Yui opened her eyes.

She was confused. She didn't remember going to sleep. Automatically she checked her data logs to see if she'd been momentarily switched off. Curiously they didn't pop up. So she tried to run an algorithm and examine her history. Also nothing. Strange.

Everything felt strange, actually. Everything looked... for lack of a better word... different. Yet the same. Her mind felt like it was wrapped in a thick cloth, slow and dull. At the same time, her senses had never felt sharper.

Things had never felt so real before.

She was in a room, very spartan. Apart from the bed and a dresser, there was virtually no furniture. Everything was either white or a very pale shade of blue. The far wall had a window showing a beautiful early evening sky, and flakes of snow falling as she watched in rapid fascination.

"Yui. You're awake? How are you feeling?"

She almost jumped, she hadn't realized she wasn't alone until that very moment. A woman with long, brilliant orange-red hair and the sweetest, softest of features, standing by her bedside. Yui would have recognized her anywhere.

Mama. And Papa was there too, sitting in a chair a little further back, dressed all in black like he usually did. They looked the same, but at the same time they looked very different. More solid, and also more careworn.

"Mama. Papa. Where are we?"

"Go see for yourself," said her Papa, indicating the far wall. There was another tiny window there, and a small sink.

Mama's face scrunched up oddly. "Kazuto, is that smart? She may still have weak legs."

"Let her try," he insisted.

Both her parents were right, in their own ways. Her legs did feel a bit unsteady underneath her, and her wing function refused to activate, but she did want to see. More than anything, it felt intensely important to her, so she made her way over to the sink and rested her hands on it, leaning up to peer at the strange window. She gasped at the image there, then moved forward again, standing on her tiptoes to make sure.

It was her, staring back at her. A mirror, not a window.

Her face looked odd though, and her hair strange. A darker shade than it had been previously. Also, what had happened to her ears? She ran her hands along her features, puzzling over them in the mirror as her reflection did the same. She looked... similar... to her last appearance. But it was like a drawing, done by an artist who had never seen her yet heard her described in vivid detail. Similar, but subtly different. Younger too, somehow. Was there a glitch in her data? And why couldn't she check her code?

"Papa, something feels wrong. Is this a new game? It doesn't feel like its compatible for me. I think something's off with my data but I can't quite access it."

"Yui... this isn't a game. This is the real world."

Her eyes widened to such a size it was a wonder they didn't fall out of her head. This was... real?

"Are you alright, Yui?" asked Kazuto, moving to check on her, misunderstanding her distress. "Is something wrong?"

"No!" she protested. "I'm fine, I think... I'm...!"

She stumbled, her legs weak and atrophied, but Papa was there to catch her. Gently, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the bed, sitting her down on the edge. A moment later she was back on her feet, but did not stray far from the bed, using it to help keep her balance.

"Are you alright then?" asked Asuna, concern lacing her tone. "Are you in pain?"

"I don't think so," said Yui slowly. "It feels different, but not bad. I don't think I'm in pain. That's good, right?"

Kazuto nodded. Pain in real life was a near universal signal something was wrong.

"How did this happen?" she asked.

Her parents exchanged a look.

"Sit down and we'll tell you."

Yui obediently sat back down on the bed. Asuna fluffed her pillow as Kazuto sat on the edge and proceeded to explain.

"Well, the original process we worked out was the easy part," he said. "If we can upload data from a human mind into a game... well, logically, we can do the opposite. Download data from a game into a human body."

"The trouble was you didn't have one," Asuna continued, gently ruffling Yui's dark hair. It was a pleasant feeling. It tickled, almost, and her hand was warm.

Kazuto nodded as he went on. "Yeah, that was a doozy to overcome. Well, as it turns out... in a way... we still have Akihiko Kayaba to thank for this," Kazuto said carefully.

Asuna glowered at that, hugging Yui close in her arms.

"Mama?"

"I'm not saying what he did was right," said Kazuto, hands held up defensively. "Just..."

She shook her head, long red hair flowing around her shoulders. "It's alright. Go on."

He nodded. "It was one of the original players from Sword Art Online," Kazuto explained. "We're not entirely sure how she died or what caused it. She shouldn't have been playing in the first place, she was so young... but anyway... they found her shortly after she'd died in the game. Thing is, for whatever reason, her death was odd. Primarily because... it seemed she wasn't completely dead."

"She wasn't?" asked Yui.

"We're not sure what went wrong, or why it did. The girl no longer had higher level brain functions, but her organs and nervous system worked perfectly. Her body was alive. She just had no... no consciousness to speak of. No mind. Her mind had been, for lack of a better word... deleted."

