See chapter 1 for disclaimers.

CHAPTER 28 Consequences

"Thank you, Kirito-sama. I don't know if we could have done this without you."

"It was our pleasure." He didn't bother asking Bloom to drop the 'sama', as he knew she wouldn't. He looked around Alfea's 'front lawn' to see who was left. Only seven of the original group were still present. Aside from himself, there was Asuna, Klein, Zeken, Eugene, and two Sylphs he knew slightly. He'd seen Leafa cut down while defending a group of wounded specialists retreating for medical help. Sinon, he had been told, had managed an amazing shot that wounded Darcy, but had been struck down by Stormy in retaliation as the weather controlling witch raced after Bloom. The rest, he wasn't sure of. The instructors from the three schools, he'd been told, were tending to their students and would be organizing an expedition to Magix to learn what had happened there.

He worried over the fallout from the battle, but knew there was next to nothing he could do for the people of this odd world. There were wounded to tend to from all three schools, and there were dead to bury, some of which were still visible amid the destruction.

Aside from his own group, the only ones present and mobile were a few fairies and specialists, mostly walking wounded, the large yellow creature he had heard called Knut, and Bloom and her closest friends at the school. He noted the way the students were eyeing her and suppressed a sigh. His friend, he knew, was going to have a rough time.

"I'm sorry, Bloom. I wish we could have ended it sooner, and saved more lives." He turned to Eugene, knowing he had another apology to make. "Sorry I blew up earlier. If your plan had worked, those three would be in chains now instead of…"

"It was a long shot, but the effort cost us nothing." Eugene said, waving off the apology. "I know how it must have looked, though." He surprised everyone that knew him by turning to Bloom. "I'm sorry it didn't work, for everyone's sake, including yours."

"Why mine?" Bloom asked. "I didn't get hurt."

"You were." Kirito shook his head. "The same way you were that day in Aincrad when we fought Laughing Coffin. I was really hoping none of us would have to make that sacrifice again."

"What sacrifice?" Riven snorted, as he and his squad approached along with Codatorta who was directing some of his students to collect the wounded for treatment. Sky shot him a dark look as he moved to Bloom's side. "She's fine, unlike a lot of others. Maybe, there would have been fewer-"

"You wouldn't understand, boy." Codatorta cut him off sharply, intervening before the hotheaded specialist could say something that led to violence. He knew that what-ifs were always pointless, anyway.

"Understand what?" Flora asked. She hadn't gotten over her shock at seeing Icy killed in front of her, and she did not stand as close to Bloom as she once might have. Stella had shown no such reservation, but she was helping Musa and Tecna, who were being treated for their injuries.

"Something an old soldier told me while we were trapped in SAO." Kirito answered, not knowing what the angry specialist's problem was and not caring. He was exhausted, and helping Bloom came before any other consideration. He couldn't leave her in her current state. "The soldier's sacrifice isn't dying. Its killing and then living with what you've done."

Riven thought about that for a moment, and then snorted disdainfully and walked away. Kirito considered that an improvement and glanced at the others. The other specialists and the remainder of the Aincrad contingent looked grim or thoughtful by turn.

Flora blinked slowly as she took in the young man's words, and then looked at Bloom. Her roommate was decidedly unhappy and seemed vulnerable in a way Flora had never seen before. And, for the first time in what seemed a long time, there was no sign of Tyger.

"That almost makes it sound noble." Bloom shook her head. "It isn't. Not even a little. I…I didn't have a choice. I know that, but… Tyger." The last word came out in a whisper, and she broke off, unsure what to feel, let alone what to say.

Firming her resolve and setting her doubts aside, with more effort than she would ever admit to, Flora moved to Bloom's side and hugged her. If the gesture was more reserved and hesitant than it might once have been, Bloom didn't seem to notice.

"She's not another person, Bloom." Kirito said firmly. "She's a part of you that, sooner or later, you'll need to accept."

"I can try to help with that." They looked up to see the Yui living at Alfea approaching. She fluttered down and landed on Bloom's shoulder. "I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier. The school's systems are a mess." The pixie-sized hologram smiled up at her. "Daddy is right. You need to learn to accept her if you ever hope to truly heal."

