Crossover Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Sailor Moon Online ❯ Assault and Revelation ( Chapter 13 )

Now that most of the Sailor Scouts and Darien have joined up with Leafa, Kirito, and Yui, the grand climax of the Fairy Dance Arc has grown closer, but don’t think that once this story is done, it is over for the fanfiction story series. Remember, Sword Art Online includes many more arcs including ‘Sword Art Online II’ anime series and there are also the AU Sword Art Online game stories. And, minor spoiler alert, there might be a version of this story based on Hollow Fragment and the upcoming sequel, Lost Song.

I DO NOT OWN Sailor Moon, Sword Art Online, Accel World, Digimon series, and anything/anyone that comes from these and other stories that end up in this fanfiction! Sailor Moon is owned/licensed by Naoko Takeuchi and its various studios and publishers and Sword Art Online is owned/licensed by ASCII Media Works, A-1 Pictures Inc., and its various directors/publishers including Reki Kawahara and Tomohiko Itô!

Warning: This story contains intense violence, blood, possible gore, death, mild to explicit suggestive themes, including mind-control and brainwashing, mild to explicit bad language, and mature adult themes/situations!

Second Warning: Some to a lot of OOC (Out of Character) actions and mannerisms in this whole story!

Sailor Moon Online

Chapter 13: Assault and Revelation

January 22, 2025, Alfheim Online, Jotunheimr

Within a dark and fridge world, we find Kirito, Leafa, Usagi, Minako, Makoto, Hino, Tomoe, Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, Mamoru, and Chibi-Usa on the side of a long cliff while looking at an immense realm with Minako, Makoto, Hino, and Chibi-Usa shivering.

Chibi-Usa says, “Cold!”

Hino tells Usagi, annoyed, “I told you that village was a little too obvious, Meatball Head!”

Usagi responds, “Excuse me if I never seen a monster that can mimic a village, Pyro.”

Kirito says, “We were all fooled, Usagi. But what I don’t get is why we weren’t killed instead of finding a way to… to this place.”

Tomoe asks, “Where are we?”

Minako says, “Wherever we are, Tomoe-chan, it is so cold!”

Makoto asks Haruka, “Why aren’t you cold?”

Haruka says, “You can ignore the cold if you are disciplined.”

Kirito says, “I agree, Haruka-san.”

Hino says, “Lucky you. I’m freezing my butt off.”

Michiru says, “It is probably because you are a Salamander, a fire fairy.”

Mamoru says, with a nod, “You are probably most sensitive to the cold than other than fairy races.”

Michiru says, “Since Usagi and I are Undines, we are more resistant to the cold.”

Usagi asks, surprised, “Really?”

Chibi-Usa says, “Lucky you, Meatball Head. I’m freezing my butt off!”

Makoto asks, “What is this place?”

Kirito asks Yui, who comes out of his pocket, “Yui-chan, can you find anything?”

Yui responds, with a nod, “Yes, daddy. Based on my knowledge, this is place known as Jotunheimr and it seems to be similar to a dungeon.”

Leafa says, “Ah! It means that we are under the surface of Alfheim!”

Yui says, “That’s right. This place is under the surface of Alfheim and somehow, the worm monster was some kind of special entrance into this world.”

Usagi asks, “Is there any way to get out of this world without having to go through a monster’s stomach?”

Yui says, with a nod, “There are. There are entrances to this place at dungeons located north, south, west, and east of Alne city, there is a spiral staircase that leads directly to the city itself.”

Haruka says, “That’s good, but there is a problem.”

Mamoru says, “Since this place is like a dungeon, it means that we can’t fly since flying isn’t allowed in dungeons in ALO.”

Makoto says, “That means that we are going to have to walk and find another way to reach an exit to get back upstairs.” Just then they hear loud booming sounds from nearby and Makoto asks, “What’s that?”

Minako says, looking in one direction, “Over there!” When Minako points at what she is looking at, everyone looks to see what looks like a multiple eyed dark brown skinned and four armed giant monster beating down on another monster that look like cross between a jellyfish and elephant with the multiple armed humanoid monster beating down on the white animal-like giant.

Makoto asks, shocked, “They are huge! What are those things?”

Setsuna says, “They are what are known as Evil God monsters through the name might not what it implies.”

Minako asks, “Hold up? Both of them are NPC monsters, so, why are they fighting each other?”

Haruka asks, “Don’t you mean on HOW they are fighting each other, Minako-chan?”

Kirito says, “NPC monsters shouldn’t be allowed to fight each other.” As they continue to watch, the humanoid giant is still beating up on the animal-like giant hard.

Leafa says, “I think that we should help that white one.”

Hino asks, surprised, “Huh?”

Leafa says, “It’s just not fair. The humanoid one is just a big bully and the white one doesn’t have a chance to defend itself. Kirito, we need to help it.”

Kirito asks Leafa, “Seriously?”

Leafa says, pleadingly, “Kirito, it can’t defend itself!”

Usagi says, “Well, the four armed freak is being a bully.”

Hino asks, annoyed, “Seriously, Usagi?”

Usagi says, a bit nervously, “Well, it is.” Usagi tells Kirito, “Something tells me that we should help it, Kirito.”

Kirito says, with a nod, “Okay, I don’t want to make Leafa sad and I trust your judgment, Usagi.”

Usagi says, “If the rest of you want to stay behind, I understand.”

Chibi-Usa says, “No way, Meatball Head! Besides, I think that it is kind of cute too!”
Tomoe asks, curiously, “Really, Chibi-Usa-chan?” Chibi-Usa gives a blush of embarrassment and soon enough, the others agree to come along in which they head down and quickly get the attention of the humanoid giant which turns towards them.

Mamoru shouts out, “Everyone, run!” Soon enough, the group runs off with the massive humanoid giant at their heels.

Yui says, pointing in one direction, “That way everyone! Hurry!” The group runs across a frozen lake and the weight of the massive humanoid giant crashes through the ice layer and sinks under the water in which the animal-like giant leaps into the water in which, shortly afterwards, there is a bright flash of what looks like lightning.

Minako breathes a sigh of relief and she says, “That was close.”

Hino tells Usagi, annoyed, “You and your desire to help out anyone in trouble.”

Michiru says, “Don’t be that way, Hino. It is the way that Usagi is.” Just then the animal-like giant comes out of the way that swims over to them causing some of them to be nervous.

Yui says, “I don’t think he wants to hurt us.”

Mamoru says, “The cursor on him isn’t turning red.”

Haruka says, “That means that he isn’t aggressive.”

Makoto asks, “So, what does he want?” Just then the animal-like creature then extends his elephant-like trunk out to them.

Usagi says, “Call me crazy, but I think that it wants us to get onto its back.”

Leafa says, with a nod, “Okay.” Leafa then climbs up the trunk and onto the back of the creature in which Usagi and then Chibi-Usa follows. Kirito goes onto the back of the creature with Mamoru following after and then two more climb onto the back, but when an eighth person, Hino, tries to climb up, a massage prompt appears in front of her.

Usagi asks, “What’s wrong?”

Hino says, “You have got to be kidding me! It says that it can only hold one party of players at a time!”

Leafa says, “That means that he can only hold seven players at a time.”

One of the other two of the group that joined Kirito, Leafa, Mamoru, Usagi, and Chibi-Usa, Minako, says, with a smile and reassuring tone in her voice, “It’s okay! Mako-chan and I will join with the others and find our own way out.”

The other of the two, Makoto, asks, surprised, “Huh?” Soon after, Minako and Makoto went off the animal-like giant and rejoined the other Sailor Scouts.

Usagi asks, curiously, “Are you sure?”

Minako says, with a smile, “Don’t worry about us. We’ll be with you shortly.”

Usagi says, with a nod, “Okay.”

