Sword Art Online: A New Beginning

[Mega90]

The scowl on Rimaru’s face deepened.

“That’s one way to put it, yeah. If you ask me, it’s an insult that she is even considered to be a member of the guild, let alone given the rank of Princess of Crestfallen. She has no business being associated with the guild in any way.”  

[Zarkon90]

Amara frowned slightly.

"Yamen seems to trust her and sees value in her."  

[Mega90]

“So what, are we just supposed to screw the rules that everyone else had to follow because Yamen thinks it’s a good idea? Or are we just going to let anyone and their cousin into the guild now?” His tone was angry and exasperated and he raked his fingers through his hair.  

[Zarkon90]

Amara sighed and shook her head.

"I brought up the same questions to Yamen about her, but he said he saw something in her. If she proves herself and can stand up to holding the title that she has been given then I see no reason why she can't stay. However if she doesn't prove herself to be Crestfallen material then I will personally see her removed. I won't stand for the guilds reputation being ruined on principal, but for now it is Yamen's will to have her here so that is where she will remain."  

[Mega90]

Rimaru took a heavy breath in before letting it slowly escape.

“She has no business being in the guild in the first place, but if he wants her to stick around, that’s on him. She doesn’t deserve the title of Princess of Crestfallen, though. There’s only one who should have that name….” His voice trailed off and a look of momentary sadness overcame him.  

[Zarkon90]

"I can't really speak to that. I joined only a few weeks before she left. I never really knew her but I know a lot of people here thought highly of her. I don't expect nor do I ask that you acknowledge this new girl as princess but if you interact with her, treat her like you would any new member. I agreed to let her prove herself which I will do, regardless of if I may fully agree with the decision or not. But I won't make her try to prove herself while fending off peoples attacks constantly. That isn't how new members are treated and though she isn't a normal recruit, she is still here and deserves the same treatment as anyone else."

Amara's tone was calm and neutral, masking her feelings, whatever they may be, perfectly.  

[Mega90]

Rimaru seethed and clenched his fists.

“Fine, whatever. Bottom line is she isn’t Crestfallen material, so there’s no way she will make it here anyway. I wouldn’t be surprised if she isn’t out of the guild by the end of the week.” He took another deep breath, calming his anger slightly. “I just can’t wait to hear what Yamen is going to say at the guild meeting tonight.”  

[Zarkon90]

Amara glanced to the side, muttering softly to herself.

"As do I.."  

[Mega90]

Rimaru turned his back to Amara and walked away. From the stories that Amara had heard, Yamen and Rimaru had once been very close. If there was to be any sort of group content that the guild was going to do, the two of them would group together. That all changed, however, when the former Princess of Crestfallen left. The exact details had never made their way down to Amara’s ears, and previous to this point, she had never been interested enough to ask. However, a twinge of curiosity now pulled at her as to the nature of their former Princesses departure, and the relationships she had held with Yamen and Rimaru. Whatever it had been, it was obviously enough to drive a rift between the two who had once worked as closely together as brothers.  

[Zarkon90]

Amara's brow furrowed for a moment as she considered whether to entertain her curiosity or simply stay her tongue. Another moment passed before a soft sigh escaped.

"Rimaru, I have been curious, what exactly happened to make our last princess leave so suddenly?" She called after the departing teen.  

[Mega90]

Rimaru stopped in the hall and his shoulders visibly tensed. He did not turn around, but his voice was loud enough to carry back to Amara.

“Yamen happened. If you want to know more than that, you’ll have to ask him.” Without waiting for her response, Rimaru continued walking down the hall.  

[Zarkon90]

Amara sighed softly, half expecting the response but hoping she was wrong.
The teen turned without another word and made her way toward the central meeting hall for the guild. It was still early but she was all to aware that members if crestfallen would likely be online soon if they weren't already.


