Published: 10/28/2015; Wednesday; 9:32am; Unedited

I blinked, looking up at the sky as rain poured down, chilling me down to my virtual body.

"What did I do?" I whispered to my myself, to the trees, the grass.

I slipped down to the ground, my tears mixing with the rain, and stared into the void of this world.

"Mue?! Where are you?! Mue!" I heard sprinting steps and the someone came into view, kneeling and shaking me by my shoulders. "Mue...Mue! Are you okay?!"

"No...no, Yuu, I'm not okay," I finally choked out a sob. "How can I be okay with a broken heart?"

I jolted awake, sitting up immediately, staring dazedly at the field of green before me. Everything felt numb, I felt numb. Then the warm wetness in my cheeks made me reach my hand up and feel it.

I was crying.

Well, I was shedding tears more than I was crying. But why was I crying? What was I dreaming about?

"Mue?" I looked over to my right, Kirito was walking over, looking at the field as he did so. He then looked over at me, freezing, eyes widening.

"Ah..."

I still had tears.

I scratched my cheek, "I know this looks weird, but I woke up crying. Not sure why though..."

"...but you're okay?"

How can I be okay with a broken heart?

I blinked.

"Well, emotionally and physically? Yes. Mentally, I suppose not." I wiped the tears, "...I have not gone soft, Kirito." He flinched an I rolled my eyes at his reaction. "No I can't read your mind, you're just very easy to read."

"You're scaring be me now."

This time I let out a small laugh, "Good."

"...Mue, I don't many friends...you were first to actually accept me as a Beater--"

"You forget I'm a Beater too, don't you?" I added. He frowned and nodded. Wait? He actually forgot?!

"...and I..." He struggled for the words, "trust you." I nodded slowly.

I knew now he has trying to tell me something very serious. Trust in this game was now like blindly giving away your life. It is not just given, trust, it's earned.

"I need to show you something...I was going through my skills and...I found this." He took out his skill list and I scooted closer to see at what he was pointing at. My eyes widened at what I saw and my mouth dropped open slightly.

What the hell?!

~*~*~*~*~

I was in an uncomfortable situation, but I was handling it better than Asuna. We're walking and fighting what'd monsters are in the way, looking for the boss room. Of course Kirito left out the fact that Asuna was coming, but I'm guessing it was the same with her because we were both pleasantly surprised.

We had found the boss room, Asuna and Kirito decided to take a peek, I stayed a little farther away, looking from behind them curiously as the doors crept open.

Inside was something that sent chills through my being.

So we decided to go back, fine with having a map to the boss room to publish it to the rest of the people in the game. We're eating currently, me packing my own lunch, apparently Asuna brought Kirito food, which had surprised me. I knew they were on good terms and close, but I never knew how much.

A pang went through my heart and I slowed my chewing in confusion at the hurt feeling I felt. Why did my chest hurt? I'm not injured...

I glanced at Kirito, about to ask him if he might know, but the sight before me made me freeze. Kirito and Asuna, laughing, talking, probably not even realizing that they were flirting with each other, and the feeling returned. I turned away and stared down at my sandwich.

I was find of Kirito, yes, he was my closest friend and one of the two people I trusted in this game, the other being Yuu. But now I think about it, it made sense.

Kirito, he understood me like I did him, he's made me laugh only a few times, but each time he did I would notice the slight awe in his expression, only making me laugh harder. The light butterflies I felt in my virtual stomach evident whenever I would wake up before him during our naps outside and look over to see his peaceful face. He was attractive, yes, and I was sure behind all the coldness he sometimes even treats me with (probably trying to drive me away) was a big softy with a heart of gold.

God damn, I'm infatuated with Kirito.

But it was devastatingly obvious that Kirito and Asuna had a thing for each other no matter how much they would try to hide or deny it.

No, Yuu, I'm not okay... How can I be okay with a broken heart? Unfamiliar words echoed through my head, yet I couldn't remember from where or what they meant.

I was brought back to reality when I heard arguing from unknown voices. I stood quickly, noticing the new people I don't know. Glancing at Kirito and Asuna, I saw Kirito giving the dungeon map we had made to the Boss Room the Army. What the hell does he think he's doing?!

"Kirito, you don't have to do that!" The guy with red-brown hair hissed, was he that Klein guy Kirito told me about?

"I was planning on going public with this when we got back to the town anyway," Kirito shrugged of Klein's and gave the Army's leader the map. I stayed quiet, walking up and silently stood a little behind Kirito as I stared at the leader. He glanced over to me, his mouth, which was set in a straight line, turned into a frown.

"Is this where the Ice Queen has been, and not on the front lines? Pathetic." I stared at him with a bored expression.

"Says you, mister leader, you're army looks half dead already, what makes you think you can take on the thing in there?" He growled buy turned heel.

"My army is strong, we can handle it."

"Doubt it..." I muttered to myself.

"If you're planning on going to the boss room, I don't recommend it," Kirito told him.

The leader stopped walking, facing the panting soldiers in the ground, "That's for me to decide." Kirito's eyes widened and I but my lip. I hated that phrase so much. That's for me to decide.

"I just looked in the room, and you won't get anywhere with that boss with your troops at half-strength!" Kirito shouted, glancing at the soldiers, "Look at your comrades. They're exhausted!"

The leader turned around, angry, "My men aren't so weak as to give in this easily! Come on men! On your feet now!" Doing as told, they stood up with difficulty and I almost wanted to not care turning into a red player to kill their leader. They began leaving, heading towards the boss room. I glanced at Kirito, Asuna, Klein and his group, they were all near each other, watching them leave.

"Are those guys gonna be okay?" Klein questioned no one in particular. They all looked at each other, making me frown.

Forgotten once again.

I furrowed my eyebrows and silently went through my menu, removing my boots, leaving me barefoot. At least no noise would be made. At first I walked backwards, watching to see if they would notice (read: hoping Kirito would notice that she was missing). But the moment I was ear shot away, tears welled up in my eyes, and I turned around and started running, going after the Army.

But even when I was far enough, I heard a shout, "Mue?! Where'd she go?!"

Kirito.

My cheeks filled with heat as I hear shoes and I ran faster.

As I reach the door, I heard shouting, and grunts, then screaming. I stopped at the entrance and my eyes widened, and for once, I felt what Kirito had told me he feels when he sees someone in trouble.

I need to help them.

Without another second to spare, I equipped my agility-vitality shoes, pulled out my sword and ran in. But not before hearing two yells behind me as I bent my knees.

"MUE NO!" Kirito and Asuna yelled. I would expect Kirito, but not Asuna. But at this point I couldn't hear them, they were just little muffled voices.

With that, I sprinted in the room with a record-breaking speed the monster-- The Gleam Eyes-- whipped around and roared and swung his weapon at me.

I ducked under and slashed upwards, making a vertical cut on it, bringing it's HP down. That's one hit.

Now I just need to kill it.