Leafa tells the giant, “Let’s go!” Soon after, the animal-like giant swims off into the distance.

Makoto asks Minako, “Now, what?”

Minako says, pointing in one direction, “That.” Everyone then looks to see another animal-like giant being beaten up by a four armed humanoid giant.

Michiru says, with a smile, “Lucky us, Mina-chan.”

Hino says, with a sigh, “Here we go again.” On the meanwhile, Mamoru, Chibi-Usa, Usagi, Leafa, and Kirito are riding on the back of one of them until it stops at the edge of a void.

Chibi-Usa says, “We stopped.”

Mamoru says, “It looks like we got to go from here on our own.”

Usagi says, with a nod, “It seems so.” Soon after, the five of them get off the animal-like giant only to find a group of player consisting of five Undines coming towards them.

The leader of the group says, “Get out of the way.”

Leafa asks, “What?”

The leader of the Undine group says, “You heard me! That creature is ours!”

Chibi-Usa shouts out, “We helped him first! Get your own ride!”

The leader responds, “What? We aren’t here to ride it. We are here to kill it.”

There are gasps and Usagi says, “Hey! This big guy didn’t do anything to deserve getting attacked! It was just picked on by a four armed creep! Leave him alone!”

The leader of the Undine party shouts out, “Get out of our way, bitch!” The leader of the Undines then pushes Usagi into the ground in which Mamoru and Kirito glare at him and when he looks at them, he is cut beheaded and cut in half by both Kirito and Mamoru in which he turns into a ‘Remain Light’ instantly.

Mamoru says, with a deadly glare, “No one pushes my princess around.”

The other Undines are shocked and another one says, “Bastard!” However, when they prepare to attack, Chibi-Usa strikes another one in the head and chest with her daggers causing another Undine to turn into a ‘Remain Light’ in which Leafa cuts another one in half with her katana dispelling another Undine in which the final two are shocked, but leap back and attempt a spell, however, Kirito is on them and they are cleaved in half instantly leaving only five ‘Remain Lights’ where the Undine party once was.

Mamoru asks Usagi, “Are you okay?”

Usagi responds, getting to her feet and dusting herself off, “I’m okay, Mamoru-kun. What a bunch of jerks.” Just then Usagi senses something, draws her swords, and throws them in which they impale two more Undine, who was trying to get off attack spells, but they, too, turn into Remain Lights.

Kirito says, “I was just about to get them.”

Chibi-Usa says, “Wow, Usagi. You are good.”

Usagi says, nervously, “Habit, I guess.” Usagi thinks in her mind, with a solemn sigh, “Old ‘SAO survival habits’, that is.” Usagi then goes over, gets her swords, and just then animal-like giant gives out a roar and everyone looks to see it sprout fairy-like wings and make a motion to say ‘Please get on back’.

Chibi-Usa says, awe-struck, “It grew wings!”

Usagi asks, “Why didn’t it do that before?”

Mamoru asks, “Could it be a quest?”

Kirito says, “Maybe.” Soon after, the five of them get back on the creature and it takes off into the air in which it flies all over the realm and circling at what looks like a crystal-blue upside down pyramid that’s suspended on a ceiling by some huge tree roots.

Usagi asks, “What is that place?”

Chibi-Usa retorts, “You are asking me?”

Usagi then sees something at the bottom of the pyramid and she asks, “What’s that?” When the others look at what Usagi is looking at, they see that at the bottom of the inverted pyramid, there is a room with see-through windows in which they see a large golden sword inserted into a pedestal.

Mamoru asks, “A sword?”
Leafa says, amazed, “Oh, wow! That’s… That’s Excalibur!”

Usagi asks, surprised, “Excalibur?”

Leafa says, with a nod, “That’s right. It is a legendary weapon like the sword that General Eugene uses and in fact, it is the only weapon that Gram can’t pass through and it is the strongest sword in the game!”

Chibi-Usa says, amazed, “Oh, wow!”

Kirito says, awe-struck, “Excalibur.” As Kirito can’t help to look at the sword in awe, Usagi waves her hands in front of his eyes.

Usagi tells Kirito, “Um, Kirito, don’t we have a tree to climb?”

Kirito shakes his head, comes out of his stupor, and he says, “Right.”

Leafa says, “Even with the five of us being so strong, I think that it might take a full party to get it.”

Mamoru says, “And we have other concerns at the moment.”

Leafa asks, “The World Tree, Mamoru-sama?”

Mamoru says, with a nod, “Yes. And please call me ‘Mamoru’. It feels kind of weird with that kind of stuff.”

Usagi says, wrapping her arms around Mamoru’s right arm, “That’s my Mamoru-kun. Always so wonderful humble.”

Mamoru says, with a sigh and blush, “Geez, Usagi-chan.” Chibi-Usa giggles at this and Leafa also can’t help to giggle at this while Kirito smiles and shakes his head in which he can’t help to sigh in which he wants his beloved around his arms once more. Soon after, the giant animal creature takes them to the area of the spiral staircase that leads to Alne in which they give the creature the name of Tonkii before sending their new friend off in which the others arrive on another creature that looks exactly like Tonkii and all of them head off up to Alne.

January 22, 2025, Alfheim Online, Alne

It is nighttime in Alfheim where we find ourselves at the base of the World Tree where the central and neutral city of Alne is and at the gates of Alne, we find Kirito, Leafa, Mamoru, and our Sailor Scouts in their ALO avatar forms. Leafa, Kirito, and Usagi look at the city, awe-struck, as they see it light up brightly by so many lights.

Leafa says, amazed, “Oh, wow.”

Kirito says, awe-struck, It’s amazing.”

Usagi says, with a nod, “I’ll say, Kirito.”

Leafa says, “It is. Welcome to Alne, the central city of Alfheim, and the largest city in this world.”

Kirito says, with a nod, “Yeah, we finally made it.”

Yui says, “This is so amazing! I never have been to a city this big before!”

Leafa says, with a nod, “I know, Yui. The Aura Lights are so amazing like twinkling stars.”

Minako says, “This is your home now, Hino.”

Hino says, with a smile, “Yep. And a whole lot better than those stuck up jerks.”

Just then a loud bell is heard and a female voice calls out, “Attention players! The server will be shut down today, January Twenty-Second, from four AM to three PM. All players are asked to log out ten minutes before time!”

Leafa gives a yawn and she says, “Well, that’s it for today. Let’s log out.”

Kirito says, still looking up at the World Tree, “Sure.” Leafa gets concerned and Kirito says, “Anyway, let’s turn in. Nothing too pricy through. I’m nearly out.”

Usagi tells Kirito, “And why is that? Oh, right! Showing off by giving nearly all of it away to the leaders of Sylph’s and Cait Sith!” Usagi brings out her player menu and she says, “Here you go, Kirito.”

When a trade prompt screen appears in front of Kirito’s eyes, he asks, “Are you sure, Usagi?”

Usagi responds, with a smile, “That’s actually just half of what I got. Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty more.”

Kirito says, “Thanks, I owe you.”

Makoto says, with a grin, “You know it, buster!”

Minako says, with a smile, “That’s our Usagi! Always so giving!”

Kirito says, with a smile, “It looks like my money troubles are over for the moment. Let’s find an inn.” Kirito asks Yui, “Can you find a nice good place for us to turn in?”

Yui says, with a smile, “Sure, follow me!” As the group heads off to find an inn to check into and log out, Leafa looks up at the city in amazement and wondered what Kirito was looking at.

Makoto shouts out, “Hey, Leafa-chan, hurry it up or we are going to leave you behind!”

Leafa responds, “Okay! Okay! Wait for me!” She then races off to join with the others to get to an inn to log out.

January 22, 2025, Cherry Hill Shrine

Back in the ‘real world’, we find Darien and the Sailor Scouts assembled together in Raye’s room in Cherry Hill Shrine with some of them looking worse for wear.

