Disclaimer: I do not own Guilty Gear or any of its characters...

{ Guilty Gear: Temptress of the White Knight }

By Traingham


[ Paris, Sacred Order U-Prison... ]


It was dark in the cold cell underground, however, it was not that conditions of the cell that really bothered its occupant. In fact the prisoner held within the cell would not have cared the least bit if she spent her entire life within the cell as long as she had someone to keep her company. Maybe if they allowed her to keep her guitar that might have been another plus, but she was a force to reckon with whenever she had the destructive instrument within her grasps so any chance of that ever happening was never going to present itself. Ky Kiske had ensured that they had taken her beloved hat away as well for similar reasons. This being the case, I-No simply sat on the bed provided for her with her knees tucked up close to her chest, a demented grin playing across her devilish lips as she hummed a twisted tune to herself that gave the guards patrolling the halls chills. All of them were deathly afraid of her already for a few reasons. The last foolish guard that succumbed to his lust for the crimson witch suffered a death that left scars in the minds of all his co-workers after he attempted to make a pass at her, and the change to a female guard left the poor young woman traumatized to the point that she couldn't control herself from screaming late at night. I-No simply was not an inmate that anyone wanted to be in charge of. It was suicide.

"I wonder who they assigned to me today." I-No wondered aloud almost perversely. The gleam of madness in her eyes was concealed by the darkness yet her orbs almost appeared to burn dimly like those of a waiting demoness eager to meet her next victim. The smirk on her face grew wider when she heard the reverberating slam of the heavy steel door at the end of her cell row. Oh, what fun she would have today. Her expression shifted somewhat to something unreadable, however, when she heard a guard ask in a whisper, "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Captain Kiske?"

Do my ears deceive me? I-No felt her blood begin to boil at the very mention of the white knight's name. Has that boy finally decided to pay me a visit after all this time? She smiled almost giddily, sure without a doubt that he was here for her. She would be heartbroken if he had come for anyone else. I might have more fun planned for today than I thought. She untucked her legs and crossed them, running her hands through her hair quickly for a moment to look a bit more presentable. I-No may have been at a loss of sanity, but she still was a woman after all.

"Don't question me about this. I can handle her if she starts to misbehave." I-No heard Ky's voice, giving her pleasant shivers. It brought her back to the blood pumping duels she had engaged with him before her imprisonment. Such memories were enough to keep her amused until she would find a way to break out and hunt him down. When the door to her cell finally opened Ky entered dressed in his usual attire, his white long jacket gliding behind him as he approached her with the thunderseal at his side and a folded chair in his right hand, but the object gripped in his left hand had drawn most of her attention.

Marlene...he seriously brought it with him... The crimson witch thought with building excitement at the sight of her beloved guitar. How long had she been apart from her wonderful instrument? How long had it been since she ran her fingers across its vibrant strings, shredding the inspiring riffs she longed to play even now? Ky didn't miss the way I-No's hands began to tremble when he set up the folding seat in front of her, almost reaching for him. Her excitement seemed to build further when he took a seat and rested the guitar on his lap gently. He wasn't about to treat her most prized possession carelessly before her very eyes. That was simply asking for trouble that he didn't want to deal with right now.

"Light please." He called to the guard that was standing at the door. The man had no intention of going any further than that with the stories he heard about the lovely occupant of the cell. With a nod he pressed a button on a remote he slipped out of a pouch on his belt. Lights that were seemingly non-existent before flickered to life in the corners of the cell much to I-No's surprise, and the door closed locking Ky inside with her. They regarded each other in a pregnant silence until Ky greeted, "Good evening, I-No." His words held no animosity. In fact it was a greeting one would expect to be shared between two friends passing each other on the street.

"Ah, Ky Kiske." I-No started off with a lustful smirk that managed to unsettle the white knight if even for a mere moment. "To what do I owe the pleasure of such a rare visit, my dear boy?" Her eyes wandered all over his body until they rested upon the guitar at his lap. She couldn't help but lick her lips hungrily at the tempting sight. "You should come more often. I had begun to think that you'd forgotten all about me." She pouted at him cutely, but Ky showed no noticeable reaction to it much to her disappointment.

"It wouldn't be advised for an officer to visit a criminal on a daily basis." He told her professionally, no visible holes present within him for her to exploit.

"Daily?" I-No blinked. "I was thinking two times a week at the least, but it seems that even that is too much to ask seeing as how this is your first visit in months, jack ass." I-No tip toed her fingers down her shapely legs before resting her hand upon her knee. "It's been a while since I've had a man that could handle me. All of the men you supply me with here as guards are pathetic." She winked at him libidinously. "Perhaps you can compensate for these poor conditions? What do you say, young beast?"

"Unfortunately I'm not here for pleasure." Ky quipped causing I-No's smirk to grow wider in response. It pleased her to know that he actually had a sense of humor hidden within that rock hard exterior. "I'm in need of your talents."

"I thought you said you weren't here for pleasure." I-No purred to him, taking pleasure in the way Ky blushed at her words.

"I'm referring to your other skills." He clarified for her as he held out her guitar to her. I-No simply looked at Ky as though he had grown another head on his shoulder. After all he knew about how capable she was when she had it in her grasps, he was still going to let her take back her dear Marlene? "What seems to be troubling you?" The captain asked her as he quirked an eyebrow.

"Are you serious about this?" She asked almost longingly.

"Of course." Ky replied. "I wouldn't allow it unless I was sure about it."

"You are just so-" I-No practically snatched her guitar out of his hands, "-sweet!" She nuzzled the guitar adoringly, hugging it to her body in a loving fashion. Ky tried not to notice the way the neck of the guitar somehow found itself tucked between her ample breasts, but the crimson witch noticed the light blush that appeared on his cheeks regardless of how hard he tried to hide it. Seeing an opportunity present itself for her to tease him, she struck smoothly. "I could just eat you up, you know that?" She told him in a husky voice.

He shook his head, denying her the sort of response she intended to elicit from him. "Enough of that please."

"Don't be so boring." She pouted again.

"I-No..."

"Alright, alright." She sighed in frustration. Why was this man so hard to open up? While others would be putty in her hand, Ky was the complete opposite, fighting her advances and ignoring all of her subtle gestures effortlessly. It managed to hurt her pride somewhat to know that he wasn't interested in what she could offer him. "What do you need from me?" She did her best not to allow her disappointment to seep through her words.