Yui shivered at the thought of something like that happening to her. She'd been very lucky indeed her Papa had been able to save her from the Cardinal system in the first place.

Kazuto carried on, perhaps hoping further explanation would make things seem less confusing and scary. "Her parents rather generously agreed to have her given to the medical community for study in an effort to help treat and save millions of others. And we managed to make a deal with the JSDF to have her transferred to our care. And..." he trailed off, gesturing vaguely at Yui. She instantly took his meaning.

That was Yui's body. That's how she was here.

"We hadn't the slightest clue if it would work," added Asuna. "I mean, there were so many ways it could've gone wrong. A computer AI is nothing like how a human brain works."

Kazuto had a theory on that. "My guess would be that the original owner of the body left a sort of template behind, and since Yui's an intuitive AI, she altered her parameters to exist within it. The same way we do when we load into our virtual avatars and..."

He trailed off, seeing Yui's eyes going misty.

"Oh, please don't cry, Yui... we... we thought you'd be happy."

"I am happy," Yui insisted, even as she dabbed at her moist eyes with the palms of her hands. "I'm so happy! Mama! Papa!"

"You're a miracle, Yui," Kazuto said with a smile. The exact specifics no longer mattered. "A miracle."

She was so happy she couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and they trailed down her cheeks in long streams. Kazuto and Asuna both leaned in to draw her into their embrace. They were a family united by the strangest of circumstances, but they were a family.

As it was still relatively early in the evening, and Yui had been asleep all day (and most of her life, it seemed) they decided to check her out tonight and take her home. Yui was bundled up in an old winter coat of Suguha's. It had once been a vibrant red, but time and wear had faded it to a pinkish color instead. Yui loved it instantly, bundling herself up in it. The rest of her clothes Asuna provided, and Kazuto kept his back turned while Yui changed out of her hospital garb.

It might have been more prudent to wait in the hospital a while longer under observation, nothing like Yui had ever happened before and there was no way of knowing what would happen. As it was, they kept the affair quiet, not wishing to draw undue attention to Yui. Kazuto felt confident the entire thing had been a success, and Asuna agreed to trust his gut.

Before they left though, Kazuto made sure to wipe the records of his NerveGear. They didn't want the military or the government learning about something like this, there was no way of telling how they'd use it. Even if most of the circumstances were fairly unique, it was too great a risk. No, this was a one-time thing. A miracle, a curiosity. Better to let it stay that way.

The doors to the hospital lobby opened, and two proud parents escorted a daughter barely three years younger than they were out into the crisp winter night.

"Ahh!"

Both Kazuto and Asuna turned to her in an instant. "What is it? What's wrong?"

But Yui was smiling. "It's cold," she said, reaching out towards the snow instead of huddling in her jacket away from it. "It feels nice! My whole body is shaking."

"Are you sure you're warm enough?"

"I think so," said Yui, fascinated by her hot breath as it formed into mist in the cool air in front of her. She inhaled and exhaled several times to watch, almost losing track of where she was going as they brought her over to Kazuto's motorcycle.

Kirito had included the sidecar for this trip, and Asuna and Yui squeezed into it, the single seatbelt low across their laps as they donned a pair of helmets. Kazuto slipped his own on, and gunned the motor. Within moments, they were on their way.

It took a fair bit longer than expected. They'd stumbled into a bit of holiday traffic, and for a while they could do little else other than shiver in their seats as they waited for the cars ahead of them to hurry up. Normally Kirito and Asuna could maneuver around them on his bike, but with the sidecar attached, they were just as stuck as the rest of the vehicles.

Finally, they reached their destination: The Dicey Café.

They came here infrequently, not least of which because the owner was a good friend, but obviously couldn't visit as often as they'd liked. Both were neck deep in their respective studies at Tokyo University. Kazuto was studying Virtual Reality Technologies, while Asuna was majoring in business. She had vague plans to rebuild RECTO Progress Inc, the company her family had held for many years, but they were distant, and right now all she wanted was a good life for herself, Kazuto, and now Yui. A degree was the first step in that process.

The door swung open, allowing them entry, and Kirito quickly shut it behind them to keep the cold air out.

"Kirito!" shouted someone.

Kazuto turned and saw Klein, or rather Ryoutarou, sitting at the bar with a mug in hand.

"Glad you could finally make it! We've been waiting here for hours, haven't we?"

He managed a small smile. "Got a bit of traffic for the last leg," Kazuto said, peering around the room. Familiar faces smiled back at him, amidst many festive red and green decorations. Andrew had obviously been busy setting them up for the holiday, though tonight of course the bar was closed for an invite only party. Only a few were missing, Kazuto imagined they had to work even though it was a holiday. Frankly, he was surprised to see the likes of Klein here, his job had been nothing but cutthroat in recent weeks.

