-Chapter 8: A Million Pieces, A Thousand Dreams-

Testament did not move as he watched the following events occur. Sol had…saved him. And also, he'd stood there, unmoving as Ky was charging toward him, about to strike him down with a blow of pure hatred. Usually, he would have drawn his scythe and dealt with the human himself…but something wouldn't allow it. What was this feeling..? Should he have let Ky kill him? Or was it meant for all of these things to happen as they did? These things swam through his mind as Sol began to fight with Ky. He pushed Ky backward with the force of the fireseal against that of the thunderseal's, and then took a few steps forward.

"Ky…you're making this harder on yourself," Sol went on, quickly dodging a low swing from Ky that left a crackling trail of thunder behind and into the ground.

"Me?! Hurt MYSELF!?! When you were the one who decided to leave me on a whim?!?!?!?" he cried, tears flowing even more than before as his anger-flooded heart pumped even more. Sol could feel his fury..and the Gear inside of him wanted so desperately wanted to end this with plenty of bloodshed! But…no…he wouldn't let that happen. He'd already hurt Ky enough…there was no need for any more pain. A horizontal arc from the fireseal intercepted a vertical one from the thunderseal midway, resulting in embers and sparks to flicker forth from the contact. Ky's power came from pure hatred, rather than from his own expertise as a swordsman, while Sol's was driven by empathy for Ky's justifiable hatred.

"I told you...I thought I loved you, but I don't!" Sol said as he swayed backward quickly to avoid yet another attempt to cut open his abdomen. Ky acted as if he hadn't heard him, for as Sol moved, the thunderseal was retracted quickly and thrust forward. As a desperate attempt to avoid getting skewered, Sol threw himself backward onto the ground, rolled all of his weight backward onto his hands, then uncoiled all of it in a brilliant upward thrust of both legs that connected with Ky's chest, sending him sail over Sol and into the ground with a grunt.

"Ah!" Ky yelped as he bounced off of the earth once, and then landed on his side in a slightly crumpled manner. The thunderseal was lost from his hand, and slid across the ground, near Testament's feet. The Gear looked at it with no interest, but picked it up by the hilt and walked toward Ky's body, planting it tip-first into the ground beside Ky's hand.

"All of the blame is not to be placed solely on myself or Sol. I knew that once you and he were together…and I brought this to his attention…yet still he informed me that he did not plan on returning to you. Rejection is something no one wishes to accept, Kiske...I myself…as a Gear, have felt that very same hatred you feel in you right now. But, I do not take it out on those around me simply because I feel that I should do so. Sol wants you to leave without pain…yet you persisted…and this is the price that you have paid. I personally did not wish to bear any burden upon either of your hearts…but it seems that fate has decided to do otherwise."

Ky didn't move. He didn't want to move. He wanted to die. Now. For him, there was no longer a purpose in life without Sol. He bit harshly upon his lower lip until blood was drawn, and let it flow into the earth. As he did this, Sol approached him, and spoke while looking at the fight going on between Venom and Millia.

"If you want to know why I did it Ky, then this would be a good time to ask. Because, after this day, you won't see me again."

Ky squeezed his eyes shut as he heard those words, and forced himself upward from the ground, not bothering to pick up the thunderseal yet.

"Yes..I would like to know why you did what you did," he said, a lingering anger in his tone. Sol drew in a silent breath before explaining.

