"Damn.. stupid... cleaning.. rrrrrggghhh.." Mikoto muttered, once more dressed in a maid's outfit and scrubbing down the hall of the church's residential wing..
She was covered in burns and dirt as she dipped her cloth in the bubbly bucket and continued to scrub the floor.
Orphans and other nuns walked by, all carrying brooms and cooking supplies, so Mikoto wasn't the only one working. However, she doubted any of them had somebody blowing missiles up their but.
Yuniko had assured Mikoto that she was going easy.. but Mikoto wasn't quite so sure. She was sure of one thing though, whatever crazy SciFi Robot Fighting VR Scarlet Rain was from, it must have been crazy.
"Hey Mikoto!" Mikoto nearly jumped out of her skin in fright, she hadn't noticed Kirito knelt down on the floor next to her, his sleeves pulled up, and a cloth in his hand as he helped Mikoto scrub the floor down.
"Thanks." said Mikoto. "Didn't see you there. So, did you cut down that tree?"
"Not even close." said Kirito. "I couldn't even swing the thing right, did like one damage... I checked the life with a Stacia Window.. Kind of getting the hang of it. Turns out it takes a bit of strength to open up Stacia Windows on larger objects."
"This feels like half a VR game, and half real life." Mikoto muttered. "I know it's only been 2 days, but I'm not even sure what's real anymore."
Kirito sighed. "I get how you feel. Anyways.. Eugeo's feeling curious.."
"About what..?"
"About that sword you always carry Misaka-chan." Eugeo had just walked in. He smiled cheerily at Mikoto and held out a hand. "If you don't mind, could I look at it?"
"Umm.. sure.."
Mikoto handed Eugeo the Master Sword, and he drew the blade from it's sheathe.
"It's beautiful." said Eugeo. "It's like a white fang that bites into it's enemies.."
"Funny, that's how it's described on Ocarina of Time I think." said Mikoto.
"Oca-what?"
"Sorry." said Mikoto. "Forget what I just said. Yeah, I've had that sword for a long time.. it's always felt natural to have it at my hip."
"Come to think of it." said Kirito with a laugh. "It's always seemed to follow us wherever we go, in one form or another.. SAO.. ALfheim.."
"I think of it as a little friend that has a wing shaped cross guard." said Mikoto with a little smile.
"I see.." said Eugeo. He drew a Stacia window on the sword.. and it's stats came up. "Interesting name.. Master Sword, as if it is dominant over all other swords.. the master of all blades.. It's definitely a Divine Instrument. They're the only things harder and stronger then our Dragon Bone Axes. The Blue Rose Sword is one of them."
"Explains why I don't have enough OC then." said Mikoto. "I can't even swing that thing right.. not like I used to.."
"The best way to gain OC, is to kill any living thing." said Eugeo. "Your OC then becomes larger."
"Like Leveling up." said Mikoto.
"Wow! WOW!!" said Eugeo. "That's a large Priority Authority! This blade needs plenty of OC! And.. no way.. the damage, this blade vastly more powerful the Blue Rose Sword by a long shot... and an ability called Triforce Strike? I've never heard of it.. though, it's not like I know much about swords, I think it's safe to say many Nobles would fight with all their hearts to have a blade as fine as this one."
"Nobles?" said Mikoto. "Why would nobility want swords?"
"Nobles are the highly skilled combatants who lead the Integrity Knights, our empire's military force." said Eugeo. "Most of them, if not all, are highly elite swordsman who learned under other Nobles as part of their Sacred Tasks. It's said that one day, the monsters of the Dark Territory will rise up and attack our country.. it will be the war of the Underworld.. and when that happens, the Nobles must be ready to lead the Integrity Knights against the Dark Knights and the forces of darkness."
Eugeo handed Mikoto back the sword. "This thing would make some pretty short work of the Gigas Cedar if any of us could use it."
"And why couldn't any of us use it?" Mikoto stood up and attempted to twirl the Master Sword around. "Maybe the weight just needs getting used to?"
Mikoto attempted a Vorpal Strike and a Spinning Shield.. but right when she started the spinning shield, the blade clattered to the floor.. it was just too heavy.
Mikoto frowned. "Well.."
