November 27th, 2022

The journey back to the Town of Beginnings seemed longer than it had been before, and more draining. The adrenaline and anxiety to get them away from ground-zero as quickly as possible must have folded the hours together. Now, they had to experience the painfully uncomfortable distance with clearer heads; leaving Harry to stew in his thoughts.

Harry had kept his dubiety of his well being to himself even when he'd watched every hour on the clock, counting down the seconds like one of perverse birthday. Only instead of waiting to get a year old, he'd been waiting to die. Harry wasn't about to sleep through that, he had to face it up front, to greet it.

Dudley didn't need to know that, the way he had panicked when he had woken up alone was enough for Harry to try and protect him from it. Ready acceptance of death tended to concern people and they had things to concentrate on. (Even if his own focus was split with bafflement he couldn't help but feel. How was he alive? The question circled in his head. Logic dedicated from the news feeds that had been shoved mockingly under their nose, if people really were desperate enough to try and remove the NerveGear, then how was Harry still here? It didn't make sense.)

But Harry was still here, days later, and although false senses of securities often led to disaster, they didn't have time to wait it out. He could operate with what they had for the minute. Travelling was that for the day, breaking free of the Forest though, and getting closer to town hardly soothed the tension that had been quietly sitting between them.

There was less risk involved in passing through the Forest now with how much they've trained their levels had slowly been moving up. The simple red cursors for the mobs had lightened to a light pink; a distinction that said that they were now stronger than their foes. Or, at least some of them.

Dudley had also had the chance to experiment with his new class and the vocal skills he could use to either disable the mobs or get them to focus on him. It allowed Harry a greater range of movement and there had been less of a struggle as they collaborated. He hasn't entirely comfortable with it but Dudley had been reworking on his stats and it seemed safe enough from what Dudley had told him.

('So, what's this about a class?' Harry had made himself ask once he'd calmed down from Dudley's reckless stupidity. He'd been silent most of that day and although Dudley had tried to fill the gap made between them, there had really only been the one thing he'd become interested in in everything his cousin had said.

'Oh…yeah,' Dudley responded awkwardly as he turned to address properly Harry. 'Right, I guess I didn't get much of a chance to go into the classes involved in SAO. I - don't remember if I've already taught you about them before.'

Harry shook his head. 'Unless you're talking about hierarchy here then I'm pretty lost,' he admitted because although this has to do with gaming, Dudley's collection made him overly familiar with first person shooters and not much else.

Dudley snorted. 'Nah, nothin' like that,' he replied as he settled in for an explanation. 'Okay, right, so SAO is basically an RPG, yeah? This type of gaming is really all about being able to - live in what you're playing even if you have this whole other storyline going on.'

'Right?' Harry raised an eyebrow.

'Er…it's basically like having a job description or - a title,' Dudley attempted to articulate. 'It goes into this whole Career Path-thing you get here.'

Harry thought a bit about it even as he nodded his head. 'I see. Elaborate?'

'Er…okay.' Dudley shuffled closer. 'So, if someone chose to become a thief, they'd have a whole new skill tree open up to them. Like, being able to unlock things, like eavesdrop. Shit like that. Depending on how involved the classes are with the Cardinal, certain classes may get specialised items or be unable to unlock closed off ares.'

Worry had Harry flexing his hands. 'That sounds…dangerous.' The thought that a stranger could be able to listen into their conversations or break into where they were staying - it concerned him even if Dudley hadn't immediately understood why.

Dudley shrugged. 'A Protector is completely different but…I think it'll be really useful.'

Useful it had been. Dudley had only unlocked one skill from it yet but Harry could already tell they'd be able to do a lot with it, even if Battle Cry would bring Dudley more attention than Harry would want it to.

It'd been a bit tricky to figure out and Harry hoped that as Dudley got the hang of his class. The "flavour text" and description wasn't overly informative and it was really all down to trial and error.)

So, even though they were out of potions and their health was nearly the half way point, it was easy enough journey with how much they were working to getting stronger. They still needed to be fast though, if they got swamped down then - well. They were making good time though, and the mobs were familiar to them now.

They were getting there even if reaching the city wouldn't soothe Harry's unease.

'…so, Safe Zones should still be completely - safe?' Harry had asked awkwardly in preparation for returning to the Town of Beginnings.

