Lucy POV:
All eyes turn to Heathcliff as Kirito's blade is stopped by the Immortal Object symbol, I look at Asuna as pain flashes over her eyes remembering the last time we saw that symbol.
"What's going on?" I ask walking over.
"I've been suspecting something for a while now, but I wasn't sure until today." Kirito starts.
"What'd you mean Kirito?" Asuna asks.
"Ever since we dueled I thought something wasn't right, your reaction time was too quick. Even for this game, so then I started thinking. What's the fun in making a game and letting other people play it, isn't that right? Akihiko Kayaba." Kirito states holding his sword handle tightly.
My eyes widen as I look at Heathcliff, he's Akihiko Kayaba?! It's his fault that we're all trapped inside the game?
"It can't be..." I say as Heathcliff smirks.
"It is true Master Lucy, and I'm surprised that someone managed to figure it out." He says. "I am also the boss that waits for you all on the 100th floor in the Ruby Palace, I look forward to meeting you all there."
"But, if you're Kayaba then..." I say in disbelief. "You sent out the request for the game..."
"That's true, although when I posted it I had hoped for someone like Titania or the Salamander to take part." He says but then looks me up and down. "But I must say you have flourished here, even created your guild. I knew putting the guild hall into this game was a good choice."
Tears flood my eyes at the thought of him wanting my friends in this game, but what also hurts me is the fact that he had a specific person in mind when he posted the job. I go and take another step closer when something happens to my body, my limbs stop working and I collapse to the ground. The same thing begins to happen to everyone apart from Kirito, even Asuna collapses to the groud.
"What's going on?" I ask trying to force my self to stand.
"Paralysis, now Kirito I'm going to make you a deal." Kayaba says turning to Kirito. "If you can beat me in this duel, then I will release everyone from this game. And if not then everyone will have to continue playing the game until they get to the 100th floor."
"Don't do it Kirito!" Asuna yells at him.
"Please Kirito! You can't leave Asuna alone!" I yell at him with the tears flowing down my cheeks.
"If I do this then I have one request, make sure that Asuna doesn't kill her self." Kirito says holding both his swords tightly. "If I die, don't let her kill her self."
"No Kirito! That's not fair!" Asuna cries. "You can't do that!"
Both players draw their swords, holding them tightly in their hands. But before the fight starts Kayaba changes himself into a mortal object, so he can be killed. My heart races inside my chest as the fight begins, the swords clash in a flurry of sparks. Kirito gets quicker and quicker until they are both a blur, with every strike Kirito yells a battle cry while Kayaba looks like he's playing. Like he's toying with him, my eyes stay focused on the pair of them as they fight. I notice Kirito take a hit to his cheek causing a cut, but it's not too bad on his HP bar. He swings one of his swords directly at Kayaba's shield, like he's hoping to break through it. But his sword shatters.
Kayaba then holds his sword high and with a smirk on his face he says.
"Game over Kirito!" And then his sword comes crashing down.
I wish I could close my eyes so I won't have to see one of my best friends die, but my eyes won't move away from the scene unfolding. Just as the sword is about to hit Kirito I notice a dark shadow jump in front of him, as the light adjusts I see the sword come crashing down over Asuna's chest.
"ASUNA!" I yell, my heart feeling like it's been shattered.
She falls back into Kirito's arms as her health quickly vanishes, and soon her Player ID goes too. Kirito looks at Asuna with such pain in his eyes, like he can't believe what's just happened. And to be honest I don't think anyone can believe what they've just witnessed. Asuna's body begins to glow a soft white colour as she looks at Kirito with nothing but pure love in her eyes, Kirito brushes some hair from her face as she begins to glow.
"No Asuna, you can't...you cant..." He says as tears fall from her eyes.
"I'm sorry...good bye..." She says.
Her eyes close softly and she shatters into blue crystals, which float away on a silent breeze.
Kirito looks at the crystals as they float away and tries to catch them, almost like he wishes he can put her back together. He then falls to his knees and sobs.
"Well that was quite a surprise, I don't remember programming a way for players to remove their own paralysis. I guess sometimes these things just happen." Kayaba says, with no emotion in his voice.
I watch Kirito through misty eyes as he takes hold of Asuna's sword, he picks up his own sword and then rises to his feet. He begins to swing the swords but it's like he's given up. There is no energy in his attacks, and there is no hope either. Kayaba sighs and then knocks Kirito's sword from his hand, Kirito watches it and then lowers his head. Kayaba then tightens his grip on his sword and stabs Kirito through the chest.
"KIRITO!" I yell as his health gets lower and lower. "You can't leave me too!" Tears flow down my cheeks as I struggle to stand, if Asuna can break through the paralysis then so can I!
My legs feel like lead as I stand, taking a tight hold onto my sword I walk slowly over to Kirito and Kayaba. I see Kirito's health lowering with every passing step, and soon he too crumbles into blue crystals. But then something happens, his body comes back but it's translucent.
