Notes 1:
A.k.a. The Four Times I-No Tries To Save The World, but ends up improving Sol and Ky's relationship instead, And The One Time She Succeeds.
Basically, I-No is going to time travel and fix one event in each chapter, and it will (sometimes drastically) affect Sol and Ky's relationship with each other.

I hope you enjoy. =)

Also, happy birthday, Lacry!

Timeline 1: It Could Be Easier

It feels like she's done this a hundred times before, and I-No is sick to death of the pointlessness.

"Argh! How many times do we have to do this before I kill you?!"

They don't get it, of course; they never do — you can't remember what hasn't happened on your timeline. That doesn't mean she doesn't though, and it's usually fun. Usually. When everything she's done on every timeline fails to go as planned though, she'd rather forget what repetition she's on.

Finishing, she checks further, but nothing has changed, and she returns to the Integrate Point. The boss is busy with something completely arcane as usual, and it's a while before he turns to her. From where she's lying down in the formless white space, she merely shakes her head.

Valentines are created all the time. They are tools of what That Man calls "a merciless Apocalypse" and she calls the ultimate killjoy. She has fought and killed so many permutations of them at so many points in time on so many timelines, but it doesn't seem to matter. She's tried eliminating others, too, with little effect. There must be something they're missing, but this is the kind of hard thinking she leaves to him.

"As expected, it must be one of the wheels that move the world," he says at last, and this is why he does all the thinking: on a good day, about a third of the shit he says makes any damned sense. It takes a certain kind of madman to create enhanced bioweapons, incite a hundred-year war and tamper with the laws of the universe in the interest of saving the world, but that's what makes him fun.

"It's ironic. To save ourselves, we tread into the realm of god, yet every victory has only delayed our destruction. It is but a matter of time." He gazes into a sphere of light in his hands. "The merciless Apocalypse… Is there no escaping this ugly future?"

"There must be a singularity," she offers finally.

"...yes. Without the conviction to draw my blade against god and the Earth, I have no right even to atone. The Conclave must not possess Justice's body. If the Child of Light and Darkness lives, she must retain her gentle nature and not be sublimated. If she dies, no trace of her can remain. Without Frederick, the next crisis cannot be averted. Without the High King, Ariels will win. What are we missing?"

"Perhaps you will find it in their past, Your Excellency?" Raven suggests as he joins them.

"That may well be the case," That Man muses. "As the movers of history, it is likely related to them, and if nothing we have done has changed the future, then perhaps we must intervene further back. The ripples of causality are far-reaching. It could be just a miniscule detail."

"You got anything better than that?" It'll be like looking for a specific stalk of hay in a very big haystack.

"...no. I'm afraid I must trouble you again."

She sighs and picks herself off the floor. "Don't complain if I try anything then."

Raven turns to give her a look of stern disapproval. "Don't do anything you can't fix."

"I-No, I leave it to you. Raven, there's something else—"

She steps through the portal.

She's inside a building that looks kinda familiar. It's late at night, and the lighting has been dimmed to a bare minimum. After looking around, she ignores the corridors and walks down the nearest flight of stairs curving downwards towards a large winged statue. Ah, she recognizes this place now. That's when she spots him, the Flame of Corruption, still in a Sacred Order uniform and carrying the Fireseal.

Ah, what perfect timing. But I heard—

"Sol! What are you doing there?!"

Right on time. Well, let's wait for a good moment and see what we can do.

She ducks behind the statue.

It's late when Sol makes it back to the Order's headquarters. He's irritated — even taking the Fireseal today, he's been set back a year at least. Justice has moved to a new location, so he'll have to track her down all over again, and he's disappointed the Order doesn't have a better system for that. He'd be better off modifying the system in his lab now that he can recognise Justice's energy signature.

Well, no time to waste.

He stops by his room to grab a few belongings and heads straight for the vault. Destroying the lock is too easy, and he goes in, walks past all the treasures on either side, and grabs the Fireseal. It feels familiar though he hasn't seen it since shortly after he completed the whole set of eight all those decades ago. He'll get used to it in no time. Heading back out, he closes the door behind him and makes for the exit.

"Sol! What are you doing there?!"

Internally, he groans. Ky is past the rank to be on night patrols, so whatever serendipity this is, Sol hates it.

Blue eyes dart to his hands and widen. "Is that... the Fireseal? Could it be... You're stealing it?"

Sol wants to tell him the truth ("It's mine"), but that'd require too much explanation, and from the hurt betrayal in Ky's eyes, he can tell that nothing he says is going to matter. So he settles for "I'm borrowing it."

"Do you really think I'd allow that?"

Of course not, but it's not like he's asking for permission. He scoffs. "Only well-behaved brats think that everything will be fine as long as they obey all the rules."

"You bastard..." That's better. Righteous anger suits Ky better. "Someone like you doesn't have the right to even touch a Sacred Treasure!"

He tries not to laugh as Ky attacks and decides he won't use the Fireseal. The kid can't beat him as it is. Of course, this only makes Ky angrier. He dodges a Sacred Edge.

"Shouldn't the maker decide?" It'll be a while till he gets to tease the boy again after this.

