Dizzy winced as she lowered herself slowly into the warm water of the tub. A few cuts she had sustained in the crash of the Mayship had yet to heal. As strong as her power was, her body could not take the sort of punishment that other Gears were meant to endure. From what little Testament had told her of his past, their wounds healed instantaneously due to the sheer amount of magic in their genes.

Dizzy, on the other hand, was bereft of the automatic healing. Her body had inherited the natural healing ability of human beings. Which was slow and quite limited. However, with a little help from her power, she could restore herself, but it was extremely draining and difficult to accomplish. And there were even times when even her guardians had to take care of it.

"He does not trust us," Undine whispered from a corner of her mind.

Both her wings and tail were retracted, allowing her to enjoy the little extra space she had as she began to clean her wounds.

Dizzy nodded solemnly and shuddered as fresh pain raced up her arm as the warm water touched the bandage and the cut underneath. It would close up soon, and even be tougher than before, but until then, it would be overly sensitive.

"I can understand that," she replied mentally.

"However, you must admit that he is not as suspicious as he was the time we first met," the feminine guardian added.

She nodded again and recalled the initial meeting.

---

There was no sound being made, save for the occasional bird, rustle of the leaves in the wind, or the sound of her own breathing. The sun was shining through the cracks in the forest roof, giving the glade an almost sacred air to it. This was her home and it had been for the past while. There was only her, the animals, and Testament.

However, that quiet had been broken often recently because of bounty hunters. She had felt the disturbance at the edge of the forest and hid herself behind a tree.

She felt a presence, proceeding cautiously through the glade. Whoever it was had somehow gotten past Testament, which worried her. She peeked around the side, hoping to get a good glance at the newcomer.

It was a young man. Roughly Dizzy's age in appearance, if not a little older. He was dressed in white, trimmed in blue and black. The uniform was familiar to her eyes, but she couldn't place where. His posture spoke of confidence and his gaze was wary, like a skilled hunter. Yet, that wasn't what worried the half-Gear most.

The stench of Gear blood, though faded and sheathed, was still noticeable on his sword. He had to have been one of those Holy Knights... just like her father back in the village. Only this one was younger, more aggressive looking by his stance. Also, the weapon he used was much more threatening.

With every incoming step, her heart beat faster. Was he coming for her? Was he going to kill her? She didn't want to hurt anyone. She made sure to hold back her power when the bounty hunters came. She knew they would live and yet, she hoped they would just leave her alone.

Her darker guardian began to stir as the Holy Knight stepped on a twig right behind the tree. With an inhuman growl, Necro emerged, pulled out an ax from his hand and aimed it at the young man's neck.

"Nerco! No!" she screamed and leaped backward, leaving the weapon embedded in the tree. The Holy Knight hopped in reverse, almost as if he expected the attack, skillfully dodged the blade that would have cut into his face, and drew his weapon.

She forced Necro back into his dormant state and looked up to see the intruder stop in his tracks at the sight of her. Her fear made her control of her darker guardian difficult as she stumbled back to her feet.

"I don't know who you are... but please... leave here."

The young man seemed shocked as he spoke, "You... you're the Gear everyone's been talking about?"

Hoping that words would deter him from his supposed endeavor, she nodded. "I've been living here for a while. I left my home so I wouldn't hurt anyone. All I want is to live here quietly."

The Knight seemed hesitant, almost torn between lifting his sword once more or putting it back into its sheath. She could tell that he was not the same as the bounty hunters that had attempted to trade her in for some reward.

"Why are you here?" she asked carefully.

The man said evenly, if not slightly defensively; "I was ordered to come and determine if the rumored Commander Gear was a threat."

She had a bad feeling where this was going as she pressed, "and if it was?"

The young man, closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly, "then I have to eliminate it."

Her copper colored eyes locked with his sky blue as he resumed his professional demeanor. She could see the predator lying beneath the surface, waiting to strike. Death was nothing new to this one. He had seen more than his fair share and yet, seemed not to be bothered by it.