Lita yawns and she says, “Man! What a night!”

Michelle says, with a smile, “That’s what you get for staying in too long.”

Raye says, “Well, we would have to with the ‘misadventures’ of a certain princess of ours.”

Serena says, looking a bit tried herself, “Well, excuse me for getting on the bad side of powerful hungry player, Pyro.”

Mina says, “Anyway, we finally made it. Now, we can plan our next move.”

Amara asks, “How is everything on your end, Ami?”

Ami responds, “Well, I’m not sure about how to break into the World Tree if the top can only be accessed by the administration, but I have found a way to join you guys quickly.”

Lita asks, “How is that Ami-chan?”

Ami says, “I’ve managed to create a program that will generate an item similar to something like the Corridor Crystals of SAO. The instant that you activate it, you’ll create a portal from my office to wherever you are.”

Mina asks, amazed, “Really?”

Ami says, “Yes, but it is only a one-time thing.”

Amara says, “So, it is best that we don’t use it until we really need you.”

Michelle says, “I think that you should download the program into the Amusphere of one of us. I think that Raye would be the best right now.”

Raye says, with a plain tone, “Good idea.”

Mina yells out, “Hey! What about me?!”

Raye responds, “You really want me to answer that Mina-chan?” Mina gives a pout while Michelle, Amara, Rini, and a few others smirk at Mina’s ‘embarrassment’.

Hotaru says, “Well, at least we are one step closer to ending this nightmare.”

Serena says, with a weak nod, “Yeah.”

Raye says, “Anyway, the next time that we should talk about is a certain princess of ours going bonkers on us.”

Serena yells out, “Hey, I never have…!!” Just then realizes what Raye is talking about and she asks, nervously, “Oh, you mean that?”

Raye yells out, sternly, “Of course I mean THAT, Meatball Head! You going ‘hog wild’ on your opponents and not even remembering the fight aren’t usually normal for plenty of people!”

Serena says, nervously, “Okay, so, maybe I went a little overboard. I just got myself a little ‘stressed out’.”

Raye responds, sternly, “Stressed out?! Someone stressed out doesn’t attack like a berserker in a virtual fight and cut over half-a-dozen enemies into pieces and doesn’t remember the fact at all?!”

Ami says, nervously, “She has a point, Serena.”

Luna and Artemis leap up onto the table and Luna says, “We’re sorry about this, Serena, but we just worry about you.”

Raye tells Serena, “Look, Meatball Head, we don’t expect you to go back to the innocent, bubby Meatball Head. After such a nightmarish experience like, we don’t expect you too. How can anyone completely go back after such an experience? It’s… It’s just…”

Hotaru says, “We don’t want you to completely lose who you are.”

Serena asks, “Lose who I am?”

Amara sighs and she says, “You know that we said that we feel that you are suffering more than you will admit and that’s why we want you to get some form of counseling hime.”

Lita says, “And before you say anything, you have to remember that Rini told us about you shaking when you first took your NervGear into your hands after two long months and it is still hard for you to pick it up.”

Luna says, “You have those nightmares constantly Serena and you have such mood swings that are extreme for any person.”

Raye yells out, “And you avoided the Crown Arcade, Serena! Avoided it! It was like your favorite place on Earth before that horror!”

Darien then hugs Serena and he asks her, “Serena, my love, please talk to me. Do you feel guilty of surviving SAO?” Serena’s eyes widen and she looks solemn with tears starting to flow in her eyes in which he says, “Sere’, I shouldn’t have asked…”

Serena says, shaking her head, “No, it’s all right. I guess that I have been keeping a lot.” Serena says, with tears in her eyes, “To be honest… Yes, I do. I do feel guilty. I just ask myself: Why did I live? Why did so many good people have to die and I had to survive? These were good people that had good lives, friends, family, and loved ones, and they loved games and then they were trapped in a nightmare when the ‘game’ became ‘real’. And the look on their faces… Oh, god!” Serena’s breathing starts to quicken as she remembers those who died in SAO, Diavel and Kobatz for example, and Darien, seeing her start to panic, hugs her even tighter.

Darien says, “Sere’, calm down! Calm down! Please!” Serena’s breathing starts to slow as she hugs Darien tighter and Rini looks at her future mother with shock and horror.

Lita says, “Damn it! We shouldn’t have opened our big mouths!”

Serena says, “No, it’s all right.” Serena says, shaking her head, “Like Kirito and I said, I never really became Serena Tsukino, again, and remained Usagi, the White Valkyrie of SAO. It is just so hard to get them off my mind and I worry about Asuna and the others all the time. I can’t help to think what a monster like Sugou is doing to them and knowing that he wants to use them in mind control experiments like they are.”

Lita says, with a smile, “Don’t worry about it! We’ll rescue them! We’re the Sailor Scouts!”

Trista says, “Just being the Sailor Soldiers doesn’t mean that we will actually succeed. It is our actions and choices that will dictate how things we go. We got to have that ‘need’ and act on it with all of our strength.”

The others nod their heads in agreement and Serena says, “Sorry to be a real pain.”

Raye tells Serena, “Hey, what have we told you, Meatball Head? No more of that ‘pity party’ stuff!”

Darien tells Serena, “Serena, you have to know that physical wounds heal quickly, but the wounds to the mind and heart as well as the spirit… take much longer to heal and they may never heal completely.” When Serena looks at Darien, he says, “Since Ami and I are studying to be doctors, we are also studying human psychology and you have to know that you aren’t ‘unusual’ in this. You went through a nightmarish experience that’s close to as horrible as the horrors of war itself. Plenty of your fellow SAO survivors are suffering through similar things as you are, Meatball Head.”

Ami says, with a nod, “There are hundreds of cases that I have gone through.”

Mina asks Ami, “You have?”

Ami says, “Since I’m studying to be a doctor, the ‘SAO Task Force’ wish for me to assist in that regard.”

Darien says, “The same with me. They wish for us to assist in the counseling of the SAO survivors and that’s the job that I told you about Serena.”

Serena says, with a nod, “I see. Well, to be honest, I’m glad that you are doing something for them, Darien-kun. They need it more than ever. They need help to get back the lives that Kayaba took from them for the past two years.”

Darien tells Serena, “And so does you, Serena.”

Serena says, with tears in her eyes, “I… I don’t know if I can! Every night I see their faces! Diavel… Kobatz… and so many others! I… I’ve seen so many people die in there! It may have been different than what happens here, but I know Kayaba’s work and I know all too well with Ami-chan’s help, I know that it was truth death! The look in their eyes… the look before they die… I…” Serena then starts to cry on Darien’s chest and Darien hugs her as she does so.

Michelle asks, “How many people do you think that she saw die?”

Amara says, “A lot. Hundreds, I guess.”

Lita asks, shocked, “You’re joking?”

Amara says, “I’m just guessing, Lita-chan. However, her reaction tells me that she saw much death in SAO. It is a miracle that she is holding together and hasn’t gone into complete depression. Her determination to save someone precious to her and all of us are the glue that’s holding her together.”

Hotaru asks, “Do you really think that it is a good idea for her to go to the school for SAO survivors that they are setting up?”

Ami says, “The government has issues about her safety for one thing in which while they believe that a lot, if not all of them, think of ‘Usagi’ as a hero along with Kirito in completing the game, the family, friends, and loved ones of the ones that died in SAO may not think so and even those members of the families of those that lived.”

Mina says, “Just because she is related to Kayaba? That’s dumb!”

Amara says, “That’s human nature and there is plenty of ‘stupid’ in it, Mina-chan.”

Lita says, banging her fists together, “I will never forgive that man for what he did to her! If he is still alive, he better hope that he is dead! I don’t care if it is against the rules, if he is alive and I find him, I’ll kill him!”

