RYOKO (Sword Art Online)

Chapter 2 - Link Start!

After speaking a little more with the team of doctors, programmers, and one detective, I was escorted back to Tsuboi's hospital room with Mr. Kameya, Mrs. Yumina, and the woman who escorted me out of the room, Mrs. Feren, at my side to break the news to my parents. We entered the room, both parents standing up at our arrival. Mom walked towards me, taking my face into her hands

"Are you alright? What did they talk to you about? Is everything alright-"

"Mom, calm down, sit down, and listen." I told her, stifling a small laugh at her worried nature. She sighed deeply, sitting back down in the chair besides Dad. I sat down on the hospital bed, grabbing hold of Tsuboi's bony hand once again to calm my nerves. Over the course of ten minutes, the three broke the news to the Ryoutarou Family of my decision to enter the game. They were both against it instantly, right as those words came out of Mrs. Yumina's mouth. I knew not to interlude, it would only worsen the argument. I had to wait until I was spoken to. I looked up at my brother's sleeping face, thinking, 'If I enter the game, I would be able to see Tsuboi again, not in a state of sleep, but alive and well, awake...' That single thought drawed me to enter the game, from either stupidity or selfless I wasn't sure, I just wanted to see my brother's smile again. There may have been around 7,000 other players in the game and what, 100 floors? I would find him, I will find him. My thoughts drifted away like water, being pulled out of them

"-Again, no! I am not putting my child in danger-"

"Mr. Ryoutarou, listen-"

"With your approval or not, I'm going into that game." I stated firmly, locking eyes with the man who helped bring me into this world, the man who rough-housed with me when I was younger, helped me with homework even if he was terrible at math equations. His eyes were glassy, on the brink of tears at the thought of having to deal with another child being stuck in a game with death

"Reiko-"

"No, Mom. I need to do this, I have to do this if we want to see Tsuboi in this world alive, to see him complain about dinner, bills, play games with me, use our cat as a neck rest- If I don't do this, no one will." Her breath hitched in her throat, her eyes saying what her thought were. She knew I was right, but desperately tried to not make it true. It was silent for a few minutes, the married couple thinking it over while I stared at them. My hand lightly squeezing Tsuboi's for some soft of comfort

"Aren't you afraid, Reiko?"

"Of course I am, but if it means saving my brother then hell, I will do it in a heartbeat. No pun intended..." I muttered at the end, my eyes glancing over at the heart monitor. They both sighed, my dad rubbing his face with his hand exasperatedly

"Alright... But you better come back to us, no matter what. You and your brother." I smiled and nodded

"I will. No matter what."

"Hope to trip?"

"And stand back up.".

A few hours later, visiting hours were over and we were getting ready to leave. Dad was speaking to Mr. Kameya about the decision to send me into the game for some details with Mom conversed herself with Mrs. Yamina and Mrs. Feren with small talk. I stood beside Tsuboi's sleeping form, letting my fingers glide up his arm and back down again. Tomorrow, they should have everything ready for me to go through with this, tomorrow, I will be entering the game Sword Art Online, a VRMMORPG. A game of death. Tsuboi is in there, he is most likely under another name there, but, knowing him, it wouldn't be hard to find him because he is a loud-mouth if wanted to be

"Let's go, Reiko." I heard Mom tell me and I nodded in her direction before placing a kiss on Tsuboi's cheek, leaving his room with one last look at his sleeping form.