"I need to take a glimpse into my past." Ky answered her, piquing her interest.

"Really?" She questioned him mischievously, already curious to know his motives for such an odd request. "And may I ask just how far into the past?"

"Last night." Ky replied, turning his head to the side slightly in what could have been interpreted as shame. A cat-like grin played upon I-No's lips as she leaned forward on her bed to get a better look at him, confirming to herself that the hunch she had about today wasn't far off. The white knight was her patron saint, guaranteed without a doubt to provide her with the sort of excitement she had been so desperately in need of to kill the monotony.

"And why would you want me to do that, hmmm?"

"You'll find out when you do as I ask." Ky replied curtly.

"Don't be like that." I-No moaned with a sultry purr as she ran her hand up his arm, but he slapped her hand away quickly.

"Don't touch me." He glared at her like a wolf ready to snap at her hand if she so much as twitched in his direction again.

"Oh, why not?" I-No frowned. "Don't tell me that you're committed already. You're far too young for that."

"I am not." Ky's left eye twitched noticeably.

"Don't tell me it's that Chinese cook."

"What?" A look of confusion washed over the officer's handsome face.

"You know..." I-No trailed off as she leaned over to him again, gaining little to no distance since he slid his seat back from her to maintain a gap. "That woman who is always after you."

Knowing exactly who she was referring to by that description, he stammered, "M-Ms. Kuradoberi?"

"So it is true."

"You've got the wrong idea." Ky cut off her line of thought quickly. "We have nothing betwee-" He stopped in mid-sentence when he realized what was going on. "Why are we even having this conversation?"

"Very well. I'll help you out." I-No submitted to his wishes, neglecting to answer his question. "However, I will need some sort of payment for my services."

"Done." Ky answered her uneasily.

"And you will have to tell me why you want to go through with it." I-No sat indian style on her bed and stared up at his face childishly. "Come on, Mr. Ky! Tell me your story." She bounced up and down on the flat cell mattress, causing Ky to wonder if she had behaved like this all the time before she got imprisoned. "I have all the time in the world."

"...Ugh..." Ky placed a hand on his forehead with a sigh. He couldn't believe he was actually going to do this, but she was going to find out anyway, so... "Okay..."


{ Ky's Story…. }


Ugnh…why does my body feel so sore? More importantly…where am I? Ky Kiske opened his eyes to the sight of mountains and clouds. The stone floor he was laying against was cold and damp upon his bare skin, which served to alert the white knight since it was then that he realized that he had absolutely no clothes on. His uniform was strewn on the ground along with his boots and the Thunderseal. The sight of his sword put him at peaces since that was his main concern at the moment. He was afraid that he had somehow lost it in the process of losing his clothes.

"I don't understand." Ky muttered before feeling a dull pain in his head that disoriented his sense. That accompanied by the apparent soreness of his body, brought to his full awareness when he attempted to lift his self off the ground, sent all different sorts of messages through his mind and most of them weren't exactly pleasant because if they were all leading in the right direction then he wasn't sure if he could ever face his friends. "Please don't let that be the case." Ky pleaded, closing his eyes in a silent prayer.

After gathering enough will power, he finally managed to get up off of the ground and stretch out his sore muscles. Whatever he did before he passed out really managed to leave him in bad shape. His arms felt like they weighed a ton and his legs felt no different. He grabbed his left shoulder with his right hand and rotated his arm with a wince at the painful sensation that slowly burned through his nerves.

"Please don't let my thoughts be right about this." Ky pleaded again. He felt very awkward in his current state of undress as a breeze decided to blow through him and a very cold one at that. He snatched his boxers up off the ground and pulled it up his legs with a groan at the way his body protested at his actions. He proceeded to search for his muscle shirt, letting his jaw fall for a moment when he found it torn it two. Unless he suddenly went mad and did the deed, he wasn't really capable of formulating any other explanation for why it was ripped.

"No." Ky shook his head. "That just isn't like me." The white knight walked to the edge of the cliff he was standing on and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the evil forest. That could only mean that Dizzy's house was somewhere nearby. Now why would he be here? For some reason he just couldn't recall what went on before he had awoken moments ago. He held his hand close to his mouth and let out a rush of warm breath before wrinkling his nose in distaste at the stench of alcohol. "No…no…no….NOOOO!"

...

...

Ky walked through the forest at a sluggish pace doing his best to adjust to the limits that his soreness put upon his body. He learned the hard way that running wasn't something he was really capable of at the moment. His graceless tumble down the side of the mountain earlier was more than enough to clarify that message for him. Right now he was in search of Dizzy's house. Hopefully by going there, he would be able to find some clues as to why he had awoken in such a state. At the same time he feared what answers he would find, but something in the back of his mind was telling him that he should put such thoughts at rest. Surely if, god forbid, he really did happen to sleep with Dizzy, he was sure that they would not have left the residence.

"There would be no logic in waking up so far from her house if that were to ever happen…and yet I have to take into consideration that we might have been drunk at the time, and Dizzy does have wings…"

"Hold up." I-No interrupted Ky for a brief moment.

"Yes?" Ky asked, a little relieved that his listener decided to speak up. The way she had been looking at him while he spoke was beginning to unnerve him. "What's wrong?"

"So you think that you might have ended up having a one night stand with someone?"

"That was the only explanation." Ky nodded sagely with his arms crossed. He saw I-No stroke her guitar sub consciously in deep thought before she turned her attention back to him. At the sight of the smirk that appeared on the crimson witch's face Ky prepared to hear the worst.

"Well, from hearing about the ripped muscle shirt and the soreness you felt as you awoke in the middle of nowhere no less, I'd have to say that you might have been raped."

"I didn't feel sore…there…" Ky said, leaving I-No to figure out where he meant by saying "there".

"It didn't have to be a man, boy." I-No chuckled as she leaned out to him again so she could touch him but the white knight naturally slapped her hand away before it could reach her target. She rubbed it to soothe the sting he left her with and went on, "It could have been a woman for all you know." When she saw the look of disbelief on Ky's face, she smiled sadistically. "There were plenty of times when similar thoughts had gone through my mind at the sight of you. Who knows? Had I been the victor of our last duel I might have made some good use of that young body of yours."

"I doubt that ever happening." Ky retorted.

"Is that so?"