Dudley had shrugged, disquieted. 'I mean…it should be. It's not like they gain anything by removing them. I doubt mobs would spawn in safe zones anyway; that requires more than just removing a bit of code.'

'It's not the mobs I'm all that worried about,' Harry had admitted even if it was something Dudley probably wouldn't want to consider. Dudley couldn't be allowed to remain totally ignorant, it just wasn't safe.

'Well, it's not like anyone would do anything, right? I mean, this is - real now.'

'Dudley, you keep calling this an RPG. A roll playing game and…you're right. This is what it was designed for; this game was made to get human nature to fester. You do know human nature, don't you? At its most desperate, it's…' Harry took a breath as the Battle of Hogwarts, its event, all came rushing back. 'It's something we'll have to think about.'

'This isn't a game,' Dudley refuted with an expression that became more agitated.

'I remember the friendly fire you and your - clan -'

'That was different!' Dudley snapped.

'Games allow things like that, De!' Harry had snapped right on back. 'And this -'

'You're talking about PKing, right? Who the fuck would -'

'Yeah, who, indeed? Because murder is so rare for people to commit.'

'Choice -'

'Look, De. We agreed that I was the best at staying alive and I really want you to stay alive, so just…let me do that.' They'd stared at each other for awhile and maybe Harry was wrong, maybe Dudley was right and this wouldn't be allowed to occur but Kayaba had said how this "world" was up to their making, and that caused quite a bit of apprehension. 'If it's nothing then it'll be nothing but…'

'Right, fine,' Dudley had finally agreed, throwing his hands up in the air. 'Best offence, I get it, wizard. Let's just leave, please.'

It'd been obvious that Harry had just worn Dudley down but his cousin had kept it in mind for their journey. They'd only seen a few stragglers around and they had all been jumpy when they caught each other's gaze. The most common look had been untrusting or wary and Harry and Dudley had quickly been on their way.

There weren't many players but with everyone, when they sensed each other there was always an air of anticipation. Like the space between them was charged and Harry knew not to stay; he'd been in enough battle situations to know when he was coming a cross a hair trigger. Dudley, himself, seemed a bit unnerved by the encounters. A couple of players had seemed - fine, but they'd also been managing on their own.

Which was the main difference in making Harry approach a player, hugging his knees and all but hyperventilating just outside the city. Dudley had pointed in his direction though Harry had spotted the player just a moment before.

The sun was setting and the temperature had been steadily cooling for awhile. Getting dark and in the winter season, there would be a reason this huddle of shaking, thready breathing would be out here. It didn't take much for Harry decide to approach this one, stopping a few feet away and dropping on his knees to try and be as least intimidating.

'Careful,' Dudley whispered lowly as Harry inched forward.

'Hello?' Harry asks calmly and watches as the player's shoulders round. 'Are you alright?' It was a pointless question with an obvious answer, but sometimes it needed to be said, to show that you care, that'd you'd noticed.

The player's raises his face from the cage of his arms and looks up at Harry in this shattered way, which Harry recognises from Hogwarts and people dying and the survivors having to live with it.

First things first: the player's breathing is too fast. 'You need to try and calm down, take bigger breathes,' Harry states lightly and brings his hand up to hover over the stranger's shoulder. 'May I touch you?'

Wide blue eyes stare up at him and Harry looks at his face, about their age, European with messy brown hair that fell in uneven ends to his chin. More distinctive was the pink pigmentation that coloured the left side of his face, sort of like a birthmark though Harry wasn't positive on what it was with how long he'd been in Wizarding Britain.

Still, sometimes you just knew with people; knew by how they felt. This player was fine, safe. 'Pleaze,' the player whispers finally and Harry lowers his hand, squeezing the junction of the player's neck.

'Good, thank you,' Harry says as he kneels on the ground and Dudley comes by his side, crouching but far more tentative then he usually would be.

'You need to hold you breath for five seconds,' Dudley advised softly. 'Five second in and five seconds out, got it?'

Blue eyes glanced in Dudley's direction uncertainly but nodded vaguely and began to try and slow his breathing. 'That's it,' he praised and continued to, until the player had steadied themselves however exhausted he may feel.

