Summary: Maxi has spent far too long living with images he can't quite remember, but when his memories finally fall back into place, he finds himself faced with a dilemma. Can he endure the pain that comes with his recovery, or will the evil sword keep him from those he holds most dear?

The air was unusually quiet for a trading port. The sun was setting over the small village, its orange-pink glow illuminating the tiny houses. At the end of one of the docks stood Maxi, his back to the rest of the town, his eyes on the sun's bright reflection in the water. His dark shadow covered most of the wooden deck, a perfect representation of his current mood. His stomach churned uncomfortably as memories swirled in his head. This was the place where just years ago the creature he loathed so much had torn apart his entire crew.

He could still remember the state of his ship, littered with bloodied corpses, the eery silence that overfell the vessel, only interrupted by the sound of waves slapping against its sides. There was one part of that day that remained hazy to Maxi. He could recall a struggle on the ship that day, with a stranger who had somehow lost control. No matter how hard he tried, however—and he had tried on numerous occasions to place the mysterious person—he couldn't remember who that stranger had been.

Maxi sucked in a deep breath of air, and released it with the wind, a hand on his nunchaku that rested at his side. He closed his eyes, and turned his face toward the sky. Silently, he vowed that he would avenge his crew. Somehow, someway, he would defeat Astaroth for good. This time, he would fulfil that vow.

Footsteps broke the silence, and Maxi turned, weapon at the ready. His eyes fell upon two forms: a brown-haired girl with wide, bright eyes, and a gentlemen who stood at least half a foot taller than her, and bore a scar on his left cheek. The sight of them nearly knocked the wind out of Maxi's lungs for a reason he couldn't place. They were familiar, yet Maxi fought to remember why.

"Maxi?" the girl asked, her brows upward-turned.

"So, it is you," the young brunet man spoke up immediately after. The concern on his face was astonishing.

Maxi shook his head, his eyes closing tightly as memories pushed to the surface. The stranger on the ship... Was this him? And the two of them had later travelled with this young woman? Maxi's fist flew to his paining chest as the unknown man took a step forward.

"K-kilik?" Maxi choked out. "Xianghua?"

"You remember now?" Xianghua asked, the wooden dock creaking underfoot as she proceeded forward.

Maxi closed his eyes again, his blurry mind suddenly making everything so clear. Of course, the three of them had travelled together—for so long, too. Images of the lighthearted Xianghua filtered back into his mind, illuminating the crevices that had once been filled with hollow spaces. And Kilik... Soft-spoken, loving Kilik. How could Maxi have forgotten him, of all people?

Maxi glanced down at his fist, which was still pressed hard against his partially exposed chest. The shard of Soul Edge that lay beneath his skin... The ritual that the old man had performed in order to save Maxi's life... He wasn't sure how, but somehow, Maxi just knew that those lost memories had been the price for having his health restored. He could feel the damn shard in him now, stinging him as the memories seeped back into place.

"More or less," Maxi nodded, blinking through the pain as he recalled all the places they had been together, all the talks they had had, all the feelings they had shared.

His eyes flickered toward Kilik's. Kilik stood there, looking almost shy now, and Maxi shivered as more recollections organized themselves in his brain. He and Kilik... They had been bound by something deeper than mere friendship.

"The last time we met, you didn't seem yourself," Xianghua spoke up again.

"You mistook us for your enemies," Kilik added, eyes meeting Maxi's for a second or two each time before fluttering away.

"Damn ritual," Maxi laughed harshly, his gruff tone cut off by another stabbing pain. He clutched his chest a little tighter. "Saved my life, but stole my memories."

"Maxi?" Kilik asked, eyeing the man worriedly; Maxi seemed to be in a lot of discomfort, even though he was clearly trying his best to hide it.

"Come on," Xianghua sang, trotting forward, and slipping an arm under Maxi's, linking them at the elbow. "Let's head back into town. You look like you could use a good rest."

Maxi sighed, and shook his head to rid himself of the pain—not that it helped. He forced his hand back down to his side, and somehow pushed a grin onto his face.

