Chapter 18: Ashes (i hope thats the right song version...)
Ashas
He crawls back against the wall breathing heavily as if he's ashamed, or panicked. In his eyes is an insatiable hunger and a terrifying bloodlust. He's like a serpent that's been starved for weeks.
"P-Piifalo?" I ask uncertainly. His eyes flicker wildly, searching for a response. I look to his right, in the space where my best friend used to be. His face turns pale, shaking his head frantically in fear.
His fire is gone. The reassuring, confident smile fades into mistrust, hatred, and arrogance. What's happened to you? I crawl forward slowly, but he doesn't respond, he only shakes.
Piifalo
She makes her way closer. I can feel myself tremble against the wall, but there's nothing I can do about it. What can I do? How do I escape? My eyes fall on the sword; Fireheart. It's shining blade reflect my vision back to me, huddled against the wall in fear of my actions, in fear of my mistakes.
What mistakes? I ask myself furiously. I've done nothing wrong! The image of Kirino disappearing into death startles me, causing me to hesitate. N-no! She got in my way! I warned her, I'm the hero, the one who has to save this world! I deserve this sword!
Ashas takes another step closer. I flinch. Daisuke forces his way into my mind. The island where he saved me. The test with Ashas when I hesitated. The way her soft black eyes shined in the fading sun while I cried out in pain. She just stood there watching me die. And here she is now, crawling forward with the same faded black eyes. The eyes, they cry out in anguish, drowning in the very pain I felt that day. The day Daisuke broke me. "Oh god..." I whisper quietly.
Daisuke's heavy laugh shoots through my heart like thunder through an empty canyon, cracking the walls. I fall to my knees and scream. "Get out of my head damn you!" I sit on my hands and knees breathing and crying. "Leave me alone!"
I snap my head up to Ashas, who sits 3 meters away. Her face shows confusion, and fear. "Don't you hear him?! Can't you hear him laughing?!" I cry hysterically, almost laughing through the tears. A broad smile makes it's way to my face while the tears continue to flow. I pick up Devotion and swing it violently in every direction. "Die, damn you! Why won't you die?" I stab the blade into the ground and scream cries of torture. "Why did you do this to me... why... Why did you make me like this?!" I slam my fists into the ground until my strength is gone.
The only sound left is my ragged breathing. "Hero of SAO? I liked the sound of that, honestly." I laugh slightly at the idea. "Maybe I have the physical strength for it, but if this is what it means to save people, then I'm done. Sorry if I ruined your plans, Daisuke." A solitary tear rolls down my cheek as I stare longingly at the blank ceiling.
I reach my hand out to the side and grasp the handle of Devotion. With the last of my remaining strength I tear it out of the hard rock. I stare momentarily into the eyes of Ashas, still recovering from the shock and terror.
I grab the handle with my other hand, and reach them out before my chest. The tip of the blade is inches away from my heart, but somehow this is the safest I've felt in a long time. My eyelids slide to a serene close, accepting this liberating end. At long last my hands begin to slide inward, but something stops them, pulling them back out. It grabs Devotion from my hands slowly, placing it gently to the side. It then holds my hands, pulling them closer.
My eyelids glide back open. Ashas sits on her knees before me, my hands in hers. Her eyes are filled with tears, but she's neither sad nor angry. We sit with my hands in her lap for some time, until suddenly she pulls me in close, and throws her arms around me, the warm tears bleed into my shirt, and her body shakes silently through her cries. I sit motionless in her arms, feeling her cheek press against my neck.
She grabs my shoulders and pushes herself back slightly, still holding on gently. She looks into my eyes, and I stare back blankly. We sit in silence, saying things only we could hear.
"Thank you..." I whisper into her ear. She closes her eyes softly, and leans forward. Our lips touch into a gentle, and simple kiss. Thank you, for her. She is my savior, my hero of Sword Art Online.
End of chapter 18 and part 2.
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The Red Player (A Sword Art Online story)
FanfictionSurvival in MMOs is a funny thing. It doesn't matter how badly you want it, or how hard you try, it can't be done alone. Especially when the MMO is Sword Art Online. The virtual reality video game in which if you die in game, you die in real life to...