Ky flips towards him with a Crescent Slash. "What?!"

"I said," Sol grabs the kid as soon as he lands, "you fight worse when you're angry." He headbutts Ky and tosses him up the stairs.

Ky picks himself up and resumes the assault with a frustrated cry. They trade a few more blows, but Ky's losing, as usual, despite his best efforts. Blockhead Buster knocks him back, the edges of his uniform charred and smoking slightly from the flames, and he sinks to one knee, using his sword for support.

Breathlessly, with effort, he says, "I—I thought you'd changed. I can't let you do this, Sol."

"Don't kid yourself, boy. You don't let me do anything."

Ky tries to stand, but just then, Sol hears a sound —as if from a guitar— and a loud crack. Then the statue behind Ky falls over.

Shit. "Ky!"

He dashes forward, Ky lifts his sword, and he knocks them aside an instant before the massive statue crashes to the floor where they'd been standing. They roll to a stop, but by the time Sol lifts his head to check, there's no one else.

Coulda sworn that's where I sensed it—

Ky lets out some mix of a horrified gasp and a choked sob, jolting him out of his search for that annoyingly familiar presence. That's when Sol remembers the half of a sword embedded in his right shoulder — it broke while they were rolling away. He grunts as he sits up on the floor beside Ky — it hurts, of course, but he's often had worse. Ky, on the other hand, looks like he's been stabbed through the heart.

Before they can speak, however, the rest of the Order comes running in, and Sol buries his face in his uninjured hand. Ugh, what a mess.

Everyone starts talking at once as people try to figure out what's happening, voices rising to a crescendo, until someone suddenly asks, "Wait, is that the Fireseal?"

Everyone falls silent as they turn to look.

"What's the Sacred Treasure doing out here?"

Ky stands. "I—"

Sol turns to the boy and raises an eyebrow.

"I uh..."

"I told Sol to take it," interrupts a firm voice from above.

Everyone scrambles to stand in salute as their Commander walks down the stairs to join them. Everyone but Sol, that is. Ky's eyes dart from Commander Undersn to Sol and back.

"S—sir?" he asks weakly.

"At ease," the old man says to the crowd, and they switch to a more relaxed position, before turning to Ky. "I was going to tell you in the morning, as you're his commanding officer, but I assigned Sol a solo mission and told him to take the Fireseal because he's going to need it."

"A—ah..." Ky staggers back, pale as a ghost, and grips the banister for support.

Sol gives Kliff a questioning look. If the old man wants to cover for him, he won't complain, but he's surprised the Commander is letting him take the sword.

Kliff offers Sol a hand, pulls the Gear to his feet and pats his uninjured shoulder. "Even so, you needn't go so far to test the sword, Sol. I was rather fond of that statue."

"N—no! I mean, no, sir. The statue wasn't Sol's fault at all," Ky interjects hurriedly. "We were fighting, yes, but the statue just suddenly fell, and Sol, he... pushed me out of the way..."

A murmur rises through the crowd, but Kliff only looks pleasantly surprised. "Oho? Well, don't mind this old man then. You're all dismissed. Hm..." He looks wistfully at the statue for a few moments as people start to clear out. "See he gets that shoulder patched up, won't you, Kiske?" he says as Sol starts to walk away.

"Ah, y—yes, sir." Ky seems to jump out of his daze and hurries to Sol's side.

"And Sol?"

The Gear turns. "Hn?"

"Don't forget." Kliff gives him a long, hard look. "No matter how far you are from here, you'll always be one of my men... and an important part of my family."

Family, eh? Well, it's been seventy-five years, after all. He remembers a time when this wizened man was a six-year-old runt — it's longer ago than it seems. "...yeah."

"Well, I look forward to seeing you again... in a peaceful world."

That's something he can certainly get behind. "Yeah." He hopes Kliff will retire before then though.

He lets a stricken Ky lead him to the infirmary where the medic on duty pulls the broken sword out, removes some metal pieces with tweezers and gives him stitches. It'll heal in no time, of course, but they don't know that. He disposes of the stained uniform and puts on a tank top and jacket before heading out. To his surprise, Ky is still waiting outside the door, looking anguished.

"I apologise for the misunderstanding," he says softly, walking beside Sol towards the exit. "Why didn't you just tell me it was Commander Undersn's orders?"

It wasn't true, but "Would you have believed me?"

Ky flinches like he's been slapped. "H—how is your shoulder?"

"Better than your sword." Ky doesn't look comforted. "It'll heal."

The boy nods, eyes trained on the floor. "I'm sorry."

"Quit apologising. It makes you seem more pathetic."

Ky takes a deep breath, looking up at him. "Then let me thank you for saving my life. Again."

He scratches his head. "I didn't do anything that time." They've reached the gate.

"All the same, I wouldn't have made it out without you." He'd been surrounded at the Battle of Rome, and Sol's still not sure how Ky survived that long. He's glad though — Ky's strangely likable despite being a pain in the ass. Sol doesn't think too hard about it.

"Hmph. Stop being so careless."

"Right, right... You won't be here anymore."

