what is real anymore?

chapter one: Asuna

A/N: hey guys, before we start off, I want to thank everyone who read and voted on my first version of this story. I got a lot more views than I ever thought I would, and I'm really happy you guys enjoyed it. I hope you guys enjoy this version even more!

***

I was in Lisbeth's shop, and I was crying my eyes out. Yui had passed away just yesterday, and all I had left of her was her heart, in crystal form. I was wearing it as a necklace, and it shimmered in the sunlight, along with my tears.

"Asuna?"

I looked up at my pink haired friend, she had a look of worry on her face.

"Huh?"

"I know you're really upset at the fact that Yui is gone, but she wanted you to be happy, right? So try and be strong, for Yui's sake."

"How can I? She died right in front of me, she died in my arms!" I sobbed loudly.

A few of the customers looked my way, and gave a sad look of knowing: no doubt they had lost loved ones in this death game as well.

"Asuna, Yui isn't really gone. You still have your memories of her, and you have her heart," she whispered the last part.

"Reliving my memories of her will only lead me to replaying her death in my head, over and over again!"

Lis frowned and hugged me tight, "She isn't gone forever. Try to imagine after the game is beaten, Kirito will find a way, you know he will."

I swallowed, and nodded, "Y-you're right. I need to be strong right now, I need to be happy, for Yui!"

She smiled at me and reasoned with, "That's the spirit. Now not to hit you while you're down, but you've grown a bit bigger in the stomach area, haven't you?"

Feeling myself blush, I pushed her away, "B-baka! You're a girl, you should know better than asking questions like that!"

"How could I not ask? You've been getting bigger for months now, it's like a watermelon is growing inside of you... are you expecting?"

"E-expecting?"

"Yeah, you know, like a baby," she whispered, leaning closer to me.

My face was burning hot, and I'm sure that it was completely red. "Are you trying to ask if I'm pregnant? Are you insane Lisbeth? I've been stuck in here for two years, fighting on the frontlines, when was I supposed to get pregnant?"

"Hey, don't explode at me!"

"It's your fault for asking!"

"It's really your fault for letting yourself get so big. I wouldn't had blamed you for getting pregnant, you know. It's just, it doesn't seem like this is really the place to raise a child."

"I'm not pregnant, okay?"

As soon as I said that, my stomach area began to hurt. It felt almost like period cramps, although much worse. Almost as though someone was kicking me from the inside.

"Argh," I groaned, in pain. Collapsing, I rested my hand on my lower abdomen, where the pain was coming from.

"Asuna? Asuna? What's wrong?"

"I... uh... I don't know!"

"Hold on, I'll message Kirito."

"What? No! He'll just worry if he sees me like this."

My eyes fluttered closed as I tried to block out the pain.

"I can't just not message him!" Lis responded with.