Meanwhile, in Kyoto, Joshua…
The hospital room of my father has been my prison for so long that I’ve long acclimated to the heart monitor’s repetitive beeping. When I think about it, it isn't too weird that I feel comfortable here, despite being the visitor, not the patient. The last time I spent this long in a hospital was when I was trapped in Sword Art Online, then for some more days once I woke up to have tests and physical therapy done.
To think, for two years, I was just a few doors away from Asuna, ‘sleeping’ peacefully as Dad is now.
I wonder how she and the others are doing now as I enjoy watching anime on my computer. I want to take my Amusphere and dive into Origin, but I want to be here (mentally, that is) when my father arises. This is so Mom, along with Dad’s assistant, can continue working in his and my grandfather’s place. My grandfather, who is OK and out of the hospital, won’t have to be stressed by the work he has as the company president. Hopefully, this will tell that stubborn old man to step down and let Dad take the reins of all of RoboTelligence.
While I laugh to myself at the unlikeliness of that situation, I hear the room’s door open and the clicking of heels on the floor. Thinking it is my mother, I turn to greet her, but the words stay in my throat as it turns out to be Dad’s assistant. She struts inside, wearing a pink dress and matching heels. When she turns to me, I try not to smile as her blue eyes stare at me with a frustrated frown. Yet I fail to hold it in as I point to the thick-framed spectacles on her face. “When did you start wearing glasses?”
She scoffs and flicks her black side-ponytail off her left shoulder. “It’s for the blue light, okay? And I look cute, don’t I? Midoriko says I look like a professional secretary.”
“You do look cute. May I say downright enticing. I wonder how those old perverts haven’t jumped you yet.” Ignoring her intensified glare, I look down at the bag in her hand. “What’s that for?”
“Your mom told me to check up on you, and I am partially annoyed you haven’t come to see me since you’ve been here. After five years of being apart and a few months living together, you’d think you’d make a little time to come bother me at your company.” She turns on her literal heel and heads towards the bathroom. “So I’m spending the night here with you, idiot. Make room.”
I chuckle as I move my stuff beside me off the couch. “Love you too, Momiji.”
xxxxxxxx
Koharu, Greyfort: Upper Level, Northazrod Tundra
"Whew… Is that all of them?"
"I think so… Man, they were tough!"
"At least the rewards look worth it." Koharu closes the loot window in front of her and takes a deep breath. The group successfully defended Tia (or aided her, depending on the point of view). Now with the battle at its end, the attention turns to Premiere's twin sister. She still holds her head caused by whatever ails the twins.
"Tia," Kirito says softly as he approaches her.
"Get out of my head!" Tia grunts and drops to her knees, and she's not the only one. Premiere, fine throughout the battle, collapses between Asuna and Lisbeth and holds her head as well.
"Premiere! Now they're both messed up! What do we do?"
"Why do you insist on interfering," Tia venomously spits at them while fighting her pain. "This is my problem to solve!"
"Tia," Premiere whimpers, "are these sad and lonely thoughts I'm experiencing...yours?"
"That is the destiny I am pursuing. A wretched, lonely destiny with no hope of answers. That is why I--and I alone--must snuff it out!" Tia gets to her feet and stumbles off. Koharu takes a step to go after her and almost gives chase until she hears the cries of everyone else. Premiere passed out again. If she knows the group, they'll retreat to the Town of Beginnings, but Tia is right there, and so are the answers...
What would Jaymes do? Would he chase Tia, or would he let her go and attend to Premiere? She knows the answer. If it were the two of them, he'd chase Tia while telling Koharu to stay with Premiere and take her safe. He would expect her to do the same here.
Market Inn, Town of Beginnings
"What's all this 'destiny' stuff all about? You think her change of appearance is related to all of this?" Koharu walks back to the rented inn room with Alice, where Kirito, Asuna, and the MCHPs remain with the bed-resting Premiere. Everyone else has logged off for the night.
"Maybe Premiere knows more about it?" Alice wonders. "She was definitely overcome with something."
As they enter the room, they're greeted by Asuna present in the kitchen, Premiere and the others seated at the long table. "Koharu, Alice, Premiere has come around."
"I am sorry. It is my fault that we will have to look for Tia once more."
