62Author's Note: Well my good friends we have finally made it to the rough conclusion of our story! Watch as Kirito and Asuna make their final attempt to finish this game off once and for all...
And now, without further ado, to quote Trevor Noah...Here it is, your Moment of Zen.
Finally, I DO NOT OWN SWORD ART ONLINE OR THE LORD OF THE RINGS!
Chapter Forty Seven
The Fate of Middle-Earth
"Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil."
—Gandalf the White, the Lord of the Rings
Klint Rojer disappeared into a cloud of nothing, and was quickly and presumably signed out of Midde-Earth Online just after his untimely death at the hands of Asuna and Kirito. He created the perfect virtual model for any supporter of J.R.R. Tolkein, but in the end, even the power of his very own Ring was too much to handle.
Kirito was beginning to feel that heavy power, as he still wore the Ring even after the defeat of Sauron. He grabbed Asuna under the arm and watched as she dropped her heavy sword Andúril in the loss of her energy.
"H-Hey…" She reminded him with a sigh. "Make sure you have Excalibur with you once we log out. We don't want to lose it in here forever…"
"Yea, I'm already on it." Kirito made room for Excalibur on his back, even though without Lisbeth fully re-forging it to disconnect it from the Ring, the sword would safely return to ALO no matter what. However, unless they had their weapons directly equipped, or if the weapons belonged to ALO naturally, no weapon that Lisbeth forged from the rings would make it out of MEO.
Kirito began walking himself and Asuna to the waiting fell beast near the balcony, but she topped him and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"And make sure you take the Ring off when we get to Mount Doom…" Asuna of all people knew what that Ring would do, and even in the hands of her perfect Kirito, the thought still left her uneasy.
"O-Oh, y-yea right!" Kirito had no idea what her concern was, because Kirito was fully confident he would be the one to take it off and destroy it once they got to Mount Doom. He had no idea what they would face once they left the Tower however, and decided to keep its buffs equipped until the time was right.
The two finally made it to the Fell Beast, and as Kirito positioned Asuna on the back end, he climbed on and prepared his very familiar mount for a ride to Mount Doom.
"Hmm, why do I get the feeling I know how to ride this creepy thing...?" He began scratching his head until Asuna wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and rested her head on his upper back.
"Kirito…I really missed using you as my pillow." She cooed with delight while trying to rest for a moment, which left Kirito both awkwardly embarrassed and slightly happy at the same time.
He nodded and then steered his flying monster through the great window and out towards the slopes of Mount Doom.
As Kirito and Asuna quickly approached the fiery peaks of Oroduin, they looked towards the western side of Mordor, slightly beyond the volcano, and saw two great armies continue to clash on the battlefield.
Asuna tightened her grip on Kirito's waist, and then raised her head. "You think the others will be alright? I mean, this should all be over in a minute. I hope they can make it 'til then…"
Kirito nodded slightly, but made no effort to keep his thoughts wrapped up on the others. His major concerns lied with getting them to Mount Doom successfully, and his recent victory against Klint.
He felt so very proud for finally defeating that arrogant game maker in his very own world, and for some reason, every time Kirito stopped to remember the final moment, his heart filled with fire and pride. He began feeling a faint warm itch coming from his right index finger, but ignored it as he started reminiscing about his victorious claim.
"I'm sure they're fine…man that was a pretty cool fight, huh Asuna? I mean, Klint barely even stood a chance in the end."
"Hah, I dunno, he had us both down there for a moment…and if we don't get out of this game soon I might turn into one of those nasty Ringwraiths." Asuna had not forgotten about her third and hopefully final Morgul Blade scar, and as they came to the Mountain, her mind fell at ease with the thought of leaving. "Oh well, I'll be fine once we get out of here."
"Yea…once we leave." Kirito repeated her thoughts, but he did not share them to their entirety. He quite liked this world of Middle-Earth. He began feeling even more powerful than ever before in the virtual world, and the weapons and factions were out of this world.
Asuna actually noticed he never responded to her remark on turning into a Nazgûl, and as a result leaned over his shoulder. "H-Hey…you alright?"
"Um what? Y-Yea, yea I'm fine." He replied with a few pauses. "Just trying to find a nice place to land!"