However, there was something else there besides the beast. He seemed far more human than any other person she had known, besides her parents. There was doubt of his mission in his eyes. With any hope, her next question could avert what could be a large mistake.

"Am I a threat?"

For a second, the beast in his eyes retreated and the boy within emerged. However, the frown returned and he said without hesitancy as he raised his sword. "I'm sorry."

She gasped and said desperately, "Please... I don't want it to be like this."

He readied his stance and answered without blinking, "Nor do I, but I am afraid it will end up as such."

Her arms fell to her side as she looked to the ground in sorrow. "Is there no recourse for me?"

Almost angered by his words, he replied more tersely than he would have preferred, "Those who cannot fight will no find such reprieve. And as such your very existance is a threat."

She sighed and closed her eyes. It was no different. All these humans want is either her skin or her death. All the resentment built up from all the encounters with the bounty hunters returned and as she opened her eyes. This one was no different than the rest to her. In a flash of light, her dress vanished, leaving the black leather body suit, and her wings and tail exposed. She would drive this one off, allowing him to lick his wounds... just like the others.

Knowing that both reached a consensus, they charged.

-

Having backed Dizzy against a tree, Ky now held his blade against the sword that the half-Gear had created with the darker wing. Both were exhausted from the extensive fighting and Ky was increasing his advantage. Ky grit his teeth and pushed his weapon further, knowing that the end was drawing closer.

Try as Dizzy might, her arms were not strong enough to push away the Thunderseal with her Michael Sword. The other edge of her blade was drawing nearer to her unprotected collarbone and the second she let go, she was done for. A frightening thought came to mind.

She was going to perish.

As the blade drew nearer, tears started to flow from her eyes. She had never found herself so close to oblivion and the pain from the injuries she sustained from the Thunderseal made her mortality more evident. Though her foe had taken a few blows, she had been on the receiving end of several cuts on her legs and arms from near misses. As their battle drew on longer, her strength waned faster.

"I..." she started between breaths. In fear she had never known before, she screamed, "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!"

The wail shattered Ky's concentration. The scream was something he had heard mutliple times in the past. Deceased comrades, fellow soldiers, civilians. There was no difference between them to Ky. He had heard it in various tones, dynamics, and tempo, but the intensity was always the same. Quickly, he backed away, giving himself ample distance between himself and Dizzy.

He looked to the Commander-Gears wounds and then to his hands, a look of pure horror on his face. Almost as if he had become everything he had once feared and hated.

In confusion she watched his sudden retreat and wondered what was to happen next. She wondered what had happened when he had fallen to his knees and said horsely. The guilt was evident in his voice as he pushed the words out.

"Please, forgive me. I've done you a great wrong. I didn't wish to believe it, but it's true."

"What do you mean?"

"I read all the reports. Everytime someone was hurt, it was because they were trying to hunt you. Never once have you tried hurting people... you were defending yourself. And that made me no better than the others."

She leaned against the tree to give herself some support as she stood. "Are you still going to..."

"No." He interrupted, visibly disgusted with himself for even thinking of completing his mission. "All I can do is leave and inform my superiors that the information was incorrect. As far as I can see... there is no threat of a Commander-Gear here." With that, he sheathed his sword and walked to the exit.

Confused as to his sudden change of mind, she asked after him, "But why are you doing this?"

He turned and said calmly, with a tone of finality, "In front of the innocent, I will be a shield to protect and a rock to support. That is the oath I took when I joined the Holy Order. I will not break my vow by killing an innocent."

She remained silent as he exited the forest as quietly as he entered. Perhaps, she mused quietly, he was not like the others after all.

---

"We were most fortunate that it was him," Undine continued.

"Yes... but we're in his care now... I don't know what to think." Dizzy was exhausted from the trip on foot and the emotional weight of losing her friends.

"You seem to be awfully quiet lately, Necro," Undine said, "Where's the homicidal rhetoric we're used to?"

Dizzy's darker guardian gave no indication of offense as his voice slowly emerged in Dizzy's mind. "There's no point... and upon reflection, I realize that even if Dizzy had not leaped back, he would have either dodged or blocked my strike."