"Like I said, I used to think that I loved you. So..I wasn't lying to you when I said that I did. It's just that there was something about you that I couldn't place..as well as something about me that I could not place as well. You were too close to me…I tried to get some space without telling you, but you kept doing it anyway. Then I told you I needed you to back off a little. You did it..but later you started getting close again. I needed to breathe…be alone sometimes…well..a lot of times…and you never gave me that privilege, whether you knew it or not. I need to find someone that is the same as me..has been through the same things that I have..but also different things that I have not seen. Testament is just that. A Gear. He has always been hated and feared, regardless of his personality and ways, even if they are decent. You have not been hated and feared by those around you, nor have you been hunted nearly day and night. Neither have I, but I have been hated and feared. You cannot relate to that. I'm sorry that you did not know these things before…I didn't know all of these things that I do now before, too. But now I do. And when I finally realized that you could not help me, my love for you left, and I decided to cut our relationship short. Call me a jackass or bastard if you want. Yeah I didn't consider your feelings. And I'm sorry that I did what I did. But this is the way things have to be. Just don't think that there never was anything between us."

Ky's hateful expression faded a little, but not completely. At least he got an honest explanation though…

"I see," he said, wiping the blood from his mouth. "..I…guess that I'll just go back to the office…goodbye Sol…" he said nonchalantly before turning away from the both of them, picking up the thunderseal in the process, and started to leave them, heading back into the forest. Sol and Testament watched him go, then turned around to watch the predicament between Millia rage and Venom unfold. Venom had so far succeeded in stunning Millia with a forceful thrust of the pool stick into her stomach, and followed this action with a swift kick to that same area, sending her stumbling backwards and falling onto the ground.

"GET UP!" he ordered brutally, approaching her downed body. As he did this, several blonde strands caught hold of his arms, and then his legs, restraining him from any movement for the time being.

"Anything you say, dear," she smirked before hurling his body into the ground several times before she stood, retracting the blonde tentacles. Venom groaned in pain, but still stood, panting, for it'd been quite a long duel between them, and he was beginning to grow tired. She could see this, for as she approached him, his stance was beginning to falter.

"What's the matter?" she hissed. "Tired already? Ready to give up and join Zato?" she sneered. Venom shook his head. Shaking off the weary feeling.

"No..no, it's not going to be this way! I WILL AVENGE YOU, ZATO!!" he swore as he charged toward her now. Millia waited until he was within range, then prepared to strike his heart and pierce it. However, as her blonde strands shot out to end the weary assassin's life, several white wisps that resembled hair tangled themselves within her own hair, and restrained her action.

"Don't..you dare.." the voice of Zato said as the white strands pulled Millia's struggling hair backward, away from Venom's chest as he'd stopped, still within range of her strike.

"Wh—what?" she growled as she staggered backward as well, finally breaking free of the other's hold and spinning around to see how such a thing was possible. There, within the doorway of the manor, stood Zato, panting tiredly as the fatal wound given to him slowly sealed.

"Rule number one, Millia Rage…always make sure that your victim is dead before leaving the body.." he panted, rising finally to his full height. Venom stood there, mouth agape as he beheld Zato, joy returning to him again as he wanted to speak…but could not find any appropriate words to express his feelings. Millia took a step backward, clenching her jaw.

"H..how?" she stammered. Zato groaned as he stretched lightly, allowing the white entity around him to return inside his body, and smiled at her honestly.

"The same as you…with the exception that I am very much alive…and not the walking dead, as you are, my dear Millia," he began as he slowly went down the stairs, ignoring the awed expressions of those that were of the Jellyfish Crew. "But…I knew there was something else wrong when you tried to kill me…because the real Millia Rage, undead or not, would never be jealous of myself and Venom's being together. No. I knew her all to well to gather that much…even as I bled in front of her body. Something has possessed her body…and manipulated her past thoughts into hatred….no….this is not you, Millia. I can feel it…but you are there. Somewhere, you are in there," Zato went on, approaching the still Rage and placing either hands on each of her cheeks, and whispered faintly, as so only the Millia inside and he could hear…with the exception of Venom.

"Where are you, Millia? This is Zato…alive…my eyes are pure..you can see them now, if you want. I want to know how you can to be once more…I am sorry Venom had to kill you…I truly am..but vengeance is not the answer."

The death-ridden scent that belonged to Millia's body left slowly, and a gentler personality graced her face. It was Millia…the real Millia, rather…and she proved to be so by smiling broadly, tears forming in her eyes.

