Kirito

I groan in bed, as someone was trying to waken me up. "Just five more minutes." I muttered. 

"Get up, Kirito!" I turn around for a moment, as I thought I saw Sugu.

"Suguha?" I ask, but it turns out it wasn't the case, as the person turns out to be Selka, who seems to be irate at me. 

"Geez, Kirito, do I have to wake you each morning?" She asks, as she was totally annoyed by me. 

I got up from the bed , as she opens the window. "The Morning Prayers are going to start soon, so I suggest you should hurry and dress up before Sister Azalia gets mad at you . " 

I replied, "Yeah, ok. I'll join you in a moment. " 

Selka seems to be remind me of someone, but who could it possibly be, considering that I am an total stranger to her in this strange world. 

Well, things wouldn't be any worse, considering that what I had been through since SAO . 

As I finished being in the church, I thought it would be great to see Eugeo. 

As I suspected , he was up bright and early, as he was chopping away at the tree yesterday. 

"Hey, there, Eugeo." I greeted him, as he settles the axe down. "Kirito. Morning." 

I sat next to the tree stump, "It must be a tiring Calling. It seems like cutting down that tree isn't going to be entirely easy." 

Eugeo said, "Well, it hasn't. But it really means a lot to me. This tree is called the Gigas Cedar. Or by another name , "The Demon Tree." 

This tree is where two of my best friends and I hang out as children. " 

My head starts to spun , as if something is important. 

Something familiar as my head was spinning, as it hurts so bad, so painful.

"Kirito?" Eugeo asks, worried about me. 

I collapse as Eugeo catches me. "Kirito! Snap out of it. " He said, "Please. I don't want to loose you again, like I did with Alice! " 

The moment that I heard Alice's name struck me. 

The feeling that I had of meeting Eugeo, the one thing that make me terrified was Alice... crossing over the Dark Territory. 

Eugeo

I was afraid of loosing Kirito. The memory of loosing Alice still frighten me, an frighten memory that haunts me for seventeen years. 

As Kirito regains conscious from collapsing, his eyes begin to waver, as if something sparked him as he realize with guilt. 

"Eugeo... I'm so sorry." He said, as I was shocked by his words. 

"Kirito." I said, as he sat on the trunk of the Gigas Cedar, as he touches it. 

"You waited for me all this time with this tree, all alone after all these years. I never wanted to hurt you.   I... I'm so sorry , Eugeo." He said, bitterly.  

I embrace him. "Kirito... I still think of you, every day . I knew you would come back eventually. But when I saw you, you didn't recognize who I was, like I was a total stranger. " 

Kirito said, felt guilty about it, "Eugeo... I really do apologize of not recognizing you sooner. Wait, when you told me about your childhood friend who entered the Dark Territory, that was Alice, wasn't it?" 

I nodded as Kirito stands up, "That means that we have to find her. Where did that Knight taken her?" 

"To Central City, but Kirito, about yesterday, you said that you were a Swordsman. Did you really mean it?" 

He smiles at me, as if that question was really something worth telling.  

"I guess that I have a lot to explain , don't I?" 

He told me about his life, the real world as he calls it, as he also told about Asuna and him being a couple. 

"You got a girlfriend already? Man, Kirito, you're good!" I exclaimed, but in my heart, I feel bad. That I wasn't part of his life growing up. 

We were silent for a while, as if things got awkward between us. 

"Listen, Kirito." I said, but then Sister Azalia came towards us with a worried expression that tell us that something is terribly wrong. 

"Sister Azalia, what's wrong?" Kirito asks her with a strong expression. 

"It's Selka, she's missing. " She said, which causes me to realize that she could be in mortal danger. 

"Kirito, let's go!" I said, which he nods. 

Kirito

I couldn't believe how stupid I was, not recognizing my childhood  best friend. It must been seventeen years apart , and now he must felt guilt. 

Guilt that I wasn't there to save Alice , like I was suppose to. As we race to find Selka, I ask, "Hey, Eugeo, I.. I wondering, after all of this, do you want to come to the real world? I can introduce you to my friends." 

He stops in a distance, as if my words came as in compete shock. 

"Kirito... why? Why would you want to take me to your world?" He asks. I see the total sadness in his eyes. 

I said, touching his shoulder, "Eugeo, you're my best friend, I want you to come along with me, along with Alice. 

You would also love my sister. We can feel like we never been apart again." 

But he still hasn't forgiven himself for what had happened with Alice when we were kids, and on top of it, 

I wasn't even there to help him to protect Alice. 

We continue on our way, as Eugeo stops for a moment. 

"Eugeo?" I ask. 

"It's Selka. She came through here. This grass has been step a while back." He said as he examined the leaf and being more concerned. 

"It's possible that she went to the End Mountains." 

My eyes widen with that memory as I remember Alice being taken away. 

"We have to get Selka out of there! How could she be more stupid?" I said, as we race through the field and found the entrance cave to the End Mountains. 

"It's hard to believe that the last time we were here was when we were kids." I said. 

Eugeo nods in total agreement, "Yeah, I can't argue with that. C'mon, let's just find Selka . System Call." 

He lighten the grass leaf as I said, "I am still impressed of you still know how to light the grass leaf like that. " 

He smiles as we enter the cave. 

I follow his lead as I shivered of the coldness of the cavern. 

"Ooh, I totally forgotten how much it is colder in the cave is. " 

Eugeo said, agreeing with me, "It is hard to believe that we been here seventeen years ago. I ... I am the one to blame for letting us into this mess." 

The words I have hearing from Eugeo pains me. It must been rough of growing up all alone for him, and I don't know how to comfort him. 

"Eugeo..." I begin to say to him, as we hear a scream coming through the other side of the cave! 

"Selka!" Eugeo said, as we race as fast as we can to find her. 

We were shocked of what we have seen. 

There were Goblins , and they have Selka . 

Eugeo just in total fear, paralyzed.  

"Eugeo! Eugeo! " I said, hoping to snap him out of it.