"If you want to learn to fight.." said Eugeo. "You can try out for the Archery Corps. They're also nobles.."
"Not that I'm a stranger to archery or anything." said Mikoto. "But I think swords were always my main forte.."
"Oh, is that one of the Divine Instruments? Interesting?" Yuniko walked over, and took the Master Sword, much to everyone's astonishment, she twirled the sword around in her hand and swung it quickly and easily, though not skillfully. She then gave it back to Mikoto. "Well.. that was light.. hey mule! I didn't say you could stop cleaning! Get back to it!"
Everyone stared after Yuniko as she walked off.
"Well.." said Kirito. "Maybe she-"
"I'M NOT CUTTING DOWN THAT TREE!" Yuniko called back. "I may have a large Object Control authority, but I SUCK at handling a sword!!"
After everyone was done cleaning, Everyone, along with the orphans gathered up in the dining hall for a short meager supper before turning in for the night.
Mikoto had only just gotten out of the bath, a towel wrapped around her, when she found Sinon standing there.
"You're sleeping with me tonight." said Sinon.
"Really?" said Mikoto. "How'd you pull that off?"
"I haven't yet, just watch."
Just as Yuniko walked by at that moment, Sinon leaned in close to her and smiled. "Hey Yuniko-chan? Mind if my cousin sleeps with me tonight?"
"Yes!" said Yuniko. "She's my mule! And she-"
Sinon suddenly whispered into Yuniko's ear. "I play a game called Gun Gale Online where I'm the owner of a PGM Hecate Ratio 2 and an AS50 Sniper Rifle.. I've got an esper ability that gives me the eyesight of a falcon.. and I can put an arrow through your head from over 200 meters away before you even know what happens."
Yuniko paused. "Ummm.. Mule.. you can stay with your cousin.. g-goodnight!"
Mikoto smiled at Sinon. "Did anybody ever tell you that you're the best Nee-chan anybody could have?"
"Yeah, you, on several occasions." said Sinon, looking rather flattered.
"U-um.. Misaka-chan?"
Selka was standing there, she went pink when she saw Mikoto standing there in just a towel.
"It's fine Selka, we're all girls here." said Mikoto. "Now if you were Kirito, I'd kick you in the face and stomp on you.."
Selka laughed a little at the joke. "Umm.. if you don't mind.. I was hoping I could talk to you.."
"Sure." said Mikoto.
"In.. private.. y-your sister can listen if she likes, but.. well I'll be waiting in your room." said Selka.
"I'm her cousin." said Sinon.
"B-but, she called you Nee-chan.."
Mikoto and Sinon laughed.
"Well, we're so close, she might as well be." said Mikoto. "And the funny thing is, she's younger then me, but she's always been an older sister to me."
"I-I see." said Selka. "I'll be waiting in your room. Sister Azariya wouldn't like it if I talked to you in my room where everyone's already sleeping.."
"Alright." said Mikoto. "See you there."
Selka walked off hurriedly
"What was that about?" Sinon asked.
"I don't know." said Mikoto. "She says I remind her of her sister Alice. And.. well.."
"I know about that." said Sinon. "Kirito told me after Eugeo told Kirito. Those two are getting along pretty well.. almost like they were best buds for a while."
"Sinon, this is going to sound crazy. But I feel like I've been here before. Like I'm having some sort of warm childhood memories."
"Everybody has deja vu on things that don't make sense once in a while."
"Yeah.. I guess.."
Later, Mikoto found Selka sitting on her bed. Now she was bathed and dressed in more casual clothing her hair had been redone so they were in three tails, with a headband.
As Sinon began sipping the water on her bedside table, Mikoto sat down next to Selka. "So what's on your mind?"
"Eh-eh.. you're not dressed yet."
"Oh." Mikoto looked at her towel with surprise. "Weird, I usually get so flustered."
"That's only around Touma or Kirito." said Sinon.
Mikoto went pink at the thought. "Eh, I'll get dressed pretty quick.
Before long Mikoto was in simple cloth pajamas.. and Selka began to twiddle her thumbs. "I wanted to give you this.."
Selka gave Mikoto what appeared to be a vial of some sort of liquid.