"That's not what I meant." Sol turns around and regrets it — Ky looks so sad. "You hit your head back there, kid?"

"No... I'm fine." Ky shakes himself, forces a smile. "I'll continue to refine my skills, of course."

"Heh." It'd be safer, he thinks, if Ky quit the front lines, but the only reason the boy would ever stop fighting is the end of the war. "Well, see you later." Sol walks off with a lazy wave, tightening his grip on the Fireseal. With this sword, ending the war is something he can do.

"Ah, Sol!"

"Hn?" He looks over his shoulder.

Ky opens his mouth and closes it again, then "Take care of yourself," is what he settles on at last. It's like he knows just what to say — Sol doesn't hate it. At least he doesn't ask for silly promises this time.

"Watch it," Sol drawls with a smirk. "One would think you were falling for me."

"W—what?!" Ky splutters, turning red. "I—"

Sol chuckles — that's better. Shaking his head, he reaches for a cigarette as he continues walking away.

"Still can't take a joke."

Sol looks down at the Gear lying at his feet. Grief wars with anger. He reaches out to touch her, but stops — he doesn't have the right.

"The three of us," she said. There's no mistake. He never even considered the possibility, but to think... To think he used her.

He won't stop. He won't stop until he finds That Man and rips him to a million pieces. Aria... His cry of rage and anguish resounds throughout the empty plateau. Loose pieces fall from the wall and ceiling as tremors run through the building.

Just then, he hears footsteps running up the stairs behind him.

"Sol!"

It's Ky; of course it is. The boy takes in the sight that greets him and stops.

"Oh God... It is as I feared." He approaches for a closer look. "Is it... over for good then?"

"...yeah." Ky will rejoice, he supposes. He'll be alone in his wretchedness. As he should be. He doesn't even have the right to mourn her.

"Once again, you've saved us all." Relief turns quickly into urgency. "Wait, this isn't the time. I came to get you. The building is falling apart."

Sol's eyes widen in alarm. "What are you, an idiot?"

He grabs Ky's hand and starts running for the exit. Another tremor, and now they're dodging falling rubble as they go. Fortunately, Ky's always been nimble, and he keeps up easily. The exit is blocked, however, and he has to punch their way out. They tumble out into the open together mere moments before the building collapses in on itself behind them, and if he were less exhausted, he'd punch Ky next. As it stands, he glares left at the boy lying on the grass to rest beside him.

"What the hell were you still doing in there?!"

"Evacuating people." Ky waves at where other IPF officers are ushering civilians away. "You're the last."

Sol opens his mouth to yell at the kid, but only groans wearily and looks away. This is familiar — of course that's what Ky would do. Seven years ago, it'd been just the same. If they hadn't made it in time, he'd still have survived, but Ky... Ky is only human.

It's too bright out for the day's events, too sunny, and Sol's head is starting to spin. Between the fight with Justice and the mad dash out, he probably overextended himself a bit. The breeze is cool on his skin, and he lifts the hand not holding Ky's to sling his forearm over his eyes.

This feels like a good place for a nap.

It's dim when he wakes, indoors on a soft double bed with only city lights streaming in from the window for illumination. His first instinct is to panic, but a moment's thought, and he has an inkling whose home this is. As his eyes adjust and he takes in the decor, he's sure — it's a slightly better decorated version of Ky's room from his Order days. Looking higher, he realizes he needn't have guessed — the medals and awards are at the top of the bookshelf. It's exactly where he'd expected them to be — Ky is proud and competitive, but not arrogant.

It's exactly where all of Aria's had been.

The thought makes him bitter, and he thinks Ky needs to dust those shelves as he rubs a speck of dust out of his eye. He can sense Ky's presence just outside, and it smells like something's cooking. Whatever it is, food sounds good, and honestly, he's curious — having joined the military at such a young age, Ky probably hadn't cooked a day in his life until the Order disbanded five years ago. Fortunately, the Order's kitchen had some good chefs on staff, so Ky's idea of proper taste shouldn't be warped. He slides out from under the covers, takes the Fireseal along and walks silently to the door.

"I was just wondering if I should wake you," Ky says as he opens the door. "Dinner's almost ready."

Sol blinks against the sudden bright light and finds Ky standing over a saucepan in the kitchen.

"Well, actually, I wasn't sure I'd be able to, given my unsuccessful attempts earlier. They even wanted to take you to the hospital, but I was certain it was just exhaustion, so I insisted they help me carry you back here instead of taking up a hospital bed another patient would need more."

Sol is immeasurably relieved — the last thing he needs is for a hospital to run some tests and make some stupid decisions. "I owe you one."

"No," Ky replies as he serves up two plates of pasta. "We're barely even." He sets the porcelain plates down atop the woven placemats laid out with silverware on the wooden dining table. "I've had to learn to cook since disbanding the Order," he says as he sits down and indicates with one hand that Sol should take the seat across from him, waving at a stack of cookbooks on a corner of the kitchen counter with the other. "I don't think I'm very good yet, b—"

"It's better than I expected," Sol interrupts, swallowing his first mouthful of vongole.

