SAO: Strawberry Bunny

Strawberry's boots crunched lightly on the cobblestone streets of Tolbana, a quiet rhythm that mirrored the thoughts swirling in her mind. The town was peaceful, and for a moment, it almost felt like she had left behind the brutal reality of Sword Art Online. The white-walled windmill towers loomed high above, their sails slowly turning in the breeze, casting long shadows over the streets. The gentle splashing of the large central fountain filled the air, creating an oddly serene atmosphere given the life-or-death situation they were all trapped in.

Tolbana was the second-largest town on the 1st Floor of Aincrad, and it was known for its proximity to the labyrinth—a mere thirty-minute walk. Strawberry had stopped here to rest and resupply after the grueling fights in the labyrinth, but now that she was back on the road, something felt off. Very off.

As she walked through the open gate of the town, leaving the tall castle walls behind, she felt a nagging sensation, like eyes burning into the back of her skull. Her instincts, sharpened through years of gaming and now her experience in Aincrad, immediately screamed at her to be cautious.

Someone's following me, she thought, her fingers brushing the hilt of the Anneal Blade.

Instead of continuing along the main path that led toward the labyrinth, she made a quick decision, veering off into a forest that flanked the town. The dense trees swallowed her up quickly, and soon the sounds of Tolbana faded into the distance. She hoped whoever was following her would either lose track of her or reveal themselves.

But no one appeared. The forest was eerily silent, save for the rustle of leaves in the wind. Strawberry's eyes scanned the shadows between the trees, her muscles tense as she waited for a sign of movement.

After what felt like hours of walking, her confusion deepened. The sense of being watched hadn't faded, but nothing had jumped out at her. That was until she heard a low growl from the underbrush ahead.

Dire wolves.

She barely had time to react before the first wolf lunged at her from the shadows, its jaws snapping inches from her face. Strawberry sidestepped swiftly, drawing her Anneal Blade in one fluid motion. The pack emerged from the trees—five of them, their glowing red eyes fixated on her as they encircled her, snarling.

Well, I was hoping for something bigger, but this will do, she thought, her pulse quickening as the fight began.

Strawberry moved with precision, her blade flashing in the dim light of the forest as she parried and struck with deadly efficiency. The wolves were fast, but she was faster. Her movements were fluid, practiced—each dodge, each strike a calculated action. She danced between the wolves, cutting down one after the other. Their snarls turned to whimpers as they shattered into a cascade of polygons.

The last wolf lunged at her, its fangs bared, but Strawberry met it mid-air with a brutal slash, severing its throat in a clean motion. The beast collapsed, dissolving into shards of light.

Breathing heavily, Strawberry sheathed her sword. Not bad, she thought, wiping the sweat from her brow. But before she could relax, something… strange happened.

A small horned bunny hopped out from behind one of the trees.

Strawberry blinked, her hand still hovering near the hilt of her blade. The creature was small, white with soft fur, and had two short, stubby horns on its head. It didn't look dangerous—if anything, it looked almost cute.

She watched as it hopped toward her and stopped directly in her path, staring up at her with wide, dark eyes. It had an oddly innocent look for a creature in this world, which made her all the more wary.

Why isn't it attacking me? she wondered.

Strawberry tried to step around the bunny, but it hopped to the side, blocking her path again. She frowned. What? She stepped to the right, and once again, the bunny blocked her way.

It happened two more times. Each time she moved, the horned bunny would leap in front of her, preventing her from moving forward. What is this thing doing?

Frustration welled up inside her. "What the heck is your deal?" she muttered under her breath, staring down at the creature in disbelief. This wasn't how things were supposed to work. The enemies in Aincrad either attacked, ran away, or dropped loot—not blocked her path like some overly persistent bodyguard.

She drew her sword, half-expecting the bunny to either flee or turn hostile. But it didn't flinch. Instead, it just stared up at her with those enormous, puppy-like eyes, its tiny nose twitching as if waiting for her to make the next move.

Strawberry hesitated. Was this a trick? She had never heard of any horned bunny monsters being particularly dangerous, but this was Sword Art Online—anything was possible. She'd faced monsters that looked far more innocent than they actually were. Still, this one didn't seem to be aggressive.

Slowly, Strawberry sheathed her sword, her brows furrowing in confusion as she knelt down to get a closer look at the creature. The bunny tilted its head, its ears twitching slightly, and hopped a little closer.

"Are you… trying to tell me something?" Strawberry asked, feeling ridiculous for talking to a virtual rabbit.

The bunny gave no response, of course, but it didn't run away either. Instead, it took a small step forward, as if urging her to follow. Strawberry hesitated again. This whole situation was bizarre, but her instincts weren't screaming at her that she was in danger. Maybe it's part of a hidden quest, she thought. Aincrad was full of secrets, and it wouldn't be the first time an innocent-looking NPC or creature led players to rare loot or special missions.

"Fine," she said finally, standing up. "Lead the way, then."

The bunny hopped forward, glancing back at her as if checking to make sure she was following. It led her deeper into the forest, moving quickly and with purpose. Strawberry followed at a cautious pace, her hand never straying far from her sword just in case the situation changed.

After a few minutes, the trees began to thin out, and she noticed something strange—a small, hidden clearing that wasn't marked on her map. In the center of the clearing stood a large tree, its trunk twisted and ancient, its branches stretching high into the sky. The air here felt different—heavy, almost magical. The clearing was quiet, save for the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.

The bunny stopped at the base of the tree, turning to face her as if expecting something.

Strawberry approached the tree cautiously, her eyes narrowing as she examined it. There didn't seem to be anything particularly special about it, but the fact that the bunny had led her here meant there had to be something she was missing.