"What's going on?" I say as I finally manage to stand next to him.
"Not yet.." He says tightening his grip on Asuna's beloved sword. He takes a step forward repeating what he just said, his eyes open wide and they are a golden colour.
I nod in understanding, somehow he's managed to stay linked into the game even after he's been killed. And he's going to kill Kayaba, with my sword positioned next to Asuna's we cry out a battle cry and our swords slice straight through Kayaba's chest. His health then vanishes an both him and Kirito vanish into blue crystals, blowing away just like Asuna. I fall to my knees and sob. A voice rings through the boss floor where everyone is silent.
"On November 7th at 2:55PM The game has been Cleared. Repeat the Game has been Cleared."
Everyone looks around in disbelief, cleared? We can go home? My thoughts then race to Kiko, I need to get to her quickly. I look at my guild members and smile.
"Come to Fiore when you're all better, spread the word. I'll have a place in the real Fairy Tail waiting for you." I say giving them the fairy tail salute. Then I run.
I run quickly through the dungeon making my way to the teleport station, I use my last crystal and teleport to the guild hall. My lungs burning as I run, but I feel the game start to pull me out. I run as quickly as I can before I see Kiko running towards me, she reaches a hand out to me and I do the same as we're pulled in different directions.
"MOMMY!" She cries with tears falling from her cheeks.
"I'll find you! I promise I'll find you!" I yell and then everything fades to white.
I open my eyes and find my self looking up at the clouds, sitting upright I'm still dressed in my armor but my sword is gone.
"Lucy?" I hear someone call.
Turning around I see Asuna and Kirito standing together, rising to my feet I run and embrace them both.
"Don't ever do that again..." I say holding the pair of them close. "How could you both be so reckless." I say smiling through the tears.
"We've been around your guild for too long Lucy." Kirito says causing me to chuckle.
"What's going to happen now?" I ask as Kirito looks at Aincrad which is slowly crumbling, I never saw what it looked like from the outside and I must say if it wasn't half destroyed like it is now then I would call it breathtaking.
"All of you will be able to go home." Kayaba says walking towards us, and this is the Kayaba that I recognize.
"Home?" Asuna asks. "But I thought Kirito and I were killed."
"Somehow the game kept your bodies alive, I don't know how but you'll soon be taken back to your real bodies. As will you Lucy, I know it's not my place to ask but could you ever forgive me? I have been dreaming of this world for as long as I can remember, and to finally have it come true.." He says sighing. "Oh by the way, Kirito, Asuna, Lucy congratulations on completing the game."
He then vanishes leaving the three of us to watch Aincrad slowly crumble and vanish into the same blue crystals we've seen time and time again, I sit next to Asuna and I can't help but notice Kirito looking at us.
"Something wrong Kirito?" I ask.
"I just thought, I don't know your real names." He says smiling slightly. "My name is Kazuto Kirigaya and I just turned 16."
"My name is Asuna Yuuki and I turned 17 about a week ago." Asuna says resting her head on Kirito's shoulder.
"And my name is Lucy Heartfilia, and I'm 17." I say and then lean back. "I wonder if Loke has gone back to the Celestial Spirit world, when you're both better you should come and visit the real Fairy Tail. Trust me you thought my Fairy Tail was chaotic? Try adding magic into it." I say laughing as they both laugh with me, I hold my hand up and see it's becoming translucent.
"Looks like it's starting." Kirito says, I sit up and smile at the pair of them. "It's been hell of two years, but I'm glad I met you both."
"Same goes for me, I can't imagine how I would have coped without meeting you. And the others." I say wiping a stray tear from my eyes.
Asuna then takes my hand and Kirito's in hers and we watch as everything begins to turn white, holding our hands tightly I smile.
We're all going home.
Natsu POV:
As I sit in the cafeteria of the hospital I can't help but sigh, we managed to find Kiko which is a big relief but as we were looking today a lot of people died. Wendy tried to get the dream lacrima back but someone was using it so we couldn't figure out what the situation was, I keep thinking that we'll need to go home soon. Like something big is going to happen.
"Natsu!" Wendy yells running over to me. "You have to come Natsu, right now!" She yells grabbing my arm and dragging me along the children's ward to where we found Kiko.
Doctors are rushing around and everything seem's chaotic, Wendy pulls me into Kiko's room where the small girl was resting not an hour ago. And now she's being helped to sit up by a nurse dressed in blue, her helmet is off and she looks to be in a lot of pain.
"What's going on?" I ask not breathing, could this mean?
"All the players are waking up!" Wendy says and then turns to face me. "I'll stay here with Kiko, you get to Lucy."
Not wasting a second Happy and I run out of the hospital where he picks me up and begins to fly quicker than I've ever seen him fly before.
"Max Speed!" He yells as we fly through the busy streets and across the ocean.
"We're coming Lucy!" I yell as Magnolia comes into view.