Ky is looking at him for the first time since they ran out of the arena this afternoon, and the other's smile is warm but tentative, like he doesn't know where they stand. Sol would be hard-pressed for an answer himself, so he concentrates on eating, and Ky takes his cue to do the same. When he clears his plate, Ky offers him seconds, and he accepts.

"I see you've gone back to bounty hunting these last few years," Ky fills the silence at last.

"Hn." At Ky's quickly hidden downcast expression, he adds, "It pays well for what I've always done."

Ky finishes his own meal and offers to make tea. Sol shrugs — it's not like he'd expected anything else. Ky does brew excellent tea in beautiful teacups, so he doesn't mind, even if he'd rather have a beer.

"It's been busy in the IPF these last five years," Ky volunteers as he waits for the water to boil. "Crime flourished while the world was busy fighting Gears, and now human bounties outnumber Gear ones. I expect the trend will continue."

"So you're saying I'll be broke soon if I keep hunting only Gears?"

"No, I doubt we'll run out of Gear threats so soon, even after today."

Today... Sol sets his fork down to keep from breaking it. Studious and gentle Aria, the Herald of Destruction. And to think, all this time, he thought he knew the evil he faced. He wants to rip That Man to pieces, tear him limb from limb, make him pay for all the lives he's destroyed — it makes his blood boil and his vision tint orange. KILL. BURN. DESTROY — he shakes his head to silence the voices.

"Unexpectedly, so many of the Knights joined the IPF too," Ky continues, lifting the kettle to fill the teapot. "It almost doesn't feel like I've left."

"Do you never get tired of running your mouth?"

Ky hisses in pain, hurriedly setting the kettle down on the counter and going to run the tips of his fingers under the cold tap — he's scalded them. "We haven't talked in six years, Sol, and I expect if I asked you what happened in that time, you'd just tell me to mind my own business," he snaps, voice clipped from the pain as he gently pats his hands dry. "So either we take this outside like the 'good' old days, or you have th—"

It's tempting to take Ky up on it, to let off some steam, but it's not Ky he's angry at — he doesn't deserve to take it out on anyone else. Instead, Sol catches him by surprise as he turns, taking his injured hand for a closer look. The tips of his fingers are an ugly swollen red. "You're getting sloppy," Sol murmurs, but before Ky can argue, he's taken the digits into his mouth to lap tenderly at the smarting tips with his tongue, and Ky can only gape in shock.

As he keeps the gentle ministrations up, he hears Ky's breath and pulse quicken, and when he looks up, the boy's fair skin is flushed a bright red. Teasing Ky is still fun — he'd almost forgotten.

"W—what are you doing?!" To his credit, Ky does an admirable job of sounding scandalized.

"You need to cool them more," Sol pronounces with a grin and puts them back under the cold tap before asking, "Do you have flour?"

Looking anywhere but at Sol, "I— Yes. Why?"

"Now that you've cooled the burns, a bit of flour usually prevents blisters. Old trick that used to work for me."

Ky opens a cabinet with his right hand and takes a jar out. There's a bag of flour inside, and he scoops a bit out over the sink to get a coat of flour over his fingertips. In the meantime, Sol fills the teapot the rest of the way, covers it and puts the kettle back on its stand. Ky immediately comes over, swirls the pot and pours out two cups of tea.

"It's probably a bit oversteeped," he mutters a bit unhappily, but Sol shrugs and takes a sip, leaning against the counter.

"You still make better tea than you fight."

Ky looks like he can't decide whether to laugh or take offense, and Sol thinks he should leave while things are still going well. He's itching to get hunting — when it comes to that monster, there's never knowing where to start. It's frustrating, but he can only keep killing That Man's creations and hope he'll pick up a trail.

"I should get going," he says as he finishes his tea and sets the cup down on its matching saucer.

Ky nods and sets his cup down although he hasn't finished drinking. "Yes." He walks Sol to the door, but stops with his hand on the knob. "W—will I see you again?"

Sol runs a hand through his hair. "Who knows?" It's better if he doesn't though, safer. Ky may be a soldier, but his nature is gentle. Sol's path is one of bloodshed, and already he walks where no human should tread.

But Ky turns then, presses his back to the door. "You don't have to go." Sol can't see his face, but his voice has dropped to a whisper.

"There are things I need to do, boy."

"That's not what I mean." Ky bites his lip. "I— There's a lot I don't know about you. Heh, I don't even know your real name. And I won't ask —about today or any of that— because I know you won't tell me, and that— That's fine. But I—"

Sol wants to cut this off, to make Ky angry because that's easier, but—

In the end, all she'd wanted was some time. Not the cure he tried so hard to find. Just the rest of their limited time. It wasn't That Man who failed her.

"Sol, if it helps, even just a little, you can stay. Even just for tonight. Or come back whenever. I—"

He gathers the other into his arms, Ky melts into him, and the voices are silent. It's a comfort he doesn't deserve. He's tried to keep Ky away, out of his life, but he knows — despite his best efforts, the truth is Ky's been attached since even before the Battle of Rome. He almost wishes they'd parted on less friendly terms — it'd be easier.