"It's a potion made by the church using Sacred Arts." said Selka. "If you drink it, it will fully restore your Life and heal your wounds. You look pretty beat.. so I thought you could use it."
"Thank you." said Mikoto as gratitude welled up in her, she drank the potion, and she felt the painful burns and injuries fade. As she drank, Selka drew up a Stacia Window to check Mikoto's status. "Good, it appears that your life is fully restored."
"Not that I don't greatly appreciate the potion." said Mikoto. "But you're here for more then just giving me some healing aren't you?"
"It's.. I don't know if I can keep doing this! Studying the Sacred Arts!"
"What?" said Sinon. "Don't say that."
"Yeah." said Mikoto. "You're amazing. This potion was awesome, I bet you made it yourself.
"My sister is much better then I am." said Selka. " A-and.. I can't even think of why I am trying so hard to fill her shoes when I don't even remember what she looks like!"
"Selka." Mikoto hugged Selka's shoulder. "I know what you're going through."
"You do?"
"Back where I come from, they called me the Ace of my school." said Mikoto. "Every day, everyone looked up to me as some sort of idol.. somebody who was lady-like.. but, It irritated me. I did everything in my power to prove them wrong. I beat up thugs in the streets, I hung out late at night on school nights.. and yet everyone still treated me like I was a proper lady.. all because of my-"
Mikoto was about to mention her powers, but she clammed up.
Selka smiled. "Your powers right? I know. Please don't be angry, I saw you sometimes have little jolts come out of your hair whenever you get stressed or angry."
A spark jumped out of Mikoto's hair at this moment too. "You're not going to tell anybody are you?"
"Of course not." said Selka. "I understand, you're not the type who'd want to be a priestess Misaka-chan. You're a person who loves freedom and appreciates it for it's worth.. you're brave and I'm nothing like you."
"You kidding? You were brave enough to choose to pick up your sister's mantle, even though you knew you would be compared to her." said Mikoto. "That's dedication and bravery. Just because nobody knows you're brave, doesn't mean you aren't.. and girl, you are brave that's for sure."
Mikoto and Sinon both smiled and hugged Selka, much to her surprise.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Selka asked.
"Well, any girl whose uncertain and sad definitely needs a hug." said Sinon.
"And so we're hugging out all the depression." said Mikoto. "Is it working?"
"I-I don't know.." said Selka.
"Alright..then we'll have to use our last resort." said Sinon. "You ready Imouto-chan?"
"Oh yeah." said Mikoto.
The two girls began tickling Selka, who began to giggle uncontrollably. "O-Okay! You got me!! Eh!! hahahahahahaha!!!"
"I think we've finally driven out the depression." said Mikoto, giving Sinon a hi-five.
"You two are good people." said Selka. "And so is Kirito. He was so kind when he told me Alice would have been proud of me.. but, I don't know why Alice had to go.. Why did she have to break the Taboo Index?"
"They took her cause she broke the law?" said Mikoto.
"She touched the soil of the Dark Territory, and that is expressively forbidden." said Selka. "Why did she touch it though? Couldn't she have stayed away?"
"Sometimes in order to understand why somebody does something, we have to just imagine ourselves in their shoes." said Mikoto. "There was once a boy I knew who killed many good people.. at first I despised him.. then I understood when I put myself in his position, that he didn't want to kill those people any more then I wanted them dead.. eventually at one point I realized I was as much to blame as him.. but.. I found closure."
"I see.. so if I understand her.. put myself in her shoes." said Selka. "Perhaps, I can understand why, and find piece with myself. Thank you Misaka-chan. I hope that you rest well..
As Selka left, Mikoto yawned tiredly. "Another night.. and still, I have no idea how we're even going to get out of this world."
"What I'd like to know." said Sinon. "Is what everybody else is thinking.. Asuna, Lisbeth.. Silica.. Touma, Accelerator, everybody. They probably aren't looking for us if they think we volunteered for the 3 day straight dive."
"Or are they?" Mikoto muttered. "Yuniko told me that she was kidnapped by Rath.. maybe we were too. Maybe this is more then just an experiment on full diving.."
"All I know is, that I am tired.. and I am going to sleep till the world ends." said Sinon with a chuckle. "Good night."