Amara found herself hoping to find yamen within the massive room that served as the main hub for most of the members socializing. The teen slipped in silently and glanced around the room, after a few minutes of searching she settled on the reality that her target was not present and resigned herself to wait for his return. Amara walked silently to a table near the back eastern side of the chamber and leaned against the wall, settling her gaze on the doorway.  

[Mega90]

Yamen walked through the town of beginnings, his hands hanging lazily in his pockets. He knew that there would be many questions in the meeting that evening, and probably just as many before it. Still, in the few moments of peace that existed before the majority of the guild logged on, he took a moment to collect his thoughts and reminisce about the past days of the guild.

Crestfallen had been around almost as long as ALfheim online. Having originally gained a footing in SAO as a strong guild, the small group that had been the founding members transferred to ALO after the SAO crisis. Since then, they had gained dozens more members, changed guild halls several times as their prestige and reputation had increased, and earned a name as one of the strongest guilds in the game. Though all of it, Yamen had watched the guild grow and change, and gained the respect and admiration of most of the members, and the ire of a few.

The personalities that existed within the guild were often very strong, and it was not always possible for everyone to get along. Regardless of this, for the most part, they all remained friends, and all managed to go about their days as comrades at the very least. There was a sense of purpose and belonging for the members, and many of them looked to it as the only real home that they had. All that had changed roughly a year ago, however. Problems had begun to rise up in the guild, and though it was largely isolated to a select few members, thanks in part to Yamen’s actions, it had driven a rift between the guild, and sides were beginning to be drawn. Only a handful of members knew even the basic details of what occurred, but it eventually ended with the Princess of Crestfallen leaving the guild.

Rumors circulated for a while, but as nothing was ever confirmed or denied, most players eventually moved on. It was understood that everything that happened was done for the good of the guild. Players had speculated about this for a short while, but they soon accepted it and moved on. From there, the guild had begun to heal again, returning to what it had once been. There were still scars; wounds that afflicted some more than others, but all felt the lingering presence of what happened. It was like a pin poking at the back of the mind, sharp and unrelenting.

This was the real reason why Yamen had invited Rin to join the guild. Not only did she have the Princess of Crestfallen item that they had been looking for, she also had an innocence and purity to her that was not often found in players. The idea of making an existing member of Crestfallen the new Princess would have only been salt in the healing wound. But, bringing in a new player that was strong enough for their standards wouldn’t have worked either, as there would have been no way that the guild would have accepted her, and her ego likely would have killed any chance that she had. Only if their new princess could grow with the guild would they be able to see her as one of their own, and also someone that they could accept.

It was no surprise to him that this decision had been an unpopular one, and though his reasoning was sound from his perspective, he had no intention of sharing it with anyone else. He mused to himself about this personal shortcoming. Even if there was good reason for why he did something, as there almost always was, he rarely explained his thinking. Most In the guild had simply learned to take his decisions on faith, and they rarely had been given cause to regret that decision. This time, however, it wasn’t going to be that simple, and he knew it.

There were too many strong emotions at play in regards not only to the guilds reputation, but also to the rank of Princess of Crestfallen. Still, if the guild was ever going to be able to heal and move past the injuries it had sustained, they would need a new Princess; someone they could love as much as the last one. Yamen had rolled the dice on the fact that Rin was exactly this person.

Bringing his mind back to the present, he looked up to see that his wandering had unconsciously led him back to the Crestfallen guild hall. A small smile touched his lips and he ran his fingers through his shaggy blond hair. Taking one more look up at the façade of the massive castle, he placed his hands back into his pockets and walked in, heading for the guild main room.  

[Zarkon90]

Amara stood, leaning against the wall, her eyes had slid shut as she drifted off while waiting for Yamen to hopefully return. The soft murmuring of the guilds members filled her ears, as did the sound of laughter, and the clanking of mugs together. In her time waiting a large portion of the guild had now logged in and the once quiet room was filled with activity.

A loud crash broke her peaceful slumber. Her pale eyes opened, settling on the teen standing in the doorway across the room. Amara raised her hand, attempting to beckon Yamen over.