So... recently a crazy idea popped into my mind - translating a book I wrote years ago and transforming it into an Sword Art Online fanfic... The idea might be horrible, it might be good, I won't be the judge of that.

Warning: this story will have absolutely nothing to do with canon and there will be none of the pairings you are used to (there hardly will be any pairings). Some characters might get a little OOC along the way, but I will try to keep them as authentic as possible.

I don't own Sword Art Online or any of its characters. I'm not that awesome.

"Keep in mind...

Imagination is a weapon!"

Prologue

"Kirito! Kirito wait!"

„If you're gonna dawdle like this, we're never going to make it back before sunset, and you know far too well, what my dad is going to do to us then!" I stopped urging my younger friend for a moment, to hop over a tree root poking out of the ground on the path in front of me. My unmanageable hair got in my eyes once again, obscuring the view of the fallen leaves and needles, shining golden in the last sun rays that had no trouble getting to the bottom of the forest through the almost bald trees.

But despite the omen of getting put over the knee, she seemed to be having quite a bit of fun. "But it was your idea to go and find the herd, so you should get the most of it!" she yelled after me, mimicking my little jump as she followed. Even without looking back, I knew she had a wide smile on her face.

"And who was it that didn't give me a moments peace because of 'the beautiful deer she saw in the morning'?!" I wanted to turn around for a second to stick my tongue out at her, but stopped in my tracks.

There was a noise, a rustle too unnatural and too contrasting against the sounds of the forest, to be simply caused by the wind playing with the branches. I immediately stopped in the middle of the path, causing a little cloud of dust to raise from it, and looked around. In the shadows of the trees I could barely make out the silhouettes of men. Armed men.

"Kirito!" from the panic in her voice, it was obvious, that she spotted them as well.

One glance around was enough to realize that I was surrounded. But even so, the first and only thought on my mind was her safety.

"Alice run!"

"But...!"

"Please listen to me at least this once and run!"

I wasn't able to say anything more. I heard some strange noise behind my back and suddenly, I couldn't breathe. The last thing I heard was Alice's voice, so heartbreakingly desperate that I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

"Kirito!"