//------------------------------// // March 4 - 119 Days Trapped // Story: EQG:SAO - Aincrad Asides // by Mindrop //------------------------------// Real world — March 4 - 119 days trapped inside SAO Kikuoka sat in the visitor chair in Sunset Shimmer's room. For whatever reason, he was drawn to Sunset Shimmer the most. It was late, well outside visiting hours. He left to go back to Japan in the morning, but he couldn't tear himself away after his final check in earlier in the day. He just took up residence in the chair. The footsteps coming down the hall were not a nurse's. They walked differently, more rushed. The footsteps came into the dark room. Kikuoka watched as the girl, Starlight Glimmer, walked in. She didn't see him sitting there. He almost said something, but then curiosity got the better of him. She had the same book with her, but she also had an interesting contraption with her. She pulled a plug out and moved to attach it to either Sunset Shimmer or the NerveGear. Kikuoka coughed and she jumped with a yelp. He didn't get up or even move. She had to settle down before she approached the end of the bed and stopped there. "I can't let you do anything with them," Kikuoka stated. "As much as you might be helping them, we can't risk it. Trying to run diagnostics on them while diving isn't safe. We barely understand the science of virtual reality." "Of course," she replied. "I understand. I just want to understand more of what they actually are. I don't even have a NerveGear rig to work on. They were recalled for destruction before I could get my, er, hands on one." "And why should you have one?" Kikuoka asked. "You are a teenage girl, in school. You have no special skills or discernible reason to be given that authority." He knew the statement hit a nerve. He had meant it to. She was back, and he wanted to know who she was. He was going to be leaving, and then she could do anything, so he wanted to make sure he could leave them here in relative safety. "I," she stuttered. "Let's start with your name," Kikuoka stated. She blushed. Despite the dark room, it was clear that she was blushing and that she knew she was caught. It was up to her to make the next move. "You wouldn't understand," she said. "It's not something I am sure you have the understanding or authority to know. Or that I can trust you." It was a good retort. She threw his own accusation back in his face. She was smarter than most. She was special. Kikuoka was certain they were not clones, although that was the most logical answer. Cloning technology wasn't that far yet. And that was ignoring the ethics of cloning. To be a clone of her age, it would be a feat that would not have happened silently. He decided to play a card from his hand to gain her trust. "Miss, my name is Kikuoka Seijirou. I work for Japan's Ministry of Internal Affair, in their Telecommunications Bureau, Advanced Network Division, Second Office, which is otherwise known as the Virtual Division. In terms of authority, when it comes to the victims of SAO, I am almost at the top. I answer to a few direct people. My classification level is always 'need to know.' If I need to know, I get to know. And I don't spill secrets. That is, at this time, all I can state." She moved over to stand beside him and then lean against the wall. Her voice was low to keep them from being overhead. "How much do you know about quantum theory? The physics or mechanics of it." "That is not a specialty of mine," Kikuoka replied. "I understand a good deal though. The bureau is working on quantum computing. I understand what is being done, but not necessarily how. I do understand the outcome and its implications." "Well," she said, stalling out. "Well, my name is Twilight Sparkle. But, unlike you, I am not from here. The world I come from, we don't have this science and technology." She paused, taking in a deep breath. "We have magic. And I was hoping to bring something back to try and understand how it all works, and then circumvent the system." "Magic?" Kikuoka said with a slow nod. "Interesting. Oddly it is comforting to know that you don't have the technology we do. I hate to admit it, but I can't help but believe your world is a threat to ours." "We can't march an army through the portal," Twilight Sparkle clarified. "I can't even get a cell phone through the portal. It turns into a book! Or a notepad! And when I bring it back it turns into the phone again. No data lost. "I can't get a WiFi signal through the portal either, but our magic has leaked over here in a few ways. It is difficult to explain and all incidents have been isolated to around the area here. The girl's are connected, minus Poly Stitch, to it." "Their necklaces," Kikuoka said. "Yes. But we don't know much about how it functions in this world. Although, it doesn't seem to be helping them at all. I'm not even sure how cognitive it is." "You are a magician then?" Kikuoka asked. "Yes," she said with a nod. "And a princess. I'm...well there are social and hierarchical structural differences between worlds that don't matter. What matters is that I am an important magician. And them being my friends doesn't help any either. It only makes me feel helpless." "That is because you are," Kikuoka bluntly said. "Unless your magic can do something for all the players, you are. Let me reciprocate and explain what we know." "Location and time stamp data we can access from the game tells us that they are all together, including Poly Stitch. Sunset Shimmer goes by the name of Bladescape. Applejack by the name of Backbreaker, Pinkie Pie by the name of AFCK, Fluttershy by the name of Doombunny, Rainbow Dash by the name of Thunderborne, Rarity by the name of Diemond with an E not an A, Poly Stitch by the name of Astro, and Twilight Sparkle by the name of Knightstar. That is knight as in the warrior, not the sky." She giggled. "That sounds like something I would name myself." Kikuoka smiled a bit. Her attitude was brightening his day. "We also know that about a month after, they picked up three other players: Kiefer, Lessa, and Joltron. The 11 of them have been given a tag of WCS. They are in a guild together. They also are working adamantly to clear the game. "My point for telling you this is simple. If you free the 8 of them, they will leave 3 of their close comrades