over again, trying to comprehend what it would possibly mean.
Even though the little girl had never managed to meet her father in this world, she still felt a sting of uncertainty and sadness whenever she would think about what kind of person he was. She never asked her mother what he was like, since she didn´t want to hurt her. Though her curiosity about him had greatly grown the past few years.
"Mommy? What does it mean 'Hero?'" The small girl mumbled as she looked up at her mother, who looked down at her and the grave silently.
"It means that your daddy saved a lot of people once Yui" She said with a smile, clearly, even though she was depressed, she was proud of the girls dad for whatever he did.
"Huh? How mommy?" Yui asked curiously, wanting to know more about her father, whom she had never gotten to meet.
"I´ll explain someday little one" The chestnut haired woman mumbled softly as she sat down on her legs next to her daughter, running her hand along the tombstones along with her.
The woman seemed to be having several flashbacks of memories, since she had fallen extremely silent, her expression seeming like she was falling into her thoughts.
She ran through all the wonderful memories she had been together with him, relaxing with him at the cottage, watching him fish by the lake, swimming in the lake with him and their virtual daughter, and all the fantastic battles they had had together, where they had been in perfect sync from day one.
They had learned everything they knew from each other, she had learned about strength from him, she had taught him everything she knew about speed, and fast attacks. They had always matched perfectly together, even before she realized she had had feelings for him.
They had the same mindset, being an unstoppable force of fast and brute power, being able to do whatever they wished for as long as they were together.
But now, all that would forever stay memories. She could never hold his hand again, or stare into those wonderful eyes of his. Never feel the warmth of his body close to hers when they were cuddling in bed. Never could they again share new memories. He was gone. And not even the most powerful power in the world could change that.
"Mommy! Mommy!"
The young woman was suddenly ripped out of her train of thoughts as the young girl accompanying her tugged viciously at her sleeve, wanting her attention right away.
"You´re spacing out again" The little girl mumbled silently, being worried for her mother like always "You´ve done that a lot lately"
"Oh, so sorry, Yui, honey" The woman said with a smile and a tear along her cheek as she kissed her daughters forehead "Let´s just go home ok? I´ll make you some ham sandwiches"
"Ok, if you don´t think you´re sad or anything" The little girl mumbled as she let her mother tug her along the pebble path.
They walked for a moment before the little girl talked again.
"Hey, mommy?" The little girl asked silently as she looked up at her mother.
"Yes, Yui?" She asked as softly as she could.
Yui´s curiosity was too great by now. She felt like she was so close to finding out more about her father, so she couldn´t just let the chance go. She took a deep breath before finally asking what she had wanted to ask for years now.
"What was daddy like?" The little girl asked, not able to contain her curiosity about her diseased father.
The young woman was silent for a moment, thinking about what she should say.
"He was a big hero Yui" the woman mumbled as she looked down at her daughter "And he would always help the people he loved"
And with these words the two girls disappeared from the graveyard the same way they came, their silver grey family car slowly disappearing in the distance.
