Shared Strength
is a Sword Art Online fan fiction written by KnightEstoc.
A What If? story in which Shino/Sinon is present in the original Aincrad arc. In this story Sinon meets Kirito before the being of the death game, and through various circumstances, becoming her Only Friend.
Tropes found in this fanfiction:
- Alpha Bitch: Endou/Eterne, Type 1. As per canon, Endou bullies poor Shino over murdering someone. She is also part of SAO, joining up with Laughing Coffin. Tipping off the rest of the guild about the raid on their hide out just to get back at Sinon for "stealing Kirito" from her.
- Ascended Extra: Numerous characters, but most notably Argo. Sachi additionally becomes this, given her survival of her guild's death.
- Cry into Chest: A few times, namely Sinon into Asuna or the rare Kirito moments. Also Sachi into Kirito, especially when Keita jumps off Aincrad and kills himself.
- Death by Adaptation: Asuna... for all of about five seconds, literally.
- Lind ends up dying after Heathcliff slashes his head off in the final boss battle.
- Due to the game not ending at Floor 75, by the time the story's over, Kayaba states the number of players still alive by the end is 3,952, in canon the survivor count was 6,147. That means an additional 2,195 players both named (like Lind mentioned above) and unnamed were killed trying to clear those additional 25 floors.
- Doomed by Canon: The Moonlit Black Cats, except for Sachi.
- Face Your Fears: Sinon telling the rest of the group about her past, also finally being able to stand up against Eterne.
- First-Name Basis: Shino and Kazuto. Technically Asuna as well.
- For Want Of A Nail: Sinon being in SAO causes Kirito to not play solo, leading to a drastically different story line.
- Kirito ends up unintentionally shoving Sachi out of the way when her guild members go into the door that contains the room where the guild met their end, ensuring her survival.
- Hauled Before A Senate Subcommittee: Kirito and Asuna, representing the Shining Blades, are subjected to this after Eterne tries to claim that the guild, Sinon especially, are also Laughing Coffin double agents, resulting in Heathcliff calling a meeting of the major raid guilds to get some answers. The accusation goes nowhere, given that the Shining Blades are an established group who've been working to help clear the game since the start, while their accuser is a confirmed Laughing Coffin member who has every reason to lie, especially once Eterne's grudge with Sinon comes out. Everyone's still annoyed at both the idea that anyone believed Eterne, and the absolute waste of time.
- Honorary Uncle: Technically Aunt, but Sachi, Asuna, and Sinon all apply. Mainly Sachi though.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: Eterne tries numerous times to get Sinon away from Kirito, goes so far as to trying to have her killed off.
- Polyamory: Sinon and Asuna agree to share Kirito, and the three enter into a polyamorous relationship following that point.
- Ship Tease: Very much so, at least until chapter twenty nine.
- Shout-Out: One of Sinon's favorite bodice-rippers is a novel about a vampire, a succubus, and a yuki-onna.
- A floor boss is explicitly stated to be based on fairy tales and ends up homaging Maleficent with a dragon transformation and even proclaiming that the cast shall "deal with all the powers of Hell!"
- Spared by the Adaptation: Sachi survives the trap massacre due to Kirito accidentally pushing her in his rush to save the others, knocking her to the floor and causing the door to close before she can follow.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Sinon, obviously. Ice in public, sugar in private.
- Taking You with Me: Played for Laughs. When Sinon refused to get out of bed in chapter 14, Kirito used Friendly Tickle Torture to force her out. When she was about to fall out of bed, she grabbed Kirito and dragged him with her.
- Eterne, after being arrested as a member of Laughing Coffin, attempts this by claiming that Sinon and the Shining Blades are double agents like her. However, the accusation goes nowhere given that it's her very doubtful claim against the guild's established reputation, and it accomplishes nothing aside from wasting everyone's time on a meeting between the major guilds in order to get the facts straight.
- These Hands Have Killed: Sinon, and later KiritoKirito: I killed two of them... With my sword, I ended two lives...
- Thousand-Yard Stare: Used humorously when describing a quest the Shining Blades went on.Sachi: Goblins...Silica: Lots of goblins...Sinon: Far, far too many goblins...Kirito: And then just when you think they're gone...Asuna: More goblins...
