[SP - F01] A Legacy and Knowledge.

[Ruby 0]

Ruby had stepped onto the Monument of Life seeing a name disappear from her friends list, one she didn't want to see gone. "Birdie" had been removed from her list, someone she highly looked up to, someone that picked her up when Ruby had hit an all time low and helped her get some items and even materials. Ruby had just hoped she accidentally removed her from her list, however looking around eventually found the name. "No..." Ruby had exclaimed, looking around and taking a step back. She had blinked for a moment then read how she had died and saw that it had been a suicide. Ruby had looked down, while she wasn't too big on the topic as much as Hestia was... she was still someone she highly valued, someone she could even say she had a bit of feelings for. Ruby had felt herself beginning to cry, however not as much as she thought she was.

[Ruby 0]

Ruby had looked around at the many names that had been crossed off, even the names she had seen that had been in Hestia's book. Ruby had wiped her tears and looked around, she had looked to see how many have died, and a good majority appears to be player kills, she had seen often Aereth appearing on the list. Ruby had tried to remember what Hestia had written down for him, however the words had left her mind. She began to question honestly his trustworthiness when it comes to his actions, she had seen name after name player killed by him, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt... but she just questioned whether or not killing was really the way to go when handling situations. Then she had seen Beatbox's name again, one in which Telrenya her sister had been grieving about, then moved to Lowenthal which was a name Jomei had remembered and had heard time and time occasionally. Ruby had grinned, her mind had been running at a thousand miles an hour.

[Ruby 0]

"There has to be more, she just couldn't of just upped and killed herself for no reason... I-I... I don't understand this." she had pondered over and over for a while, repeating to herself that she just didn't understand hoping it could get her toward a conclusion. She looked at the names once and again and didn't know the purpose of all this murder, of all these deaths that had been occuring. Ruby, for once in her life, she had felt an urge, a urge she hadn't acquired in a very long time. She had the urge to find answers, she had a urge to find anything she could figure out about anything that had been going on. Turning her back on the souls that have been lost, she had began to walk out of the Monument of Life, going to the one type of player she knew she could head toward: Information Brokers, while she figured it would honestly be speculation, she had just wanted a explanation to why people would dare think of killing others in a world like this.

[Ruby 0]

Ruby had head to the one person she knew could tell her what information he could, he even helped her figure out all the quests she still needed to get done, and which ones to stay away from. Ruby had knocked on his door and waited a few moments, then a voice could be heard behind the door "Who's there and what's the password?", Ruby had faced the door and with a deep breath said out "It's me, Ruby. Password is escape." A laugh could be heard from the other side "Ahhh... Ruby! Need more help with quests?" he had opened the door, Ruby had shook her head and stepped into his store then looked to him saying "No, I am doing fine and I know what I am going to be doing. I just wish to talk to you more about the players that have died is all." the man had looked to her and moved to a chair saying to her with a bit of a disappointed look "Well, you are kind of out of luck, I hardly know much about the people that had been dying. However if you tell me specific names I can tell you what I do know."

[Ruby 0]

Ruby had sighed and sat down in front of him saying "Well, I am not really trying to find much about them. I more so... just want to know more about why people even dare think about killing other people in this world, we have to work together you know?" she had explained. The man had chuckled and said out to her "You are true in a sense Ruby, however you have to realize that other people have other agenda's and many jump to conclusions and act quickly." he crossed his arms and said to her "Look, you shouldn't get such a big headache about it Ruby. Death and conflict go hand in hand, more so in a world like this. People don't want to find themselves killed, and most of the time player kills are out of self defense. However of course, there is a group of players that are all about player killing." Ruby had tilted her head and leaned forward saying out "Well? Tell me more!"

[Ruby 0]

The man had chuckled, and said out to her "Always straight to the point are you Ruby?" he had looked over and then thought of his words carefully, however after a few seconds he had opened his lips and said "They are known as Laughing Coffin, so many member's names remain unknown oddly. So I can't tell you their exact body count. However." he had looked over to her and said "It's not hard finding one, you just have to look at their wrists, they have a mark to show they belong to the guild. However no one understands the point of their mass murder, a part of me believes its because they see others as a enemy and wish to get out of the world together." he had leaned back in his chair "I know this isn't fully the information you had been seeking. I am sure you have many questions, and simply put I am not one to get into a deep conversation about it. I can just give you my speculation and that is it." Ruby had looked down and felt a little defeated not getting exactly what she had wanted, the man moved forward and let out a chuckle saying "Is there any names you wish to know anything about?"