"You've got lots of people willing to help with that," Flora assured her. She did her best to hide it, but the fact was that Tyger scared her. And Bloom… She didn't know what to think, but she knew her friend needed her support, so she promised herself that she would do her best. She worried, though, about how others would react, and how that reaction could hurt Bloom.

"T-thank you," Bloom said with a sigh. "I really don't know what to do, though. Fighting is one thing. During a battle there's… clarity, I suppose." She shook her head, uncertain. "I don't know how to put it, and it just seems wrong that that suddenly seems easier than just day-to-day life. It wasn't like that before."

"I think I understand, at least somewhat," Kirito assured her. "A simple goal and path forward during a battle or other crisis can seem easy compared to the thousands of mundane decisions we make every day. It gets easier, though. It was kind of like that after we got out of SAO, remember?"

Bloom nodded, knowing he was right, but not really feeling it. Last time, there had been no one around her that knew what she'd done. Her parents had been nothing but supportive, and had been happy to not talk about it in an effort to help her put it all behind her. That really hadn't helped, but even Bloom herself hadn't realized it.

This time, she was surrounded by people that knew she had killed three people. She knew that there would be those who would praise her, those who would avoid her, and those who would just be awkward around her, trying to pretend everything was the same and failing miserably. She and Kirito had seen that reaction in SAO, after the mission against Laughing Coffin. Still, she wanted to give her old friends some hope, so she put on as brave a face as she could. "Yeah, and I didn't have as many friends around then as I do now."

"You'll be fine." Kirito nodded.

"We're not going to last much longer here," Asuna pointed out. "But you can always contact us if you need us."

Bloom looked around the wrecked campus and sighed ruefully. "I think we're gonna be busy here for a while."

OOOOOOOOO

Faragonda sat back in her office chair, exhausted. She hadn't slept in nearly two days, and there was still so much to do. Life was returning to Magix. Most of the people that hadn't fled had hidden in shelters of one sort or another, waiting out the storm. Now that the crisis had passed, they were eager to get back to normal, as much as that was possible, anyway.

Bloom was being hailed as a hero by the citizens of Magix, and there were requests to bring her to the Magix city hall for some formal acknowledgement of her heroics, but Faragonda had put them off for a while, citing the need to recover and assess the damage at least. While true, it wasn't the main reason. She knew Bloom well enough to know that having her actions hailed as 'heroic' would do nothing to make the girl happy.

She was depressed and worried from what Faragonda could tell, not that she'd had an abundance of time to spend with or even think about Bloom. There was so much to do. There were also far too many things about the girl that baffled the headmistress, not the least being her attitude toward killing.

Bloom had, reluctantly, told the headmistress and her friends about the group called Laughing Coffin, and what she'd had to do that day. The thought of such a group still made the headmistress shudder. Her most disturbing student had said that the only regret she had about killing the four people in Aincrad was that she hadn't done it sooner, sparing more of her friends' lives. It seemed likely that she felt the same way about killing the three witches, though she hadn't admitted that, probably even to herself. That way of thinking, Faragonda found very unsettling. While she understood the sentiment, intellectually, it was too pragmatic and cold-blooded for the headmistress' comfort, and it was distinctly at odds with the sweet-tempered girl she'd first met, the one she had seen laughing and goofing off with her friends.

She didn't want to think about that outlook becoming normal for anyone, least of all someone as promising and powerful as Bloom. Faragonda drew a deep breath and tried to focus her mind on the problem. She hated having to think on such things, but the potential had to be considered, and worry and frustration wouldn't accomplish anything. It did seem as if Tyger was indeed another persona, and one that had gained ground during the fight against the Trix. After a few moments of careful consideration, she was forced to admit to herself that she had no idea what to do.

Yui didn't share her concerns, but the headmistress suspected Yui was somewhat biased, so she had instructed the teachers to keep an eye on Bloom and report any unusual behavior. For the moment, the girl was keeping herself busy. Bloom had thrown herself into the reconstruction efforts at Alfea, working herself hard in order to avoid thinking. It was, the headmistress knew, a temporary solution.

Yui seemed to approve of it, though, and Faragonda was willing to defer to her, barring a better option. At the moment, with Magix in its current state, there wasn't one. Keeping active and having a simple, and exhausting, task to focus on did seem to help. It was worrying that she worked herself to the point that she was too tired to think, but she suspected that that was the point. Yui had assured her it would get better.