"I would never allow you to do such things to me."

"No?"

"How many times must I tell you?" A hint of irritation was clear in his voice this time when he spoke. Meetings like this were the main reason Ky didn't come to visit her before. I-No was in a word, disturbing. He read all of the reports about her stay at the prison so far and they weren't things he liked to read before turning in for bed. Her taunts to him as they dueled before, all regarding his sword were enough to tell him about the woman he faced even now.

I knew from the beginning that this visit wasn't going to be so easy. Talking to her without breaking a sweat is enough of a task already, and the way she keeps on looking at me like some lioness spying a lone antelope isn't really too comforting.

"I get it, I get it." I-No growled softly. She looked away from him for a moment to grumble something to herself before turning back and asking, "But have you ever just wondered?"

"Wondered what?"

"How it would feel to have me at your mercy?" I-No caressed her own body for a moment, tossing Ky a playful wink. "How it would feel to have me do whatever you wished? I could give you wondrous memories to take to bed with you next time you're alone."

"Forget about it!" Ky snapped at her, however, the effect of his reaction wasn't what he desired at all. Instead of discouraging her, his words seemed to have the opposite effect. In fact she looked very aroused.

"Yes master." I-No moaned in a libidinous fashion that had the young officer staring at her in horror as she cocked her head to the side feigning a bit of fear. "Have I angered you? Are you going to punish me now?"

What the hell was up with this woman?

"Do you ever think of anything else other than sex?" Ky asked with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. "Were you always this way?"

"Well, of course I have other things in mind like, Marlene, here." I-No patted her guitar with a satisfied grin. "I love to think up of new songs to play on her and how they might sound."

"…Anything else?"

"Um, blood." I-No answered. "I mean, have you ever given thought to how it would feel to have gulps of that stuff going down your throat?"

"No…" Ky answered, quirking an eyebrow at how far this little interruption had suddenly gone. He just prayed that I-No would not decide to suddenly go philosophical on him, because he was sure that going down that road would leave him with troubled thoughts for days.

"It's thick and warm…" She licked her lips as she thought about it, stroking the tip of her chin with a finger gently before ending, "It must be nice."

"I regret ever asking you that question." Ky grumbled, placing a hand over his forehead as he shook his head.

"Oh come on!" I-No pouted at him, 'cutely', could have been the word for description if he was dealing with a different individual. Being that it was her...well, he tried very hard not thinking about it. "It's been a while since I've had someone I could actually talk to. Besides, I still have more I'd like to tell you about!"

"Can I please just continue with my story?" Ky silenced her, his expression making it clear to her that he was no longer in the mood for further discussion. "I mean, you're the one who wanted to listen to it right?"

"Be that way."

"I will."

"Fine."

"Okay."

"Hmph…"

[ Back to Ky's story… ]

Ky was relieved to find himself at Dizzy's door after a long walk that had lead him in circles since his mind had still not completely gotten a grip over all of his senses. He ran his hand down his long jacket to smooth out the wrinkles, and adjusted it to make sure that he looked very presentable as a high ranking officer should be. He took a deep breath and exhaled before knocking on the door. He held his hands behind his back in wait for the door to open, however, after waiting for a longer period of time than expected he pressed his ear against the door to see if he could hear anything. All his ears was met with was the hollow sound of silence, indicating at absolutely nothing.

"Is she home?" Ky wondered aloud before knocking again, but after another long waiting session he started to become rather discouraged about Dizzy being present within her residence. "Ms. Dizzy, are you in there?" He listened for an answer and heard nothing in response. "Are you alright in there?" He tried asking a little louder, pausing for a moment to cross his arms and tap his foot a few times before his patience ran dry, having him cry out, "HELLO?"

"Um, yes?" Ky's ears perked up at the pleasant sound of the commander gear's lovely voice.

"Ms. Dizzy, where are you?" Ky called out to her.

"Mr. Kiske, is that you? Come around the house! I'm in my garden!"

"Garden?" Ky questioned no one in particular before doing as Dizzy instructed and meeting her in the back of her house. There stood the young beauty in some jean shorts that gave the captain a good look at her long, curvaceous legs and a tight fitting, white tee shirt that hugged the contours of her upper body like a glove. She had her bandanna as usual to keep her long, blue hair from getting onto her face accompanied by her two yellow bows. Her wings were folded with her guardians currently in their resting state so Ky wasn't nervous around her. Necro wasn't exactly pleasant to be around to say the least.

"Oh, hello there, Mr. Kiske." Dizzy greeted him with a pleasant smile that Ky couldn't help, but return to her. The fact that she didn't look nearly as worried as he was wiped any of the scenarios he had in mind that possibly included her. At the same time it also managed to instill a lingering irksome thought within his mind, because if she had nothing to do with what happened, then he wasn't sure who it could have been, and a small voice in the back of his mind told him that it would have been far more acceptable if it had been with someone he knew. The idea that a stranger could have been behind it brought a few murky thoughts that sat none too well with him.

"Good morning to you, Ms. Dizzy." Ky greeted her back. "I had no idea that you had a garden." He said with a smile, but it was not returned. Instead a look of confusion washed over Dizzy's face as though he had just said something odd.

"What do you mean, Mr. Kiske?" She asked, sounding a little worried. "I showed it to you yesterday, remember? "

"…Erm." Ky felt a bead of sweat trail down the side of his forehead. "My apologies, I don't remember that."

"That's weird." Dizzy quirked her eyebrows. "You even helped me with it."

"I-is that so?" This was not good at all. For his memory to be so lost and forgotten that he couldn't remember something he took part in was not good news at all. What else had he done yesterday that he was not aware of. "Um, what time had I come here yesterday?"

"At some time around the afternoon." Dizzy answered, walking towards him. She crossed over the small picket fence that separated her garden from the dirt path and came to a halt when she was close enough to touch his forehead with her hand. Ky tried not to make his discomfort noticeable when she did. While her touch was soothing, his suspicions were still running wild and knowing that she was comfortable enough with him to lay a had upon him was making it that much harder to rule her out. "You don't seem to be alright."

"I'm fine, really." Ky assured her, raising a hand to gently remove her hand from his forehead. "I'm just a little-"

"W-what's this feeling?" Dizzy suddenly went on alert. She placed her hand on her head as though she was in some sort of drunk stupor and cried out, "M-Mr. Kiske?"