"Tonight," he agrees, combing his fingers through golden hair. Time is something he has in abundance now. Perhaps, just for a little while, he can allow this much.

Slender arms wind tightly around him, and they don't say another word. Not even when Ky leads him to the only bed and snuggles into his side to sleep.

"Ah, what happened to your friend yesterday?"

Ky looks up as Adeline, one of his few subordinates who aren't former Holy Knights, joins him in the pantry — anyone from the Order knows better than to ask him about his rival.

"He woke up several hours later and left after dinner," he answers, forcing a smile as he refills his teapot. Sol was gone by the time he woke up, but that's not something he wants to talk about.

"Oh. I'm just glad to hear it wasn't an injury after all." She ducks her head and turns to make herself a cup of coffee. "Sorry for prying, sir."

"No, no, not at all," he reassures her as the smell of instant coffee mix permeates the room. "I was thinking of something else." Am I so transparent? he wonders, pouring the tea into a thermos flask.

"Ah... I've updated our data on the bounties as requested, sir, so if they're all right, we can release the new warrants."

"Thank you. I'll look those over right away."

Taking the flask, he heads back to his office to check the warrants. The new list isn't very different from the old — some numbers are different, some have been claimed, some have been added, but there are quite a few he's sure will permanently be there. By the time he's cross-checked, edited and released the list, the flask —three pots of tea— is empty.

It's just as well — that's the last of the day's paperwork, and he can head out to investigate that case he's been working on. He has a pretty good idea whom he's looking for, really, but cases aren't built on hunches, after all, not even particularly informed ones. Locking his office, he waves goodbye to his colleagues and heads out.

He stops dead in his tracks at the doors.

Lying on the stone steps, arms crossed behind his head, is Sol, smoking a cigarette and lost in thought. A few cigarette butts are scattered on a lower step, and Ky doesn't dare to hope it's him Sol's been waiting for. Still, Sol looks up as he approaches.

"The bin is only two steps away," he says pointedly, arms crossed. Indignation is easy — he never runs out of excuses to nitpick.

Sol sits up, extinguishes the smouldering stick beside its friends. "Pretty sure I saw a sweep walk by earlier."

Ky twitches. Good lord, this man... "That's not the point. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Ah, I came to pick up the latest bounty list, but someone told me you were still doing the final check."

"Yes." Work. Of course it's work. It shouldn't hit like a rock in his chest or a stinging behind his nose. "I just finished." He turns and starts running back up the stairs. "I'll print you a copy."

He takes a deep breath and schools his face into a sheepish smile before entering his department, laughingly saying he forgot something at the questioning looks as he heads back into his office in the far corner. By the time the list has finished printing, he's calm enough to go back out there to check if Sol has cleaned up the litter. He staples the sheaf of papers together and strides purposefully back out the doors. To his surprise, the pile of cigarette butts is gone, and Sol is standing, leaning back against a pillar with his arms crossed, instead. Robbed of his justification to pick a fight, he simply hands Sol the list and walks away.

"Are you cooking again tonight?"

"What?" He nearly trips on the last step.

Sol looks up from flipping through the warrants. "I asked if you're cooking tonight. And I'm guessing if I wanna drink something besides tea, I'm gonna have to bring it."

Staring in shock, Ky hoarsely manages, "I— Y—yes." He swallows the lump in his throat. "And yes, I don't really have anything but tea."

Sol flicks Ky on the nose, "Still a goody-two-shoes," shaking his head as he walks away.

Ky clamps a hand over his mouth to silence his gasp, and he doesn't know why he's blinking back tears even though the weight in his chest has lifted. "Same time?" he asks with a hopeful smile, jogging to catch up.

"Yeah, yeah..."

Sol turns left at the junction, and he almost forgets he's supposed to turn right. It takes every ounce of his professionalism to focus on the case, and God knows he won't catch the Assassin Syndicate so easily anyway.

That night, he rushes home to make chicken dijon, and by the time Sol knocks on his front door with a six-pack in hand, he's even managed to make space in the fridge.

It's been months since he last saw Sol, but Ky is fairly certain they'll meet here in Country A — you couldn't keep Sol away from a five-hundred-thousand-World-Dollar Gear bounty, especially when it's rumoured to be a Command Type. Even he has taken leave to come out here and investigate, after all.

He's starting to think he should have come on duty though. The bounty has drawn even some of the world's most wanted criminals, and even Zepp has gotten involved. But now, he's finally reached the Demon's Forest, and as soon as he steps in he senses it — Sol's just a little way up ahead. He runs to catch up and finds Sol leaning against a tree in waiting, cigarette hanging limply from his lips.

"Sol!"

The other lets the cigarette fall carelessly to the ground as he pushes off from the tree. "Turn back and go home, Ky. This is no place for a boy."

Ky frowns — it's as if Sol thinks he's still thirteen. "No. The International Police will take care of that Gear."

Mismatched red and ochre focus on him, and he steps forward to close the distance between them. After what looks like deep consideration, Sol asks, "And if I said you're the only person in the IPF that can be trusted?"