"Can't argue with that," he agreed. With a satisfied smile, Xiangua pulled him along, and the three of them headed into the village, but not before Kilik had given Maxi a look that was begging to be recognized.

"Hey! Hey! Calm down!" Kilik struggled to focus on that voice, but it was so fierce, he found it hard not to obey it. He continued to clench Kali-Yuga tightly within his hand, but he forced himself to look into the deep brown eyes before him. He felt strong hands on his shoulders—the hands of this stranger—attempting to keep him still, and for now, Kilik remained motionless.

For a second, his rationality returned, and he remembered why he was here. He'd been seeking a way to cross the ocean, yes? And, right, he'd been waiting for the captain of this ship to return so he could seek that permission. So, was this the captain?

The Evil Seed stirred deep within Kilik's roots, and Kilik raised his rod, attacking again. Maxi grunted as the weapon grazed his side, but he only pushed harder on Kilik's shoulders.

"Hey!" he shouted again. "I said, calm down!"

Kilik whimpered as the weight on his shoulders became too much for him. He listened as Kali-Yuga tumbled from his hand, and rolled across the wooden floorboards, out of his reach. Maxi didn't bother to glance at the fallen weapon; he only focused his gaze even harder on the man in front of him. Kilik submitted under his gaze, his eyes falling closed, and his will to fight vanishing.

Maxi recognized the change in his demeanor, and frowned as the young man released a sob. Kilik ignored the eyes of the stranger, knowing they were staring at him, questioning him for his actions. Little did he know Maxi's gaze was anything but judgemental.

"Easy," Maxi murmured, pulling the young man in against him as tears began to fall. "You're okay. Easy."

Kilik could still feel those strong hands on him, but their hold was different now. They continued to keep him still—he certainly couldn't fight at the moment, even if he'd wanted to—but they were gentle, calm. It was enough to keep Kilik calm as well, despite the fact that all he could think about was the temple full of bloodied bodies that he himself had murdered—among them, the corpse of his beloved Xianglian.

Maxi glanced at the ship around him. All of his crew mates lay strewn about, hacked apart and broken. Even Kyam. Maxi felt sick at the mere sight, so he drew his gaze to the man in his arms. At least there was one survivor. And near the beginning of the battle, this man hadn't seemed hostile at all. What had happened that made him lose control?

And then Maxi noticed it. A shining blue fragment lay an arm's distance away, abandoned on the deck. Maxi reached for it, and held it up behind the stranger's back; the man didn't seem to notice. The strange glass fragment hung from a long chain, and after a moment's pondering, Maxi recalled seeing it around the young man's neck.

"Here. This helps, doesn't it?" Maxi asked, gently, though he didn't really expect a response. Kilik raised his head, meeting Maxi's eyes as the chain was slipped around his neck. Kilik felt an instant wave of relief as the piece of jewelry was clasped shut. The lust for violence, the urges to kill... They were all gone.

"Maxi?"

Maxi turned at the sound of the knock at the door, his hands reluctantly falling from the window sill. His eyes fell upon Kilik as he spun, and he smiled softly.

"Come in," he coaxed, eyeing his friend as he stood so awkwardly in the doorway. Kilik nodded a thank you, and proceeded into the room, closing the door behind him. Maxi couldn't help but feel a little relieved that Kilik was alone.

"How are you feeling?" Kilik asked, sounding cautious, or maybe just concerned. Maxi shrugged, his hand returning to his chest as Kilik took a step closer.

"Alright, I guess."

"And your memories?"

"Intact," came Maxi's reply.

"So, you remember—"

"You?" Maxi smiled, closing the distance between himself and Kilik.

Kilik let his eyes fall closed as Maxi reached for his cheek. His lips parted as if obediently as Maxi's thumb ran across them. Maxi smiled a little wider at Kilik's reaction, each blissful memory now perfectly clear, as if untouched by the magics that had taken them away.

"I definitely remember you," Maxi breathed.

He leaned in, and Kilik could feel his warm breath on his chin. Kilik shivered as Maxi pressed their lips together. It was euphoric, and emotional, and passionate—a perfect reunion after too many painful partings. So, why was Maxi in so much pain now?