Raye tells Trista, “And don’t give us any crap. Kayaba is no longer human in any sort of the world by committing this horror. He puts no value in human life even members of his own family.”

Amara says, “I’m agreed, but if he is still alive, I want to bring him in. Killing him is just too good for him. I would love to see him in a court and sent to death row.”

Serena stops crying and she says, “Please, girls, let’s just… just forget him.” When they look at Serena, she wipes her eyes and she says, “Our main concern is finding a way into the top of the World Tree and saving Asuna and the others.”

The others nod their head and Raye says, “Okay, Meatball Head, but when this is over, you are going to talk to all of us. We are going to beat this together.”

Serena says, with a smile, “Right.”

January 22, 2025, OSA-P Jewelry

Within Molly’s jewelry store home, Molly is rubbing some cream all over her right arm as Aurora is looking at her.

Aurora asks, “Are you okay?”

Molly responds, “I’ll be fine. Just a minor burn.”

Aurora tells Molly, “You got lucky on that one, Molly.”

Molly responds, “I know, Aurora.”

Aurora says, “The others are going to get suspicious soon and things will get worse.”

Molly says, “Serena isn’t ready. Even after she gets this mission done, she has a whole a lot of healing to do.”

Aurora says, “The enemy isn’t going to give her that time, you know that.”

Molly says, “I know, but if she fights the way that she is…”

Aurora says, “I know that, Molly. However, I can sense that universe knows this and has prepared reinforcements.”

Molly asks, “What do you mean?”

Aurora responds, “I can sense Trivia may have found her charge.”

Molly gives a gasp of shock and she asks, “You mean…?”

Aurora says, “Yes, I do.”

Molly asks, “Do you really think that it is necessary?”

Aurora responds, “With the situation forming as it is, she may be necessary especially until Princess Serenity can recover enough from her ordeal of SAO in body, mind, and spirit.”

Molly asks Aurora, “Aurora… What is the truth about Kayaba and the Silver Millennium?”

Aurora’s eyes widen at this and she says, “You must keep this idea to yourself, Molly.”

Molly asks, “Does Trista know?”

Aurora responds, “She suspects this like she suspected you to be Sailor Nebula.”

Molly shouts out, in an angered tone that’s not like her, “Why didn’t you tell me this?!”

Aurora replies, “Because you would react this very way, Molly! You are the Sailor Soldier of life of the stars and star seeds! You are as vital as Sailor Moon, ‘her’, and the counterpart of Sailor Moon!”

Molly asks, “Counterpart to Sailor Moon? Wait! You mean…?”

Aurora says, “When nighttime passes, the sun must take over for the moon in shining light for the world.”

Molly tells Aurora, “Aurora, you know how I don’t like you doing this to me!”

Aurora then says, “Follow me to the commander center, Molly. I will give you the location of… Sailor Sun’s reincarnation as well as the Solaris Prince.” Molly then heads off with Aurora downstairs to the basement where they have their secret base.

January 22, 2025, Alfheim Online, Alne

In the center city of Alfheim, at the base of the World Tree, Alne, we find ourselves within an excellent inn room where Leafa wakes up and sits down on her bed and she then hears a knock on the door.

Kirito’s voice says, “Leafa, it’s me.”

Leafa says, solemnly, “Come in, Kirito.” Soon after, Kirito enters the room and he looks to see Leafa with tears in her eyes.

Kirito asks, curiously, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Leafa says, with tears in her eyes, “I’m not okay. I just… I just got my heart broken… I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m telling you this. We just met and I know that it isn’t cool for players to drag their real life problems into the game.”

Kirito says, sitting down by her, “It’s cool. You can cry. There is no rule against it. Even in a game, you can show your true feelings if you want.”

Leafa says, weakly, “Kirito…” Leafa then starts to cry as the others enter the room.

Haruka asks, “What happened?”

Kirito responds, “Real life problems in the form of a broken heart.”

Minako says, weakly, “Oh.”

Makoto tells Minako, “Mina-chan, please don’t get any ideas.”

Minako responds, with a nervous smile, “Wasn’t thinking it.”

Hino retorts, plainly, “Why do you have your hands behind your back and crossing your fingers?”

Minako yelps and Leafa says, after she is done, “I’m okay now. Thanks for the ‘pep talk’, Kirito. You are really sweet, you know that?”

Kirito says, nervously rubbing his head, “Well, other than Usagi, you are the only person that thinks that about me.” Kirito tells her, “Anyway, you want to log off for today? Usagi and I can make it the way there with all of her friends.”

Leafa says, “No. I’ve come this far. Might as well come all the way.”

Haruka thinks in her mind, “I was hoping that she would log off.”

Leafa says, getting to her feet, “Come on, let’s go.”

When Kirito stands up, Yui appears on Kirito’s shoulder and after she yawns, she says, “Good morning! I hope that you slept well!”

Leafa says, “Good morning, Yui!”

Makoto asks Yui, “Can a pixie like you sleep?”

Yui responds, “Not really. When daddy logs out, I shut down my input circuits and process the data that I acquired. You could call it similar to human sleep, but it isn’t.”

Usagi asks, “Then why did you yawn?”

Yui replies, “Oh, well, it is what humans do when they boot up and when daddy does it, it usually takes eight seconds.”

Kirito says, with a sigh, “Please keep the word trivia to you alone, Yui-chan.”

Michiru asks, with a giggle, “Not a morning person, huh?”

Usagi says, with a smile, “Not typically.”

Hino says, “Not surprising that you made friends with him, Meatball Head.”

Usagi yells out, annoyed, “And what’s that supposed to mean?!”

Usagi glares at Hino and Tomoe whispers, “Kirito-san and Usagi-hime seem to be a lot like brother and sister.”

Makoto whispers, “No kidding.” Soon after, the group heads outside and in the streets of Alne, they can see a huge mixture of players from all of the fairy races of Alfheim in here.

Usagi says, amazed, “Wow. This place is really the center of Alfheim.”

Hino says, with a smirk, “Got that right.”

Yui says, “All of the races of Alfheim are here and they are getting along.” They notice that plenty of the players are looking at them.

Usagi asks, a bit nervously, “Why are they staring?”

Kirito says, “Probably because of your friends, Usagi.”
Leafa says, “The meeting of a large amount of the ‘Great Nymphs of Alfheim’ is going to create a stir and if Lady Mizuno was here, it would be a bigger stir especially with Sir Mamoru too. He is one of the few players other than Flare and General Eugene that rival the Great Nymphs… Well, until you and Usagi came along Kirito.” Soon after, the group stops in front to look up the World Tree.

Usagi asks, “Anyway, I heard that there was a city at the top of the World Tree? What else?”

Leafa says, “Well, Oberon the Fairy King along with the Light Fairies, the ALF, are supposed to be up there and the race that makes it to the top first and meets him also becomes ALF.”

Kirito asks, “Has anyone attempts to climb the tree itself?”

Makoto says, “Nope! The tree itself is off-limits and a player can’t get close enough to try. And if you tried flying up, the flight limit of your wings would expire before you even got half-way.”

Kirito asks, “I heard about a group of players attempting to fly up piggy back style.”

Hino says, with a smile, “Yeah. They caused a real panic with the GM and they fixed it by putting a barrier up in the clouds.

Usagi says, with a sigh, “That means that the only way up is through the base and through the ‘Grand Quest’.”

Mamoru says, “Exactly, Usagi-chan.”

Hino asks, “Well, what are we waiting for?” Soon enough, the group heads off and they find themselves at a gate in which Hino says, “That gate is the ‘marker’ to the center of Alne, also known as the ‘World’s Heart’.”

Once they go through the gate, Yui pops out of Kirito’s pocket with a start and Kirito asks, concerned, “What? Is something wrong, Yui?”

Yui says, “Mommy…” There are gasps of surprise and Yui says, “It’s mommy. She’s here!”