"And your point?" Undine pressed.

Necro seemed reluctant to answer, but did so nonetheless. "He had the capacity to kill us... like the man in red. But neither one did."

Dizzy could tell Undine was ready to bait him again, but his answer silenced them both. The point he had was not something to be taken lightly. Even if she allowed Necro to take control, the level of skill between herself and Ky was simply too great and she would have been killed. And even his skill was dwarfed by the one called Sol.

It was a most disconcerting thought.

Finishing with the bar of soap, she rinsed off her hands and stepped out. After drying herself off, she noticed the white shirt and knee-length shorts folded by the door. She was silently grateful for Ky's consideration, in spite of the fact she could materialize her black dress any time she wished.

However, it was so long she had practically forgotten how, since the time with the Pirates had kept her quite active. In fact, the greatest thing that Johnny, May, and the rest of them ever gave her was the chance to be happy and be human at the same time.

Stepping out into the hallway leading to the main room, she peeked around the edge to find Ky sitting on his chair, deep in thought. From time to time, his gaze would wander to one of the few pictures he had in his apartment. There was one in particular that was causing him such visible distress, however, from her distance compared to his, the image wasn't clear.

Stepping out, she walked to the edge of the room, expecting to hear something that was evidently bothering him. It far too easy a guess as to the source of his ill ease.

"Mr. Kiske..."

He turned to her a little startled at her sudden appearance. However, he calmed down and bid her to sit on another chair.

"Before we get things settled, are there any questions you have?"

Her mind came up with several almost immediately, however, a good number of them were not as important, so she kept to the vital ones first.

"If I'm living here, I'll have to change my appearance, won't I?"

Her suspicions were confirmed with his nod. "Not many people have hair color as... unique as yours. And if I was in your situation, I'd also get it changed or cut. Your ribbons are a dead giveaway."

She nodded, reached up and undid the two yellow ribbons, keepsakes from her adopted mother, and let her hair down in a clean and even stream of azure. Gathering each ribbon, she carefully rolled them into a single ball and held them dearly. Then she remembered the color of her hair.

"I can purchase some hair dye, if it could help?"

She shook her head, "No need to worry about that." Before he could ask why, she closed her eyes and concentrated the magic through her veins and into her hair. Within seconds, it had changed from the dark blue to a hue of yellow, not far from Ky's own.

She smiled at his astonished gaze.

"How's... how's that possible?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I have a feeling that my power's growing in small ways. I've used this every time we made landfall to keep myself inconspicuous."

"Is that the only one?" Ky asked a little too suspiciously.

"Be honest, Dizzy... it's most likely our only hope." Undine whispered from the back of her mind.

Her smile faded and she shook her head. "No. When I first noticed that I was able to do something like this, I was also reading a lot faster than before. And I didn't just read the words, I understood and remembered every bit. Not only that, I was able to help Novel clean and repair the engines after only looking at it for a little while. It was working even better after I helped."

Ky's eyes were deadly serious, causing her to almost reel in fear. However, he broke contact and said, "That could be a problem."

Picking up his train of thought, she nodded, "I know. But I have been keeping it under control. About half a year ago, I've been finding it easier to stay calm."

"What happened?"

"I... was fighting a woman in red, with a guitar. During our fight, I lost control and I felt like my power was going to tear me apart.... but someone saved me."

She held her hands up to her collarbone and closed her eyes as the warm sensation of the memory returned.

"It was a man, but I didn't know who it was. He brought me back. When I came to, I was alone, but I could still remember his presence. It was warm... comforting... it reminded me of my parents back in the village I grew up in."

She looked back to him, noticing the enigmatic look on his face. "You're fortunate. Being able to have such pleasant memories, I mean."

She brought her hands back to her lap as she countered softly, "It wasn't all good, though. I left my parents' home when I was only 3."

"So I heard. The villagers I met told me that you were living in that forest, but I couldn't believe their descriptions of you because...."

