The Day the Earth Stood Still

"Mommy! You look so beautiful!" Yui's sweet voice rang through the small back room as she hugged Asuna. It was not the first hug from her IRL now that they have access to the nano-bot technology.

The moment Asuna entered the chapel Yui left Asuna's eye gear's vision field and almost instantly appeared in front of her and that was the first hug. It took Asuna a moment to realize what was happening, that this was more real than their numerous hugs in game, that the technology wasn't just creating pressure but warmth to make it feel that much more like holding a real person.

Asuna's shock was nothing though compared to her mother's. When Yui hugged her grandmother for the first time IRL the mother of the bride lost her cool and calm composure, falling to her knees as she held Yui a little tighter and looking up at Asuna. "How is this possible? I thought I would have to go into one of your games to spend any time with her."

Asuna was also went to her knees and the three ladies held each other. "I'm guessing that Kirito has something to do with this." Asuna states.

Yui nods her head with a proud smile before explaining all of the hard work that has gone into making this moment possible. How Kyle and Kacey put everythin in motion to gather all of the nano-bots needed, and other equipment nescessary. When she finished Asuna and her mother stood, each holding one of Yui's hands as they walk towards the room where Asuna would put on her wedding dress, her mother spoke in a warmer tone than her typical. "I think I'm going to like him afterall." All Asuna's mother ever wanted for her daughter was someone who would spoil her, who would make her want for nothing, who would give her their world, and it became very clear to this woman now that that is exactly what Kirito was ready to do for Asuna.

The morning had gone by so fast and with such high emotions Asuna was glad to have a moment with just her and Yui. Somehow Kirito, Yui and all of their friends had pulled it together to have the wedding ceremony done at a church that had a large circular stain glass window in the back with a burst of rainbow glass pieces coming from the dove in the center. All night they set up hundreds of sensors and containers of nano-bots and a self guided drone inside the chapel so that Yui could be with them as much as possible without everyone having to wear eye gear.

Her mother paid for a beautician to come to the apartment they were staying to help with hair and makeup, which was a little too much since Asuna didn't want a lot of makeup and asked for her hair to be done in a big loose braid with little diamonds twisted into the creases.

Now she was sitting at a vanity in one of the rooms of the church staring at herself in the dress she picked so many months ago.

"Thank you Yui. Do you think your Daddy will like it?" She asks as she pulls down one of her sleeves to get the loop around her finger to keep it all in place.

"I think Daddy might turn into a puddle on the floor when he sees you!" The little sprite giggled.

There was a knock at the door and the familiar voice of her mother. "Asuna, it's me. Oh—" upon seeing her daughter her breath left her for a moment. "You look— you look beautiful Asuna." She closed the door behind her as she approached Asuna with something in her hands. "Your grandmother gave me this on my wedding day." She said as she placed the heirloom in her daughter's hands. Asuna felt tears coming as she looked down at the beautiful silver hair comb covered in intricate flowers. "Thank you." She whispered as happy tears fell onto her lap.

"Enough of that." Her mother said as she choked back her own tears.

"Will you place it mom?" Asuna asked as she extended the precious piece of family history to her mother.

Her mother walked behind her and took the comb back. She found a spot at the top of her braid that looked suitable. As Asuna's mom pushed the brush into her hair she spoke in the warmest and most caring voice Asuna had heard from her since she was a young child. "I know we've had our differences in the past— I just want you to know that the way you've handled everything that you've been through— I'm very proud of you Asuna. You're going to be a wonderful wife."

She rested her hands on her daughters shoulders.

Suddenly a knock came from the door and as it slowly opens Asuna turns around to see Kouichirou and their father standing in the doorway. Her father is holding a beautiful, simply elegant, white bouquet and as soon as he sees his little girl he starts to cry, which brings out a sigh from his wife. Kouichirou walks to his sister and pulls her into a warm hug. "You're a vision Asuna." He pulls away, still holding her by her covered arms. "You ready to go get married to your husband?" He asks with a genuine smile.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the chapel, Kirito was standing in front of a mirror, alone in the room with just his thoughts. After he was dressed in his black suit he struggled for awhile to figure out the bow tie until finally just pulling up a video on his phone. He was lost in thoughts about the baby; when to tell everyone, wondering how they would all react to the news. He didn't care if they had a boy or a girl, as long as the baby is healthy. All he wants is to be a good husband and a good father and wondered if the lack of a dad in his life would make that more difficult.

There was a quiet knock on the door that pulled him away from his thoughts. "Kazuto. Is it okay if I come in?" The familiar voice of the woman he knew as mom filled the quiet room.

"Uh, yeah. Please do." He smiled before she came in. Her hands clasped in front of her face and she saw the little boy that she raised really had turned into a man.

"You look very handsome Kazuto." She rested her hands on his shoulders. "I'm so proud of you."

Kirito was stunned by her words. Not that she had ever been cold towards him, but he was still processing his concerns and questions about the baby and wondered if she would still be proud after she found out.

Suddenly a ring from his eye gear went off and when he put it on Yui was there in her usual attire. "Daddy!"