Kirito asks, “Are you sure?”

Yui says, with a nod, “I scanned again and I sensed mommy’s player ID!”

Minako asks, “How can you be so sure?”

Haruka says, “A child would know their parents the best.”

Yui says, “Her coordinates are above us in the tree.”

Usagi thinks in her mind, “It was her! That was Asuna in the picture and in that cage!” Kirito gains a snarl, his wings deploy, and he flies into the air in which Usagi says, “Oh, crap!” Usagi brings out her wings and she follows Kirito with a burst of speed.

Leafa yells out, “Wait! Kirito!”

Hino smacks herself on the forehead and she thinks, “This is what I was afraid was going to happen.” Mamoru takes flight after them when he spreads his Spriggan wings.

He yells out, “We need to follow them!”

Makoto says, “No kidding!” Soon after, everyone else, including Leafa, takes off after them.

Leafa thinks in her mind, “Why are you acting like this Kirito? Is this person really worth all of this trouble?” As Kirito goes through the clouds, Leafa yells out, “Watch out, Kirito! You are going to hit the barrier!” However, it is too late because close to that instant, Kirito gets through the clouds, hits the barrier, hard, and hitting the barrier causes him to be thrown back and Yui to fall out of his pocket.

Usagi yells out, shocked, “Kirito!” Usagi immediately grabs Kirito and he immediately rights himself in which she asks, “Are you all right?”

The others arrive on the scene and Hino shouts out, “More like ‘Are you crazy’ is the question that you should ask Meatball Head!” Kirito then charges again, slams into the barrier, gets thrown back, and he prepares to charge again before Leafa grabs him and stops him.

Leafa says, “Stop it, Kirito!”

Haruka says, “Charging into the barrier isn’t going to get you anywhere!”

Kirito yells out, “I have to try!”

Yui is at the barrier and she is shouting out, “Mommy, I’m here! Mommy!” Inside of the World Tree and within her cage, Asuna, with her face down on a table thinking about her next move after her first attempt to escape failed, hears Yui’s shouts out and she looks around.

Asuna says, recognizing Yui’s voice, “Yui!” Asuna goes to the bars of her cage and she yells out, “Yui! I’m here! I’m up here!” Asuna then says, “Think. I’ve got to figure out something to drop to let them know that I’m here.” Back down, Kirito bashes at the barrier again and he fails.

Kirito yells out, irritated, “Why can’t I bust through it?”

Usagi confronts Kirito and she says, “Kirito, stop it! Mindless bashing against this stupid barrier isn’t going to help get to the World Tree and her! I want to get up there as much as you do, but this isn’t the way!”

Yui, in Chibi-Usa’s hands, says, “I used warning mode to try to contact her, but I don’t know if it worked.” Kirito prepares to attempt to bust through with his sword, but he then sees something.

Kirito asks, “What’s that?” Everyone looks to see a glint as something is falling and Kirito catches it in which it looks like a card causing him to ask, “A card?”

When the others look, Usagi asks, “Does anyone know what it does?”

Minako says, shaking her head, “Haven’t seen a card like that before.”

Kirito pushes on it to try to bring up an item prompt screen, but nothing appears and Kirito says, “I can’t get an item prompt on it.”

Yui puts her hands on it and she says, “Let me see.” She then gasps and she says, “I got it. It is a system administration access code!”

There are gasps and Kirito asks, “Can we access the GM controls with it?”

Yui responds, solemnly, “No. You need to right console for it to work. And the only way is through the system menu and even I can’t bring that up.”

Hino says, “Then it is worthless.”

Setsuna says, “Not necessarily.”

Mamoru whispers, “Are you thinking what I think you are thinking?”

Setsuna responds, with a nod and a whisper, “I believe that we have found a way into the World Tree.”

Mamoru whispers, “Contact Mizuno in the Undine capital and try to use a coded message.”

Setsuna nods her head and starts to do so in which Kirito says, “I see, Yui. However, I doubt that something like this would fall out of the sky.”

Yui says, “It must be from mommy!”

Kirito thinks in his mind, “Asuna…”

Usagi thinks in her mind, “Asuna must have gotten her hands on this and when she heard Yui, she must have dropped this to help us get to her!”

Kirito says, “Leafa, I need to know where the gates that led up to the World Tree are.”

Leafa responds, “Well, the gates are at the dome at the base of the tree…” Leafa then gasps and she yells out, “You aren’t thinking of taking it on yourself!”

Hino shouts out, “That’s insane! The biggest raiding parties couldn’t get through!”

Haruka says, with a nod, “The place is guarded by NPC and we need to figure out a plan to get by them.”

Kirito says, with a serious tone, “There isn’t time!” Kirito tells Leafa, “Thank you, Leafa.” Kirito tells Usagi, “Usagi, you and your friends follow me as quick as you are able.” Kirito then ‘blasts off’ back to the ground at top speed and lands with a powerful ‘crunch’ much to the surprise of other players around in which he takes off for the base of the tree.

Usagi says, “Oh, geez!”

On the ground, Yui asks, “Are you sure that you want to do this without Auntie Usagi and the others?”

Kirito responds, “They’ll be able to catch up, Yui. We have to try. We don’t have much time. If what we believe to be true, the head of the company of ALO, who has mommy and the other SAO players trapped here, is getting close to completely his horrible research and he will use it on mommy. And that’s something I will not allow! Besides, we won’t really die if we fail. If we fail, we can regroup with Usagi and the others and using what we learned, we can make another attempt.”

Yui says, solemnly, “Yeah, I guess so.”

Kirito says, “If I wait around any longer, I’m going to lose my mind and I know that you want to see mommy just as badly.”

Yui says, “I do.”

Kirito says, “And your auntie wants to see her one of her best friends while she suffered in that nightmare of SAO really bad too.”

Yui asks, “Mommy and Auntie Usagi were close, huh?”

Kirito says, “Usagi was gone from her friends and her family, mommy, daddy, and brother, for over two years. All we had was each other and the few friends that we had together. Without mommy, we can’t have closure from SAO, Yui.” Yui nods her head as Kirito goes to the gates at the base of tree, agrees to take the challenge, and seeing the entrance to the top, he charges forward as NPC knight-like guardian comes out of one of the mirrors and Kirito beats him, but more and more come out of the mirrors and the more that he beats, the mirror NPC guardians appear to fight him and they wearing him down more and more, but after getting impaled by over half-a-dozen blades, his health drops to zero and he turns into a ‘Remain Light’. In his ‘spirit form’, Kirito sees a ten minute timer, which longer than the usual time to revive before one is sent back to his race’s home town to ‘revive’, and he thinks, “I died? I always believed that deep down that this world is just a game. Is this my punishment for thinking that? My strength in the game is just a lie. Nothing more than just skills and stats. I didn’t give a damn about its rules and limits. I felt that I could do anything.” As Kirito goes over his battles in SAO and ALO, he thinks, “Asuna…” Kirito then notices NPC guardians turning to face something and when he looks at where the NPC guardians are looking, he gasps to see Leafa, Usagi, and the others flying through the air towards him with Usagi at the lead.

(Sword Art Online music ‘Swordland’ starts)

Usagi yells out, “Everyone, cover me as best as you can! I’ll get Kirito’s ‘Remain Light’ and then we are getting out of here! The instant that I get it, get out of here!”

Chibi-Usa shouts out, “No way, Meatball Head!”

Makoto says, “We are not leaving you behind!”

Usagi says, “But…”

Mamoru says, sternly, “We aren’t leaving you! I am not leaving you!”

Usagi sees the determination in Mamoru’s eyes, she nods, and she thinks in her mind, with a warm smile, “Thank you, Darien-kun.”