"What seems to be the matter?" Ky asked frantically when she started to back away from him. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, this is very bad!" Dizzy said worriedly. Necro had suddenly awoken from his slumber and he looked directly at Ky with a glare that made his blood run cold. "YOU, stay away from Lady Dizzy!" The grim guardian roared at him.

"E-excuse me?" Ky's right hand instinctively went for the Thunderseal at his side. "What have I done?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kiske, but please stay away from me!" Dizzy buried her face in her hands and Necro, drew forward, obscuring her from the white knight's view like an overprotective father.

"Away, I said!" Necro snarled as he made a scythe materialize in one hand.

"D-Dizzy!" Ky's mind went racing. Maybe he wasn't so wrong after all! Maybe they did do something together! Before he could try to get to the bottom of the matter Necro pulled his arm back and swung his scythe at his neck, which might have succeeded in taking his head off if he had not rolled backwards at the last moment.

"Run, Mr. Kiske!" Dizzy cried out. "I'm so sorry!"

Ky did just that when Necro made the scythe disappear, substituting it with his enchanted bow instead. He materialized an arrow in his other hand and drew it back before releasing it. Ky looked over his back to see the arrow zeroing in on him and deflected it with a quick draw of his blade before pumping his legs as fast as they could take him. He wasn't about to take on an angry gear. The last time Dizzy was possessed by Necro things got pretty ugly, and in the state that his body was still in, he wasn't sure if he was up for an engagement.

"Ooh, that doesn't sound like it went well." I-No giggled. It was at that point that Ky started to notice just how close she had gotten to him again, but she wasn't leaning forward at all. He didn't even remember seeing her move. His eyes wandered down towards the bed and he realized that she moved it towards him discreetly the entire time he had been going on with his story.

"No," Ky paused to place his foot against the bed before shoving it back against the wall, "It had not gone well at all."

"So you think that she might have been the one last night?" I-No asked. For some reason the image of Dizzy getting hot and heavy with the white knight was something of a foreign idea to her. "Well, I guess even she could get drunk."

"Well, I would have believed that out right if she hadn't behaved so oddly." Ky said, stroking his chin. "She didn't really start to get erratic until she had gotten close to me, and she was apologizing to me instead of trying to rip my head off…though I could say differently for Necro." The way he rolled his eyes told I-No how much he didn't like the dark guardian. She on the other hand thought he was kind of cool, but that was just her opinion.

"So do you think she might have taken advantage of you last night?" I-No suggested. "Maybe she has the hots for you. Probably when she saw you so vulnerable in your drunken state, she decided to make good use of the opportunity it presented for her. I know that's what I would have done."

"…No."

"Why not?"

"Ms. Dizzy wouldn't do that."

"And how would you know?" I-No crossed her arms.

"Because…she just wouldn't." Was Ky's only answer to the question. "Also, I forgot to note that I did not find any feathers at the cliff I was laying on when I woke."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I-No asked curiously.

"I'm sure if we happened to engage in such activities, she wouldn't have been able to get away without leaving some feathers behind from her wings."

"So? She most likely cleaned up after herself when was done with you." I-No said, rolling her eyes. "You don't think she would leave evidence of her dirty deed, do you? Don't be so naive. We all have ways to hide our true nature."

"Funny hearing those words from you." Ky quipped.

"What are you getting at?" I-No asked.

"Nothing important." Ky replied.

"Oh, I'm sure..." I-No grinned mischievously. "Mr. Kiske has a playful side...I like..." The crimson witch purred. "You should visit me more often. I'm becoming rather fond of you."

"Whatever."

"I'm serious." I-No told him.

"Let me just continue." Ky said, wanting very much to get away from the conversation.

"So where did you turn to next?"

"Seeing as how getting any clues from Dizzy wasn't possible, I decided to back track to Ms. Kuradoberi's restaurant." Ky explained to his demented listener. "I'm currently helping her out with the daily up keep of the place."

"How nice." I-No mumbled, the sarcasm dripping from her words. "You two must be close."

"We're friends."

"With benefits." I-No threw in quickly.

"Just friends." Ky corrected her.

"Continue." I-No hurried him away from the talking about the young chef.

"Very well."

[ Continuing with the story... ]

"Perhaps it would be in my best interest to start from the source." Ky reasoned with his self. "Since I usually start my day helping, Ms. Kuradoberi, I should begin by asking her where I went afterward." It was then that the captain realized the Chinese chef would be very mad at him. He was supposed to show up early for her every day, but with the situation he was experiencing, he was already a few hours late. He continued down the forest path in hopes of coming to the next town soon so he'd be able to take the train down to the nearest station to the town Jam had her restaurant set up in. He worked up a brisk pace running through a seemingly endless path of green until his eyes spotted something pink and white in the distance.

Ky came to a gradual stop towards a fork in the road where he saw Baiken sitting upon a rock with a smoking pipe in her hand. She had on her usual revealing kimono that gave him a clear view at her well endowed chest though his manners kept him from letting his eyes linger. Her long pink hair fell over one shoulder in pony tail and by the looks of the bottle of booze she had sitting beside her and the dash of red upon her cheeks, she was a bit intoxicated. Nevertheless, she kept her unmoving eye upon his approaching form in a tense position in case she needed to move quickly.

"Ms. Baiken?" Ky said her name in a questioning tone of voice.

"Ky Kiske..." She offered him a slight nod. Her word was slurred, but one could not pick it up unless they had really concentrated. She relaxed and lifted her cup before taking a sip from it. Ky had to admit that despite all the scars she had she was still a very attractive woman from her drop dead figure to her beautiful face. The scar on her right eye did nothing to ruin that.

"What are you doing here?" Ky inquired.

"I was meditating in the mountains." Baiken answered much to his surprise. "I decided to stop here and admire the view. It's a perfect spot to have a relaxing drink." Her brilliant eye regarded him on the spot. "And you?"

"...I was doing the same thing." Ky lied.

"You seem to be suffering from a hangover to me." Baiken observed with a brief smirk. "Your eyes look slightly out of focus. How very unlike you."

"Um, yes...I admit that I had been drinking." Ky said sheepishly. "To tell you the truth I don't quite remember how I ended up here in the first place." Ky let his arms relax at his sides rather rigidly. "I just woke up and I was up in the mountains."