"You don't have to apologize," Kirito comforts. "We're all just glad you're okay."
Alice takes her seat across from Premiere, Koharu sitting beside her. "Premiere, can you tell us anything more about Tia?"
"Lonely thoughts poured into me. Thoughts of eternal isolation, with no one to rely on. Tia claims this is her destiny."
"I've always thought destinies were a good thing, but Tia clearly doesn't feel the same way."
"I'm more worried that she could collapse at any minute, trying to accomplish all this in her state."
"She needs help," Koharu says sternly.
Premiere nods in agreement. "We must follow her. Take me with you. If Tia believes her fate to be a life of isolation and sadness, I wish to help her chart a different course."
Kirito stands up and looks at the group. "Me too. Let's do this together. Remember guys, we all want to know what's going on, but our first priority is to save Tia."
"Just the six of us?" Asuna questions. "I know it's late, so the others might be getting ready for bed, but…" Asuna turns her head to Koharu, and the other girl understands the message. She, too, thought about calling up Jaymes, confident that he'll respond and join them. She was mere moments from crafting a text to him, but Premiere's words resonated with her. To chart a different course for Koharu would mean to stop relying on her partner for everything as she had in the past. She proved her individual strength as a goddess in the Underworld, but that was Koharu the Kindred Assassin. Koharu Hanao still has a long way to go.
"The four of us, Strea, and Premiere can do this. But, as I'm sure Asuna is worried about, we shouldn't overdo it, Kirito, as we are less in numbers than earlier. And by 'we', I actually mean you."
Kirito chuckles. "I hear you."
xxxxxxxxx
Four hours later, Valenstar Deep Market, Northazrod Tundra
After a few hours of advancing through the ruins of the tundra, Koharu and her party encountered a group of players huddled for a meeting. Given that what lay ahead wasn't a raid boss chamber, and field bosses can usually be taken down with a single party of high-level players, she found it somewhat weird that a large group of players not affiliated in the same guild were together in SA:O. In any case, they offered their assistance to help take down the monster that's, to the leaders of the large gathering, critical to advancing further in the area.
Koharu, however (and it might be the Jaymes in her head that's speaking), doesn't feel convinced. "Kirito, are you sure we can trust those other players?"
"We'll do what we were asked to do."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"But it is the quickest way to the answer. Of course, we might not need them to take down whatever's troubling them."
"You really do need efficient teamwork to take down these more mobile monsters, though," Asuna adds. "Not to mention plenty of people if you really want to corner it."
"I agree with you, but you're also a former guild subleader, Asuna. To Koharu and myself, us former solo players might see large-scale cooperation differently."
"Hearing that from you, Kirito, negates your entire argument when all you did was avoid cooperation of any kind."
"...I was very cooperative, right?"
"I recall you saying that Asuna, Jaymes, and I were a temporary measure. True, but you still said it."
"Is this a 'pick-up' group?" Premiere interrupts the former SAO frontliners.
Kirito avoids the previous topic for Premiere's question. "As long as we're after the same thing, then yes."
Premiere nods then taps the rapier at her waist. "It's important to cooperate. Let's do our best."
"Still," Koharu says to counter the original topic of the players, "they were acting kinda shady if you ask me, no matter what they said, Though if this is some sort of event where you have to find the monster first, I guess it makes sense."
Asuna sighs but maintains a smile on her face. "And here I thought I wouldn't have to hear his skepticism in his absence… Then again, if they really do have some alternate agenda, there has to be a reason they lied to us. I can't imagine they'd need to hide anything from us if all they want is to defeat this monster."
Alice crosses her arms, her brow furrowed. "A reason to lie, huh."
A notification for Kirito gains his attention. He looks at it, but doesn't open it. "I just got a message from them. Looks like this thing is underway. Let's get ready, everyone."
"I feel nervous about all this," Strea says.
"It feels like they're straight up using us," Alice remarks as she and Strea gets into position in front of one exit and draw her sword. "I don't like this. We're only helping out because they said it had to do with completing this area."
Another notification sounds off from Kirito as he, Asuna, and Koharu bar another route of exit. He opens this one. "...Just got notice that Group One was successful. Now the baton's been passed to Group Two."
Asuna glances at Koharu. "We're Group Four, right? I hope we'll be able to lure it all the way to the end."
