Asuna's P.O.V.
We logged onto the ALO server. I opened my eyes in the living room where Yui and Thea used to play. Their dolls were sitting on the couch where they'd left them the day they were taken from me forever. I tried my hardest to bite the tears back, succeeding until I looked over and saw the two chairs at the table that they used to sit in. The chairs that would never be filled again; that would forever remain empty.
The tears rolled down my cheeks again. Kirito walked over and interlaced his fingers with mine.
"It's time to go. Everybody'll be waiting on us.", Kirito said.
I nodded and turned to walk out the door with him. We walked outside and then flew to the river that ran through floor 22 and connected to the lake.
I had the dolls in my hand, clutching them to my heart as we flew to the river. Up ahead of us, right next to the water, there was a clearing where all the gang had gathered, including some other friends that we'd met over the years, including all the guild members of The Sleeping Knights.
Kirito and I landed in the middle of the clearing. Everybody was silent as we all walked towards the river, where there were two little rafts, each containing small memories of Thea and Yui. I looked at the two wooden dolls in my hand. Their paint was scratched and there was dirt on their dresses from being held all the time. Their hair was neatly braided and brushed. On the bottom of their feet, they had Yui and Thea's names written on them.
I hadn't brought them to put on the rafts, but something told me that if I didn't, I would never be able to let them go and be happy again.
I kissed each doll, then set them down on the rafts. There were little crosses with flowers decorating them. Kirito knelt down beside me and hung little circlet of forget me nots on the rafts. I stood back up and stepped back with Kirito as everybody else stepped forward and placed their memories on the rafts. Liz put down two little silver bracelets she'd made. Klein put down a couple of wooden swords that he'd bought them to play with. Silica put down drawings they'd done with crayons. Agil and Cathy put down the cups the girls had painted for them. Finally, Sugu put two small heart shaped lockets, each one with a picture of the three of them in it.
I couldn't help myself from crying as Everybody stepped back to let Kirito and I set the little rafts asail, to drift away with the memories of the two special little girls that had brought so much light and color into our lives.
I bent down beside the boats and touched each one. Kazuto put his hands over mine and we pushed them off the tethers and set them free to float down the river.
Nobody spoke as we all watched them float down the river, bobbing gently on the water, until they were gone. When we could no longer see the boats anymore, people started flying off, one by one. Kazuto and I stayed and watched the river until the sun set on New Aincrad, and all that was left was the twinkling stars above.
Finally, when I'd had enough, I turned and flew back to the cottage, Kirito following close behind me. I landed on the front porch, but didn't go inside. Instead, I sat down on the front step and put my head in my hands.
I didn't know how I would go on playing this game without them here. I couldn't log in every week and see all those memories of Yui and Thea. It would break my heart over and over again. I would never be able to cope with them being gone.
I thought back to the day we lost Yui in SAO.
"I won't be able to smile without you!", I'd said.
I remembered how Yui had wiped my tears and said,
"Don't cry Momma. Go on being happy and making other people happy."