"It happens to the best of us." Baiken said with a bit of humor. "I experienced something similar."

"Did you?" Ky raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Baiken nodded. "I had to meditate and clear my thoughts."

"Excuse me for asking but..."

"What is it?" The samurai asked.

"...Never mind."Ky decided not to ask the question that had been lingering in his mind. He didn't want to do anything unadvised. He wasn't sure how she would react if he asked her anything that might relate to his predicament. The woman that sat before him was dangerous and there was no telling what would happen if he insulted her somehow. "It's nothing." He told her, shaking his head. "And where might you be headed?" Baiken asked. She could sense that the white knight was feeling very uneasy around her but it didn't bother her too much. She was used to that sort of atmosphere whenever others were around her.

"To see Ms. Kuradoberi." Ky replied.

You mean that loud girl with the restaurant? Baiken thought with a bit of a frown. If there were any people she just couldn't stand they were Jam, May, and Anji, though in the fan wielder's case there was a slight difference in how she felt. They were just too loud and perky for her to tolerate. Chipp wasn't the type of company she would ever consider having around either but he always found a way to stick with her regardless. "I see. Farewell then."

"Good-bye." Ky nodded to her before walking off into the distance. No...it must have been a simple coincidence. I could never imagine Baiken and myself being together. It just wouldn't seem right and yet...no...but she is the only person around here beside Ms. Dizzy that was nearby unless there is someone else I have not taken into consideration. His imagination didn't stretch far. I-No was being held prisoner under the Sacred Order, Millia Rage...was not a person he would consider safe to sleep with, and May...well...that was just sick. The girl might have had a rather questionable attraction to older men but he wouldn't ever turn to her for anything of such a crude nature, not even in a drunken state. He just wasn't that type of person.

Ky stopped for a moment as a passing thought of a key wielding young woman came to mind but he quickly brushed it off. Was there any way that could ever happen? Not a chance...right? She disturbed him perhaps even more that I-No did. "Lord, I am lost." Ky sighed. I have a feeling that I'm not going to like the answer to this. I'm having a verrrry bad feeling about this indeed...


Ky shot I-No a look when she stifled a laugh. "What?" He asked, his features darkening considerably.

"I just like to see you squirm." I-No replied. "What would Sol say if he found out that you were having a crisis about something like this?"

"Leave that man out of this." Ky growled.

"Oh, what's the matter? You boys still at each others throats?"

"Let's just get off the subject, huh?"

"Such a spoiled sport."

[ Moving on... ]

Ky stepped on to the platform from the train and walked up to the rails across from the tracks to look out to the view of the town below. Near the center of the town he was able to make out the familiar structure that Jam did her business in and sighed. It was a welcoming sight after all the anxieties that were running through his mind yet at the same time he felt a bit of dread building in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure why but this whole matter regarding the mysterious woman that joined him last night was making him feel very guilty whenever he thought of Jam's pretty face. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to face her when he meets her. How could he look her in the eyes when he practically slept with another woman?

"It looks like someone has their claim on you."

"Would you stop interrupting me? If you're going to be this way then I might as well stop."

"And shorten the time we have with each other? Now why would I want that?"

"...What is the deal with you?"

"Huh?"

"You must really be feeling lonely to behave this way."

"H-huh? What are you talking about?"

"Never mind."

"She's going to hurt me when she sees me. I just know she is." Ky muttered to his self as he descended the steps to the main floor of the train station. "It wouldn't be in my best interest to mention that I went to see Ms. Dizzy either. For some reason she gets moody whenever she hears about her out of my mouth."

"Hey-loh!" Ky went completely stiff when he heard the childish voice come from behind him. It sounded so unnaturally feminine. It sounded like...

"Bridget?" Ky turned around to see the blonde young man running down the stair steps with his teddy bear in one hand. It scared him that it was so hard to tell whether he was a male in the first place. With the way he was raised, Bridget just wasn't made for the body he was given.

"Ky, how's it been?" Bridget asked excitedly at the sight of the white knight.

"I'm fine." Ky replied uneasily when the "nun" leaned over close. "Where are you coming from?"

"I just got back from claiming a bounty." Bridget answered proudly. "I think I've got this hunting bit down."

"That's nice to hear." Ky mused, walking forward but Bridget followed closely, pulling out his red yo-yo. Ky's eyes followed the red circle as it went up and down in a blur. He had to admit that Bridget had a talent with it. "Learned any new tricks?"

"Nah." Bridget answered, walking the dog. "So where are you headed, Ky? You look a little nervous."

"The only place I come to at this town." Was Ky's reply.

"So you're going to see, Jam too?"

"Yes."

"Cool!"

"...Sure."

[ Jam's Restaurant... ]

"KY!" Jam called out to the white knight when she saw him walk through the entry way of the restaurant with Bridget. When he didn't show up earlier in the morning she started to get worried thinking that he had come across some trouble. It was either that or he somehow cross paths with Sol Badguy again. Whenever that happened it would be almost impossible to get a hold of him. "Where the hell have you been all this time?" The Chinese chef marched right up to him and poked him in the chest with a stiff finger. "You didn't even leave me a call or anything to tell me that you were going to be late!"

"My cell phone?" Ky looked confused for a few seconds before a look of realization crossed his face. "That's what I was missing." Ky slapped his forehead.

"You lost your cell phone?" Jam asked skeptically, placing her hands upon her hips. "How'd you manage to do that, huh?"

"...I don't remember."

Jam narrowed her eyes at Ky...

...Ky offered her a sheepish grin.

"Are you hiding something from me, Ky?" Jam grabbed a fist full of his jacket and pulled him close, tilting her head upwards so she was staring directly into his eyes. It was at that point that Ky felt his heartbeat begin to accelerate. This was exactly the type of confrontation he was trying to avoid. Jam was going to hurt him for sure if she sensed anything amiss and by the looks of it, she was almost reaching that certain point where she would roll up a magazine and hit him with it until he told her the truth. Now as painless as that might seem for a person like Ky Kiske, we're talking about a woman who could channel Ki...yeah, how about now, champ?

"Nothing at all." Ky answered her with a straight face. "I have nothing to hide from you, my lady."

"You smell weird." Jam sniffed his neck. "You smell like sweat. What have you been doing, running?"

"I've been doing a little." Ky replied.

"Why?" Jam asked suspiciously.