'Better?' Dudley offered after a time.

'Bet'er,' the player confirms but his voice sounds dry and cracked. Harry absently wondered what his panic would have sounded like on the other end. 'You are English?'

Huh, Harry thinks as his mind grasps hold of a very familiar accent. 'Oui. Êtes-vous Français?' he asks, recognising the sound from Fleur but mostly, officials he'd spoken with.

'Choice?' Dudley asks in surprise but Harry does little more than smirk.

The player blinks. 'Tu parle français?'

Do you speak French?

Harry shakes his head apologetically. 'Pas tant.' Not much. Most of the French he knew he either remembered from Primary school or he'd picked up. He'd always had a knack for languages but that didn't make him fluent. 'Pouvez-vous parler anglais?'

Can you speak English? Harry could speak a bit but Dudley's limit would probably be "bonjour".

'I am not very good at et,' the player replies with some difficulty. 'But, I can. I am Arslan. What're your names?'

'Choice,' Harry offers even when his real name is on the tip of his tongue. He gestures with his hand to Dudley. 'That's Decha.'

'Hi,' Dudley says awkwardly.

''ello,' Arslan returns with a slow smile. 'Zank you for your 'elp.'

Harry shakes his head. 'Don't worry about it,' he responds, conscious to keep his words simple with Arslan admitting that he wasn't very good at English. 'Can I ask what was wrong?'

Arslan's face collapses in on itself and he curls around himself tighter. 'Er, you don't have to answer that if you can't,' Dudley cuts in uncertainly with some concern, something Harry would have never expected until he'd returned to the Dursley's.

'If something's happened -' Harry whispers back because if he was attacked or was in need to protection, it was something that he needed to know about if it was going to help but Dudley just shakes his head almost sternly.

'Can't force it,' Dudley states.

Arslan huffs on laughter that could also be described as a sob, but he puts a shaky smile on his face and Harry finds strength in that. 'You 'ave been out from ze city?'

'Left the first day,' Dudley offers grimly.

'I 'ad two friends with me from before. 'owever, zey disappeared. Someone 'ad taken zeir Nerve-Gears off…' he trailed off, sucking in a breath as he did so, eyes glazed. 'I do not know anyone elze 'ere.'

'I'm sorry,' Harry says because that's all anyone can ever say. Once someone died, they were gone and words were easy and could be empty but that was all anyone could give in the face of loss.

Arslan returns it with a short nod and when he continues, it is not about the friends he lost and Harry cannot blame him for that. 'It waz terrible 'ere; so much anger. So much fear. People -' his voice is thick and wet and Harry can't help but reach back out to one o fhis shaky shoulder. 'People 'ave been jumping off ze edge of ze city.'

Harry stills and can see Dudley's face morph into shock in his periphery. 'What?'

Arslan laughs but it is hysterical in sound, uneven. He may be a year older than Harry but he was still too young to have been forced to see this. 'Oui. Some t'ought et waz zome kind off joke and zat et would allow zem 'ome.'

'Some?' Harry repeats numbly.

'Ozzers were…' Arslan stops but Harry already knows. 'Et is not good to be back 'ere.'

'Don't worry about us,' Harry says.

Dudley nods. 'Yeah, you seem to need it more,' he states somewhat insensitively. 'What're you even doing out here? You're out of the Safe Zone, even if mobs don't tend to spawn this close.'

'…'I 'ave no one and zere ez power in numbers,' Arslan replies, seeming the apropos of nothing. 'I go to ze Guild Master. 'owever, ze waz no new guilds. So, I decided to try and 'elp players since…'

'Since?' Harry prompts, hearing the hesitance a mile away.

'I am a beta,' Arslan reveals with real fear in his voice. 'Ils étaient fous, pensaient que j'avais quelque chose à voir avec ça mais pas moi! Je ne le fais pas, je -'

'Arslan,' Harry interrupts as his brain spins trying to keep up with it all. 'I - that's a bit fast even if I could speak that much French. I…understood the basics -'

'Well I didn't,' Dudley who had failed his French, grumbles.

'No one was speaking to you,' Harry snipes back petulantly.

'I noticed,' Dudley responds.

Arslan snorts but the humour fades as soon as it came. 'Ze were mad zat I am a beta.'

