Solo (A Sword Art Online Fanfic) ✔

Chapter Twenty Five

When Rikimaru and I got married, he had been the sweetest man ever. He brought me breakfast in bed, and carried me over puddles, and killed the biggest monsters when I wasn't in the mood. He had been perfect.

And I was me.

I had never been the best person. I had too big of an attitude and too little patient. I wore everyone down until they couldn't handle me.

But Rikimaru was different. He was the man I loved, yet I had never tried.

I never killed the big monsters for him, or made the wolves get off our bed when I could tell he was feeling cluttered. I wasn't perfect for him.

And now it was too late.

I felt tears stream down my face silently as I cradled his head. He was alive, but he wasn't awake. His HP was in the yellow, but didn't seem to be moving.

"Katsu!" I yelled, not wanting to move. Kuro raced off to find him and I was able to focus completely on Rikimaru.

"You're not allowed to leave me." I whispered, leaning over him. "And I'm not someone you want to not listen to."

"Don't I know it."

I gasped, pulling away. Rikimaru was awake and staring at me with those green eyes of his. I laughed in relief, the noise escaping me without my consent.

"I love you." I whispered to him, my voice hoarse.

"And I love you." The biggest grin growing on his face.

I leaped at him, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. He reached one arm up weakly to hold me.

We were still like that when Katsu walked up to us. I pulled away when I noticed. Katsu knelt down next to us, examining Rikimaru for injuries. He had a huge gash across his chest. Katsu pulled out a healing crystal. It wasn't big enough to heal him completely, but it would help a lot.

Once he had less pain, he sat up. We both knew he was okay enough to hold himself up, but we took the excuse for him to lean on me.

Katsu sighed, sitting down on my other side. He leaned against the wall, looking exhausted.

"Harumi?"

I turned to look at Rikimaru out of the corner of my eye. He paused, as if hesitating before he continued.

"What's your real name?"

I was taken aback. I had gone for so long without talking about the outside world that it seemed foreign. But this world was ending, and I knew for sure that I didn't want to lose them.

"My real name is Harumi." I told them, "Kiya Harumi."

"I'm Adachi Katsunori." Katsu spoke up.

"Komogata Rikimaru."

"Now I feel bad about using a false name." Katsu laughed.

"Age?" Rikimaru asked next.

We all paused. We weren't sure what the date was in the real world.

"I was 14 when this all started." I finally said.

"I was 16." Katsu said.

"Same here." Rikimaru said, agreeing with Katsu.

We spent a couple more minutes just talking about the real world, but we stopped when I noticed my wolves. I leaped to my feet, my voice cracking.

My wolves were fading. Kuro and Gurē were laying down, as if getting ready to fall asleep. I moved towards them, falling on my knees. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to them.

They were my boys.

I started crying again. I didn't want to lose anyone else, especially my wolves.

Rikimaru crawled towards me, grabbing a hold of my hand. He knew he couldn't do anything to make this better, but he wanted me to know he was there for me.

"Harumi, wait! This doesn't have to be the end."

I turned, narrowing my eyes at Katsu. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there's a way to move the data of the wolves into something inanimate." He said.

"What would be the point?" I asked, "This game is ending."

"If you decide to join another game, maybe it could be transferable."

"I don't know about joining any games right now." I admitted, looking down.

I had enough of games.

"Let's just do it. Just in case, okay?"

I nodded and he started getting to work. The next thing I know, he was handing me two wolf charms; one was gray, the other black.

Tears stung my eyes as I moved to put them on the waist chain I won from the boss. Finally, I sat back for a minute before breaking down.

I just started sobbing. Rikimaru pulled me into his chest, rubbing my back.

"What if I never see you guys again?" I asked, hiccuping. "What if it's just over after this? What the hell am I supposed to do?"

They didn't have answers for me, but that was okay. I didn't expect them to. They were just as worried as I was. We all had the same fears.

We sat there, silent, waiting for something to happen. The world just seemed to stop. Until it really did.

With Rikimaru hold me and Katsu by my side, the world seemed to implode. A bright light expanded until it was all I could see, and suddenly I couldn't feel Rikimaru's comforting arms around me anymore. The game was cleared. It was all over.

Slowly the white started fading and my senses came back. There was a beeping. A sob. A plead.

Everything was changing.

My world had ended, and it was time to join the real one.

I wondered if I was ready. But it seemed as if I wasn't getting a choice.

The bright light slowly morphed itself into something completely new.

I opened my eyes, in the real world.

I was awake.

*****

One more chapter to go, guys! You ready for this?