Ky wants to ask for an explanation, but this isn't the time. He takes Sol's hand. "Then let's go together."

Again, it feels like Sol is studying him, then finally, "Do as you like."

They continue down the path together, and it's not long before they reach a clearing. There's someone waiting there, a man with long black hair wielding a scythe.

Red eyes fall on Sol — the man is a humanoid Gear. "So it was you." His gaze shifts to Ky. "Return, child of man. I have no business with you. The Demon's Forest is a place of peace. Do not bring the filth of the outside in here."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Ky replies, drawing the Thunderseal, and if Sol had known a century and a half ago that the sword would be in Ky's hands, he would have designed it just the same — it fits perfectly, like a natural extension of the man, beautiful.

Testament looks more closely at Ky. "In front of the populace, I shall be a shield from the storm and a rock of support," he quotes — Ky's wearing the uniform, after all.

Ky gasps. "That's... a Sacred Order oath?!"

Oh great... Sol lifts the Fireseal, stepping forward. "I'm tired of seeing you."

"Finally, some cynicism," Testament sighs, turning back to him. "And to think I was about to give up on killing you."

"No." Ky darts in front of him to intercept. "Sol, go on ahead. Please allow me to handle this."

For a moment, Sol thinks to tell Ky the truth about Testament, but it would only sway the boy's gentle heart. "I leave it to you."

As he sprints forward, Testament moves to attack. "I am the shield. I won't let you lay a single finger on her!"

"Sacred Edge!" The projectile comes between them, and the moment is all Sol needs to get past. "I'm sorry. As former Commander, I can't let this slide."

Red eyes flash with fierce anger as the Gear assumes a battle stance. "But you will let him kill an innocent girl?"

An innocent girl? Another like Solaria? Can that be true? "If you are concerned, then the sooner we finish this, the better." Ky takes his usual stance.

The other laughs, preparing to attack. "Foolish human, do you know that he, too, is a Gear?"

He'd suspected for years, but the confirmation changes nothing. He only needs the proof of Sol's actions. "I do. Knowing this, will you still not let me meet her?"

"Hypocrites. The only one bloodstained should be me!"

By the time Ky arrives in the next clearing, the battle is over. He's pleasantly surprised to find Sol standing over a crying young girl with mismatched wings.

"Stop crying," Sol is telling her. "It makes me feel guilty."

So it's true, after all. "Is she the one everyone's hunting?" he asks as he approaches.

Sol turns to look at him, but before he can answer, the girl cowers away.

"Who are you? Why can't you leave me alone? I never wanted this power. I don't want to hurt anybody!"

He looks helplessly at Sol who shrugs. "Will you insist on bringing her in?"

Ky scrutinises the girl again. He senses the same innocence about her that Solaria had. Even Sol, who had not hesitated against thousands of Gears before, chose to spare them.

"No, I believe in you." He resheathes the Thunderseal. "Even so, we cannot leave her here."

"Why?" The girl looks up. "I hid here to have peace. Why can't you just stay away?"

After so many years of fighting Gears as the enemy, seeing these pacifist Gears is unsettling. He can't believe these innocent girls are monsters simply because of their nature, and yet... Seeing them as the enemy, had he hunted and killed so many helpless creatures who could do nothing but obey Justice? Ky shakes his head, moving closer. Thinking like this will get him nowhere.

"Hiding here will not bring you peace. More hunters will come. Even if it's a power we didn't want, it comes with responsibility. Instead of running, you must show the world what kind of person you are. That is what it means to live."

"But..." She wipes her tears. "If I leave here, it'll be a burden on everyone."

Ky smiles, crouching so they're face to face. "That's how it is to live, didn't you know? People draw strength from relying on each other."

"I see... I didn't know..."

Sol lights a cigarette as he watches the exchange. He doesn't particularly approve of the lesson, but he'll admit Ky is good at this sort of thing. There are people coming though — he's better at handling that.

Ky holds out his hands. "What is your name, Miss?"

"I am called Dizzy." Hesitantly, she takes his hands and lets him help her up.

"Ky, there's someone—"

"Kyaah! Watch out!"

Ky and Dizzy leap back. "Eh? From the sky?"

A young girl dressed in bright orange falls into the clearing. "Ah, ow, ow, ow..." She picks herself up.

"The Jellyfish Pirates? If this one's here..."

"Yo, looks like May found you all right." A man decked in black leather with a katana at his side saunters into the clearing behind the girl.

Ky massages his temple. "May and Johnny Sfondi of the Jellyfish Pirates. In truth, they're wanted criminals, but…"

"Eh? Wanted criminals?" Dizzy hides behind Ky.

"Well, well, what a crowd." Johnny takes hold of his sword. "Rather inelegant for the International Police to get involved, isn't it?"

"Ah, no, I'm acting independently today. Thank God. Otherwise, I can't say I blinked."

Sol raises an eyebrow as Ky turns to Dizzy. Without my noticing, it seems the kid's grown up a bit.

"They're wanted criminals, yes, but they're not bad people." He turns back to Johnny and May. "As you know, having her in any one country will start a war, but if she disappears…"

"I see." Johnny relaxes slightly. "It appears the man exceeds his reputation." He turns to Dizzy. "In that case, welcome to the Jellyfish Pirates!"