He then found a nice location just under the great fiery mouth into the side of the volcano. Sammath Naur, or the Chamber of Fire, was located in the Cracks of Doom. Sauron forged the One Ring in the mid-Second Age there, and this was the only location in which the One Ring could be destroyed.
Kirito landed the fell beast, and quickly helped escort Asuna off its back. They both stumbled trying to grab footing on the steep slopes of Mount Doom, but before they fell down, Asuna pointed at the man-made opening into the side of the hill.
"THERE! We have to take it though that room, I think!" She led them, and just as the fires quelled their roar the two heroes stepped up the stairs and into the fiery chasm.
The volcanic fissure erupted with a wave of heat the moment our two Ring-Bearers stepped into its lair. The fires and ash rose through the ceiling, and the molten river of hell rolled down through the bottom to send even a mild shiver of fear down the bravest man's spine.
Asuna removed herself from the hold of Kirito and pulled out her white ring Nenya. She tossed it into the fires below and gave off a sigh of relief. "Wow, that felt so amazing! The rings are cool and all, but they're way too much for a single player."
Kirito didn't nod, but he did step forward just to pass by and get it over with. Asuna gave him a calm smile, and looked back towards the door to see if anyone was planning oncoming up from behind.
Kirito walked out through the fiery air, and out the length of the great bridge that extended over the river of molten lava, and as he finally made it to the end he held out his hand that included the One Ring.
Asuna turned back and tilted her head in confusion. "Kirito…" She said wearily. "It's time, you can go ahead and throw it in the fire."
Kirito paused, ignoring his Asuna and continuing to look down at his ringed hand. The golden object was beginning to fuse with his mind, and with it came blackened thoughts of power and dominion.
"Kirito. If you destroy it, it might break the game and log you out. Y-you want to get out, don'y you?"
"I don't know…" Kirito replied in a blank monotone, nearly silenced from the roaring fires down below. He held up his right hand and clenched it into a fist, signifying a total domination flourishing through his mind. "I don't see why we need to destroy this world. If we can bend it to our will, we can us it to help the players in ALO, and even create a new world for ourselves."
"K-Kirito…throw it into the fire. I know what it's doing to you." Asuna had to carry that golden weight all the way from Rivendell, so she knew exactly what the tiny little trinket was doing to his mind.
The only problem was, since his faction was that of a Morgul Man, it affected his brain twice as fast as the ordinary player.
"I'm not destroying it…I'm taking it over to ALfheim."
"No, you're not." Asuna tried to put her foot down, but the angry Kirito turned with his full fist raised towards the ceiling.
"But I can do it! Klint is no longer an issue! If I use this Ring in ALO, I will be able to…" Kirito continued to fill the air with delusions of grandeur, but as he began to march forward, Asuna grabbed him by the waist, and brought him in closer than ever before, kissing him passionately on the lips.
Kirito was frozen in time, even in this room of hell fire. He had no idea how to react, and his brain actually slipped into the warming sensation of the kiss as Asuna brought him in closer and closer.
Asuna then grabbed his hand as she continued to kiss him, and slipped the Ring off his finger. She then tossed it down the chasm, and carried on enjoying the romantic moment with the man she loved.
A vortex of fire and light shot up around their bodies, but they were too lost in their final embrace to ever notice the deathly storm of blazing winds, followed with the cataclysmic earthquake that broke the floor below their feet and sent them crashing down into the abyss.
They would have screamed in fear, but their passionate embrace was stealing every thought. In a quick instant they nearly hit the lava, but just then a blinding flash of light came up from their chests and captured the moment from the rest of the scene.
Here, they finally fell into nothing, and enjoyed their passing moment as the land of Middle-Earth faded into the void.
Asuna awoke with a beating heart as she sat up form her hospital bed in down town Tokyo. Her skin was on fire, and sweat rolled down her forehead as she frantically pulled the AmuSphere gaming device off her head and threw it to the ground.
"ASUNA!" She heard the familiar shrill voice of Lisbeth calling from the side of the bed, and just then she regained her vision and looked toward the brown haired guest.
"L-Lis…what's going on…?"
Lisbeth laughed like a maniac and brought her in for a tight hug. "ASUNA! YOU DID IT! You destroyed the Ring, and saved Kirito!"
"Kirito…?" Asuna began thinking, and then let her eyes open wide as she shot out form Lisbeth's control. "KIRITO! Where is he!?"