"Zato…I'm sorry. This wasn't my fault…none of it was…there is something controlling me…I'm fighting it now, even as we speak."

Zato glanced in Venom's direction a moment before looking back at her again, and dared to ask.

"Who? Who is doing this to you? And why?"

Millia began to cry now, burying her face into Zato's shoulder.

"It's Slayer! Slayer and his wife! Zato! Zato you and Venom must stop them before they destroy the Guild! They..they tricked me! They manipulated my emotions into hatred, and then slayer controlled that feeling from then on! I'm so sorry..I..I'm..—Ggh…ghnn.."

Millia could no longer continue. Zato had taken her life now, by piercing her lung and heart with a quick stab via the "pure" shadow that he now possessed.  He sighed as he felt the blood from her mouth pooling upon his shoulder, starting to slide down and spill onto his arm, and her last breath exhale onto his shoulder before she again passed away. Letting her body fall the ground, Zato then looked at Venom, who was looking back at him.

"This is going too far. He is beginning to fall into the same trap as I had..going as far as to perform dark rituals, simply to gain more power…but the difference between him and myself is that I never killed anyone to get power."

Venom nodded in agreement as he held his side in pain, approaching Zato.

"I see…I…fought so hard…heh..I thought she killed you," he admitted. Zato chuckled lightly.

"Yeah..so did I.."

"What?" Venom asked, thinking all the while that Zato had deceived her. Zato nodded as he spoke the truth next.

"Yes, Venom..I really did think that I might die. But..it seems that Dizzy's power is indeed extravagant…whatever she did to the parasite that resided in me, it was for the better, because I began to heal slowly the second she stabbed me."

Venom looked at Zato as he had when Dizzy first revived him…it was almost as if he'd been dead for just about the same amount of time before…and then…magically, he was revived again. For once, in almost forever, Zato publicly expressed his affection and embraced the slightly pained Venom within his arms, hugging him as though he would never see him again, or had not seen him in forever. Everyone around them seemed to disappear for the time being as this event unfolded, and their whispers floated from one's mouth to the other's ear.

"Thank you for standing up for rightful vengeance," Zato whispered into his ear. "Even though I could hear your voice and not see you while I was unconscious, I felt honored hearing you say that."

Venom closed his eyes beneath the curtain of white as Zato said this. Zato's words made the pain that had been nagging at him for so long go away. It was almost obsolete, even. Slowly….very slowly…Venom found the words that before could not be released…and let them flow out on a string.

"Zato..I didn't know you heard…I…was so worried...more so enraged, thinking that she killed you," Venom admitted. Zato sighed, feeling sleepy against Venom during the moment. More or less because of his lengthy regenerative process in the past few minutes. For the next five minutes or so, they remained that way, locked in an embrace, silent, and grateful that the other was still alive. While this happened, Sol and Testament looked on with the same silence. May and Dizzy looked on as well, struck with the same silence. Everyone watched as the two assassins stood still with one another, silently praising the other for his actions and staying alive. But like all things…the silence was broken.

"Isn't this..tender?" a cruel tone echoed through the winds, causing everyone to look around them. Venom and Zato, whose eyes were once closed, opened slowly, an indefinable expression scrawled upon their faces as they unlocked in the embrace and turned exactly in the direction that the voice came from.

"Slayer," Venom said in utter disgust. Indeed, it was the nightwalker himself, for he emerged from the shadows of the trees almost as soon as his name was spoken, polishing his monocle before placing it over his right eye, and grinning afterward.

"You rang?" he sneered, watching all of them in the process. Zato stepped ahead of Venom, and raised a finger in Slayer's direction.

"You had no right to bring her back from the dead. It was shameful enough that she had to suffer another minute of pain, let alone from you and you damned spouse!" Zato cursed.