She looked back to him with a bit of worry. "...because of my Gear side?"

He shook his head, "No. You seemed too human to be a Gear. After I left the forest, the villagers asked me if I had done the deed. They weren't pleased when I told them what happened."

She looked downtrodden once more. "I see..."

"We'll have to get back to that later, in the meantime, I do think there is something that you can do to give you a cover."

She looked up in surprise. "What's that?"

"A question first: Do you like books?"

She nodded happily, all past sorrow forgotten. "I love them! My parents had lots of books and so did the Pirates. Whenever I had a little time to myself, I'd be reading."

A genuine smile appeared on Ky's face when he continued, "Then, if it's not too much trouble, I can either assist in getting you a job as an archivist in either the police station or the library next door."

"Oh, what would I be doing?"

"Well, you'd be taking care of documents, primarily, but it's work that would fit your skills perfectly."

"But... they'd need a name, wouldn't they?"

He nodded once more. "Yes. It would give you a cover that you can work with."

"In that case, I have one."

"And that is?"

"Luveria Mourometz."

"What?"

"It's the name my adopted parents gave me. Dizzy's a nickname that I've used ever since I left home."

Ky's face scrunched as he struggled to remember. "Mourometz... that name sounds familiar..."

She nodded, "He was a member of the Holy Order during the Crusades. Illya Mourometz."

Now she knew that Ky understood whom her father was. Though the man in question had never spoken much of his past position, she did read through stored reports some twenty years ago to the end of the Crusades. Illya the Earthquake he was called in some circles. She had a difficult time imagining her father as a warrior, especially when the most prevalent memories she had of him was being hoist upon his broad shoulders and walking through the forest near her first home. He never had spoken a word to her in anger and had the patience of a rock. Despite all this, she wondered why Illya being her father was of any importance.

"There may be a problem, and there may not be."

"Why?"

"Illya was a man of no small reputation. Though he was nowhere as well known as Kliff, he was certainly no idler during the Crusades. Many wished to join his unit because his men always seemed to survive the battles, no matter how bad they got. In fact, there was quite an uproar when I was recommended by Kilff Undersen to lead the Holy Order instead of Illya."

Her eyebrows raised in confusion, "Why did it?"

He smiled sadly and gestured to himself, "Imagine yourself on the losing side of a century long war. Naturally, you'd expect more experienced soldiers to take up the cause and lead. However, I was only part of the Holy Order for half a year before Kliff retired and promoted me. I was only sixteen at the time and had less battles than the number of fingers on my hands."

Having never known the atmosphere of the Crusades, Dizzy could only wonder at the logic behind the actions. Most of the books she had access to were before the war and in decent condition, despite being nearly two centuries old.

"So. What problem would there be of me using my given name?"

"Well, considering that Illya's never had children that survived the Crusades, some would doubt that you're his daughter. However, it's become quite common for parents who lost children in the war to adopt, so maybe there's a chance you can go unnoticed if you claim to be a war orphan."

"Will the police accept that?"

"Yes. Considering that you would have been roughly entering your teenage years when the Crusades ended. And I could provide the validation that you're... what am I saying?!"

She blinked in surprise at his sudden outburst.

"I don't understand..."

Ky rubbed his hands in his hair and growled in frustration. "I'm supposed to be an officer of the law! Upright and honest in all I do and here I am talking about lying to my superiors!"

"If I may..." Undine said emerging from beneath the hem at the back of her shirt. She could tell Ky still had a difficult time in her presence due to the sentience her wings possessed. "The difference between a truth and a falsehood can be altered easier than you think. Also, you need not tell your superiors everything."

Ky didn't seemed convinced as he folded his arms. "It's still a lie of omission when you withhold the truth."

Almost eager to participate in this duel of wits, Undine answered, "Ah, but is not Dizzy a war orphan? Whomever her parents may be have most likely vanished or died. And she is, in truth, Luveria Moroumetz. I assume her father must have filled out a birth certificate?"