Dudley blinked in bafflement that Harry shared; not entirely positive on what a beta was even if he'd heard the term thrown around a lot. It had never been fully explained, but Harry had taken it to mean an unfinished game.'Why? Having a beta around sounds useful.'

'Zey are -' Arslan flounders, hands twitching on his knees. 'Ah w'at iz ze word…soupçons…zey zink t'at we 'ad to 'ave known about w'at 'az 'appened.'

Dudley's lips purse and without a firm understanding Harry was fully ready to take Dudley's opinion on this. 'Pretty stupid if you're stuck in here with the rest of us. Didn't they think about how you're in the same situation?'

'No one ez zinking,' Arslan states nervously but there is relief in his eyes as he address them. 'Ze are all zo angry and…I am not very good at ze…ah, duels.'

Duels? Harry thinks absently.

'Well, Choice was right. Being a beta is usefully,' Dudley states.

Harry's gaze flickers to Dudley and he thinks they come to an understanding when Harry squeezes Arslan's shoulder again. 'Well, we're making a guild,' Harry says though they'd only briefly mentioned creating one; hadn't discussed it properly but… 'If you'd like, you could join with us.'

Arslan's eyes widen hopefully, mouth parted as he stares. 'Ez 'zat why you 'ave returned to ze city?'

Dudley grimaced at the reminder. 'More or less.'

Arslan frowns in confusion. 'More or less?' he repeats.

'Nous avons d'autres endroits où aller,' Harry elaborates, ignoring Dudley's huffs.

'Actually, we could use some of that help now if you're still offering after all that crap,' Dudley grumbles. Arslan tilts his head in askance. 'We need to find the courthouse but SAO's maps aren't very detailed and we don't want to be wondering round every alley.'

'Zat iz because zere iz the Cartograp'y skill for floor mapz, zey only give us ze basics,' Arslan says slowly and Harry cannot help but feel annoyed at this information. 'I can lead you to ze court'ouse… Zou, I am…curious why you need to go zere zo soon.'

'Nothing serious,' Harry reassures, with the knowledge that needing to go to the courthouse probably doesn't sound that good. 'We got - er…into a disagreement.'

'I got into a disagreement,' Dudley corrects with a grimace. 'I overreacted and…yeah.'

Arslan raises an eyebrow, humming in thought before he is nodding in decision. 'Okay, I will take you to ze court'ouse and…zen to the Guild Master?'

'Guild Master?' Harry repeats.

'You do want to make a guild?' Arslan asks for confirmation.

'To make a guild all official we'd need to visit the Guild Master,' Dudley explains before confusion can mount any higher since Harry had missed the finer details of this. 'We can do most of it through the menu but we need to make it official through the Guild Master, right?'

Arslan nods. 'Zorry, I forget what ozzers will and will not know.'

Harry smirks in amusement. 'That's fine. A lot of people will know more than me, but that'd be great,' he responds. 'Thanks.'

'He ain't joking either,' Dudley comments, nudging Harry playfully in the side as he swots him away. 'He isn't a gamer.'

Arslan looks back to Harry. 'Zan…I am surprised zat you are playing SAO.'

Harry shrugs. 'De's been trying to educate me.' Arslan face saddens but Harry doesn't want things to stall on that. He opens his menu and pretends not to see how Arslan startles. He's a bit slow, but he manages to send a friend invite which pops up in front of the frenchman.

Arslan's expression softens and something about him eases as he accepts only for another to appear after Harry's. He accepts Dudley's too with a small smile. 'Merci,' he whispers.

'Ne nous remercions pas,' Harry says which he hopes is don't thank us. Dudley stands then, brushing off his trousers which would have been just instinct before he is offering both of them a hand up. Harry takes it and waits for Arslan to accept the help too. Their on their feet in moments and after exchanging a look, begin the rest of the walk into the city.

Arslan takes another breath as they cross the gate and Harry begins to understand why; the atmosphere is poisonous, it doesn't take much to tell and Harry wishes they hadn't had to return so soon. He navigates Arslan between him and Dudley as the city unfurls around them and the tense silence tightens around them.

There weren't many players around but those who were, were either in shell shock, slumped where they stood or knelt against whatever was behind them. Harry wasn't if he preferred that to the ones who were openly aggressive. Aggression and fear didn't make a good mix and it was smart of Arslan to have left with it like this.

