Sorry for the Slow Updates recently.. been bingeing on Akame Ga Kill and Monster Hunters 4 Ultimate.. firstly.. I love the whole twist where for once the story doesn't ship the two main characters together.. and secondly.. Mine is now one of my fav Tsunderes out there XD (She'll never be Mikoto though.. )

The prison in Zattaria near the Sword Academy was in an uproar.. or at least it was.. until over 90 percent of it's guards found themselves assaulted by flocks and flocks of crows.

"No.. NO NO!!" One guard yelled as he attempted to escape the massive murder of black birds overtook him and swarmed him like a black cloud.. pecking away at his flesh until only bones remained.. taking only seconds..

Sterben stepped over the bones.. his mask gushing out smoke as his black Estoc appeared in a shimmer. He felt his hip.. realizing that his gun wasn't there.. of course.. they had taken it..

"What a bother." Sterben said. "I guess I'm going to have to search for some new long range.."

"Don't be so down on yourself over a gun XaXa.." Johny Black said, walking out.. wiping the blade of his knife with a dirty cloth. "Took you months just to charge up enough of your strange power to overcome the restrictive programming of those bonds.. we should just be glad of our freedom.. "

"Where's PoH gone to?" said Sterben. "If he doesn't mind.. I think I'll go on a killing spree."

"He's doing his own thing." said Black. "But.. I find it strange we haven't run into any Integrity Knights by now.."

Sterben chuckled. "Whatever.. less trouble for us.. or.."

'You're going to take a stroll in the Cathedral aren't you?" said Johny Black.

"What can I say?" said Sterben. "I always wanted to kill an Integrity Knight."

______________________________

Alice and Mikoto circled each other for a moment..

"Well.." said Alice. "Come at me Criminal.. What are you waiting for?"

"That." said Mikoto pointing behind Alice.

"What?" Alice almost turned to look at what Mikoto pointed to, right before Mikoto lunged forward, and the Master Sword's blade clashed with the Fragrant Olive Sword's blade.

Alice gritted her teeth and knocked Mikoto's blade back. "Using dirty tactics won't work on me!"

"Nice to know!" said Mikoto with a grin. "That'll make this more fun!"

"Fun?" said Alice coldly. "You are one strange criminal."

Alice struck back with a few vicious blows of her own. As Mikoto blocked Alice's blade.. she began to do just as she did with Hei-Long.. getting a feel for Alice's dance and style and fighting in tune with it..

From what she could devise.. Alice was at least as skilled as Yuuki, which was a real problem considering Mikoto had never been able to beat Yuuki in a fair fight.

But Mikoto had also grown more skilled after 2 years in the Underworld, honing her skills. She and Alice clashed and struck.. webs of steel flashing around them as they slashed and hacked through the courtyard.

Mikoto lunged forward, deciding to try a little something different, activating a powerful Vorpal Strike, aiming at Alice's chest. Alice parried the strike easily, only to find as she knocked Mikoto's blade aside, that Mikoto was already flipping back, aiming a powerful uppercut kick at her jaw.

Alice was thrown back by the force of the kick , and as she used a hand to wipe the blood from her jaw. "Your style is like that of a brute."

"Really? I always figured it was more like a hippo on ice.." said Mikoto. "First it spins.. then it's entire body weight smashes down on you and you fall through the ice! Boom!"

Alice's jaw dropped slightly. "A hippo on ice.. really!?"

Mikoto lunged forward, chuckling as she hammered a few more powerful slashes against Alice's blade. "Don't pretend you didn't find that funny!"

Alice's sword glowed as she countered back with vicious horizontal Sword Skill, one which Mikoto ducked and countered, coming up with an uppercut Vertical skill.

Alice blocked the Vertical.. and the two glowing blades clashed once more as more sword skills collided with each other.

Mikoto used her superior speed to suddenly flash up behind Alice, activating a common Sword Skill she used in duels back on ALfheim.. Velocity Crush.

The 6 hit combos became like super quick gleaming flashes 2 uppercuts, one side slash and one- two- three blows at either side of the body, as Alice blocked the blows just barely.

"You spar like a monkey trying to fetch his bananas as fast as it can." Alice said coldly, jumping back.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mikoto could see Eugeo start at those words.. Kirito did too.. as if he were struggling to remember something.. but.. what?

"You spar like a monkey trying to get it's bananas super fast.." said the 9 year old Eugeo, holding up his small wooden sword and pointing it at Mikoto as she sat on the ground, crying slightly.