Ky slowly nodded, admitting defeat. "Yes. Ever since the end of the Crusades, the UN instigated an extensive program to keep accurate records of their personnel and civilians that went through with it. Illya must have done it."

Undine smiled pleasantly. "Then, there is no problem. Dizzy's identity remains secret, she is able to move about without being bothered, and since she is in your custody, you would be able to provide enough protection should she be discovered."

She looked between her guardian and Ky a few times as they locked gazes, the latter seriously pondering the information given him.

With a sigh, Ky unfolded his arms and stood up. "Very well. Though it may not last forever, it can work until we find something more permanent."

Undine gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before retracting into her back. She turned back to Ky and noticed his amazed observation.

"How does that work?" he asked in regards to her guardians' ability. It was obvious he was still uncomfortable with the whole concept, but knew he had to deal with it.

Amazing as it was, she could only shrug. "I don't know. It's just there and they sometimes move about of their own will. The only reason I can think of is the Magic my Gear side has."

Running his hand through his hair, Ky sighed once more before continuing. "Well... we have a long day tomorrow. Better get some sleep."

She nodded. Though most of the magic in her veins could allow her to stay awake for a while longer than most humans, the last week of constant travel had taken much out of her. Her reserves of magic were nearly depleted and her exhaustion was catching up with her.

Following her newest guardian, she noticed the picture Ky had taken a glance at. The picture contained a younger Ky and a a woman that led her to believe that could have been her foster mother. Yet, there was something distinct about Ky's mother. Her hair was close to a clean silver color and unnaturally long, longer than hers in fact. Then, there was her eyes. They were a shade of green Dizzy had never seen before. And the gaze the woman held unsettled her.. She would have to ask Ky whom she was at some future time.

She entered the room Ky had indicated and took a last look to him, asking if he truly wanted this. He nodded and walked back to the other room. Feeling a little guilty, she crawled on the single bed and pulled the freshly cleaned covers over herself. She could hear Ky settling in on what sounded like a secondary bed held in either a chair or the couch. She felt a little better knowing that he would be sleeping a little better.

The seconds passed into hours as the storm outside slowly quieted down and when she felt enough time had passed. Though sleep would eventually come, she felt rather hesitant. One reason was she was waiting for Ky to sleep. Closing her eyes for a second, she focused her hearing to hear the rhythmic breathing of her sleeping benefactor. In spite of their uncertain association, she still felt a desire to return the kindness given to her by Ky.

She slowly edged her way out, taking one of the blankets with her. Stepping as quietly as she could, she peeked around the door frame to the main room. Her benevolent intent evaporated upon seeing Ky in a chair with his sword at the ready in case someone were to try and attack him in the night... like Dizzy.

As quietly as she left her bed, she returned, her heart heavy with the realization that Ky most likely didn't trust her at all. Even after what they went through in the Devil's Forest meant little, if anything, to him. At a time when Dizzy would be more than happy to open up to someone, all she found was a closed door. With nothing more to do, she curled up on the bed and allowed her tail to appear. Holding it like a security blanket, she held back the urge to gnaw on the edge like she did when it first appeared. It never hurt, but it drove her mother to hysterics, not knowing what could have been on there.

"Mom... Dad.... I hope you're ok," she whispered to no one, wiping away a few tears in her eyes. She felt so alone right now. Whenever she had a bad dream, her dad was there. When she was in the Grove, Testament was there. When she was with the Jellyfish, any one of them would have been there. Now, with someone that she should be trusting, she found no one.

Uneasily, she slipped into sleep, only vaguely remembering the second reason why she sometimes refrained from sleeping.

A dream...

....a reoccurring dream....

........a dream so clear. It seemed as thought she were awake.........

A dream in the darkness... no, shadows.... all she saw were shadows....

....soon, lights appeared ahead of her. Shining their light downward.

A hallway?

But which hallway?

It didn't appear familiar at all!

In addition....

....she wasn't alone.

All she could see was the mane of hair that shone like flame.

Yet, when the person passed under a light, she could see it was a Gear, clad in a suit of armor.

