Railgun Online. Book 2, Fairy's Light

Healing.

"You broke my heart once!! Why did you have to do it all over again, by making me fall for you!?"

Those were Suguha's last shouts to Kazuto before she slammed the door in his face, crying. Kazuto felt ridden with guilt. He never even recognized Suguha as Leafa.. and here, he had hurt her so badly, he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to make up with her...

But the fact was, he still needed to find a way up the World Tree.. and he couldn't do it alone..

Kuroko Shirai wouldn't answer any calls.. He figured she was still enraged about the whole situation.. and the only one he knew wasn't either trapped in a Nerve Gear, angry at him, who could still help him.. was fighting an angry temper tantrum throwing esper..

And so who did he turn to for advice? What wise human being did he turn to for help?

"I have no idea why you think I'd be one to offer good advice." said Ruiko Saten as she sipped from her milkshake within the nice air conditioned diner.

Kazuto sighed from where he sat opposite Saten. "Well.. to be honest.. you did offer me some pretty good ideas before.."

"Yeah, about cooking and getting Misaka to go to that operation to get her wisdom teeth removed." said Saten. "I honestly don't know your sister, and Shirai is way too stubborn to listen to me.. even if I am her friend."

"But.. you're a girl!" said Kazuto. "You know... er.. girl stuff.."

"I know girl stuff?" Saten laughed. "Wow.. boys are that clueless huh?"

"Yeah.. pretty much." said Kazuto, chuckling along with Saten.

"Listen.." said Saten. "The most important thing you can do right now.. is give your sister some space.  Siblings get into these kinds of things all the time. You should see Misaka with her sister."

"Wait.. Mikoto has a sister?" said Kazuto.

"Well.. I don't see her often, she says she's the younger sister, but they look so much alike I think those two must be twins." said Saten. "She's got sort of a cool beauty personality, you should meet her sometime."

"Er.. yeah." said Kazuto. "Just wondering why she never mentioned a sister.."

"She never talks about her sister often." said Saten. "It's not just you.. anyways.. care to tell me what you're getting so wrecked up about? ALfheim Online is just a video game, and yet.. you seem to act like it's a soap opera. Heheh.. sorry.. just been seeing a lot of drama involved here.."

"Asuna.. I don't know how.. but.. she's in this game." said Kazuto. "It started when a friend of mine found a picture of her in game.. she's trapped in there.. and I know it's her.. because a certain somebody who I know would love to keep her trapped in there is a major face in RECT.."

"The company that owns ALfheim Online?" said Saten. "Oh dear.. wow.. that IS serious. I can see why Misaka decided to go in with you.. even though the very sight of a VR game scares her.. or used to.."

"What do you mean 'used to?' " said Kazuto.

"Well.. after she started playing." said Saten. "I think she's looked happier. I think that after she got over her initial fear of going back into that world.. she realized that something about SAO changed her.. "

"I see.." said Kazuto. "Yeah.. I mean.. after SAO, I can't stop thinking of myself as a swordsman.. and I guess after I went back to ALO.. I felt like a piece of me came back after I held a sword in my hand."

"Sometimes I don't think Misaka ever left SAO." said Saten. "And neither did you.. there's a part of you two still in there.. and Asuna as well.. it's only thanks to you that she managed to accept that and move on.. Kirigaya.. Shirai is just very overprotective of Misaka, and she knows you care for her a bunch.. don't take whatever she says personally.."