There were many other problems, in the meantime, that needed attention. Repairs were coming along well at all three schools and in Magix. But some things, far too many, would likely have to be demolished and rebuilt. That would be costly. The wall around Alfea, for instance, had been almost entirely destroyed. Even with magic, replacing it would not be easy or cheap.

That was a problem that was easier to think about, and far easier to address.

OOOOOOOOOO

The whispers were the worst part of her day, Bloom decided. She could keep busy and focus on whatever task she'd been given to the point where the sidelong looks went unnoticed, mostly. Those who found other things to do when she showed up certainly had valid excuses, or so she told herself. The whispers, though.

"Where was she during the siege?"

"She killed the witches so easily. Why kill them? Why not capture them?"

"I saw her fight. She's terrifying."

No one was anything but polite to her face. She was the hero of the day, after all. Nevertheless, the whispers continued. Could she have done something different? Captured the witches instead of killing them? It was bad enough that she didn't know the answers herself. Having others ask them in frightened whispers was near intolerable.

She asked Yui, and found her small friend sympathetic but firm. "These are questions only you can answer, Bloom, but you know that torturing yourself with 'what-ifs' won't accomplish anything. Are those the questions you really need to answer?"

That was just one more question Bloom couldn't answer, but she agreed to think about it.

OOOOOOOOOO

Her friends were not among the whisperers, but she did notice that Flora, at least, was keeping a greater distance than usual. She put that down to the fact that Flora had seen her kill Icy. The confession over the Laughing Coffin incident probably hadn't helped. Hoping it would get better, Bloom decided to give her roommate some space and let her come to terms with what happened. She doubted pressuring her would accomplish anything good. She just had no idea how to be supportive when she herself was the problem.

Stella was Stella. Cheerful, frivolous, irrepressible. She could be serious when the situation required it, but that never lasted long. She had no real advice or insight into the problem, but she made it plain from the start that she'd be there for whatever was needed. She did make it clear she wouldn't indulge any pity parties from the redhead, which made Bloom feel better. Stella was Stella.

Tecna, when directly asked how she felt, gave it some thought before saying that Bloom's actions were logical under the circumstances, and while the outcome was not the most desirable, it was likely the most efficient. That statement had been delivered with a stiffness that was rare, even for Tecna. When she'd seen Bloom's expression, however, her manner had softened.

"It was the best you could do under the circumstances, Bloom. I know killing isn't in your nature, and I'm not afraid of you, if that's what you're really asking. There are those who don't know you as well, though. Don't pay the whisperers any mind. They don't know any better."

Musa had been noncommittal. She didn't like the way Bloom was being treated by many of the other fairies on campus, but she honestly didn't know how she felt about the whole business. She knew that there were no real good choices in the situations Bloom had found herself in, but that didn't mean she supported the idea of killing, and Bloom wondered if Musa worried about being perceived that way if the musically inclined fairy was too vocal in defending her friend. She settled for being quietly supportive, which, Bloom supposed, was better than some potential reactions.

Her teachers were distant but professional. That hadn't actually changed much, Bloom admitted. Perhaps it was just her imagination that made them seem a little cooler towards her. She wasn't sure.

Sky was a bright point. He didn't praise or condemn. He just accepted her, and that was a considerable relief. Being around him made her happy. Being a trained warrior, he had learned that things happened in combat that were beyond your control, no matter how well you planned.

He was sad that Bloom had been forced into that position, but he wasn't about to reject her over her actions. That, Bloom decided, was more than she had expected, and she was quite happy with his reactions. There was still a fair amount of tension between them, as she felt certain his team, Riven specifically, was giving him a hard time about his 'high maintenance' girlfriend.

When asked directly about it, he had told her not to worry, that it was just guys being guys, but his expression told her that she'd not only guessed right, but that the tension with Riven was getting to him.

"Want me to beat him up for you?" She teased.

"No thanks," he chuckled. "Something that much fun, I'll do myself."

They talked of other things, moving away from the painful topics. Sky told her of his homeworld and life as a prince. They talked about music and dancing and parties he'd attended. She told him of life in Gardenia, living with her adoptive parents and going to school with Mitzi and her friends.

They stayed away from topics like the battle and the way people were whispering about Bloom's actions. To Sky, it was just noise that had nothing to do with who Bloom really was. That suited the redhead fine.