Yet, within seconds, the armor broke.

The plates fell away to reveal a woman.

The woman turned to her and observed Dizzy eyes that shone like gold.

A very familiar feeling passed through her.

The woman turned to her and smiled.

But it wasn't a good smile...

.... and her eyes were alight with a hatred that scared her.

Worse yet, she seemed to beckon Dizzy to follow her and she could not resist.

She followed her through more hallways, and the further she went, the more she saw.

She saw Gears.

Many Gears.

And humans too.

But they were all chained, dirty, despondent, and lethargic!

She saw familiar faces...

May?

Potemkin?

Novel?

What happened?!

She followed the woman with the flame red hair to a central ante-chamber, where a single occupant sat on a dias underneath a dim light.

The woman with the flame red hair only smiled that wicked grin before vanishing.

She turned to the person sitting in the light and heard some muttering...

"Parasites... everyone of them..."

"...they won't die... no..."

"but I will make them beg for death..."

"I will make them suffer as I have suffered..."

Dizzy stepped closer to the person and noticed a pair of discolored wings, decayed and rotted.

The person looked up at Dizzy and she saw the black rings beneath the girl's eyes from the lack of sleep and the malnourished body.

She gasped when she discovered the face of the girl was her own.

The other Dizzy also gasped and stared into her eyes.

In an instant, they both asked,

"Who are you?"

It was then Dizzy awoke from the nightmare that had returned to her.

That dream first appeared when she noticed her powers beginning to grow. She wanted to confide in people around her, but a fear kept the plea for help silent. She wanted to believe the people around her could understand, but not every Gear had the capacity to dream.

She had idly asked Testament in the past if he still dreamed. To her sorrow, the sub-commander Gear made it quite clear than anything that would have made him human was wiped away, that included the ability to have dreams.

She sat up in the bed, letting the warming rays of the spring sun warm the skin that the light touched.

"It's that dream again, isn't it?" Undine asked as she emerged, evidently worried.

She nodded as the tears of fear gathered in her eyes. "Yes. And I saw more this time."

She didn't resist Undine's embrace as she wept.

End of chapter 2

Notes:

Kudos goes out to Zeronova for setting the example for necessary detail. Reading Dual Enmity inspired me. That's all I really need to say regarding that, because he's a dang good author. Also, he writes at a pace that makes me pretty darn envious.

Ah, fanfiction. How do I love thee. It gives us to come up with the most outlandish ideas and for those that actually try can create something that's downright plausible. Now, if only I could do that. To put it simply, Dizzy Backstory Booyah!

Part of the reason I love fanfiction is the interaction between characters. Gotta get past them hurdles, no? That's what I thought. The only hard part is making sure it seems plausible.

I'd try to concentrate on the story, but since my skill as a writer is mediocre at best, so, I'll just try and make some sense of this nonsense.

Now, I'm a bit worried about the dream sequence having an unusual format. I love dream sequences, but if it turns out that it's distracting the reader from enjoying the story, I'll just keep it at the standard format. I figured it would have been pretty neat to try and move from the standard format into a little something surreal and then back again.

Oh, and before we go, it should be noted that the names 'Illya Moroumetz' and 'Luveria' are actual names. They're Finnish, if I remember right. My source? Mystery Science Theater 3000 moves 'The Magic Sword' and 'The Magic Voyage of Sinbad'. Ah, B-Grade Cinema. What would I do without you?

Next to last, we loves our constructive criticisms, don't we, precious? So, go nuts and any and all attempts to give ideas and suggestions for improvement are greatly appreciated.

Finally; all things Ggear belongs to the Japanese equivalent of either Beck or Michael Jackson (minus all the litigation), Daisuke Ishiwatari, then Sammy, and Arc Systems.

12-4-04 Rewrite notes:
Let's see... Devil's Grove scene changed and fight scenes added: Check
Added levels of intercharacter tension and removal of trust: Check
Extra fits of despair for Dizzy: Check
Minor Formatting Errors fixed.
Please stand by for following Rewrites and enjoy the fic.