"It's not my fault you keep beating me!" Mikoto sobbed. "You meanie Eugeo! "

"You're the one who said she wanted to be a guard when she grew up too!" said Eugeo, frowning, not knowing what to do with Mikoto's sudden tears. "The least you can do is learn to spar!"

"And the least you can do is to not hit so hard!" Alice scolded.. coming out of the church the two had been sparring next to, wearing her full nun's outfit and grabbing Eugeo's ear, pouting a little angrily.

"H-hey Alice!! She wanted to do it though!" Eugeo complained.

"And she hasn't been spending her life sparring with Kirito like you have." said Alice. "Honestly... you're such a kid.."

"But we are kids.." Said Eugeo with confusion.

"Mikoto!? Why are you crying?" Kirito came out of the church, putting down his half eaten bean bun and running over to check on his sister.

"It's nothing Nii-san.. nothing.." Mikoto muttered "I'm not crying.. I'm sweating from my eyes.."

"That's called crying." said Eugeo.

"SENSITIVITY!!" Alice yelled, whapping Eugeo on the back of the head with a head slap. "Learn it.. breathe it.. and maybe one day.. you'll ask Mikoto out and she'll actually go out with you!!"

Eugeo blushed red. "Y-you promised not to tell!!"

"Eugeo likes me?" Mikoto stammered.

"Uhhh.." Alice seemed to realize her mistake and tried to quickly change the subject. "So.. my mentor's letting me off early today! I was thinking I could show you three some new Sacred Art I managed.. a Sacred Art for increasing the > of food"

Mikoto was shaken out of the sudden memory by a whirling golden blade.. and she barely blocked the Fragrant Olive Sword before it cleaved her head in two.

Alice was panting wildly, as if she had just had some sort of sudden vision of a sort. It was as if the more they crossed swords.. the more something was digging back some sort of repressed memories that were smudged out long ago.

Mikoto shook herself and went on the attack once more, starting with a Snake Bite, then finishing off with Horizantal and 3 point Strike.

Alice was forced to make multiple complicated maneuvers to completely block all the strikes.

Mikoto suddenly struck fast, using her blade to neatly cut off a lock of Alice's hair as she barely dodged, causing Alice's eyes to widen with shock.

"Your moves.." Alice said as she moved with swift speed, not hesitating in the slightest upon her strikes. "They're changing!"

"Well what do you expect?" said Mikoto. "You're the one leading in this dance."

"Dance?"

Mikoto dove straight in.. feeling herself understand Alice's cuts and attacks more.. her defense.. the way she parried.. the way the steel clashed against steel.. even striving to understand the Fragrant Olive Sword.

She wanted to understand.. this person she didn't remember.. she wanted to remember her.. Even when memories were repressed.. the blade didn't lie.. the blade always held what was left.. that was what she believed.. and that much.. was what she needed to keep going on

Mikoto closed her eyes.. and took a deep breath.. as Alice performed a feint and made to attack Mikoto's shoulder..

There was a burst of sparks and a glowing blade flashed as Mikoto knocked Alice's blade away from her shoulder.. a move that should have been near impossible to avoid.

Alice's eyes went wide with surprise as Mikoto suddenly went on the attack, her eyes closed the entire time.. timing her strikes so well.. that she began to slowly push Alice back with skill that was never before seen.

"How!!?" Alice exclaimed, as she could barely keep up a counter defense. "HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS!?"

"I'm just dancing.." Said Mikoto serenely as she became a complete blur.. bobbing and weaving in 360 degree combos all around Alice.. using her blade with complete ease and flowing skill.

"Dancing!?" said Alice..

But it was true.. Mikoto remembered all the steps that Alice took.. all the strokes.. she remembered the keys to her dance.. the tune.. the melody.. and she followed it.. letting the rhythm and pattern guide her as she continued her incredibly graceful attack.

That is.. until Alice decided to change the tune..

Alice's eyes turned cold and bright as she suddenly became much faster, her blade glowing with terrible brilliance as she activated a powerful 4 hit combo.. the last slash being so fast, she was able to slash a cut across Mikoto's chest.

Mikoto opened her eyes in surprise, and jumped back as Alice came down on her hard, displaying a brilliant set of moves and skill that wasn't displayed earlier on in the duel.

The Master Sword and The Fragrant Olive Sword grinded harder against each other now... causing brighter sparks to fly out.. and shockwaves to radiate from between the two blades.