"To get here as quickly as I could." Ky felt some sweat start to build up on his forehead. This was beginning to get intense. At this point Bridget had given up on receiving a greeting from the chef and decided to take and seat and wait to be served.

"Where are you coming from, Ky?"

That wasn't a question I was prepared for. The white knight thought, feeling his throat go completely dry. He licked his lips and blinked a few times before running his right hand up his neck and massaging it lightly. He felt an unexpected stab of pain when he did and winced noticeably. When Jam continued to stare at him he looked to the side, clearing his throat to buy more time. What to say, what to say...there must be some sort of explanation I could come up wi-oh wait a second. There is something I could say. "Unfortunately I had to tend to some business in Paris." Ky lied.

"Paris?" Jam echoed him, sounding a little betrayed. "I could've sworn I told you to take me with you next time you went to Paris. What's the big idea, huh?"

"It was for business, Ms. Kuradoberi." Ky told her, "Nothing more."

"Really?" Jam suddenly grabbed him by the back of his neck much to his immediate discomfort and forced him to bend forward. She detected an unusual bite mark at the back of his neck and her eyes widened in shock. "W-what the heck is this?"

"What is what?" Ky asked on full alert, sweat dripping from his pores.

"This bite mark right here!" Jam said, tapping the bruise to emphasize where it was.

"A b-bite mark?" Ky stepped away from her quickly, slapping his hand upon his neck in an effort to cover it. "I have no bite mark on my neck!"

"Yes you do!" Jam growled. "What have you been doing?"

"Nothing unusual!" Ky answered her nervously.

"Then how did that get there?"

"I have no idea."

"No idea?"

"No idea." Ky repeated himself.

"Are you sure about that?" Ky noticed how Jam's leg muscles tensed.

"...I am." Ky took a step back.

"Well then..." Jam moved her right foot behind her left foot. "Until you find some sort of explanation-" Ky's eyes went wide with horror when she kicked at him. His reflexes allowed him to duck under the first kick she sent to him as she cried out, "You aren't welcome here!"

"But-" Ky kicked back on one foot to avoid another kick, "Ms. Kuradoberi! I'm telling the truth!"

"Get out!"

"But-"

"GET OUT!"


"And so you turned to me, huh?" I-No asked.

"Yes." Ky replied, bowing his head in defeat. "I wasn't sure how else to find out."

"Very well." I-No stood up with her guitar in hand and leaned against the wall. "You promised me payment correct?"

"Yes."

"Anything I want?" I-No's eyes glimmered with mischief.

"As long as you're not asking me to let you go free." Ky told her. "I don't think I can let you keep your guitar either, you know, for obvious reasons."

"Alright then. Don't worry, my dear Kiske." I-No nodded. "I'll figure out something." The very way she spoke her last words sent shivers down Ky's spine. He may have been able to keep her at bay this long, but she was a villain after all, and there was no telling just what kind of payment she had in mind. He just hoped it had nothing to do with weekly visits because this one meeting alone was already draining him. Keeping watch on I-No was like watching a hyperactive child...with adulterous intentions. In fact he was rather surprised himself that they were able to talk like this without fighting once. He half expected to have a little struggle with her before he'd be able to get her to cooperate with him, but it seemed that he was wrong about that...sort of.

"So how does this work out?" Ky asked I-No.

"I take us back into time." I-No answered him as she ran her hands across the strings once. She shivered in what Ky interpreted as ecstasy when she heard the sweet sound come for her precious Marlene. "By playing this sweet little thing," She patted her guitar proudly as she spoke, "I'm not only able to channel my energy, but I'm also able to open up passages through time." I-No grinned wildly. "Teleportation is possible as well."

"...I-No..." Ky's hand twitched for his Thunderseal, but the crimson witch frowned at him much to his building curiosity.

"You don't trust me?" I-No asked. "It's not like I'm going to run away."

"And how am I supposed to believe that?"

"Because I still want my payment." I-No purred, licking her lips. "Don't think that I'll leave without it."

"...Very well." Ky nodded though he did not relax.

"Let's get down to business, then!" I-No declared, her fingers tingling with anticipation. "But first-" I-No gestured to Ky, confusing him for a moment. "-I'd like to thank my dearest fan, Ky Kiske, for being here to watch me!"

This woman is off her rocker for sure. Ky thought, the corner of his lips twitching upward despite himself. "...Er-"

"Clap for me please." I-No ordered almost seriously. "I don't play well unless I receive some energy from the audience."

"Are you serious?" Ky placed his hands on his hips skeptically.

"You wanna do this or not?"

"...Alright." Ky submitted to her wishes, clapping in a mechanical fashion.

"Robo-Ky can do better than that!" I-No quipped, getting a roll of the eyes from her one man audience before he placed a little enthusiasm into his clap.

"Cheers too, please." I-No requested, receiving a glare from the white knight, but he did as he was asked.

"R-Rock on!" Ky felt ridiculous for doing this. "Let's feel...t-the thunder!"

"More!" I-No cried out in pleasure, causing the young man to flinch. "Give me more!"

Ky blinked...

"Um...Rip it?"

I-No banged her head with a sensual thrust of her hips, loudly moaning, "That's right! Keep it going!"

Wait, I've got it! Ky thought quickly, finally getting in to it.

"RIDE THE LIGHTNING!"

"All right! That's what I'm looking for!" I-No smiled before she began her wild melody. Even without an amplifier, Marlene played loud like no one's business. Ky looked around in alert when the walls began vibrating and the floor beneath him rumbled. His eyes did their best to try and follow the rocker's fingertips as they glided up and down, side to side in a blur that amazed him to no end. All the while I-No started moving her body as though she was possessed, whipping her head back and bringing it back forward in a quick jerking motion that sent her hair spiking up and down. After a while the white knight began to notice a change in the air that surrounded them. It seemed to be gathering in one point around I-No until there was a loud crack of electricity and the space around her became distorted, twisting into a void that started pulling them in. I-No ended her jam with a loud scream from Marlene and held out her hand out to him.

"This is our ride!" She called out to him with a wicked smile.

"Let's head off, then." Ky nodded, taking her hand. When I-No was sure that she had a tight grip on him, she pulled Ky against her and jumped in to the void. As soon as they were inside, the void cracked one final time and sealed shut. Traveling through time carried such an odd feeling. Ky felt as though his entire body had become something akin to water although a quick pat down gave him the peace of mind that his body retained its physical form. While he was completely confused, flailing his arms as he was sucked through the stream of voices and visions, I-No was rather chill through the whole thing, riding the stream beside him with her hands folded behind her head and her legs crossed in a relaxed posture.