Kazuto cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, inviting them to all look up from their drinks.

"Glad you all could make it," he said. "Thought you'd all like to meet someone."

Gently he placed his hands on Yui's shoulders and guided her forward to present her to the party. She smiled shyly and waved.

"Meet Yui... for the first time in this game."

It was an old joke they sometimes used when meeting or re-introducing someone in their group using a new avatar in another game. But to say it here, in the real world, was certainly new.

Yui was instantly swarmed by the others, all asking questions, all anxious to meet her. She recognized many of them, and remembered a few names connected to their accounts as well as their avatars. Klein, also known as Ryoutarou Tsuoboi. Brave, kind, terrible with women. Then there was Andrew Gilbert Mills, who went by Agil in the game. The Dicey Cafes owner, along with his wife. The two girls were Keiko and Rika, who played Silica and Lisbeth. They should have been college students by now. And the waitress in the corner must have been Megumi Akibara, who used Rosalia as her log-in.

Kazuto politely slipped aside so Yui could meet (or rather, re-meet) everyone, placing an order for a water which Andrew declared on the house in honor of the holiday season. It was amazing, almost everyone had come.

Ryu leaned against the bar beside him.

"You never cease to amaze, do you Kirito?" he asked languidly.

Laugh. "I suppose I don't, but what fun is there in living a boring life?"

"I wouldn't know, I hang out with you too much," he said, half-accusingly. "But then again its better than work. I've been so busy lately I haven't had much time to game. Or chat with Sakuya."

"So, do tell... how're things with you and Lady Sakuya?" he teased.

Ryu chuckled at his joke, and even managed a grin that looked downright evil. "Well, for one thing, she lets me call her Saya now."

They both shared a laugh at that, slapping each other on the back and passing along congratulations to their respective accomplishments. Kazuto was honestly happy for his friend, and hoped he did well with the lovely teacher. Everyone deserved a chance to find someone special in their lives.

His gaze slid over to Asuna and Yui as his thoughts drifted to them, and he could not help but feel no matter who anyone else had, he was the luckiest man in the whole wide world.

Yui had just slipped out of a firm embrace from Keiko and Rika, turning to find her parents, and was startled when she all but plowed into a dark-haired woman, spilling her drink. It took the young girl to remember her manners and apologize, and a moment later, she finally realized who she was. She looked absolutely nothing like her Sylph avatar.

"Leafa!"

Kirito laughed at Yui's enthusiasm, but nodded.

"That's quite right, Yui. This is my sis-... oh, well actually I guess that means... uh, Yui, this is your Aunt Suguha!" he said with another laugh. The others joined in as Suguha fumed, her face turning red.

"I'm too young to be an aunt, Kazuto!"

Everyone just continued to laugh, and after a while, Suguha even joined in.

"So how did this happen, Kirito?" asked Sasha after the laughter died down.

He hesitated as he was put on the spot, not sure how much he should share. "Well it's kinda complicated," was all Kazuto would say.

Sasha was obviously curious about how this had happened, but when Yui started peppering her with questions, she took a great delight in answering them all, allowing Kazuto and Asuna to slip to a quieter part of the bar.

"We'll have to tell her eventually, you know," Asuna said. "Tell all of them."

"Someday," Kazuto promised, not anxious to deal with the headache of moral implications, or sciences involved. He just wanted them to be happy, as a family. For a while, at least. If not as long as they possibly could be.

Kazuto and Asuna took some seats at a table and relaxed as they watched Yui bobbing around, taking a delight in every new person she talked to, every new thing she saw. Kazuto would say she was acting just like a kid on Christmas, but frankly there wasn't even an act. She was truly seeing the world for the very first time. Everything was new to hear.

Asuna perked up as she noticed something. "Hey I just realized, we're short a few. What happened to Sinon?

"On duty," he said. "She volunteered so she could learn the new routes. She's coming along quite nicely," he added, thinking to just how nervous Asada Shino had been when she'd joined the police and been handling firearms for the first time in the real world. Now, she was taking to the whole thing like a fairy took to flight.

"And Thinker and Yulier?"

"Couldn't make it," Kazuto replied. "Sent a text saying they were swamped tonight."

"Pity. They'd all love meeting Yui again."

He shrugged. "Always next time, right? Not like she's going anywhere anytime soon."