May claps and cheers, twirling aside as Dizzy steps forward.

"You mean… There's a place I can go?"

Ky nods. "If you go with them, people will stop chasing… well, you specifically." He presses his palm to his brow. "They get chased by the police a lot anyway."

Dizzy chuckles. "That sounds fun!"

"I—" Ky sighs, muttering, "If I said that's not the take away…"

Sol snorts, moving on to his next cigarette.

"For this Johnny, there's no such thing as 'no' to a pretty lady… is what I'd like to say, but first, let's test your skill!"

He unsheathes his sword, and Dizzy immediately backs away. "No! That's dangerous! Please don't come any closer! I don't want to hurt you!"

Ky shakes his head. "This is your chance to show people what kind of person you are."

"That's right," Johnny agrees, taking a battle stance. "If you don't lose yourself in battle, you pass. Try to win without killing me!"

Dizzy turns to Sol and Ky, unsure. Almost as one, they nod — they won't let her kill if they can help it, of course.

"All right." She assumes a defensive stance. "I'll do my best. Please be careful!"

Alone in the grove as the Mayship rises in the distance, Sol allows Ky to lean back into him and winds his arms around a slender waist.

"What did you mean about the IPF earlier?" Ky asks, lacing their fingers.

Sol debates it — there's very little evidence left to be found yet, and unveiling the conspiracy could create far more chaos. "It's not something that can just be told."

Ky turns to face him. "At least let me hear it. If there's injustice within the ranks of those sworn to protect the world's law and order, I have the conviction to pursue it."

Would Ky waver, he wonders, if the boy discovered the truth? "Can your justice trample on peace?" He sees the hesitation — Ky's always been transparent. "Thought so. So just close your eyes."

They're sharing breath now in their proximity, and when blue eyes fall shut, Sol doesn't resist the invitation. Ky makes a sound, at once of protest and desire, but kisses back, clumsy but without hesitation. It's been a year since that night — sometimes, he comes back from hunting, and they have dinner together before sharing Ky's bed. It's calming, and Ky's clearly content — he's too religious to consider much else, so this kiss is a first.

When they part for air, as expected, Ky looks conflicted, but instead of letting go and backing away, he tightens his embrace and rests his head on Sol's shoulder. "I don't need you to keep protecting me," he whispers. "Whether it's Gears, statues, dark truths or even yourself. I'm not fifteen anymore."

"I'm not doing it for you," Sol mutters, scratching his head. Protecting Ky from himself… if only.

Ky leans back to meet his gaze. "Regardless, I need to make my own choices, find my own answers."

This time, Sol deepens the kiss, and Ky opens up to him unreservedly. Supporting the back of a slender neck, he caresses the turn of narrow hips; delicate fingers scrabble for purchase on his back, and the sound muffled by their entwined tongues is unmistakably a moan.

"Why are you doing this?" Ky asks when they break off again. He's breathless, a bit flushed, unmistakably aroused, but his beliefs won't let him take the next logical step. Ky has always been true to his beliefs — that's something Sol can respect, even if he thinks the beliefs themselves are flawed.

Sol smirks. "It's the same. If you follow your heart's desire, it will upset your ideals of right and wrong." He pulls Ky closer to speak into his ear. "But investigate the Post War Administration Bureau if you want."

The other shivers, then tenses. Sol can sense someone coming though, so he steps away. What enters, though, he'll categorize as something rather than someone. The sight of it irritates him to the core.

"Target acquired. Identified as Ky Kiske. Useless original. Useless original." It's a robot, clearly made in Ky's image.

"How… disagreeable." Ky draws his Thunderseal. "Who is your master?"

"Transferring to attack mode... Case 48: Encounter With Original. Manual says, 'Mimic actions accordingly—' What the hell?!"

Before either can say another word, Sol is attacking with Bandit Revolver.

"Out of the way! Out of the way!" It says as it responds with moves clearly copied from Ky. "I was made to defeat the useless original. That is my raison d'etre!"

"Fuck you," is all Sol says as he presses the attack.

As Ky watches with increasing distaste, someone else runs into the clearing — it's the strange chef that tried to stop him earlier, the Chinese brunette with an Oolong tea can for a hair clip.

"Aiya! My ingredients… They're burning up the forest!" she wails. "Could that be the bounty everyone's talking about?"

"Ah, no, Miss, the bounty is gone," Ky interjects hurriedly, circling a safe distance around the fighting towards her.

"It's you! So you took the bounty?"

"What? No! I was too late to even fight it." Even if he were willing to try, he's never been a good liar, so omission is best.

"Aiya!" She slumps. "No ingredients and no bounty... My restaurant..."

"Restaurant?"

"I was going to use the five hundred thousand to open the best restaurant in the city," she explains despondently.

"Ah..." A restaurant... A goal for peaceful times. Such plans were unheard of during the war. He looks around. Suddenly, he spots a bit of blue amidst the grass. It must be the lock of Dizzy's hair that Johnny cut off during their fight. He picks it up. "Well, if no one else comes to claim the bounty, perhaps you can use this?" He offers her the lock of hair. It'd be better if someone claimed the bounty, and Dizzy were declared dead instead of just missing.