behind, stuck in the game. Any magic that may be here, unless it frees everyone, it will only make things worse. How do you explain to a world watching that 8 miraculously awoke, while over two thousand have died? How do you justify saving them, and leaving the friends they have made in the game stuck there? Will they be okay with that? I doubt it. Both because of how well loved they are by their fellow students, and knowing how hard they seem to be working to clear the game. It also is unsafe to eject players one by one, unless we know they are out of danger. If a party of 6 is fighting monsters, and suddenly one is ejected, that leaves 5 to fight. That may result in a death, or multiple deaths, because they lost the support of their battle buddy." "I see," Twilight Sparkle replied solemnly. "I never thought about it that way." "It is not your fault. You don't know how this stuff works, just like how I don't know how magic works. Unfortunately, that still leaves both of us in the position of being stuck, unable to do anything. And even if we could, your friends are a low priority. They are strong and although they face challenges and the reality of death everyday, we have younger kids of ages down to 11 stuck in there. They had parental permission to play that young. There are others, of varying ages, who are to afraid to leave the starting city, and some to even leave their room. They would be our priority." "I understand," Twilight Sparkle said. "If there is a way with magic, there are others in worse condition and I would have to use it to free them first. That is the clear morality of the situation, something both our worlds share." "We also don't know the mental state of these players," Kikuoka continued. "Pulling them out suddenly could cause mental health issues, even deteriorating their brain because we would be ripping it out of one reality and into this one, with a different body. We don't know if that will cause a problem or not. "I don't want to discourage you, but I can't let you act without understanding what you are working with." "I appreciate that," she replied, a slight smile on her lips. "It is good to know where they are and that they seem to be doing well. I will keep that in mind, and not speak of it. Those secrets are safe with me." Kikuoka smiled back. "I will get you a NerveGear. I just need to know where to send it." "Send it to Principle Celestia at Canterlot Highschool. I can pick it up there. I must admit, I am curious how it will transfer over as. The shock of being ejected was not something I had calculated for. Running them all through the portal isn't a guarantee. It could put them in a coma and worse off from it. At least now, I know they have a fighting chance to escape." "Exactly how we are forced to see it as," Kikuoka replied. "And your secret is safe with me. I do trust that you will contact me if there is a solution." "Of course. Just leave your contact information with us and I will." Kikuoka pulled out a business card. "Here is all you need to contact me. Leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible. However, I am not always directly available. I have various jobs I do. "Now, what can you tell me about this portal?" She rolled her eyes, remembering what he had said earlier. "It is only open at certain times, with years in between openings. I have a way to artificially open it, but I can shut it down at a moment's notice. Plus, it is only big enough to send one individual through at a time. You can't invade us and we can't invade you." "Are you certain it is another reality, and not another planet?" Kikuoka asked. "I," she started, but then stopped and thought. "I don't know. But the fundamentals of both worlds seem too different to be as simple as different locations in a galaxy. We raise and lower our sun and moon on a daily schedule." "That severely reduces that theory's likelihood," Kikuoka admitted. "I leave in 8 hours for my flight home. I believe that you are not a threat to them and their safety, or the safety of the other eight thousand players. None of what we spoke about will be reported to my superiors. I don't know when I will be back either. I am going to wait the rest of my time out here, in the hospital, watching over Sunset Shimmer. I have no idea why I am drawn to her over the others, but I am." "I am going to go home," Twilight Sparkle said. "All the way. I look forward to getting the NerveGear. But for now, I will rest and think on what you have said." “One final question,” Kikuoka asked. “Your fingerprints. Are they the same as Twilight Sparkles?” “No,” She replied with a grin. “The implications of that are fascinating. But the short answer is that our fingerprints are quite different. I also don’t know a formula to convert ages. It appears that while the portal is in sync between worlds, the structures used to measure time are not. But all timing devices I have taken between worlds change to match the location. I haven’t had time to sort that out yet. I only just started that project the other day, when you arrived and I discovered the potential age discrepancy of Sunset Shimmer.” “Thank you,” Kikuoka replied. “I would like to say I want to visit your world, but I am extremely busy taking care of this one. There just wouldn’t be the time with all I have going on. I do more than the task force. That is a, side job of sorts. Official side job.” “I have responsibilities I have to do back home as well," Twilight Sparkle admitted. "Quite a lot since I am a princes. My trips here are disruptive, but I can’t avoid the responsibility I have to this world and to my friends. I have a way to instantly communicate between this world and mine, through a magical journal. I have given several out, so that they can write any changes or reports to me that I need to know. I will always be close by.” "That is good to hear," Kikuoka replied with a smile. She left and Kikuoka kept a quiet eye on Sunset Shimmer until he had to leave for the airport. They were in capable and loving hands, and it was comforting to know that. The time came where Kikuoka had to leave, At this point, his world was defenseless and with Equestrian Magic on the loose, there was no telling what would happen. But with a magician of her power keeping a close eye to protect this world as well, he felt secure.