The pirate pulled away as his chest throbbed with that familiar ache. He rubbed at it gingerly, and Kilik eyed him with both curiosity and dismay. Maxi turned away, strolling back toward the window.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Kilik asked.

Maxi could easily detect the weakness in his tone. Kilik was afraid, though he didn't want to think about the possibilities why. Afraid of losing Maxi again? Afraid that Maxi was hiding something? Afraid that Maxi was hurting more than he was letting on? Damn, why did they all have to be true?

Maxi pushed through the pain, and forced himself to turn back around. His eyes travelled down from Kilik's face, and while he would have preferred to stare wantonly at that bare chest, his gaze was attracted to the fragment that dangled from Kilik's neck. The Dvapara-Yuga, meant to purify the evil seeds of Soul Edge, which meant...

Maxi placed a hand once more to his paining heart, his eyes slanting with sorrow. Kilik took immediate notice of this, having become highly attuned to Maxi's emotions a long time ago.

"Kilik, I ran into some trouble a while back. I was so beat up, I couldn't fight. Couldn't travel," Maxi started.

"Yes?" Kilik's head was tilted to the side. Gods, Maxi loved the way he could look so innocent like that, but it only made it that much harder to break his tender heart.

"I was desperate, and there was this old village man who knew of a ritual to heal me."

"The ritual that rid you of your memories?" Kilik questioned.

"Yeah," Maxi nodded. He heard Kilik swallow hard, and he looked so torn when he opened his mouth again for the next question.

"What did it do to you?"

Maxi leaned forward again to meet Kilik's lips, but Kilik heard his breath hitch. Maxi was in pain. There was no doubt about it. Kilik was the first to pull away this time, not wanting to be the cause of any more discomfort to his poor companion. Maxi stared at him with sad, but smiling eyes—Kilik knew that contentment was only for his benefit.

"Soul Edge," Maxi explained, motioning to his chest. "I only healed because of Soul Edge."

Kilik stared at him a moment, his bottom lip curling under his upper as he tried to suppress his emotions. Normally, Kilik was the best of the bunch to remain stoic, and he was still doing well, but Maxi could see he was falling apart.

"Get rid of it," he whispered, his eyes flickering to the side, away from Maxi's gaze.

"I'll die," Maxi whispered back.

"Then, the Dvapara-Yuga—" Kilik started, reaching for the pendant, looking ready to throw it away. Maxi's hand was on his before he could act, and Maxi helped Kilik lower the fragment back down. Their hands lingered there on Kilik's chest.

"You need it. You know what will happen if you take it off," Maxi murmured. Kilik breathed in, slowly and unsteadily. He couldn't look into Maxi's eyes; it would just make it that much harder to tear his gaze away.

"What do we do?" Kilik asked, voice defeated.

Maxi held his breath, fighting off the agony as his forehead rested against his companion's. Kilik's breath was coming out ragged. Their eyes could have easily met, but they didn't let them. Wanting to provide some form of comfort, Maxi placed a hand on the back of Kilik's neck. He nestled it under some strands of warm, brown hair, and caressed the sensitive skin softly.

"Do I have to answer that question?" Maxi asked, weakly.

He managed a chuckle, but it was filled with an unmistakable sadness; he really didn't want to be the one to break things off, but they couldn't travel together. Even if Maxi had wanted to try and endure the pain of being so close to the Dvapara-Yuga, he doubted his body would hold up.

Kilik wanted to lean in again, to soak up these last moments with Maxi while he had the chance, but he allowed Maxi to make the first move, not wanting to harm him further unless Maxi was willing to risk it. Their lips met in one final caress before Maxi pulled away, stroking the back of Kilik's neck as he did, and Kilik swore to himself that he would find a way to live without the Dvapara-Yuga; he would find away to live alongside Maxi.

A/N: Hey, readers! Thought I'd upload something a little different, and this is one of my favorite oneshots I've written as of late. I haven't seen a whole lot of Maxi/Kilik stories up (though most of the ones I've read are very well-written, and I've thoroughly enjoyed) so I thought I'd contribute a little something to this pairing! Comments are much appreciated! Hope you enjoyed :D