"REGAL SMITE!!" Alice activated a glowing red combo.. slashing 2 strikes against either of Mikoto's shoulders.. forcing her to bring her blade up high.. the moment that happened.. Alice whirled around, crouching low and sending a stabbing strike right into her gut..

Blood flew.. and Mikoto coughed out blood before being sent crashing straight through a rose bush and exploding through a wall from the impact..

"MIKOTO!!" Eugeo drew his sword.. and so did Kirito.

"NO!!" Mikoto's voice came out. "I'm not through yet.."

Alice sighed. "It's time you gave up.. I was going easy till now because I wanted to assess your skill. .but now I've moved to my full approach.. you won't beat me.."

"I know.. " Mikoto muttered.. as she felt around in the darkness of the room she had been thrown into.. wiping blood from her forehead. "You're much more skilled then I am.. you've spent.. the past 7 years.. since you left.. honing your skill.. and the longest I've worked on my swordsmanship is 4 years.. and even then.. I'm not as good as Kirito.. but.. I'm not here to beat you.."

Mikoto came out of the dark.. she had hastily changed her clothing.. pulling whatever she found from inside the room.. now wearing a long gold coat with a black inner zipper shirt that only went down to her midriff. black shorts.. and a set of large golden belts.. and a colorful glass ornamental flower was in her hair.

"That's.. the Valkyrie Armor." Said Alice incredulously. "I-it's only given to the strongest female Integrity Knights!! But!! Nobody could possibly wear that!!"

"Wear what?" said Mikoto. She looked down at herself. "Oh.. when did this come on!?"

"It.. automatically bonded itself to your System ID?" said Alice. "It chose you!? Now.. I refuse to believe it.. how dare you go against the Integrity Knights! How dare you pervert Divine Instrument you wear upon you!!!"

Alice let out a vicious battle cry as circles of bright light appeared on the floor beneath her..

"SYSTEM CALL!! INCREASE UNIT'S SPEED AND DURABILITY NUMBER TO RIGHT!!"

Alice's blade glowed as sizzling power began to flow through her body and into the Fragrant Olive Sword.

She shot at Mikoto with unbelievable speed.. her blade grinding a thin fissure through the ground before colliding with Mikoto's own blade.

A massive shockwave shook the courtyard, causing rubble to be thrown up from the sheer impact.

"Damn." Mikoto growled as she pushed back with all her might. "Well.. I'm terrible at Sacred Arts myself.. but.."

Mikoto's blade exploded with lightning as she activated her Esper Abilities. "I can still even the playing field!!"

The two combatants became vicious quick blurs on the battle field.. their blades vibrating against each other as the electrically charged blade collided with the glowing hot blade..

As Mikoto lashed out at Alice.. she began to notice her stamina rising.. getting higher and higher.. allowing her to exceed her limits in speed.. was it.. the Valkyrie armor?

Alice's dance was becoming more aggressive in Mikoto's eyes... and it was becoming harder to judge and calculate her movements.. which meant Mikoto would have to get more creative.

Mikoto ducked a stabbing strike from Alice and shot in close.. while concentrating her power. Massive spears made of Iron Sand rose out of the ground behind her and shot down at Alice.

Alice was forced to deflect all the incoming spears with a flurry of her blade as Mikoto sped in behind her and imbibed her blade with as much Electricity as she could. "ELECTRIC FURY!!!"

Mikoto activated the 30 hit combo with vicious speed.. smoke, lightning and sparks ripped through the air.. causing the very air to smell of Ozone as Mikoto screamed and unleashed all her power at once on the final 30th strike...

Alice's eyes widened as her golden blade was chipped slightly and slowly, the Master Sword began to cleave through it..

Alice gritted her teeth, as her Sacred Art boosting her power was torn to it's limit. She pushed her blade back.. against Mikoto's.. and the Master Sword's blade began to crack as well..

"Looks like..." Mikoto panted.. "We're.. reaching.. our limits here.. My blade is in pain.. but she doesn't want to stop.. and I think your blade is screaming the same too.."

"Why.. why do you go against the Integrity Knights?" Alice asked. "What is your motive!? Why do you stand against the law!?"

"It isn't law I stand against!" said Mikoto. "It's my friends I stand FOR.. and right now.. the law is holding one of them prisoner!! And if I have to fight the law to free her! I WILL!"

"Who is this friend that is so special you would forfeit your freedom and your honor as an Elite Swordswoman for her?!" Alice exclaimed.