[Ruby 0]

Ruby had looked up and looked to the side, saying out "Well... there is only a few names I wish to know about. My friend is intrigued about them...", the man had made a gesture for her to continue on with the list, Ruby spoke up and kept it simple "Do you know anything about Zelrius, Ssendom, Beatbox, or Lowenthal?" The man had looked to her and thought for a moment, then pulled out a notebook that he had written down, however after a moment he spoke up saying "Two names to me are very unknown, I dont know who Lowenthal is. And Beatbox however I do know one thing about. And that's a while ago he started to dress as a pop star and started to call himself the "Star of Aincrad"" the man had rolled his eyes and said "Simply put I thought he had been doing it simply to get women to look at him. However one day he stopped showing more often, and we heard he had became one with the frontlines and hardly called himself a star of anything."

[Ruby 0]

The man had finished his statement about him saying "And thats all we know about him, however theres more that meets the eye with him. If you check the Monument of Life he's taken lives himself." Ruby had opened her eyes a little bit and leaned forward saying out "Do you know why he killed those people?" the man had got a little annoyed and said "No of course not, why in the world would I know why he killed someone. Much like every kill on that board I don't know a thing about why or what exactly happened. I am giving you what I know, and I don't go deeper than that." he calmed himself down a bit and said "And as for the other two, its no surprise that the two had a unique skill, and they had their own guild in which exploded in reputation when it was created. Simply put at the time if you didn't know the name Azure Brigade you would eventually would in one way or another. However what happened to them is beyond me is just a player kill I know nothing about."

[Ruby 0]

The man leaned back in his chair "Is there anything else you wish to know?" he had asked her, Ruby had simply shook her head and stood up from her seat heading toward the door. The man had spoke up "Hey!" Ruby had stopped where she had been walking toward and looked over to him, he then spoke out "I know its not much, however people come to suicide here, there's a edge most players throw themselves off of. Perhaps you'll find someone to give you the information you seek. Maybe you'll save a life today Ruby." Ruby had looked back forward at the door and walked out closing the door behind her. The man had sighed saying out as he moved to lock the door "That woman never says goodbye or ever gives me something in return." he sighed "I guess that is what I get for just being friends with her." he rolled his eyes walking back forward mumbling things to himself.

[Ruby 0]

Ruby had sighed looking down feeling defeated, she thought she could learn exactly more to the mindset of how they act, but all she got was a suspicion and nothing more. Ruby had teared up a little bit and moved forward going toward the place he had spoke of, she craved that knowledge and she just wanted to know why any of this had been happening in the first place. She did get some information she can tell Hestia however it wasn't much to present to her. She had been hoping she would find all the information she needed to be more proud of her, she had sighed after the breakup with Jevi months ago she had just been wanting some to notice her, people to speak with her. She had tightened her grip and looked over trying to battle away all of her feelings that she had for her, Hestia had just picked her up at a point where she had been depressed and protected her through the people who came back to fight her. Ruby had wiped away her tears and looked up pushing away the feelings she had felt.

[Ruby 0]

"Shes just family and nothing more... shes just family and nothing more..." she had repeated to herself over and over for the duration of the walk, trying to get the topic out of her head. Ruby had began to shake a little bit, her mind was having a bit of a overload. She had been contemplating the thought of why this murder had been occurring, then her own feelings, and just taking in all the information that she does know. She had felt herself going a bit insane as seconds passed, failing to calm herself down. Ruby had fell to her knees in the middle of the road of the first floor twitching and trying to clear her mind of things that had bothered her. "Why can't I stop over thinking past everything? Why can't I simply just move on from any of it?" tears flowed down from her face "Why must do I have to endure so much contemplation? Why do I have to be the one to suffer through so much thought and depression?"