Lisbeth sat up with a smile and gave her a grin. "As soon as you broke the game, we all logged out. The server machines for MEO flashed up like crazy, and the authorities found the building Klint was keeping everyone at…"
She then rolled her eyes. "Turns out we were right. None of this was okayed by Mystic Gaming. Klint took all their resources, and nearly bankrupted them while we were gone. Now the company is folding…"
Asuna nodded, but tried to stand as she grabbed a hold of her stand alone IV tower. "I need to see him…where is he!?"
"Whoah!" Lisbeth ran over and grabbed Asuna by the arms. She then held her stand. "Relax. The cops found Kirito, and Seijirō had him taxied over here."
"Seijirō…everyone! How is everyone else!?"
"They're fine Asuna…they're all fine."
Asuna turned with Lisbeth to find a familiar black haired boy standing in the door way breathing like a maniac. He seemed to rush over hear at light speed, and tried to stand tall.
"I guess you and I blacked out after we logged out…I woke up a little while ago and came over as fast as I could…"
Asuna let go of Lisbeth and began stomping on two legs slowly towards Kirito. He saw anger in her eyes, and nearly decided it was a good time to leave the situation, but just then she grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and brought him in closer.
"Next time I ask you to destroy a Ring…destroy it before I ask."
"I…yes ma'am!" Kirito froze from fear as Lisbeth laughed in the background, and right after he pledged his apology, Asuna leaned up and gave him a real life kiss on the lips.
Lisbeth rolled her eyes and smiled as she walked passed them and waved a hand. "Alright, cut it out by noon. We're all meeting at your cabin in ALfheim to celebrate the win in one hour."
Asuna laughed though the kiss, and Kirito silently shut the door behind Lisbeth's escape before firmly placing his arms back around Asuna's waist. Then, they waited out the morning and rejoined their friends in the afternoon.
~Meanwhile, back at the log cabin on Floor 22 of ALfheim's Aincrad
"THREE CHEERS FOR KIRITO AND ASUNA!"
Klein raised a glass of in-game ale as the entire party roared with excitement, and just then the whole back yard erupted with celebration.
In addition, the timid Spriggan and Undine who hosted the large group stood at the center with awkward smiles glued to both of their faces. The tiny pixie Yui fluttered around them in joy, and the rest of their guests all cheered in their victory.
"No kidding!" Chrysheight brought things back down for a regular conversation. "I was starting to worry we'd never end up back in ALO. Things were starting to get a little too real for me!"
"True that!" Lisbeth said as she stood by Asuna drinking a big glass of punch. "I'm not switching my Avatar over to anymore game as long as I live. Who woulda thought the world of Fairies would be less chaotic that that MEO!"
"Awe, I don't know if it was all that bad!" Silica argued from a chair at the table to their right as her old friend Pina ate some food out of her hand. "I liked all the scenery, and the NPCs were really friendly!"
"Yea, I agree the game had some nice moments. "Sinon said as she quietly ate a slice of game cake created by Asuna. "My skills even transferred back over here, so I earned all that XP for roaming around in MEO."
"Yea, and thanks to Recon I found my sword before it was lost!" Leafa tapped the handle of her golden fairy sword, and to her right Recon sighed as he slouched over the table.
"Yea…I probably could have told you about that during the actual combat…"
Everyrone laughed, and Klein barreled forward and quickly put an arm around Kirito. "Oh man, you are not gonna believe the hell I went through trying to save your ass! I had to fight a giant demon, and then march down the whole map just to help the others!"
"Calm down man!" Agil knew Klein was still smiling and happy, but he figured the in-game intoxication was getting a little out of control. "I've been around my own bar enough to know when someone's had enough."
"Yea…" Lisbeth bit part of her tongue. "Might as well kick him out now…"
"Awe, you guys can all cheer up!" Asuna said with a bright expression. "After all this is a celebration! Let's stay happy!"
"No kidding!" Kirito agreed as he waved to several faces on the other side of the yard, including Eugene, Mortimer, Sakuya, and Alicia. "I mean, I can't be happy about putting you guys through all this, but now we're all back!"
Asuna nodded and tightly grabbed his hand. "Yes, and we're going to have to work on that attitude of yours if you ever plan on taking our forgiveness seriously."