'Zis way,' Arslan directed quietly. He kept his head down as he leads them into the centre of the city, past the market and nearing the spawning point that they had all entered with. They get to the foundation unbothered.

'Wait, what happened to -' Dudley begins as they enter what had been the Room of Resurrection. Harry had spent little time in the interior with how crowded it had been but he can tell that there had been a major change in the architecture.

'Et c'anged after ze "tutorial,"' Arslan tells them and points to inscribed marble slabs running down the walls. 'Et 'as every name. Ze lost ones 'ave been crossed out.'

Wide-eyed, Harry feels vaguely sick and looks over the names - in alphabetical order, and notices quickly the ones that had lines through them, like a person will do to a mistake they had written, like something that shouldn't be there. He fought not to explode as he swallowed down the rage. There was nothing to do with it in here, he stored it instead, pushed it all down.

'Et ez ze Monument of Life now,' Arslan proclaims in disgust.

'Of life,' Harry hisses as he looks back to the names even as Arslan leads them on. He keeps his head straight, refusing to look around and instead focused on the door they were approaching at the very back of room.

'I guess et iz meant to be…' Arslan pauses. 'Er…ironique?'

'Ironic,' Dudley says faintly because the words sound similar enough and Harry was too busy trying not to lose his temper.

'Ah.'

His nails are not able to cut into his palm and Harry wishes they were. he could control pain in a way that he could not anger. Arslan didn't want to see and that was fair, sometimes it made things easier when you had to hold yourself together.

They reach the door and Arslan opens it for them. The staircase that greets them is long and minimalistic; very different to the one at the Inn. Dudley pressed his palm against Harry's back as he stared. He wasn't very good at just - going into places. The situation wasn't helping.

But Harry steps forward as Arslan begins to walk down with nary a pause. Dudley was at his back and that made it feel less like he was getting led to his death. That didn't mean Harry's heart didn't ease when they got to the bottom to a grand foyer, all wood and ancient furniture and warm colours.

Their eyes are drawn to the imposing desk in the corner. 'Zat iz ze registry desk. Go, money is given or you are sent to ze court,' Arslan says as he steps away and gestures to a seating area. 'I will wait for you right 'ere.'

Dudley nods and he's looking slightly nervous now so Harry has no qualms about following after his cousin. He sends a brief wave to Arslan who flops into one of the large leather chairs. 'It'll be fine,' Harry says quietly. Their footsteps echo and they're almost too loud for him.

Dudley looks at Harry but there is a stiffness to his walk. 'Yeah, cuz everything's gone so well,' Dudley counters.

Harry feels himself wince but doesn't get much of a chance to say anything else as they approach the desk. The receptionist was a boy between the age of seven to nine with dark eyes and hair, wearing what looks to be a very expensive three piece suit. The thing Harry took notice of though, was the fact the receptionist did not have a cursor.

'Hello,' Dudley greets awkwardly.

The receptionist glances up at them, head tilting back and smiles shyly. 'Hello, what can I help you with?'

Dudley hesitates as he glances at Harry. 'We're - I'm here to pay a fine.'

The receptionist nods without much care. 'Oh, of course,' he says as he glances to the paper work in front of him. 'You're early.'

Decha blinks. 'You…know me?'

The receptionist's eyes look back up. 'I know everyone. It's my job,' he affirms. 'You are early but we can add you to the list for today.'

'Excuse me, but what list are you talking about?' Harry asks, uncomfortable with the situation and Dudley getting into more trouble with the system. He wasn't sure how it worked and he didn't want anything to happen.

'Mister Decha, while a first time offender, still needs to go before the judge for his punishment. I doubt it will be that severe.' The receptionist ruffles through pages of blank, short parchment. 'Go through those double doors,' he gestures across to the opposite side of the room. 'There aren't many players in front of you.'

Dudley's fists curl in front of him and he nods curtly. 'Can - Choice come with me?'

The receptionist blinks. 'You do not require a witness for this infraction. You are here to receive the amount of your fine and either pay upfront or set up a payment plan with us. Your server partner can stay in the waiting room.'

'Server partner?' Harry parrots in confusion.