[Ruby 0]

Ruby shook her head, wiping away all of her tears. Reluctantly and without hesitation stood up and looked forward and began to run all of her feelings away, she stopped for nothing she wanted to find herself in a place where she can call herself "calm" and "alright", however of course she knows deep inside so many things bother her and she tries so desperately to keep them away as if it was a monster under her bed. She wanted to run away from everything, this world, her personal conflicts, this unsurity, this constant growth to wanting to know more and more... everything, she wanted to become herself again. Purobolos had grown more and more worried over his master, and followed behind Ruby as fast as he possibly could, he simply sat back and watched as things unfolded and he knew that at some point that he would need to try to communicate with another person that she isn't being the best at the moment. 

[Ruby 0]

However despite Purobolos' worry, he didn't dare try to comfort his master at all, he had feared how she would of reacted toward him, plus by nature he knew he was a pain in the ass. Purobolos had simply kept following his master and keeping a good personal distance giving her space. Ruby had kept running forward and forward away from her own feelings in the process, and after a moment she had placed her hands on her knees and had taken a few moments to breathe blinking keeping her mind at a blank state. She had eventually straightened herself and moved forward again, she had reached the spot in which he had talked about. Ruby had looked around then eventually stepped forward and looked down into the endless abyss. She had felt sick to her stomach seeing the abyss, it was... almost cold to look at. However after a moment she had heard a sound appear from no where, looking behind her she had seen a bottle that had a note in it.

[Ruby 0]

Ruby had blinked a few times confused, however curious with what is contained within the bottle Ruby had moved forward and grasped onto the bottle. Ruby looked down at the bottle and thought to herself "Let's hope this isn't meant for someone...", with a deep breathe she had opened the bottle and pulled the note out from within it and began to read its contents:

Quote

To Whomever sees this note,
Firstly, congratulations on making it this far! It hasn’t been an easy journey, and I’d put good money on it not being any easier way up there. I don’t doubt your story is complicated and intrinsic, desperate even. Everyone has their highs and their lows, their brushes with death and the untimely departure of beloved friends and family. Sword Art Online hasn’t failed, isn’t failing and never will fail to test the mettle of every poor soul trapped inside. You’re brave, you’re badass. You’re a survivor. And you’re reading the note of someone who isn’t any of those things.

Ruby's hand began to shake, reading the note, she had felt as though she was the opposite of what this note had said. She had felt her story wasn't really any many had wished to know more about, she had felt as though she had been a bit scared especially with all the things going through her mind... however he did make it this far, and if she wasn't brave then she certainly wouldn't of made it to this point. Taking a deep breath she had continued to read the note.

[Ruby 0]

Quote

I want to thank Kayaba, the game’s creator. Weird, right? You gave me the most traumatizing experience of my life – of 10,000 lives – and I’m thanking you for it. I was ripped from one pitiful existence and thrust into another. And I was happier for it, for a time. All it took was the largest death sentence in modern history to make me realise that the world is such a big place, with so many people to meet and things to experience. Friendships, relationships, breakups, the first time you see a person die… the first time you kill a person.

Ruby had felt a little confused onto why this person had wanted to thank Kayaba the games creator... she had thought that since he had trapped so many people within this game: wouldn't he be responsible for all the deaths that have occured? Suicides, player kills, mobs killing other players, wouldn't he have been responsible for every single one of those deaths? Ruby continued reading and she had realized something from this note, that even with all these things happening, there is just so much to do in a world like this, and so much to feel and experience for herself... she had felt as though that some consider what happened to be.. an experience rather than a full blown murder. However Ruby still thought that maybe somewhere... corruption and evil thoughts had occurred for people to come to those sorts of actions... however in a world like this a question continues to burn within her mind: "Isn't it all just an experience?"

[Ruby 0]

Quote

Derailing a little; That last point is why you’re reading this now. I’ve seen so much… suffering, you know? I’m tired of seeing old souls withering away into insanity, hearing about close friends perish at the hands of monsters, stuff like that. Hell, my first chance at love in this twisted reality disappeared like that (kindly imagine the finger clicking). Where the hell did that guy end up, is he dead or alive? Who knows! All I know is it was a real kick up the ass when he tucked tail and ran.
I’m not letting myself be hurt again, and I’m not letting myself do the hurting. I cut off all ties with people that meant anything to me a while ago to make sure of that. With any luck, they won’t see this until a few dozen floors from now, and I’m leaving any trace of my identity absent to prolong that.
You should get going. There’s a whole world to conquer out there! Give it hell.