"I don't even want to think about what they'll say to us if we mess this up."
"That's one of the downsides to pick-up groups. Playing with strangers can lead to imperfect teamwork… Though we made it work many times before."
"I know it'd make me see red if poor teamwork from randos got in the way of our success... Then again, I guess there are people who actively welcome newbies. It all depends on who you run into. Kirito and Jaymes, for example."
Kirito receives a third notification. "Group Two was successful. Now Group Three's up to bat."
Asuna looks forward down the dark path they traveled in the Valenstar dungeon. "Looks like everything is going according to plan. Do you think we'll have to ask for their help with this fight?"
"Yeah. If this is something they can't beat without going to these lengths, it'd be tough to do on our own… Group Three was successful. We're up next!"
"I am prepared," Premiere chants softly. Koharu says that to herself as she draws and tightly grips her dagger. Seconds later, they can hear footsteps coming from the darkness, like someone is running...Wait, footsteps?
Koharu opens her mouth to voice that concern, but it is too late as a dark-cloaked figure comes into view, sliding to a stop at the entrance to the intersecting chamber that the party of six impede for all except one exit. Like Koharu, they're all shocked that it is Tia, not a monster, that appears before them. Tia, however, drops her hooded head. "You… You too."
"What the heck? That means those guys totally tricked us!"
Kirito sighs and sheathes his pair of blades, followed by everyone else. "Yeah, looks like it. Looks like you were right to be skeptical, Ko…Tia, wait!" Tia stops as she heads for the unblocked path, up a set of stairs to her right, and partially turns to Kirito as he warns her. "Don't go that way! It's a trap! Follow us!"
"What reason do I have to believe you?"
"That way's a dead end," Alice informs. "There's nowhere else to run."
"Tia, please! it really is dangerous! Come with us!"
"There's no time to debate. Those guys are coming here as we speak!"
"Tia…"
Tia grunts, and whether she trusts them or not, she runs down the path behind Kirito, Asuna, and Koharu. As she disappears, Asuna's eyebrows lower as she glares in the opposing direction, where the other players should be coming from. "LIke heck this had anything to do with completing the map! Not if Tia was the target! Liars, the lot of them!"
Strea agrees. "Ooh, they're gonna regret this! And lying to us is the rotten cherry on top of this cruddy sundae!" On cue, the other groups appear from the entering path, and suddenly stop before the angry group of five and Premiere.
"Hey, what's going on? You didn't check in!"
"Put a sock in it," Koharu spits.
"We agreed to help because you said this monster was related to clearing this area," Alice says with a threatening tone that it makes the other players falter.
"W-Well its not NOT related! The weapon that rare mob drops is supposed to help you get through this place way easier."
"That excuse is so thin I can see right through it."
"But what about the rare mob?"
"We let her go," Kirito announces. "Defeating her has nothing to do with beating the game. You shouldn't have been so vague. We would never have agreed to help if we knew she was your target. But then again, you probably didn't want us to know specifics if you were planning on keeping the rare item for yourselves." Kirito turns his back to the group, hitting a pose Koharu is awfully familiar with as the ends of his coat flap behind him. "Next time you form a pick-up group, you better make sure everyone's on the same page." Kirito walks off in the same direction as Tia, and the rest follow him.
For a moment, no one says anything, then Asuna breaks the silence. "Jerks."
"You really want to let them go after all of that?" Alice asks Kirito.
"Well, it's not like getting into an argument here would solve anything."
"I suppose."
"I'm more concerned about Tia than those dweebs."
Koharu sighs. "Yeah. I wonder what she must have been thinking when she was running into all of us. Probably something along the lines of, 'People suck."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"I believe Tia must have been filed with very sad, lonely thoughts. That is why I wish to be with her."
Asuna latches on to Premiere's shoulder. "You're right, Premiere. If she's in pain, we have to be there to support her. We have to keep looking."
Kirito nods. "There's no chance they'll give up on searching for Tia… Asuna, Koharu, and I guess you too, Alice, I wouldn't blame you if you're tiring out now, but--"
"You know us better than that." Asuna's exclamation and Koharu's resolute nod shut Kirito's mouth and turned it into a smile.
"Man, Jaymes is gonna be pissed when he hears about this."