"Agh…" Kirito sighed and lowered his head. "It's just kinda hard…ya know I trap myself in a game, then you all nearly get stuck in their too trying to help me out."
"Nearly?" Lisbeth replied. "I considered it a full on prison for how long were were stuck in there!"
Asuna gave her a light smack on the arm before turning back towards Kirito and delivering her usual smile. "Just lighten up Kirito, and try to have some fun!"
"Say?" Klein asked while he managed to find an extra piece of cake. "What happened to the game anyway? Did the servers all wipe clean after you two destroyed the Ring?"
"Yea, I think they did." Kirito admitted. ""But I can't say Klint was all in the wrong. I mean, he did make a pretty beautiful game."
Everyone stopped to think, and nearly yelled at him right on the spot. However, as the memories passed through their minds, scenes filled with fire and dread were not dotting their visions. No evil thoughts of Black Ringwraiths and Golden Rings stole their minds, but instead they began thinking of the amazing views, warm environments, impressive immersion, and friendly NPCs that each of them used throughout the fight.
Even more so, the bonds that were forged tighter within their friendship we stronger now more than ever.
Chrysheight was actually the first to sit back and reminisced on the elaborate vistas and views he saved in his mind from Middle-Earth. "It's a shame it all had to fall at the stroke of one man's greed...now I guess he and the other helpers will all share some time in jail. Still, it's a bummer realizing that World of Middle-Earth might fade forever."
"Eh, well it is a pretty popular series…" Kirito admitted as he gave Asuna a wink. "Heck, if I ever became a professional game creator, I'd even consider remaking it all from scratch, just to let the real fans of Tolkien enjoy it too."
"Yea…yea okay!" Lisbeth yelled out as she walked through the middle of the group. "Let's throw it all behind us and carry on playing our regular video games! Kirito's back to normal, and we're all safe and sound."
"YAY!" Yui cheered form Kirito's shoulder. "Daddy's back to normal!"
Everyone laughed at that remark, and raised their glasses high in the air to respond. Meanwhile Asuna looped her arm under his, and brought him in closer than before.
"That's right…and this time he's not going anywhere."
Kirito nodded, and gave her a quick peck on the lips before rejoining his guests for the afternoon celebration. From there, our favorite players would learn to forget their hardship and strife of Middle-Earth, and continue enjoying their lives in the Virtual Reality.
The End
Ah, what a warm ending...fit for a hobbit.
...I'm sorry I can't leave it that simple...THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR FOLLOWING ALONG! Wow, this was my first ever SAO fan fiction story, and going in I was so absolutely terrified that I didn't know the characters well enough to write a story. Not to mention the fandom of LOTR is very...passionate...and I wanted to make sure I had everything right for that half of the story.
Bottom line, I had so much fun writing this story. It was literally the greatest experience I've ever had writing a fan fiction story. You guys do not know how many hours, how many smiles, and how many tears I used up listening to countless LOTR songs from the films, not to mention watching scenes from the films, music from the SAO anime, and scenes from the Anime as well. I'd like to thank both the SAO Wiki and the LOTR wiki for being great databases, and also the website Tolkien Gateway and the actual 4 novels sitting on my desk here for helping me keep things authentic to the books as well (and the good men J.R.R. Tolkien and Reki Kawahara themselves for making such beautiful stories and characters.)
No joke, I listened to a lot of the beautiful music produced by Howard Shore for the films, but one piece I found better than everything else was the finale song played at the end of the Fellowship (look on Youtube as "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring CR - 07. The Road goes ever on...part 1") This song found in both videos is probably the most beautiful film score I have ever had the pleasure of listening to, and the fade out in the actual video from the film that comes in when the movie credits begin is...tear jerking to say the least. Also, I obviously found myself playing "Swordland" from SAO many times for moments of "epicness and glory."
Okay, I could go on forever. I've once again never had so much fun with the writing process of a story more than now, and I really hope you enjoyed it too! I noticed not very many people came to stop by, and there weren't very many commenters. That being said if you enjoyed the story, give it a shout out to any one else you think would like it too! I really want to see this story be shared by all! It might not be that good...but I sadly might admit its the best story I've had the pleasure of writing.
GUYS I LOVE YOU ALL FOR GIVING THIS STORY A READ! Thank you all SO MUCH for stopping by, and hopefully I'll see you around if I ever write more SAO stories somewhere down the road!