OOOOOOOOOO

Yui did her best to help give Bloom perspective. She would often pose questions, things for Bloom to think about, and ask for her answer a few days later. None of the questions were directly about the battle or battle in general. Bloom suspected that most of them were just intended to force her to think about other things, which was fine.

Gradually, though, over the course of the next month, things got better. She knew she couldn't change the past, and she stopped blaming herself for things she had to do. Most importantly, there had been no sign of Tyger, and Bloom had stopped looking over her metaphorical shoulder. Mostly.

She did feel a stirring when she felt nervous or threatened, but there was nothing serious enough to bring her out. Yui assured her that, in time, even those would stop, no matter how stressful a situation might be, but it would take time.

For the moment, she was dealing with a stressful situation she was certain Tyger wouldn't be able to help with anyway. She blinked at the headmistress in shock, and then blinked again. "They want to what?"

"The town council of Magix wishes to honor you for the part you played in ending the threat of the army of decay."

"For killing the Trix?" She did not sound enthusiastic.

"For saving the lives of your fellow students and the people of Magix who would have inevitably fallen under the Trix' rule, those who survived." She raised a hand. "Before you say no, could you meet with the mayor and his staff? They're the ones pushing this."

"I-I suppose so." Bloom agreed reluctantly. It was the last thing she wanted.

"Such things aren't really done for the person being recognized, Bloom. They're done for the people who were helped, who want to do something to show appreciation and to get a sense of closure themselves after a terrible ordeal." Faragonda told her, sounding sympathetic, and she truly did understand, but she also knew that the hero didn't always get to choose in such matters. She knew, as a teacher, that sometimes you had to do things for the students that you didn't want to do. Smiling and helping to celebrate the end of the crisis would help people make peace with what happened.

There were other, less noble reasons, as well. Some people would tell their own versions of what happened and why and she knew Bloom wouldn't like some of the stories. Telling versions of the truth to further a political career or just to make money in one fashion or another were all old tricks. Some of the 'tell all' stories that might be written would be quite nasty, she was sure. Bloom didn't need to be disillusioned about people at her age, though.

"I'll meet with them, Miss Faragonda. When did they want to see me?"

OOOOOOOOOO

She had talked it over with Yui, who understood her reasoning, but could also see things from the mayor's perspective. She had urged Bloom to do what was right for her, without offering any specific advice. After giving it a fair amount of thought, Bloom didn't change her mind. She knew what was right for her.

The office of the mayor of Magix had seen better days, but clearly, there had been an effort made to put things in order. It looked like the monsters had been through the building, possibly looking for something, possibly just as a statement that the Trix could do as they pleased with impunity.

Bloom didn't comment. She thought it might be a sore point with the mayor.

"I'm so glad you agreed to this, Bloom." The city's leading politician smiled as he rose to greet her. "People are frightened and disheartened. The fact that something like that could happen here has left us all a bit unsettled."

"Glad I'm not alone in that," Bloom answered, shaking his hand. He chuckled good-naturedly.

"No one ever expects to be drawn into remarkable events, Bloom. It's how a person responds to them that matters. And your response has won you the gratitude of a world."

Bloom decided to get straight to the point, wanting to head off his arguments for accepting such undeserved praise. "I don't want any award. I don't deserve it for just doing what I had to. It was a bad situation and I did things that I'm not proud of."

"I see." The mayor nodded sympathetically. "You're referring to killing the three witches. From the reports I've received, you didn't have much choice."

"That's beside the point." Bloom shook her head. "I ended that battle by killing them. I should have found another way. I know it's pointless to second guess myself, but I can't help feeling that I could have…should have done better." She knew Tyger would have supported killing them sooner, had she known what kind of threat they'd be, but Bloom couldn't think like that, wouldn't allow herself to think like that.

"Nothing I can do to change your mind?" The question surprised her. She'd been expecting to have to counter a number of arguments for going through with it.

"No." Bloom shook her head. "I appreciate the thought, but I can't."

The mayor nodded in understanding, deciding not to make the arguments he had carefully prepared. "Very well. Thank you for telling me in person and sharing your reasons."

"Thanks for hearing me out." Bloom nodded and rose. "I'm sure you have a lot more important things to do." She turned and left the office feeling, if not better, then at least surer of herself for having made the right decision.