The NPC guardians swarm in on them and Kirito shouts out, “Stay back! Get away!” However, the others can’t hear him in his ‘spirit form’ and Usagi gains a powerful and determined look in her eyes, like the one that she sported as Sailor Moon against Heathcliff, as she draws her two swords. Usagi then cuts through several NPC guardians and when a half-a-dozen try to swarm her, she cuts them through like a knife through butter without suffering any damage at all.

The others are stunned and Makoto says, “Whoa! She is on fire!”

Hino yells out, “Stop gabbing and cover her!” Soon enough, Leaf and Mamoru cover Usagi while the others unleash various attacks to take out dozen upon dozen of NPC guardians, but more and more are being produced in which Usagi is heading for Kirito’s ‘Remain Light’ and cutting through any NPC guardian getting in her way.

Leafa yells out, “Hurry, Usagi!”

Usagi says, putting her swords away, “I got it, Leafa!” However, before she gets to Kirito’s ‘Remain Light’, an NPC guardian appears in front of her and she bashes through its chest and destroys it in which she grabs Kirito’s ‘Remain Light’ before Mamoru and Leafa cut through two NPC guardians try to cleave her in half.

Mamoru says, “Let’s go!”

Usagi responds, with a nod, “Right, Mamoru-kun!” Soon after, they head back to the door as NPC guardians try to stop them with NPC guardian archers unleashing a barrage of arrows at them in which Mamoru winches as he gets hit by three arrows. Usagi yells out, shocked, “Mamoru-kun!”

Mamoru says, “I’m all right! Keep going!” The others unleash spell attacks at the archers to destroy them and/or keep them busy, but plenty of them got arrows off in which Usagi gets impaled in the leg causing her to yelp. Mamoru yells out, shocked, “Are you okay?!”

Usagi replies, “I am! Keep going!”

Haruka yells out, “Hurry!” As Mamoru, Leafa, and Usagi got closer, the others start to withdraw and Leafa pushes Usagi out of the way causing her to take an arrow to the back.

Usagi says, “Leafa!”

Leafa responds, “I’m okay!” Soon enough, everyone gets to the ground and they start to get out of the base of the World Tree one at a time, but before all of them leave, Mamoru, Usagi, and Leafa take another arrow to the back each in which Mamoru uses an illusion spell to create a smokescreen at the right moment in which he takes Usagi’s right free hand to make a big leap out of the dome.

Usagi yells out, “Grab onto me!” Leafa, managing to hear Usagi, grabs onto her shoulder and she, Usagi, and Mamoru are the last ones to make it out of the door in which, outside, the doors close behind them in which the arrows also dispel. Usagi puts Kirito’s ‘Remain Light’ on the ground and she yells out, “Michiru-chan!”

Michiru says, with a nod, “I understand.” Michiru then uses a revival spell and Kirito is restored to his physical form.

Hino then bashes him on the forehead and he yells out, “What was that for?!”

Hino responds, with a glare, “What did you think you idiot?!”

Haruka says, “We told you that we had to form a plan first. You just charged in there and just got your butt kicked in which we had to save your ass before you get sent back to your race’s home territory!”

Kirito says, with a sigh, “Sorry about that. Thanks for helping me out.”

Minako retorts, with a smile, “No problem! What are friends for?”

Kirito then steps forward and Usagi says, “Kirito, you aren’t going back there again. Since you died, your stats are weaker than before. It is going to end the same way.”

Kirito tells Usagi, “I know, Usagi. I know that you want to save her as much I do and that’s why we need to keep trying.”

Usagi tells Kirito, “We may have the ‘key’, but what’s the point if we can’t get it to the door?”

Makoto tells Kirito, “Listen to Usagi, Kirito!”

Leafa says, grabbing Kirito’s right hand, “Kirito, please stop. Go back to how you were.”

Kirito tells Leafa, “Leafa, sorry. I can’t. If I don’t get up, nothing will end. And nothing can begin for Usagi and me. Our nightmares will never end because we will still be tied to a hell that we had both escaped from with ‘her’ or so we thought.”

Leafa asks, confused, “What are you talking about?”

Usagi tells Leafa, “Leafa-chan…” When Leafa looks at Usagi, Usagi says, with a sigh, “Leafa-chan, we haven’t been completely honest with you. It isn’t Kirito and I lied to you… We just didn’t tell you the whole truth.”

Leafa asks, her expression showing great confusion, “What do you mean?”

Hino asks, “Hey, Meatball Head!”

Usagi makes a motion for Hino not to say a word and Usagi says, “You see, Kirito and I never used an Amusphere at all and we just started the game with the account that we made recently. I started this game five days ago and Kirito only two days ago.”

Leafa gives a gasp of shock and she asks, “But how?”

Usagi says, “It is a too complex to explain and it kind of has to do with that other VRMMO that we told you about. It is true that we were busy with another VRMMO, but we weren’t telling you the complete truth about it. That VRMMO… You have already known about it for the past two years since it has been the dominate force on the news, Leafa… It was… Sword Art Online.”

Leafa gasps in shock and horror and she yells out, “S-Sword Art Online? The infamous ‘death game’ that had ten thousand people trapped and nearly four thousand people died? That means you… you are…!!”

Usagi responds, with a nod, “Kirito and I are SAO survivors, Leafa.”

Leafa gasps and Haruka thinks in her mind, “So much for keeping this a secret.”

Leafa thinks in her mind, “K-Kirito and Usagi are survivors of that horrible game that nearly took my brother from me?! That he was trapped in for two long years and I could only watch his body while he struggled for his life in that game! Wait! No! No way!”

When Leafa looks at Kirito, Usagi says, “And it is the reason that Kirito and I are here. I know that you heard about three hundred SAO players that are still ‘sleeping’. I can’t go into details, but they are here, Leafa. They are being held here, in ALO, against their will.”

Leafa asks, stunned, “What?”

Usagi says, “I’m sorry, Leafa. I’m so sorry to keep this from you, but I… we couldn’t risk you getting hurt because of Kirito and I are doing. The man that runs the company that runs ALO is behind this. I know him. He is pure evil. He is doing who knows what to those people and we need to stop it. And… the person that Kirito and I are looking is a fellow SAO player that’s being kept here. To me, a precious friend that kept me from going insane during those two terrible years which have yet to fade from my heart and mind.”

Kirito says, “And who is Yui’s mom, Leafa. We need to save her and end this. As long as this goes on, Sword Art Online can never be finished for us. We need to find her. I need to find her. I need to save Asuna.”

Leafa’s eyes widen at that final sentience and she asks, stepping back, “What? What did you just say?”

Haruka asks, curiously, “Leafa?”

Kirito says, “Her name is Asuna. She is the SAO player that Usagi and I have been looking for and we need to save most of all.”

Leafa says, “But then… you are…”

Makoto asks, surprised, “Leafa-chan, do… do you know that name?” Everyone looks at Leafa in shock as she looks at Kirito and she then sees Kirito’s real-life form of Kazuto Kirigaya.

Leafa then asks, lowly, “Kazuto… is that you, Kazuto?”

There are gasps and Usagi asks, stunned, “Leafa… How do you… How do you know Kirito’s real name?”

Kazuto asks, realizing, “Sugu? Suguha?”

Hino asks, “Suguha?”

Leafa says, “I can’t believe it… No… It’s not fair…” Leafa then brings up her player menu and she logs out causing her to vanish.

Kirito yells out, “Sugu!” But it is too late and Leafa is gone leaving plenty of the others confused.
Usagi asks Kirito, “Kirito, you know who Leafa really is?”

Kirito responds, “Yeah, she is my sister.”

There are gasps and Makoto yells out, surprised, “Leafa is your sister?!”

Kirito tells Usagi, “Usagi, please inform your friends about Sugu. Her full name is Suguha Kirigaya.”

Usagi says, with a nod, “Okay.” Kirito then uses his player menu to log out and return to the real world.