Her gaze shifted to the ground, and that's when she saw it—a small, glowing object nestled among the roots of the tree.

She knelt down and picked it up, her fingers brushing against the cool surface of what appeared to be an intricately carved crystal shard. The crystal pulsed faintly in her hand, emitting a soft, ethereal glow. It wasn't something she had seen in the game before, and there was no obvious description when she tried to examine it.

A hidden item. And one that didn't seem to be connected to any of the usual quests she knew about on the 1st Floor.

The bunny watched her silently, as if it had completed its mission.

Strawberry glanced at the creature one last time, then back at the crystal shard in her hand. What was this? Some kind of key? A rare item?

Whatever it was, it felt important.

With a final nod of thanks to the horned bunny, she pocketed the shard and turned back toward Tolbana. There was something strange about this forest, and now she had a new mystery to solve. But first, she had to prepare. The deeper floors awaited, and if this crystal was what she thought it was, it might just give her the edge she needed.

As Strawberry turned to leave the clearing, the horned bunny hopped after her, its soft footsteps barely audible in the quiet of the forest. She glanced back at the small creature, wondering if it was still trying to lead her somewhere else. But the bunny just stared up at her, its large puppy-like eyes practically sparkling with an innocent curiosity.

"Wait… are you following me now?" Strawberry asked, raising an eyebrow.

The bunny blinked but didn't move. Instead, it tilted its head as if to say, Of course, I am.

Strawberry sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. This was… unexpected. She wasn't used to companions—especially not ones as fluffy and harmless-looking as this one. But for some reason, the bunny seemed determined to stick by her side. And, truth be told, it wasn't like she minded the company.

Guess you're tagging along, then, she thought, trying to make sense of the situation. It wasn't like she could just shoo the creature away—it seemed intent on following her wherever she went.

"Fine. But you need a name," she said aloud, squatting down to eye level with the bunny. "I can't just keep calling you 'bunny,' can I?"

The bunny perked up, its ears twitching as if it understood that Strawberry was about to bestow it with an identity.

Now, Strawberry wasn't great with names. In fact, she was terrible at them. Naming things had never been her strong suit—she'd spent hours agonizing over what to call her character in SAO before settling on Strawberry, and even that had been a split-second decision.

She stared at the bunny, thinking hard. The creature looked so fluffy and innocent. Something soft. Something sweet.

"How about… Yogurt?" she offered, testing out the word as she spoke it.

The bunny just stared at her. No reaction.

"Not a fan, huh?" Strawberry scratched her chin and tried again. "Okay, what about… Sorbet?"

The bunny blinked, still unimpressed.

Strawberry sighed, feeling the pressure of the bunny's judgment. "Alright, fine. Let's see… Shortcake?"

Still nothing.

"Smoothie?" she asked, but the bunny's expression didn't change much.

Strawberry groaned in frustration. She wasn't making any progress. What was it with her and bad names?

"Muffin?" she finally offered, a note of defeat in her voice.

To her surprise, the bunny's eyes brightened slightly, and it took a small hop forward, as if responding to the name.

"You like that one?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Muffin?"

The bunny gave a small bounce and twitched its nose in what looked like approval.

"Well, look at that," she muttered, a bit surprised at the response. "I guess you're Muffin now."

But the bunny's reaction wasn't done. Muffin, as he now seemed to be called, gave another little hop, seemingly pleased with the name. Strawberry couldn't help but chuckle, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment.

"Alright, Muffin it is, then," she said, standing back up and adjusting her sword. "But let's keep it real—you had a pretty close call with Smoothie there, buddy."

Muffin tilted his head as if considering the name Smoothie. Then, to Strawberry's surprise, he gave a little nod, as if acknowledging it as a decent alternative.

"Wait… you liked that one too? You're full of surprises, aren't you?" Strawberry said with a laugh. "What's next? Parfait?"

At the mention of Parfait, Muffin tilted his head again, clearly liking the sound of that name too.

Strawberry crossed her arms, shaking her head in disbelief. "So, let me get this straight—you're good with Muffin, Smoothie, and Parfait? You've got refined taste, huh?"

Muffin bounced again, his little horns bobbing with him. It was clear that he wasn't just some random bunny monster. There was something about him that was a little too… clever. Too aware.

"Alright, Muffin," Strawberry said, setting off toward the forest path again, her new companion following closely behind. "Looks like you're coming with me."

As she walked, Strawberry couldn't help but glance down at Muffin as he hopped along at her side. It felt odd having someone—well, something—tag along with her, but there was also something comforting about it. For the first time since this deadly game began, she didn't feel completely alone.

"Don't think you're getting special treatment just because you're cute," she muttered, though her tone was far more playful than serious. "We've got work to do."

Muffin just gave a little hop, his bunny ears twitching with excitement.

As they made their way through the forest, Strawberry couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get even stranger. After all, she'd never planned on having a horned bunny companion in this brutal world, yet here she was—walking alongside one.

The two of them passed through a stretch of dense trees, and soon the labyrinth's towering stone structure appeared in the distance, barely visible through the treeline. The ominous energy radiating from it was a stark reminder of the danger ahead. But now, with Muffin bouncing beside her, the weight on her shoulders felt just a little bit lighter.

"This is it, Muffin," Strawberry said, glancing down at her new friend. "Next stop: the labyrinth."

Muffin stared up at her with his wide, puppy-like eyes, ready for whatever was next.

And though she didn't say it out loud, Strawberry couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief. Maybe going solo wasn't quite as lonely as she'd thought.

But that didn't mean things would be any less dangerous. She knew that with every step deeper into Aincrad's labyrinth, the challenges would only get harder.

Still, Strawberry was ready. She had her sword, her wits, and now, her unlikely companion, Muffin.