The receptionist's smile widens. 'Excuse me, I am able to read your account information. Our system allowed for dual usage. If players have a linked account I can see.' He looks between them and Harry can't determine if he is an NPC or a player. He felt unnatural either way. 'You both must be very close, please do not worry about him. Nothing will befall players here.'

Harry doesn't find much comfort in that, not with everything he can see and interact with created by a maniac. Dudley's face is scared too but he nods. 'I'll be back…later, then.' Dudley reaches out to clap Harry's shoulder but he quickly leaves for the double doors before Harry can say much more.

'I'll see you after,' Harry replies but he can't watch Dudley go for fear that it could be the last he sees of his cousin and he just can't think like that. Instead, he further positions himself in front of the receptionist since it is otherwise empty. 'Have you had many people - er, players come through here?'

The receptionist's expression falters for the first time since they'd seen each other. '…mass panic causes irrational behaviour. We are hoping the crime rates will drop in the following weeks.'

Harry finds himself frowning. 'Is the punishments the same for every…crime? Just fines?'

The receptionist's face settles into something solemn. 'Punishments the court is able to deliver is limited to our programming, however, the more severe the crime the more severe the punishment.'

A nice way to answer without saying anything at all.

'And…they all have to come in themselves down here?' Harry finds himself asking.

'…yes, but we do have a system in place to track down orange and red players that refuse to return here for their punishment,' the receptionist replies.

Harry finds himself raising an eyebrow. 'And what's that?'

'We have positions available to the players which allow them to act on the court's behalf.'

Harry blinks. '…why?' With what type of person had created SAO, he didn't expect something like that to be added to the system, it diminished its own power and gave players actual responsibility.

'Although Aincrad is inhabited with natives, Aincrad was created in order to for players to be self-sufficient,' the receptionist explains. 'Starting City has been fitted with a prison for players who prove themselves to be criminals, if this puts you more at ease and Judge Justice and her Court is capable in determining guilty parties.'

'But,' Harry prompts as curiosity grows.

The receptionist hesitates and Harry isn't going to push with this, he doesn't feel safe enough to but he'll wait it out. 'But the natives of Aincrad are not able to otherwise impede players. This is a world of choices, the Court may only stop criminal actions through other player choices.'

That wasn't what Harry had been expecting. 'Oh,' Harry says.

'We have classes to aid this if you would like to volunteer,' the receptionist offers but his tone has changed from overly kind to something more tentative, like he knows Harry will refuse. Maybe he has had this conversation before and it has gone badly.

These - classes sound important, fundamental to the function of the Court. Not everyone will come in for their punishment; a lot had been but it was the beginning and people's attitudes will become more lax when they discover how little power the Court actually has.

Still. Harry doesn't want that much control either, nor does he like the thought of working in the confines of something that has trapped him, that will kill him. He shakes his head. 'No…thank you,' he says. 'But…I appreciate the offer,' I think, he adds silently as he takes a step back from the desk.

'Please do return if you change your mind,' the receptionist says lightly before recommending Harry take a seat in the waiting room as he might be here awhile.

'…I'll do that,' Harry agrees before stopping short. 'What's your name?'

Maybe the receptionist is surprised but he answers readily enough. 'Aoi.'

Con/Textual Vomit: Okay, done! HAH! A new update! If anyone's confused about stuff please read the A/N from the previous chapter. Long story short: I've done a complete rewrite of the story. There's new content in every chapter, stuffs been moved and edited an I am very happy it is done.

It felt read writing for IRL again but here it is. Develops are here! You've got their first guild member (not all of them will by OCs but I hope some of you will understand why the majority will have to be.) Also, apologises for the French accent, I tried hard on it but I'm not great at writing phonetically. But, languages will be a huge deal in SAO, if I haven't mentioned that. A lot for players are gunna leave bilingual. survival is what survival does. There is also a reason Arslan's been made a beta, story related.

I'll have a character bio for Arslan by the next chapter (no, it shouldn't take as long). Also, I fleshed out out how the prison works and why Kirito would need to go out of his way to arrest the Titan's Hand like he had to in the anime. Hinting at future stuff hahaa

I doubt this was worth the wait but I hope you enjoy it well enough.

(Uploaded: 18/03/2018)

OZ