Chibi-Usa asks, “What’s going on?”

Usagi says, “It’s a bit of a story.”

Hino says, “I think that we have enough time to hear it.” Usagi then tells the others about what happened during her adventure with Kirito and Silica to revive Silica’s ‘partner monster’, Pina, in which Kirito explain about his adoptive sister/cousin.

When Usagi is done, Minako asks, “So, his sister is actually his cousin?”

Usagi says, with a nod, “Yeah. You see, Kirito’s real parents, his biological ones, died when he wasn’t even a year old. They were in a horrible accident and only he survived.”

Mamoru says, with a nod, “I see. I doubt that he could even remember anything of his biological parents. I can relate. I can’t remember anything about my family in this life or my parents in my past life either.” This causes Mamoru to feel more of a connection to Kirito since he has a similar background.

Usagi says, “Later on, Kirito told me everything in which he learned the truth when he was ten years old and he asked his aunt and uncle, his adoptive parents, about it. He told me that it gave him ‘identity issues’ and it is part of the reason that he went to online gaming.”

Mamoru says, with a nod, “I understand.” Mamoru says, with a sigh, “It must have been a big shock to his young mind. All that he thought and knew may have been a lie to his mind. Most likely, he felt that he didn’t fit into his own family. To him, it must have been: Who are they? Do I fit in with them? And you may be right about this driving him to online gaming. He must have felt that in the virtual world that no one really knows about anyone else.”

Minako says, amazed, “Whoa. And I thought that Hino-chan had family issues.”

Hino glares at Minako and Haruka says, “And to meet said family members after being away from them for two years like this.”

Usagi says, with a sigh, “Kirito told me that he was trying to rebuild the bonds between them after we had gotten back from SAO.”

Makoto says, “I’ve got a bad feeling that this just ‘damaged’ his efforts, big time.”

Usagi says, “I wish that I could help.”

Mamoru tells Usagi, with a warm smile, “You can’t, Meatball Head. This is a problem that they have to deal with on their family. This is between them and anything that we try might make it worse.”

Usagi says, with a nod, “I know, Mamoru-kun. I know. I really want to help… but then again, I’m in no condition to help them.”

Hino tells Usagi, “Okay, not that again! You hear me?!”

Usagi responds, nervously, “Okay! Okay!” Mamoru hugs Usagi and Usagi hugs him back in which she thinks, with a warm smile, “Even in virtual reality, he is so warm.” Soon afterwards, Kirito reappears in front of them and Usagi says, “Kirito!”

Kirito tells Usagi, “I’m going to meet with Sugu… I mean Leafa at the Northern Terrance.”

Usagi asks, “You don’t mind if we come along?”
Kirito says, with a sigh, “Actually, I’m going to need your help a bit.” Usagi nods her head and all of them head to the Northern Terrance in which Kirito explains what happened between him and his adoptive sister back in the real world.

Haruka asks, “She found out, huh?”

Kirito responds, “Yep. Most likely, she found out during the first month of SAO when two thousand people died.”

Usagi says, with a nod, “I see.”

Mamoru says, “It must have caused her a similar ‘identity crisis’ like you had. All that she thought that was true wasn’t or something close to that. And she had probably the same questions like you did: Who is he? Do I really know him? If we aren’t brother and sister, then what are we? I believe that those are the question that she was asking.”

Kirito says, with a nod, “I believe so, Mamoru-san.”

Haruka says, “And at one point, she felt that it didn’t mainly matter because you are someone that she loved and cared about, but the problem is: What kind of love is it? That’s the probably the big problem and when Asuna came into the picture, she wanted to banish those feelings from her heart and probably wanted to for you and her to truly be biological brother and sister. When she met ‘Kirito’, she wanted to move on away from that, but now, those hopes and dreams are crushed.”

Usagi asks Kirito, “What will do Kirito?”

Kirito responds, “We’ll see what will happen, Usagi.” Soon after, Kirito and the others arrive at the Northern Terrance and they wait around for a while until Leafa arrive on the scene and lands in front of all of them.

Leafa says, “Here I am.”

Kirito says, “Sugu…”

However, Leafa makes a motion for Kirito to stop and she says, “Kazuto let’s have a rematch. I want to finish what we started.”

There are confused looks and Kirito says, “She is talking about a kendo match that we had a few days ago.”

Hino asks, “Seriously?”

Michiru tells Hino, “This might be their way of ‘working things out’, Hino.”

Leafa asks Usagi, “But before we do, Usagi, I need to know something: Are you…?”

Usagi says, with a nod, “Yes, I am. I’m the niece of Akihiko Kayaba.” Leafa’s eyes widen in surprise and Usagi says, “I guess that it is hard to believe. That someone would be so monstrous that not even your own life or even your family life’s mean so little to them. I never thought that Kayaba would be one of them, but I was wrong… nearly dead wrong. I remember that day like it was just yesterday. I logged onto Sword Art Online expecting to be a new world full of fun and adventure, but I dragged into a nightmare that would last over two long horror filled years. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. It had to be a nightmare, I thought, but then I realized that it was cold hard reality. I was stuck in a virtual prison of death and it was a person that I had once beloved and I had trusted with my heart and spirit as well as thought could do no wrong that trapped me and everyone else in there. I completely broke down and locked myself away for three whole days since the nightmare started. I was all alone in there. No family… no friends… and not even the man I loved. A member of my own family that I once beloved as a second father stripped me of them and my life.”

Leafa says, shocked, “Usagi…”

Usagi says, looking up to the virtual sky, “I’m not sure if you can understand how I feel, Leafa, but then again, I never want you to ever experience how I feel.”

Leafa asks, curiously, “Why?”

Usagi says, the pain in her virtual eyes evident, “Because if you aren’t strong enough, the experience could very well destroy you.” Leafa gives a surprised look and Usagi says, “Sometimes, I wonder how I was able to survive in SAO. However, part of it was the people that I had waiting back home that loved and cared for me. I knew that they were hoping for my return and I can’t explain how, but I could feel them, by my real body, giving me strength. The other part was… the few friends in SAO. Kirito… Asuna… and the few others that I could have as friends in that nightmare. Due to the ‘awkwardness’ between me and the other players, I remained a solo player which wasn’t me. Having friends and being part of group, but I couldn’t cause any more pain to the other players that my family already caused, so, I remained alone. Those few friends were very precious to me and my times with them were the only happy or at least, close to happy times that I spent in that nightmare.”

Leafa asks, “So, it is why you are determined to save Asuna?”

Usagi says, with a nod, “I am. She was my best of friends in SAO with Kirito. I can’t just abandon her especially not to ‘that man’. And I also can’t abandon any surviving SAO players. As long as they are not home with the people that they love and care about, Sword Art Online will never be over for me.”

Leafa says, “I see, Usagi.” Leafa looks at the others and she asks, “You knew the whole time?”

Makoto says, scratching, “Yeah. In fact, it was the reason that we started playing this game.”

Leafa asks, “Really?”

Kirito tells Leafa, “Sugu, this game… this world is running on a complete duplicate of the Sword Art Online server.”

Leafa asks, shocked, “It is?”

Kirito says, with a nod, “It is, Sugu. Other than the ability to log out and dying here doesn’t mean you die in real among a few other minor details, it is an exact duplicate. It is the reason that they were able to get the game out so fast after the Amusphere came out and ALO came out exactly one year after Sword Art Online started.”

Leafa says, “I always thought it was weird.”

Kirito says, “This man, Sugou, designed this game to be the perfect cover for his evil experiments. There is no ‘Grand Quest’. It was just a cover to allow his inhuman experiments using the SAO players other than Asuna.”

Leafa gasps and she asks, stunned, “All a lie?” Leafa thinks in her mind, with tears in her eyes, “So, the dream of flying as high as I wanted and as far as I wanted… The dream was based on a lie?!”

