GUILTY GEAR
The Wedding Night
The Series
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Conceived and Written By: Sheo Darren
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Disclaimers
I don't own anything here but myself, my created characters and the story itself. This is the last part of my story, an epilogue, and I hope you enjoy it –and the surprise ending. The songs mentioned here are, in the following order: Last Regrets from the Kanon game and Azmari Image Song from Chrno Crusade.
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This chapter is dedicated to myself. I have made this all possible through hard work and imagination and dreams. May I never stop on my journey's road and may I never learn the true ending of things…
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Enjoy… and Farewell…
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The Wedding Night Series
"All Good Things Must Come To An End…"
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Epilogue
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Yuuki Darren yawned.
She gave the mountains of papers piled up on her desk a long look of aversion, just like the way a five year old child would regard a cauliflower/broccoli/spinach meal offered to him as a meal. Then she tipped her glasses back up the bridge of her nose and let out a long sigh.
"I should have destroyed the Ottoman Empire for developing the entire idea of the bureaucracy."
Never mind that the Allies and its own component Turkish people had destroyed the last vestiges of Ottoman rule during and after World War One; forget the fact that its original conception of the bureaucracy was well intentioned and quite successful before the rise of a level of corruption that would given local Filipino lawmakers and politicians and officials a run for their money. Yuuki wanted just one shot at those same heathens who had brought down the Byzantine Empire. Father Macayan, S.J., would have whole-heartedly supported her. The Jesuit was very protective of nature in general and trees in particular. Paper wasting –a by-product of bureaucracy– was on top of his list of heinous crimes ever committed by man.
But she was supposed to be more mature than that. She was supposed to be calm, collected, in control of her emotions. She was supposed to be able to create an army of Gears, make an archetype command Gear who had genocidal intentions and thus obliterated the whole of Japan, and egg the Corrupted Flame who was her archenemy to let his rage strengthen him, the more the better. Oh, and whacking the mighty hero of the Guilty Gear game into unconsciousness with just one swat of a stick (cane, actually, but that was her original conception as an 'old' man) is way cool.
She was, after all, That Girl.
"Right…"
The problem was that she was, despite her 'immortality' (Elf-type, as in she was immortal but not invincible; she'd just died in the previous chapter, after all), very human. Thus, she was prone to human weakness as well. It was the way she was created– scratch that last one, she thought angrily. She was not created this way. She became this was by lieu of her creator and peers' influences and by her own progress in developing herself as a unique being. She made herself. She was herself. Her creator merely gave her life, and then let her run that life whatever way she wanted.
And to tell the truth, Yuuki had done quite a good job.
But back to the problem at hand: Just as Relena Darlian before her in Reminiscent Memories, Yuuki just hated paperwork.
The solution?
Just as in Reminiscent Memories: A distraction, of course.
The door to her office swiveled open, and then closed.
"Good morning, Yuuki."
There was only one person in the world that could do that without knocking or announcing his or her presence, only one person she had granted that immense privilege.
Actually, there had been two of them. The second one automatically had such a privilege. He was her creator, after all. He had no limitations save those he imposed on himself –and a few others of special note.
But he was gone now –gone again, to be more accurate– and now there was only one.
Gone again, and to where, they had no idea…
Loki could see that his entrance had caused a backlash of emotional reverie for Yuuki. That Girl was doing what he'd come to call 'the thousand yard stare', seeing but not noticing, hearing but not comprehending.
All she could think of was the image of the man in her heart and his visage on the desk that lay before her.
"Sheo…"
* * *
Three months ago…
Sheo Darren carried the lifeless body of his creation Yuuki towards the Door of Night.
Behind them were Rock and Hotaru, Geese and Misaki, the real Sho Tsuzuku; the Guilty Gear authors and surviving fighters; his whole harem, Kirika and Elde Talonn and Tessa and Rei and Chloe and all the rest.
And even Loki. He had to stay behind even though his inaction thus tore him apart in a way he'd never imagine it do to him.
He loved Yuuki.
Now she was gone forever, and he could not have her for just one last time.
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"Let me go."
She spoke softly and without hurry, even as all around her the shell that protected her began to crumble beneath the destroying pressure of the foe who wanted to destroy her. There was no fear in her voice. There was no resignation in her eyes. There was only acceptance– and peace.
"Let me go, Sheo."
No…
"It's the only way to save this world. You can't do it with me in the way. You have to let me go."
No…
"Sheo…"
No…
"…If you truly love someone, you know… you know you can let her go..."