Sinon turned out the lamps.. and the room turned dark. Mikoto however, was afraid to sleep. The last dream she had, was quite vivid.. but after a little bit of time, Mikoto's eyes drooped, and she fell asleep.
Her dreams.. if possible, were even worse.
Once more, she was fighting Red-Eyed XaXa's Death Gun Avatar.. and this time, she was fighting him in her old SAO armor, using her Lightning Master and hitting it against the quick Estoc.
And they were fighting in a field of bones and broken skeletons.. many of those skeletons were blood stained and wearing shredded clothes. Above them a blood-red moon shone down.. bathing the bones and the two combatants in it's terrifying light.
"Every time.. every night! We seem to be coming back to the same fight!" said XaXa. "When are you going to just accept the inevitable. We're doomed to an eternal dance! And eternal grudge match!!"
"NO!!! STOP!!!" Mikoto screamed. "This.. you're not real! It's just a dream!! IT'S JUST A DREAM!!!"
Mikoto sliced XaXa's head clean off his body.. and the body went limp and fell.. the steaming Death Gun mask sparked a little, before it suddenly broke apart.. and under the mask.. the destroyed mask.. was the face of Kirito..
Mikoto fell to her knees, her eyes widening as she saw the lifeless face of her best friend. "No.. no.. NOOOOOOO!!!!!"
Mikoto awoke, nearly falling out of her bed as Kirito shook her shoulder outside the dream world.
"Mikoto! Hurry! Get up!"
"Wh-whazu!?" Mikoto shook off her drowsiness as Kirito began to shake Sinon awake as well. "What happened?"
"Selka is missing!" said Kirito. "Eugeo's already getting a search party ready to search the town! Come on.."
"Selka.." Mikoto said. "Missing?"
"So if I understand her.. put myself in her shoes.. perhaps I could understand why, and find piece with myself."
Mikoto's jaw dropped. "Oh no.. I know where she is.."
"What?" said Sinon. "Where?"
"Remember what I said last night!? Sinon! Kirito! It's my fault! We need to find Eugeo!"
"I'm already here!" Eugeo dashed into the bedroom. "Where do you mean!? Where is Selka!?"
"The dark territory!" Sinon exclaimed. "Of course!! That's what you mean! Don't you Imouto-chan!"
"THE DARK TERRITORY!?" Eugeo looked horrified. "That's filled with monsters and demons and not to mention it's dangerous to go to the mountain passes with all the goblin raids that have been happening!!"
"Don't worry about it.." Mikoto growled as she got up from bed.
"Don't worry about it!?" said Eugeo. "How can I NOT worry!?"
"I meant not to worry about it, because I'M going out.. and I'm going to drag her back here even if it kills me!!" Mikoto exclaimed. Her hair sparked with a powerful charge as she picked up the Master Sword and slung it to her waist.
"Well." said Sinon. "Then I'm sure you won't mind if Kirito and I come to make sure it doesn't actually kill you."
"Sure."
"I'm coming too!!" said Eugeo. "I'll go anywhere with Misaka-cha- WAIT I-I mean we have to go save Selka.. y-yeah.. heheh.. that's what I meant.."
_______________________________
Selka stood there at the border of the mountains, within the dark caves right before the dark soil of the Dark Territory. It was here that Alice, her sister, had broken the Taboo Index. Perhaps now she could finally find it.. finally find some kind of understanding of why.
As she stood there, she smiled sadly, how she missed Alice.. Eugeo never smiled anymore after Alice was taken. If only there were some way to find her.
"WHACK!!!" Selka suddenly fell unconscious as something hit her on the head hard.
"AHAH!!!" The ugly looking goblin dressed in raggedy armor with a machete sheathed at his side laughed. "What do we have here!? Boss!! Yo!! Ugachi-sama!!"
Several more goblins of similar look and weapons piled into the chamber, followed by a tough and muscular looking goblin with feathers adorning his head.
Lizard Killer Ugachi grinned and chuckled, "Well, well, well! Thank Vector! It appears we have a fresh one!! Well come on boys!! We can probably sell her for a pretty nifty price back at home!! Saddle her up and let's blow this joint!!"