Makoto says, “We’re sorry, Leafa-chan. We didn’t want you to get hurt. You really loved flying here in ALO and it was your dream to gain the ability to fly as long as you want and as high as you wanted, but we feel that you have the right to know the truth… about who we truly are and why we are here. We came to this game since it was so similar to SAO. We wanted to figure out this game, so, we have a better idea of how SAO worked and figure out what causes the NervGear to fry the wearer’s brain.”

Setsuna says, “Mizuno and I were and still are part of the task force that was created to deal with what is known as the ‘SAO incident’.”

Leafa asks, surprised, “Lady Mizuno?”

Setsuna says, “She and I became the experts on the NervGear through we never could figure out a way around Kayaba’s machine before Usagi and the others returned from SAO.”

Hino says, “However, while our Meatball Head came home ‘in body’, but her spirit lied somewhere else and that’s why we are still in this game. We had a feeling about it ever since we learned about the scumbag, Sugou, and turned out that we were right.”

Haruka says, “That’s why we need to go to the World Tree and we don’t have much time left.”

Kirito tells Leafa, “Sugu, I can understand if you want to leave…”

Leafa says, interrupting, “No, Kazuto. I want to have that rematch.”

Hino yells out, stunned, “Really?”

Mamoru tells Hino, “This is something that they have got to solve on their own.”

Kirito says, “Everyone, please stand back.” Usagi and the others move out of the way as Leafa and Kirito draw their swords and after half-a-minute of staring at each other, the two of them start to fight, they clash blades, and then they take their battle into the air in which Leafa stands on a floating island while Kirito prepares to clash, but when Leafa goes forward, she drops her sword in which Kirito drops his in which Leafa falls into his arms. Kirito asks Leafa, surprised, “What are you doing?”

Leafa asks, “That’s my question! What are YOU doing?”

Kirito says, “Look, I wanted to apologize, but I didn’t know how. So, I planned to throw the fight.”

Leafa asks, surprised, “You were?”

Kirito says, “I’m sorry, Sugu.”

Leafa says, “I’m sorry, too.”

Hino says, “Well, it is about time.” Kirito and Leafa look to see the others with Usagi holding Kirito’s sword and Haruka having Leafa’s sword.

Kirito says, “I think… I know that my real problem is that I never came back to the real world after SAO. I can never come back until she wakes up. In a way, the game hasn’t ended for me and it hasn’t ended for Usagi.”

Leafa asks, looking at Usagi, “Really?”

Usagi responds, with a nod, “My friends and my beloved know this already, but it is true. SAO hasn’t ended for me. Until I bring everyone that survived SAO home especially my best friend from there, the ‘dark legacy’ of my family still continues on and I… or my real world self can never come home. This… This is the real me right now even though it is a modified for this world.”

Leafa asks, confused, “What do you mean?”

Usagi says, “When we logged into ALO, all of the data from our SAO avatars possible was downloaded into the new ALO because the way of saving data in SAO and ALO are practically exactly the same, so, all of the stats and skills from SAO as possible are in these forms.”

Leafa asks, stunned, “Really?”

Kirito says, with a nod, “That’s right. This is basically Kirito, the Black Swordsman of SAO, and she is Usagi, the White Valkyrie of SAO, just in brand new ALO style ‘forms’.”

Leafa gives an amazed look and Usagi says, “This is who Kirito and I really are right now. I know that it sounds crazy…”

Hino says, “Completely crazy if you ask me, but then again, that nightmare was anything, but sane, so, none of us can blame Meatball Head for not feeling herself.” Usagi gives an annoyed look at being interrupted and Hino says, with a smile, “However, it doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to keep going until we bring the real Meatball Head home where she belongs and this time, we’re not going to stop until she is back home: In body, mind, AND heart and spirit.”

Usagi says, with a warm smile, “Thanks, guys.”

Haruka says, “That’s our mission, Leafa. To save those final SAO players and to end their nightmares once and for all. And hopefully, we can all reassemble the shatter pieces of our lives.”

Kirito says, “I’ll find my way home someday.”

Leafa says, with a smile, “I’ll wait for that day, Kazuto. No matter how long it takes for you to truly come home and until then I’ll help you in here.”

Kirito says, “Thanks… Leafa.” Soon after, Usagi and Makoto give back Kirito and Leafa their swords and they return to the entrance of the World Tree where Recon was waiting for them in which Leafa explains how he got there.

When she is done, Makoto says, with a sigh, “Recon!”
Haruka says, with a smile, “You have to get to give him points for determination.”

Michiru says, with a giggle, “Indeed.”

Recon asks, “Anyway, what are you doing again?”

Hino says, “You heard us. We are going to challenge the World Tree.”

Mamoru says, “From our last attempt, the NPC guardians individually aren’t the real problem. With our high stats and skills, it is easy to beat them one-on-one, but the problem is the quantity of opponents.”

Kirito asks, “Yui, are you there?”

Yui appears on Kirito’s shoulder and she says, “Hi, daddy.”

Kirito says, “Mamoru-san says that the number of the opponents is the real problem with those guardians.”

Yui says, with a nod, “That’s right. Their stats aren’t too high, but the sheer numbers is the real problem.”

Hino says, “Yeah, for every one that we defeat, about a dozen take their place and the numbers continue to increase the higher that we get up.”

Yui says, “That’s right, but since your stats are really high, a burst of speed might help you reach the top.”

Kirito says, “Well, it is the best plan that we have got.”

Mamoru says, with a nod, “I agree. We need to get to the top as fast as possible before their numbers completely overwhelm us.”

Kirito says, “Hey, everyone.” Kirito says, “I’m glad that you helped Usagi and I get here, but this fight is our fight and our mission. You don’t need to get more involved than you do.”

Hino tells Kirito, “Kirito, don’t even bother with the speech. We are going and that’s final.”

Makoto says, with a grin, “No kidding! Wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

Leafa says, with a grin, “You already know my answer!” Leafa asks Recon, “What do you say?”

Recon responds, “Where you go, I will go, Leafa.”

Michiru tells Leafa, “He really has a thing for you, Leafa.”
Leafa tells Michiru, with a sigh, “Please don’t, Lady Michiru.”

Michiru responds, “Please call me ‘Michiru’, Leafa. I think that we are friends now.” Leafa smiles as Leafa, Recon, Kirito, Mamoru, and the Sailor Scouts prepare to make their assault up the World Tree to get to the top, rescue the SAO players, and stop Sugou once and for all.

Usagi thinks in her mind, determined, “Don’t worry, Asuna. Kirito and I along with all of my friends are coming and we won’t stop until we bring you home and end that sicko’s evil ways once and for all!”

Kirito whispers to Usagi, “Usagi, are you sure that you are ready for SAO’s true final battle?”

Usagi whispers back, “I am and I know that we’ll win.” Kirito nods his head as our group goes through the doors to challenge the ‘Grand Quest’ once more and put a stop to Sugou Nobuyuki’s sinister plans and rescue Asuna and the other SAO players to put a final end to this and in the minds of Kirito and Usagi, Sword Art Online once and for all.

And that’s the chapter, everyone! I’m sorry if the Jotunheimr part was off quite a bit. I was working with limited information from internet sites and watching episodes of Sword Art Online II anime for the information that I needed to put that part in, so, forgive for any inaccuracies in it. And as you can see, there is also ‘other struggles’ going on in this time of the story. Remember, traumatic experiences don’t go away in a snap of a finger and they may never completely ‘fade away’ in which SAO can be shown as that kind of experience especially to one like Serena/Sailor Moon. So, I’m trying to show the ‘inner struggle’ as well as the outer struggle as best as I can and I believe that I’m doing a good job on that. Anyway, please read and review and no flames please. Later and best wishes, Crossover Fans!