"Now, now, Zato. Watch what you say. You may have had the upper hand on me before..but now, everything is different. And when I say everything, that is exactly what I mean," Slayer threatened. Zato's eyes narrowed faintly.

"Simply because you think that you have the upper hand does not mean that I will not kill you, Slayer. Mark my words," Zato said in return coldly. Slayer chuckled.

"Oh my dear, dear Zato…you really think that I have come unprepared?" he asked. Zato looked around his surroundings a moment briefly before returning his gaze to Slayer.

"Prepared or not, I will kill you nevertheless!" Zato swore. Slayer shook his head.

"So naïve. Sharon, take care of them, will you love?" Slayer said. In an instant, an unbelievable amount of pain shot through both Zato and Venom, causing them to grit their teeth and fall to their knees in under a minute, clasping the earth within their hands.

"Sh..Sharon…st—stop!" Venom roared as best he could as he could feel his insides squeezing together.

"He…he…agh….he's using you, Sharon!!!" Zato gasped. Sharon stepped out from behind a mess of trees, a bright blue light encasing her body as she stared at both of the assassins.

"That is not true! You were the ones that used Slayer! He was the one that started this guild! You were so power hungry that you plotted to overthrow him! You had been planning it all along, hadn't you Venom!" she accused, pointing at venom and causing him even more pain.

"Wh…what?" Venom breathed as best he could. "What are you talking about!!?! I never wanted to overthrow him! He wanted to end the guild because Zato died…I never wanted that to ha—happen! I didn't even know that it was possible for Zato to be resurrected!!" he admitted. Sharon's brows twitched.

"Lies! Stop lying! You didn't bury Zato where you should have—with all the other dead assassins! You buried him off in some forest so that you could resurrect him and overthrow the guild, didn't you?!"

"N—no!" Venom groaned. "I buried him outside the normal grounds because…that is where I had always wanted him to be buried if anything happened! Somewhere safe…the dark forest..where the Gears were said to be…because..I knew that no one would dare tear the forest down..and that the Gears would always protect it!! I..wanted to be buried there alongside him!! Agh..! If you don't…believe me…ask the Gear that resurrected Zato!!" Venom yelled as best he could, despite the pain. In an instant, the pain was lifted from the both of them, and they were left to breathe scarcely on the ground.

"A Gear…? A..Gear resurrected Zato?" Sharon asked in near shock.

"Yes..it was me…I…I resurrected Zato," Dizzy admitted as she stepped forward amidst the others. Sharon stared at her in awe nearly at hearing those words.

"Why..? Why did you resurrect Zato?" she asked. Dizzy shook her head.

"Because…Venom was so sad without him..so much so, that I could feel it…I may be a Gear…but I am not as everyone says. I want to make everyone happy…I don't want this world to be full of hate or sadness or sickness or death…and to start…was with Mister Venom," she admitted. Sharon's fists clenched as she heard those words. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes, as she was beginning to become angry.

"Then why…why wouldn't you help the rest of us?! There are others who suffer more than Venom has! Why him?!" she yelled. Dizzy shook her head.

"I'm sorry…I just started to do this. And, believe it or not, I think Venom would not have went a day more without Zato had I not offered that which I did for him…so..his situation was more important at the time being than anyone else…I'm sorry."

Sharon's tears began to flow now in anger as she directed her power toward Dizzy, causing her to fall to her knees and wail in pain as well.

"My family was murdered when I was a child! Why didn't you resurrect them?!" she screamed. Dizzy cried out in pain as she held her head.

"I'm sorry! Please stop! You're hurting me!!" Dizzy yelped. Testament growled, and was about to save her, but Sol stopped him.

"What are you doing?!" Testament yelled. Sol simply shook his head.

"Don't move. She'll be fine," he simply answered.

As Sharon increased the pain, however, something glimmered amidst everyone. And when the metallic glint faded away, everyone was in shock.

"Mist Finer!"

-End Ch 8-