"SHE'S STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!" Mikoto overpowered Alice's blade.. knocking it aside.. she could hear the Master Sword yell out triumphantly in her mind as the Fragrant Olive Sword stammered out with incredulity of having been beaten.

Alice fell to the ground from the resulting electromagnetic shockwave.. and Mikoto pointed her blade's point down at Alice's throat. "It's over.. I won.. Alice Schuberg..."

"I... am Alice.. Sythesis.. 30.." Alice muttered.

"I know who you really are.." Mikoto said. "the memories are coming back little by little.. to both of us!! To Kirito and Eugeo too!! We all know each other!! Come on Alice!!"

"All I know.. is that you criminals aren't making it any further.." Alice said weakly.

As she spoke.. from the walls above the courtyard, archers appeared aiming their bows down and firing their arrows upon them..

"I ordered them.. to fire if I was taken down!" Alice groaned. "I will sacrifice my life for this land.. I am an Integrity Knight!"

"MOVE!!" Kirito dashed to Mikoto.. deflecting arrows with his black blade.. but just as he got close.. shadowy tendrils burst out of the ground.. pulling him down.. in the shadowy puddle he sank through.. Dusk's mask appeared.. emotionless unfeeling.. trying to swallow Kirito in it's darkness.

"KIRITO!!" Sinon aimed her gun at the black tendrils and fired bullets of burning golden light.. severing the tendrils and causing Dusk to hiss with pain before sinking away into the floor.. leaving Kirito alone..

Sinon ran over to Kirito, with Eugeo close behind.. but just as Sinon reached Kirito's area.. the ground began to rumble.. the powerful clash between Mikoto and Alice had caused the entire area to destabilize.. in a few short moments.. the floor crumbled into a hole.. and Sinon and Kirito both fell through before they even had a chance to react..

"KIRITO!! SINON!!" Eugeo roared.. only making it in time to see the floor close up and repair itself.. right as the entire side of the wall and floor where Mikoto and Alice were also crumbled to pieces.. sending them flying over the edge of the massive round tower cathedral.. hurling to the city below..

And the walls and floor repaired themselves once more.. leaving Eugeo standing alone in the courtyard..

"Who are these people..?" Alice whispered to herself.. as she felt herself falling through the sky.. "Who are these criminals.. that would defy the Integrity Knights?"

As she thought of this.. a large scene appeared before her.. she saw a village before her.. a quiet happy village.. and three children were standing before her..

"Come on Alice!" said Eugeo happily, saluting her. "Do you have to keep on wondering about why we were trying to save you? We're your friends!"

"Stop being a stranger!" said Kirito. "Let's go home already! Selka's been waiting for you with food hot off the stove!"

"Alice!" said Mikoto. "Don't let go of us.. please! Just keep holding on!!!"

"DON'T LET GO ALICE!!!" The image suddenly changed.. showing Mikoto holding out her hand desperately. "HOLD ON PLEASE!!!"

"Mikoto.." Alice murmured, a tear trickling from her eye.. "You always were hiding behind your brother.. never liked being selected as a Priestess.. but.. you always made me smile.."

"DON'T LET GO!!" Mikoto screamed. "OPEN YOUR EYES FOR PETE'S SAKE!!"

Alice's eyes opened wide.. to find herself hanging by her arm, with Mikoto clutching onto her hand as she hung onto the hilt of her sword that was stabbed into the wall of the towering cathedral..

The two of them were dangling over the city of Zattaria far below.. a couple of low flying clouds wisped past..

"H-hey.." Mikoto groaned. " Been yelling for like forever.. usually.. I can just used my power to stick to walls with static.. but.. it seems like something in this building prevents me from doing it.. come on.. help me think here.. I can't hold onto this forever.. and I think my blade is shifting a bit on the wall..."

"Y-you saved me!?" Alice stammered. "But... Mikoto! Why!? Why would a criminal save me!? You're a criminal!! You.. shouldn't.."

Mikoto suddenly smiled, and laughed.

"Wh-what's so funny!?"

"You called me Mikoto just now.." said Mikoto. "Like you know me.. you feel it don't you.. the memories.."

Alice's face twisted in pain.. as flashes of images rippled through her mind.. and as this happened.. a strange prism appeared in front of her head.. phasing into her head..

PROGRAM ERROR.. PROGRAM ERROR..

Alice's vision went red as this appeared within in her eye.. She clutched her eye in pain.. memories flooding through her.. blood dripping through her fingers... "M-Mikoto.."