"Don't get so worked up." I-No told him calmly with a cheeky grin. "It's really not a big deal."

"I'm sure you've done this plenty of times!" Ky snapped at her. "This is my first!"

"Would you like to grab on then?" I-No asked, holding her arms out wide to embrace him. "I'll guide you through it gently."

"I don't think so." The captain declined, making her pout.

"I swear you're no fun."

"Whatever." Ky muttered, instinctively jerking back when he felt her take a hold of his hand without warning. "What are you doing?"

"This is our stop!" I-No announced, coming to a sudden halt that nearly succeeded in giving him whiplash.

"You could have warned me earlier." He groaned.

"Let's check it out." With that, I-No flew them into the vision showing the captain walking out of Dizzy's home and they found themselves in the evil forest, behind some bushes facing the commanding gear's residence. It was a rather quiet evening with the exception of the occasional cricket chirp.

"So I was here." Ky thought aloud. "But why so late?"

"Who knows?" I-No shrugged her shoulders, "But let's not be so loud. We wouldn't want to alert anyone."

"Very we-"

"Shhh!" I-No slapped a hand over his mouth and had them duck when the front door to Dizzy's house suddenly opened. Ky walked out, his uniform as good as it always did. All was as it should have been with the exception of an open bottle in his hand. A bottle of hard liquors no doubt.

"What am I doing with that?" Ky quirked an eyebrow. "I don't drink."

"Are you sure about that?" I-No asked with a cackle.

"I am not a stiff." The Ky from the past grumbled in agitation. "That pirate, Johnny, knows nothing about me. A fellow like himself needs to keep his comments where they belong...damn pervert."

"I wonder what he said..." I-No whispered to Ky, who had a look of horror, watching himself behave in such an embarrassing manner.

"Who kno-"

"Implying that I have an obsession over Sol...what is he trying to say?" The past Ky snarled. "I'm attracted to women! I am not gay!" His words made I-No laugh, and Ky go completely pale.

"That...damn...pirate..." Ky clenched his fists tightly in rage.

"Well...you don't seem to ever have anything other than chasing Mr. Sol on your mind most of the time." I-No commented.

"Meaning?" Ky glared at her.

"Meaning...that it makes others wonder about you." I-No explained nonchalantly.

"It's my responsibility to bring him to justice."

"Sure, I understand." I-No nodded, holding a finger up to his face to keep him from replying. "But you need to learn not to obsess over things."

I'll be damned when I receive some therapy from some sexually repressed rocker... Ky inwardly frowned, but said nothing to counteract her reason.

"Hey." I-No called his attention when he seemed to stare out into the distance. "We should follow him, you know?"

"Okay." Ky sighed, following I-No as they stalked the past Ky. The captain walked further into the forest, seemingly without a designated goal in mind. He just wandered on and on into the mountains beyond the trees, pausing on occasion to take a swig from the bottle in his hand until he suddenly looked over his shoulder as though he sensed someone following him. I-No and Ky ducked quickly when they saw him whip his head in their direction and kept as silent as they possibly could. When they saw him relax and continue his walk, they resumed their stalking, but the captain stopped again before they could even exhale the breaths they had been holding.

"What is his problem?" I-No hissed in a low whisper, placing her hand on top of Ky's head to bring him back down to the ground with her.

"I could have sworn that I heard something." The past Ky muttered. He stood still for a moment before dropping the bottle from his hand, drawing the thunderseal from his side and striking an offensive stance before it crashed to the ground.

"Wow...even drunk, you're pretty quick." I-No remarked admirably.

"I'm trained." Ky replied with a hint of pride. They both grinned at each other, looking into each others eyes until they heard a feminine yet mechanical voice cut through the evening calm.

"You are a credit to the Sacred Order, Ky Kiske."

At the sound of the voice the past Ky growled, "Justice? Is that you?" The Thunderseal crackled with electricity at its master's growing intensity. "Show yourself!"

"As you wish..." The space behind Ky rippled and blurred before a circular portal rose from the ground to reveal the fearsome commanding gear in all of her glory. She stood a few feet taller than Ky in her white and blue armor, her blood red hair falling just above the ground. Her piercing yellow eyes regarded Ky with an emotionless stare, hiding whatever thoughts that were running through her undoubtedly complex mind. "Does this satisfy you?" The question was obviously rhetorical, not that Ky was about to answer, standing before the most dangerous being to walk the planet. One would have to give him credit for standing his ground so unflinchingly where as most warriors would have ran for their lives.

"Justice!" Ky jumped away from her to put some distance between them and held the Thunderseal in preparation to strike. "What are you doing here?"

"Calm yourself, captain." Justice warned him, her voice shaking him to the core. "Don't do something you might regret."

"Dammit..." Ky growled, doing all he could not to jump from the bushes and assist himself in the face of such danger.

"Remember, you cannot interfere." I-No whispered to him, placing a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"But-"

"You're alive now aren't you?"

"Yes..." He replied after a bit of hesitation.

"Then calm down. You'll live through this confrontation."

"I was simply observing my daughter." Justice said with a hint of mirth. "She does not live up to my expectations; however, I will not fight her upon her decision to accept you humans...at least not for now."

"Why?"

"I am her mother. I have every right to watch her as I please."

"Then what is your business with me?" The past Ky asked, never lowering the Thunderseal.

"You've always fascinated me, Ky Kiske." Justice began, making both Kys blink. "Since the first time we met there was always something about you that set you apart from the other humans on this planet. Kliff was wise to place his hopes in you."

"...I don't understand what you're getting at..."

"I can understand why my Dizzy would take an interest in you. I feel that the two of you are acceptable." Justice flexed her claws. "Though I could say much differently for that dark clad male who visits her."

"You mean, Johnny?" Ky finally lowered his blade.

"Although this does make me rather envious."

"Envious?"

"Had we crossed paths in a different time, I've always played with the idea of us having a different kind of relation, one that didn't concern our blades and wits so much as it would concern our hearts and emotions."

"You vex me..."

"I am reading some odd signals from your body." Justice observed. "You're intoxicated."

"...I was drinking."