Eventually Yui had been through speaking to everyone, sometimes twice, and they ordered some drinks as she settled into the table with her parents. Megumi brought over a tray and their drinks: a water refill for Kazuto, a cola for Asuna, and a fruit drink for Yui, complete with decorative fan. She patted the young girl on the head affectionately before sashaying to another part of the bar and seeing if anyone needed a refill.

Technically it was her night off, but she did work at the Dicey Café part time to pay her student fees, so it was natural to fall back into her role tonight. The rest of her days she spent working an online degree in economics.

Kazuto brought the water to his lips and drank slowly, figuring he'd need to keep hydrated or he'd be up all night. As he did, he watched Ryu toss back another drink, while Rika and Andrew tapped their glasses together and congratulated Keiko, who'd announced she'd been accepted at a college overseas in the United States.

These are our friends, Kazuto thought. They were Yui's too, had been ever since Alfheim Online, but now she was seeing them in a whole new light.

They didn't linger long at the party, just enough to promise they'd be back for New Years and finish their drinks. Then they ventured back into the cold and the traffic, which seemed to have gotten even worse than before. When they finally reached their apartment, Kazuto found to his amusement that Yui had passed out on the way, and was now dozing softly, her head lying on Asuna's chest.

"Poor thing must be completely exhausted," he said, shrugging off his helmet and rotating his arms.

"Probably hasn't eaten much either," replied Asuna. "I'll make sure to get us a big breakfast ready in the morning."

He nodded. "Well we've got a week off from classes still. And I can always skip a few more if I'm needed at home..."

Asuna rolled her eyes at that, even as she helped Kazuto pick up Yui out of her lap and slid out of the sidecar. "Honestly, you've got to stop doing that. Those classes are important."

"I pass all my tests," he replied defensively.

"I know I just... ugh," she grumbled. This was an argument they'd had many times before, and it never seemed to gain traction either way. She threw up her hands in disgust. "Fine, whatever. Let's just go to bed."

A short climb of the stairs, for thankfully they only lived on the second floor, and they reached their apartment. Asuna unlocked the door, letting them in. Their apartment was a simple affair. One large living room with couch and television, one small kitchen and pantry, a fair-sized bedroom with a double-length bed, and a balcony overlooking the community pool. Textbooks and casual reading lay scattered about on various surfaces, but overall the place was neat and tidy enough. They didn't have a washer or dryer, they had to use the community one nearby, so they had a jar on the counter for saving coins and took turns doing the laundry. Asuna did all the cooking, having more skill in the real world than Kirito could manage in any world. He, in turn, did some technical troubleshooting for the college to pay the bills.

The clock on the wall, an old antique Asuna had bought a while back, chimed as they entered and turned on the lights. A single chime only, it was one in the morning. They'd been up all night. Which meant...

"It's Christmas Morning," Kazuto realized.

"Merry Christmas," Asuna said, pecking him lightly on the cheek, their argument forgotten. He responded in kind.

"Well, I dunno about you," he said, hefting little Yui in his arms. "But I think we got the best present ever."

Asuna stifled a laugh behind her hand, not wanting to wake Yui up as they carried her across the hall to the room they shared, and set her down in their bed. They were going to have to make new arrangements now that Yui would be living with them, maybe even consider a new place to live, but for a few nights Kazuto could take the couch.

Yui didn't even stir as they set her down on the bed and drew the covers up to her shoulders, she just snuggled deeper into them like a chrysalis inside of a cocoon.

"Awww, she's just a little angel, isn't she?" cooed Asuna.

"She's a miracle," Kazuto insisted. "Our little miracle."

She nodded, leaning wearily against Kazuto as he patted her hand. Together they gazed down at their daughter. And through her, to the future life all three of them had ahead. Together.

Asuna went to go get some milk from the kitchen, which helped her to sleep. Kazuto sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the covers up over Yui's shoulder, brushing some loose hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear gently. She stirred a little, a tiny smile on her lips. Perhaps she was dreaming.

"Get some rest, Yui," he whispered to her, softly brushing a hand through her hair. "And I hope you have truly wonderful dreams. But even if you don't, we're here for you. And tomorrow... there's a great new adventure waiting for you... the real world."

Authors Notes:
Many probably recognize the idea of a free living body without a mind coming from X-Men the Last Stand. The trick Xavier used to cheat death. It seemed the most humane way to find a body for Yui in the real world that wasn't overly Science Fiction like cloning or robotics. If it seems contrite or forced, re-read the title of the story.

Most of the characters real names come from supplementary material, as do their current professions. Rosalia, obviously, needed one made up, and this seemed as suitable a name as any. 'Rose Red' is the rough translation of her last name.

One adventure ends, another begins.