"You're just giving it to me?" She warily takes the lock of hair. "This is from the bounty? Don't you want the money?"

"Ah, I'm actually a police officer, so it's inappropriate for me to be claiming bounties. I only came to investigate." He glances sideways at the fight between Sol and the robot. "You should go before they get more serious."

"What a nice policeman! Well, I'm Kuradoberi Jam. Please come to my restaurant when it opens. I'll treat you to a meal! Bring all your friends too! Only you eat for free though." She runs back the way she came.

So I'm an advertiser? Oh, I suppose she can't be expected to treat everyone.

He turns back to the fighting just as Sol slams the robot into a tree with a fiery punch. Both tree and robot fall to the ground, and Sol impales the machine to the tree with his Fireseal. Ky runs over.

"You won't get away. You won't get away," taunts the mechanical voice.

"Tch, noisy doll," Sol grunts. "Pretty good copy though."

Ky frowns at the older man. "What a tasteless joke."

"You won't get away. The Cr—Crusades aren't over."

He whirls on the robot. "What?"

"Gigigigigiii... The P—post War A—administration B—bureau w—w—won't let you g—g—get away..."

Something seems to break inside it, and the machine goes dead. Ky still stabs it with the Thunderseal and sends a jolt of lightning through to fry everything, just in case.

"Heh." Sol pulls out the Fireseal. "Looks like they've begun to move."

Ky turns to face him, tries not to let the bead of sweat trickling down his throat become a distraction. "The Post War Administration Bureau...even within the IPF?"

"Even above the United Nations, is what I've heard."

Something inside him freezes with dread. So high up... They must be everywhere. The Crusades aren't over... Behind the Crusades... the Gear Maker?

"What will you do?"

"I'll chase them," Ky decides resolutely. "From the inside. Surely, I can find out what they're up to. But more importantly, Sol, what do you know about the Gear Maker?"

Abruptly, the Fireseal is at his neck. "Don't."

He doesn't even tense. If Sol wanted him dead, he already would be. "I just said I don't need your protection."

"No, he's my prey." Sol lowers his blade. "Don't get in the way."

Ky steps closer. The sweaty and overwhelming scent of smoky musk should be less appealing than he's finding it now. "At least tell me if he's related to this PWAB."

Sol leans in, almost imperceptibly. "I don't know."

"Then why are you hunting him?"

"You said you wouldn't ask."

Ky hugs Sol tightly, so the Gear can't run. "Even now that I know what you are, will you still hide?"

Sol tenses in his arms. "How long?"

"I've suspected since the sealing of Justice. Please. Will you still not tell me?"

"He turned me and the woman I loved into monsters," the other sighs reluctantly.

"I see..." And he shouldn't ask; it shouldn't matter; but— "The woman...?"

"Justice."

"No..." Ky feels his muscles grow slack from shock. Then Sol killed... "I'm sorry." His voice sounds sandpaper hoarse though the answer gives him some relief, and yet... "Killing Frankenstein didn't bring his Creature any peace." Beyond vengeance lies only emptiness. He buries his face in Sol's shoulder, tightening his hold and pressing closer.

Sol will admit he's impressed Ky has read that book — it was old even in his day. "No," he agrees, returning the embrace at last. "For that I have you," he doesn't say. "But I can punch some answers out of him."

This seems to suffice — Ky remains silent. After a few moments, he lifts his face and says, "You're not a monster."

"You d—"

"You're not," Ky interrupts insistently, leaning into him. "Sol, promise me something."

"Hn?"

"Come back," he pleads softly. "Come back to me. Once you've found your answers. Don't... don't disappear. Promise me you won't be alone."

"Hmph." Maybe that's how he got into this mess — sometimes, Ky sounds so much like Aria. "If I refuse?"

Ky steps back, but doesn't let go. His face is damp, his eyes a little red, but he's smiling. "I'll track you down, chase you to the ends of the Earth."

"What a pain..." Sol doesn't hate it. He supposes he has a type.

"Let's go home?" Ky takes his hand.

"Heh." He laces their fingers and starts walking. "I was wondering how long you were gonna stay in this damned forest."

When I-No returns to the Integrate Point, Raven is not there, and the boss is busy with some advanced magic again. The scene is familiar — it feels like she's back to the time just before she left on this experiment.

"I take it that didn't work," she pipes up instead of waiting for his attention.

"What didn't... ah, you changed something?" That Man turns to her. "The Conclave's plans fell apart, but few survived Baptisma 13, and fewer still the calamity that came after. This much data is all I can protect."

It's true — the white space seems smaller than it was when she left.

"I don't know how long this can be sustained, or when the next attack will be. This is not the future that I wished for."

I-No sighs, longsuffering, as she opens the next portal. Honestly? She doesn't care, but the alternative is being stuck in this white space with his nagging forever.

"Right. Let's try further back. Ciao!" She jumps in.

Notes 2:
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