SAO Fan Fiction (WIP)

First day, First blood

The first few hours were sheer chaos. Yelling and screaming could be heard all through the streets. After entering the bar there was a surreal silence. The bartender wiping his glasses clean and little squeaks coming from the glass. Both of our breaths were heavy, and her's particularly shaky.

Okay... gotta think. What do I do? Hmm... maybe she has an idea. "Hey, sit with me?" I hope she is rational and not still freaking out.

I guide her over to one of the tables and take a seat with her. She sits across from me and just stares at her hands. Both her hands balled into fist and shaking.

"It's okay. We are safe. Nothing's gonna happen to us in here." I hope I can reassure her. Maybe if I hold her hands and get her to stop shaking. Huh! It worked. She has really cedar brown eyes. She looks so scared. "So uhm... I'm Kaide. Nice to meet you." I gotta calm her down so we can make a plan.

   "I'm Charlie. Nice to meet you." A little smirk and her hands aren't shaking. This is good. "Do you have any idea why that happen, or what you are going to do?" Shit.

   "Welp. Uhm. My plan is... Make it through the game and get home." Oh god that is a terrible plan. It's not even a plan. It sounds like some life goals. She doesn't look reassured or amused. Yeah that makes two.

   "Okay how about we party up. We watch each other's back. If we grind together it will be faster and also safer. After that we just coast. Even though the game just became hardcore doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed. It's beautiful on the upper levels, and the first couple floor bosses are push overs." Wow that actually sounded like a good plan. I feel motivated and pumped! But... she doesn't. She still looks unsure.

   "That is a good plan, and I agree that it would be safer, but I don't know if I can party with you" Ouch "No I do not mean you are.. I mean you are not the one that would.. grr! I'm not good enough to party up with! I'll just slow you down. You seem super nice, like you would help me out a lot. I would not want you to endanger yourself by trying to save me. I wasn't in the beta. I wasn't good enough to qualify, and I only got on here because my boyfriend wanted me to."

   "Wow that was a lot. Okay first you wouldn't slow me down. I ran a guild back in my Pro days and I can help you get stronger. With my knowledge of spawns and quests I got from the beta I could carry you. We can find you boyfriend and all party up. Three is even better then two for leveling. Let's find him now. See what he has to say. When/where did you last see him?" I hope he isn't a control freak. I don't wanna be 'The Boss', but it can't be us both trying to lead the group.

   "He uhm... told me to wait for him by the South Gate. He was gonna help me get some better gear so I wouldn't slow him down. I waited and waited, then I was teleported to the Grand Center." There's no way she is talking about who I think she is.

"What was his name? I passed through the South Gate before everything. Maybe I bumped into him." Shit if it is who I think it was it's going to get really awkward very quickly.

"His name is Keno, and he's amazing. He is very caring and sweet. He always looks after me. Anytime I need help with anything he does his best to take care of it for me. He is the nicest, smartest, and helpful person ever." Okay so maybe there are multiple Keno. I mean I am in an MMO. Just in case it isn't her Keno I'm gonna pretend I don't know. Don't want her thinking I killed off her boyfriend. It was probably someone else anyways.

"Hmm... nope. Doesn't sound familiar. What does he look- oh wait. We look different from before the ceremony." Uhm. Gotta think. Regroup, organize, then survive. "How about we look for him together then? If he hasn't left the town center then it shouldn't be to hard to find him."

   "Okay. That sounds good. You really are used to helping out useless players, aren't you?" She is really hard on herself.

   We leave the bar and head back to the town center. The majority of players have already left to probably  either fight over quest or creature spawns to level. Along the walls there are players sitting knees tucked to chest. Unsurprisingly they look distraught. The earlier mood of casual early game grouping has flared into a frenzy of players grouping up. To survive the new hardcore rule set people beg, and grovel others to let them accept their request. If it wasn't so dire it would pathetic. Though looking at everyone that is still here I can't but feel heavy hearted. They only wanted to play a game, and not be stuck fighting for their life in a twisted hell scape.

   "What are they doing?" She looks at the frenzy and the shattered.

   "They are trying to deal with this the best they can. Some of them." Sadly a lot of them aren't dealing very well. "Do you see Keno?" She stands on top toes but then rest back on heels with disappointment bearing down on her. "Don't worry. We will find him. He's got to be here. If not then he probably left a note on one of the job boards." I give her a reassuring hand on her shoulder and she perks up a bit.

   We walk to the center and pick out the first board we see. There aren't any relevant notes. Mostly Quest notes. A few player notes are posted though. One distasteful troll post talking about the ceremony being a prank/hack. Another post looking for an early game party/guild to join. The rest just people looking for help. We recenter and then check another board. Then another. And another. We work a quarter around the center before Charlie wanders away to look at something.

   "Tyler! What is this thing? It's massive, and I don't think I saw it before." She's right. It wasn't. This isn't some posted board. It's easily 15 feet tall or more. A semi curved slab made of thick, obsidian black, marble like material. It's cool to the touch and has etching that stand out with stark contrast. The lettering a crisp white against the darkness.

   "I don't recognize this either. These look like names etched into some kind of slab. A player roster, or something." The coldness of the slab, and the clarity of the names suggest something different.

   "There aren't enough names on here to be a list of all the people here. Keno told me thousands of people logged on to play. There are only... hmm maybe a couple hundred?" A couple hundred? Oh... she's right. Sadly.

   "It's a memorial. These are all the people that didn't make it. Probably all the ones that were unplugged... what's going on with it?" Near the end of the list the slab chips away and the white inside is revealed. Like secrets peeking out to tell us all bad news. "It's etching new names right now. There are a lot. There can't possibly be people still being unplugged. Unless it's people who died recently."

   Charlie gasp and covers her mouth. Tears welling in her eyes. Her right hand reaches out and with her finger tips traces a name: Keno Tatamino. Shit. I extend an arm to offer her a hug, but her shudders make me withdrawal in hesitation.

   Looking upon the name I rake my brain. My eyes dart around the board for another Keno. I killed someone with the same name before the ceremony so there's no way they died. No... the people in the front on the list we unplugged before the ceremony and they are here. That means the Keno I killed is here. There are no other with that. I killed a person. I actually killed someone. I- I killed Keno.

   I look back to Charlie and she sobs into her hand. She scratches and clings to the name on the slab. Trying to hold on as if to save him. I just stand next to her as the realization washes over me. She is probably filled with grief and sower. I can't possibly comfort her. I have no right to. But I have to. If I don't I will seem heartless at best, and suspicious at worst. I can't let her notice my own shock. My horrified smeared face. With a firm hand I pull her into my chest. Steadying my breathing. Resting her sobbing head in the crook of my neck. She clings to me sobbing. Nails digging into my chest and shoulder. She doesn't mean to, but she is hurting the person that hurt her. I deserve worst.

   "Why!?!?" She yells into my chest and I can't answer. She can't know because I can't ever tell her. How can I? I killed the only person she had here.