"For what reason?"

"Now that you ask me...I'm not sure." Ky chuckled. "I guess I was just trying to let off some frustration."

"Regarding what?"

"My...um...an argument of my sexuality."

"You are an odd one. What does sexuality have to do with anything?"

"My attraction to women..." Ky answered the commander gear sheepishly. "Some are under the impression that I'm not interested in the opposite sex." At his words Justice let out a metallic chuckle that unsettled Ky to no end. It never occurred to him that the commanding gear had a sense of humor. "Does that amuse you?"

"It does, actually." Justice replied. "Do you doubt your attraction to women?"

"Excuse me?"

"Allow me to become clearer..." Justice paused for a moment and her armor hissed out smoke. Her chest opened up, gears withdrawing from each other and turning followed by the armor surrounding her lower body and tail, giving Ky a rather breath taking view of what lied beneath it all. Her transformation ended when the armor around her shoulder and arms disengaged before finally ending with her helmet, allowing her red hair to fall over her bare shoulders. She was like a demoness with her tail swishing from side to side, never touching the ground. Her eyes were a the color of gold and her face was simply stunning, stealing the breath away from him. She made Dizzy's beauty pale in comparison and her body made Ky wonder if her creators were masters in the art of sculpting. She was flawless in every way and as embarrassing as it was...he was a man after all. Justice smirked when she saw his reaction to her transformation and walked to him seductively, asking, "Does this interest you?"

"Justice...I don't know what...um..."

"Can you deny me?" At this point Justice had even I-No blushing with her open display of aggressiveness. The commanding gear simply put her to shame. Ky on the other hand was far too stunned to utter any words. Was this gorgeous woman really the same blood thirsty gear he once dueled on the battlefield? In her armored form Justice was monstrous, but as she was now, Ky wasn't sure anymore if she was the monster he perceived her to be or the goddess he was now feasting his eyes upon. The two onlookers were stunned even further when Justice caressed the past Ky's cheek in an affectionate manner.

"Justice..." The past Ky lifted one hand to place it over her own, "...what are you doing?"

"As I said before, you always fascinated me and I am rather envious that my daughter now has her eyes on you." Justice leaned her face toward his until their noses were touching. "I don't cope with envy too well as you can see. Allow me to have you for this one night." She allowed Ky no time to protest, pressing her lips against his to silence him. It started out as a simple kiss until Justice went even further, seeking access into his mouth by running her tongue across his lips, and he posed no resistance, allowing her to do with him as she wished.

"Well, we now know who your lover was last night." I-No said dumb founded, arms crossed as she reluctantly tore her eyes away from the scene. "I would have never predicted this."

"Me and Justice?" Was all Ky could say, staring back at her with eyes wide. Their attention was drawn back to the steamy scene when their ears registered the dry sound of shifting clothes, just in time to see Justice stripping him of his uniform so they could move on to the next step of their evening activity. The eagerness in the gear's actions made I-No grin.

"For a gear that hasn't gotten any...she sure doesn't need a manual on how to start this sort of stuff." I-No joked.

Rrrrrip!

Ky flinched in the bushes when Justice seemed to get impatient with the stripping process, tearing the past Ky's muscle shirt from his body so easily that even the crimson witch was impressed.

"She's pretty eager isn't she?" I-No asked Ky, but he stayed completely silent, his eyes never turning away from the scene unfolding before him. His jaw dropped when Justice pushed his past self on to the ground, pinning his wrists down with her hands as she straddled him. She began nibbling his chest hungrily, trailing her lips upwards until she reached his neck where she then proceeded to give him a rather sensuous bite. The young man naturally struggled upon feeling her teeth bite down on his flesh, but all he could do was squirm under her until she pulled back and licked the fresh wound clean, stopping to brush her lips against it tenderly.

Ky blushed profusely, running a hand down the side of his neck. That's how I got my bite mark!

"Whew, watch out now." I-No squealed excitedly when Ky started to become a more active participant, rolling Justice on to her back and bringing his lips to her breast as he gripped her hips. Justice's moans filled the air as she squirmed and writhed in pleasure under him, gripping his back with her body pressed up against his.

"It looks like your precious Thunderseal isn't the only impressive blade you're holding on to." I-No mused, licking her lips. "Do you want to leave now or stay for the show?"

"Um...w-we should leave." Ky replied, looking completely traumatized.

"If you say so." I-No sounded disappointed at his answer. "Let's get going. I can't get us a portal around here while those two are getting busy."

"S-sure..."


[ Back at I-No's prison cell... ]

Ky sat in his folding chair, looking around as though his entire world had been flipped upside down, though one could say that Justice probably did more than that last night. For some reason Ky couldn't bring his self to face I-No. He found it mortifying that she witnessed the entire scene, but it wasn't entirely her fault that she was present, and it occurred to him that she didn't mind being a spectator.

"So..." Ky started off awkwardly, running a hand through his hair. "Um, yeah...thanks for your help."

"Oh, anytime, Ky." I-No told him. "I fact I wouldn't mind if you asked more favors of me."

"Sure." Ky replied without thinking of his response. He was still feeling a bit dazed. "This doesn't leave this cell, understood?"

"Are you trying to give me orders?" I-No asked mischievously before adding, "Master?"

"I-No, please..." Ky groaned in frustration. "I'm not in the mood."

I-No simply chuckled in response.

"Well then..." Ky stood up and folded the chair he was sitting on before holding his hand out to the crimson witch expectantly.

"Huh?" I-No held her guitar to her body tightly asking, "Do I have to?" Her voice took on a child-like quality.

"Yes." Ky said sternly, not unlike a strict parent.

"Take it..." I-No held her precious instrument out him, looking the other way. "This isn't fair at all."

"Thank you." Ky took it from her with a nod. "You know I can't leave you with it."

"Whatever." I-No grumbled.

"I'll be going, then." Ky told her as he proceeded to walk to the cell door but as soon as he was about to knock on it for the guard to come, I-No called out his name. "What's wrong?" Ky asked turning his head to regard her; She was standing behind him with her arms crossed.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Like what?"

"My payment..."


THE END

...I'll leave you to imagine the rest...


Well, this has got be my first one-shot. I'm not really used to doing these sorts of fics but I was just struck by inspiration. Now that I think about it...I'm not sure what it was but I really must have been bored. Anyway I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it...