"Hi Yui, why don't you use the nano-bots in here so my mom can see you?"

His mom smiled as Yui appeared. "Daddy! It's time! You should go!"

Kirito stood at the front of the room after hugging all of his friends, even the guys, and thanking the group for making this all happen. His heart skipped when he saw Kouichirou escort his mother before sitting next to Amelia, knowing how happy it makes Asuna to see her older brother so at ease and in love.

Music started as the drone floated to its position at the back of the aisle. Big white flower petals and sparkles appeared to fall from the drone in a cascade and create a pile. Once the pile was big enough the large petals slowly shrunk until they were nothing but holographic sparkles and Yui rose from the petals at her normal height. The whole audience "awed" at her as she made her way down the aisle leaving a path of holographic sparkles and petals behind her.

Watching his little girl walking down the aisle in her stunning dress that made her look like a princess made his heart flutter with happiness, especially after seeing her like a demon imp for a solid month with a little preteen attitude on top of it, this moment was something he wanted to cherish forever. When she ran to him at the end of the aisle to hug him he gasped when he felt it. He felt the hug. "It worked. The nano-bots work." He whispered.

Yui looked up at him with a big smile and little happy tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes. "I love you daddy!" He was too stunned and choked up with emotions to respond right away. After a moment he finally risked it, and squeezed his daughter for the first time in real life as tears began to form in his eyes too now. He slightly bent so he could look her in the eye. "I love you too Yui." The first happy tear fell as she hugged her daddy again. Yui very suddenly turned around, her eyes wide with excitement, her voice a fake whisper. "Here she comes!" She pointed to the back of the aisle just as the music changed and the door opened to reveal the silhouette of Asuna moved behind the door to be met by her father waiting just inside.

His voice was a whisper as he straighten his posture."Wow." Kirito watched as the light from the windows caught every sparkle that was sprinkled across the lace that wrapped its way around her arms, sprawled across her chest creating a high neckline and spread out down the tulle skirt of her dress like hanging wisteria flowers. Kirito caught his breath as he watched her walking towards him, a confident smile over her whole face lit his heart ablaze and his face suddenly matched hers.

Her dress seemed to him like an extension of who she is for him. The high neckline and long sleeves keeping herself modest, wanting only him to see the beautiful creamy smooth skin with constellations of freckles he was happy to kiss and trace for the rest of his life. The classic lace and a line skirt with sparkles representing her desires to be his wife and mother to his children along with being a shining example of a woman who can hold her own. He felt completely at ease watching her make her way to him despite the increased pace of his heart.

When they met at the front of the aisle he couldn't stop from reaching for her cheek. Not even Lizbeth's fake coughing distracted him.

"I love you." He said, completely forgetting the priest beside them.

She giggled as she leaned her head into his hand. "I love you too. Let's get through the ceremony before you try to kiss me though, okay?

"Huh?" He shook his head and finally noticed the rest of the room again and the priest. He brought his hand back to his side. "Right. Let's do this." He smiled confidently.

They repeated the vows the priest gave them with giddy little smiles and as it got closer to the kiss Kirito unknowingly started to bounce on the balls of his feet. Suguha and Lizbeth groaned; Shino smiled softly; and Silica giggled.

The priest smiled, he has done over a thousand weddings and he knew when he was in the presence of a couple who were wholly in love with each other. Watching these two young adults as they exchanged vows, the priest felt he had no concerns about the longevity of their union. "Would the two of you like to say anything before we wrap this up?" He asks.

They both smiled and Asuna nodded before speaking, despite not planning out her words ahead of time she spoke calmly, letting the way Kirito was looking at her soothe any nerves and help bring out the words she needed to convey her love. "Kirito, it feels like I've been waiting for this moment my entire life." A low rumble of laughter came from their guests. "It sounds like an exaggeration, but it really does feel that way, and I think I know why. I think it feels that way because I know that I am going to love you for my entire life. Waiting to be your wife IRL, it's just a part of our forever together story. Today we get to start the next part, today is the beginning of our story as a family in the real world." Pink dusts both their cheeks at the subtle reference to their little secret that only Kouichirou and Yui know about still.

The blush on Kirito's cheeks never fades as he speaks, holding her hands only a little tighter, calmed by her smile and her bright caramel eyes. "Asuna, never in his wildest dreams did fourteen year old Kazuto Kirigaya think he would find someone to love the way I love you, much less inside of a game like SAO. You are one of the strongest, most resilient people I have ever met. You except everything this life has thrown at us with more grace than I thought possible. You are caring, thoughtful, and you cook the best food I've ever eaten." More laughter rumbles through the chapel. He looks over to Suguha and his mom with a sheepishly smile and mouthed a half hearted "sorry" their way before turning back to his bride. "You are more than everything I need, and I am so pumped to start this new adventure with you IRL."

"You may now kiss the bride." The priest even chuckled a little at the grooms excitement.

"Finally." His voice was a little too husky for anyone's liking before he pulled her close and kissed her.

They'd lost count of how many times they kissed years ago, but something about this kiss felt special. When their lips met it felt like the world around them stood still for this kiss.