1Sasha, Kirito, Yui, and Asuna sit around a small wooden table over in the corner of the main room of the church which Sasha uses to house many of the child players in SAO.
"So what do you think?" Sasha asks Kirito.
"This… this is amazing." Kirito replies.
"Yeah." Asuna adds.
"It's like this every day." Sasha says as she gestures towards the mass hysteria that is the child players eating breakfast. "By the way is Yui-Chan okay?" She asks Kirito and Yui.
"She got a good night's sleep, and you can see it's helped." Kirito responds.
Kirito, Sasha, and Asuna then look down at Yui to see her eating a piece of nasty looking bread.
"Has it ever happened before?" Sasha asks, her tone showing an abundance of concern for the child's wellbeing.
"We don't know." Kirito says back. He sighs before continuing. "You see, when we found her she was wandering around the forest on floor twenty two."
Asuna waits patiently for Kirito to finish before saying "It seems that she lost her memory."
Yui holds out the uneaten part of the bread to Asuna, a big smile on her face.
Asuna takes the bread in one hand and pats Yui on the head with the other. As she does this she resumes talking to Sasha.
"We took her here, to the town of beginnings, because we thought someone might recognize her. Do you have any ideas?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't think she's one of the kids from the town of beginnings."
Yui picks up her glass of tea and takes a long sip.
"When the game started, most of the children suffered terrible psychological trauma. I wanted to do something about it, so I took them in at this church. Every day I walk around town to see if anyone needs my help. But I've never seen anyone like her."
There is a loud knocking on the door of the church. Sasha, followed closely behind by Kirito and a very surprised Asuna, rushes over to see who it is. As Sasha flings open the door her face falls as she sees a member of the army.
"Aren't you in the army?" Kirito asks.
"Are you here to complain about yesterday?" Asuna asks without giving time for the army member to answer Kirito's question.
"Not at all, actually it's the reverse. Honestly, I would like to thank you."
Kirito and Asuna look at each other, their mouths open wide in surprise.
"I've come with a request for you" The army member continues.
"A request?" Kirito and Asuna simultaneously ask.
"Come on in and we can talk." Sasha says.
Yui joins the four teens heading up the stairs.
"Daddy what's going on". Yui asks
Kirito sighs and tells Yui about the conversation that occurred in the doorway.
A few minutes later Kirito, Yui, Asuna, Sasha, and the army women sit down around a table that is almost an exact replica of the one that Kirito was just eating breakfast at.
"Alright let's get down to business, we need your help." The army women says.
"We?" Kirito asks.
"You mean those goons from your guild whose asses we kicked yesterday?" Asuna asks.
"No, the guild leader, Thinker." The army women answers.
"What do you need us to do?"
"I'll tell you the story. Thinker, never wanted it to be a dictatorial organization like it's wanted to share information and food evenly among as many players as possible."
"But the army got too large." Kirito guesses.
"Yes, now shut up and let me finish up the story. Yes, there were multiple internal power struggles, and a man named Kibaou ended up with a great deal of power. Kibaou and his faction have grown strong, monopolizing all the best monster spawn points, and have even started extorting people for taxes. But many people were upset with his lack of interest in clearing the game. So he sent the highest level players available to the front lines. After that massacre, he's taken a lot of heat and we're close to dismissing him from the guild. But he is scared and desperate, so he set a trap for Thinker. Thinker's been stranded, deep in a dungeon!"
"Does he have a teleport crystal?" Kirito asks.
"Unarmed?!" Asuna exclaimed.
"He was too trusting. He believed Kibaou when he said he only wanted to talk unarmed. That was three days ago."
"Three days? What's happened to him? It's a very high-level dungeon."
"He's trapped there."
"As his second-in-command, this is my responsibility. But my level isn't high enough to reach him. And Kibaou is using his influence to prevent the rest of the Army from helping. And then I heard that two incredibly high-powered players had come here. And so, I'm asking for your help. Kirito-san, Asuna-san Would you please come and save Thinker with me?"
"I'd like to help, if we're able." Asuna answers. "But we have to verify that you're telling the truth."
"I understand that I'm asking a lot! But when I think about him trapped in there, I feel like I'm losing my mind."
"It's okay, Mommy. She's telling the truth."
"Y-Yui-chan, you can tell?"
"Yeah.I can't explain why though."
"I'd rather trust and regret than doubt and regret." Let's go. It'll work out.
Right?"
"We'll do what we can."
"Thank you."
"I know how it feels to want to save someone you care for."