Ruby had finished what the note had said, and she had felt a little colder, she had placed the note back into its bottle and she had felt a little guilty of thinking such things, she had felt as though that everyone around her just had been losing themselves... or just have been changing due to insanity. Ruby had placed the bottle with the note in it on top of a boulder and she had sat down on the ground she stood trying to think and process all that she had just read. She had taken a deep breath trying to push away her own feelings trying to stop her from feeling as though that she identified with the person that wrote this letter. She felt as though she had been hurting herself in the process of what she had been doing... she just wanted to be free from this pain she had grown onto. Ruby had heard footsteps, and she quickly looked over to see who it was, and to her surprise: it was the information broker she spoke to a few moments ago. 

[Ruby 0]

"W-what are you doing here?" she had spoken out trying to not show that she had been upset, the man simply let out a chuckle and said "You're my friend right? I worried that from our encounter that you could of thought of something, and I gave you the coordinates to your grave." he had walked up to beside her and taken a seat looking out to the endless abyss that was presented in front of them. After a moment he had said out to her "Are you alright Ruby?", Ruby had shook her head and said out to him "No... my mind had been thinking about a lot of things..." Ruby had grabbed the Bottle with the Note in it and said "And well... coming here I found this note, and I just cant help but feel the same as her in a way..." the man had moved a hand outward and looked at her saying out "Do you mind if I read it Ruby?", Ruby had froze for a moment, however with a slow movement she eventually moved the bottle to the mans hand. The man uncorking it again to read the contents within it.

[Ruby 0]

The man had smiled and said out to her "I feel like you are missing the point of this letter Ruby." he had closed his eyes and placed the note back into the bottle corking it again placing it next to him. He had opened his eyes again and said "Reading it I feel as though the player that wrote this is trying to encourage you to move forward and not take the same fate they have taken. Trying to tell you that this is all just an experience and lesson for you to learn, to press forward and to know how much there is to this world. While yes, I can understand you can feel as though you have been feeling hurt. Its all just an experience to go through, you are a strong woman right? You made it this far right?" Ruby had looked down, and she had simply nodded her head trying to process everything, however she had still remained silent. The man had simply smiled and looked back out to the abyss with an arm on the ground and the other on his knee.

[Ruby 0]

Ruby had just began to breathe and before she had said out "I am just so confused... I am feeling so many things and I just want to find out why all these things have happened... and..." before she could continue on, the man had chuckled and said "I am not deep Ruby, however I can give you my advice when you ask for it. Life is going to be this way, especially in a world like this Ruby. Have you always thought I was all fine?" he had looked over to her and gave her a pat on the back "I've gone through rough times too, it just takes time Ruby. And believe me, I do too want to know everything about what had happened, after all I am a information broker. You think I don't get headaches too?" she had laughed. "Like the letter said Ruby, this is all just an experience. You are strong and you've made it this far, don't give up now."

[Ruby 0]

Ruby had nodded her head and said out to him "Yeah... I suppose you are right... even if it hurts now... you are sure it will fade away later?" the man had looked over and nodded his head saying "Of course Ruby, I have been through a lot myself a lot of struggles and a lot of conflict. Nothing hurts forever. We all move on, even despite how tragic, hard, or painful it might be to move on from. You want to know information however more than likely you will never get to know that information and that's fine, at the end of the day who cares?" he chuckled "Yes, I am a information broker and I admit at the end of the day once we get out of here, our lives change again. This is just information in the heat of the moment Ruby." he smiled. Ruby had smiled a little bit before looking forward to the abyss and she had asked "Why do you think that Player ended their life?", the man had looked to the abyss as well and said out to her "Maybe they found it too hard to press forward, perhaps she had done something bad. It's anyone's guess Ruby. Don't worry about it." he had stood up offering Ruby a hand to get up from the ground.