book two: trapped || sword art online

Chapter 9

Published: 04/14/2017; Friday; 11:17pm; Unedited

Kirito eyed the key card before pocketing it, and looking at Ume, trying to find the right words. She waits patiently, and he finds himself thinking that he's missed staring into her blue eyes as she did so. Waiting, to listen, for whatever he planned on doing, and he bit his lip, "We need to go to Aruna, I told Sugu I'd wait for her at the north terrace."

Ume nodded, knowing that he probably planned on explaining everything to the other girl. But she frowned when his wings shimmered behind him and he got ready to go.

"Kirito, wait!" she grabbed his hand, and he looked down at it with wide eyes, and she wondered why that was. She gave it a firm squeeze, "I can't fly."

"Don't you have wings?" She turned around, and Kirito stared in awe at the intricate design of her wings that made them look like ice. They twitched, and he noticed she was willing them to move, to lift, but nothing but quivers came from them.

"Pretty sure he made sure I couldn't fly, it's like they're just for show." She looked at him, and he finally took his time to look at her, to take her all in. She was there.

He wrapped his arms around her small frame, taking her by surprise, and rested his forehead on her shoulder.

"I'm so glad I found you."

She closed her eyes, relishing the contact before tapping his arm.

"Now isn't the time, we need to get moving."

"Right."

Picked her up bridal style and took off, and she held on tightly. Looking down in awe.

She hadn't been able to enjoy the view from such a far up place where that cage was. But this...this was amazing.

"So, you mind telling me why Sugō wants to marry you?"

Ume's face twisted in disgust, "He's been going after me and Asuna for a long time. He wants it for the money and name, nothing else, and now he has his chance. I can't do anything like this, I hate it." Her hand traveled to her neck, glaring as she remembered his touches. "Disgusting."

"Did he do anything to you?" Kiritimati asked darkly, his grip tightening.

"Nothing you would be happy to hear."

"I'm going to get you out of here, Ume. I promise."

Her grip tightened, but she said nothing. She wouldn't say anything unless his promise was fulfilled, and even then, she may still be hesitant to even talk to him in the real world-- with Asuna around...

The rest of the journey was filled with silence.

•~•~•~•~•

"I want to fight while flying."

Leafa and Kirito look over to Ume who was looking at them with a sparkle in her eye, before both bursting out into laughter. Ume realized that she had said that out loud and flushed, waving her arms around.

"I mean-- it's why I love VR games, you know?! You experience things you could only ever dream of and that fight was really cool and I'm going to shut up now." Her head hung as she sighed.

Kirito smiled, unknowingly in a loving way, and Leafa noticed right away. It was like at the hospital all over again...does Ume know how Kirito feels about her? She glanced over at the white haired girl in question, who looked at her brother when he looked away to talk to Yui.

She brought her hand to her mouth to keep in her shout.

Ume liked her brother-- maybe even more-- and it was obvious that he felt the same but he's with Asuna--

Oh.

Asuna.

Now everything, sort of, makes sense.

"So, what's the plan, Ume?" Kirito turned to her, and Leafa had to clear any stray thoughts from entering, focusing on the matter at hand alone.

"You expect me to know how to take down the Pedophile?" she raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms, shaking her head. "I barely managed to get down from the World Tree-- I could have died, you know? I don't even know if I could respawn after a nasty landing from that."

"You--" Leafa's mouth dropped, "you jumped from the World Tree?!" Ume nodded.

"I was not going to get locked up again. Not where he can reach me." She reached up to the back of her neck once again, her face scrunching up in disgust. "But we don't have much time, the goons that almost caught me must have already contacted him. I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled some bullshit move just to get me back."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, make a quest after me? Maintenance? It's not that hard to find the only 'player' that can't be forced to logout."

"You're right...so, what do we do if that does happen?"

"Take that card," Ume poked his chest where he had set the card in his pocket, "and use it to get into the World Tree-- I can tell you now that that thing was not made to be unlocked or invaded by any players. The stuff that's happening up there--" she shivered, glaring down at the ground, "it's inhumane."

"Oh shit," Ume looked up to Kirito, both he and Leafa had notifications in front of them. She sighed. It looks like her hunch was right. "There having a last-minute right now?!"

"I told you," her shoulders drooped and Kirito had never seen her look more hopeless from the years he's known the Ice Queen. Like she's completely given up. 

He grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him, "I will save you."

Her eyes felt like they could well up with tears, Leafa's avatar fell over, being forced to log out and whispered her only plea.

"Please help me."

Kirito's knee buck, his eyes rolling back and she caught him, letting him down gently next to his sister's avatar.

Ume got up, and began to run as fast as she could, getting away from them while she still had the chance. She couldn't let anyone know that she would have help. 

Their plan was to stay a secret as long as it could. 

She would make sure of it.

"Thought you could get away from me, darling."