…
"…because you know that if she loves you… if she truly does, she will come back to you…"
…
"Sheo…"
…
"I love you."
He hears another voice speaking those words, another's lips echoes her farewell, another soul the parallel of.
"I love you."
"I love you, Sheo Darren."
"I love you, Sheo Darren.
"I love you very much…"
"I love you very much…"
Tears fall from his eyes and struck the ground.
"I love you, too, Yuuki. I love you very much."
Then he let her go.
Just like before…
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Sheo held Yuuki tightly within his arms, held her with such force as to deny her departure from this world by his protectively possessive embrace. He cried. He cried like he thought he'd never do anymore. He had her all to himself and yet now she was slipping away from his world as quickly and surely as day faded into night.
None around him dared to bring themselves between in this last moment of farewell. No one would. No one could.
They were all alone.
He murmured her name, plea and order and Command Voice. One's name was power. Knowing one's name granted another being power over him or her. Her name was known to him. Her name was dear to him.
Yuuki was dear to him.
He loved her, cared for her, wanted her, dreamed of her. She was all that he could want and wish for. She was all that he wanted and wished for.
But even The Will and The Word cannot do all he wanted and wished it to do.
Even he had not the power to keep her with him.
Still he called her name, asking, praying for one last time with her.
She opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him, caressing his face as she did, holding his hand with what remained of her strength.
He forced himself to smile and held her hand too.
"It's over. I've lived life and found it happy. I've lived with you and found happiness in you.
"Another journey begins."
He weeps again, and she shushes his sobs with the last smile she would make as That Girl.
"Don't cry for me. We move on to a new life. Only remember: The end is only a beginning.
"Promise me that you will live. Live for me. Live for me, and I will live in you, for you and with you. Forever more."
"I promise," he said, meaning it. "I promise, Yuuki. I promise."
One final sight and sight, and then she closed her eyes, never to open them again.
"Farewell, Sheo Darren. Farewell, the one I loved…"
And then she breathed her last and was gone.
But she would never be gone from his heart and memory.
Yuuki would live forever in him, for him and with him.
Sheo Darren.
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Makenvalborg awakened.
Sheo Darren awakened.
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The battle was over. Makenvalborg never appeared. It didn't have to.
It was Sheo Darren, after all.
Sheo Darren was Makenvalborg.
But all of that was past now. All that mattered now for him was the frail body in his arms, so cold, so devoid of life, so heavy. He now knew what Mary had felt in the Pieta, when she had cradled the dead body of her Son Jesus in her arms and wept.
But he knew his grief had no compare to hers.
Each one's grief was unique.
Each one's grief was to his or her own.
He carried Yuuki towards what would be her last abode in death, her physical presence never to perish or fade away within: The Door of Night, the gateway into the Timeless Void beyond the Walls of the World. It would mean an eternity as she was, unchanged, preserved from the ravages of time and tide.
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…As it was in the beginning, now and forever will be world without end…
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It was Sho Tsuzuku who said: "Why don't you bring her back to life?"
"I can't."
"Says who?"
"I do."
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"So, you can't bring her back. Or is it," posed Sho, "That you can, but you won't?"
"Don't bandy words with me, Sho." The author didn't turn around and didn't need to. His Voice alone was a menacing warning to heed. "I did what I needed to do. Now, let me be."
"I am not bandying words with you. I am merely examining the linguistic possibilities of the English language. And you have not done all that you need to do, or I have never been mistaken in my life."
"I can see now what 'sarcastic' and 'son of a bitch' can accomplish when paired together," snorted Rock. Hotaru shushed him.
Sheo looked back at them. His eyes were unblinking and distant.
"I can bring her back. But I shall not. I will not."
"I love her!" a furious Loki snapped at him, enraged by the knowledge that there was still hope for his beloved. "Do you think I'd let you just put her away into what darkness it is beyond that path when there's a chance she can live again? Don't you care for her? Don't you love her?"
For a long while, Sheo stood there, silent and still as Death. In his arms Yuuki never stirred.
"I love her."
"Then why?" Loki was crying. "Why?"
"Because," he said quietly, "Because I promised."
* * *
"Did you really cry?"
"Of course I did."
"It doesn't seem like you at all."
"You don't like a guy who cries?"
"No…"
She was fifteen again, but not in her magical girl form. He was in his 'demon' form, handsome in his early twenties. They were holding hands.
Yuuki finally smiled up at Loki.
"I think I live just right…"
* * *
Before them, only one person had ever gone through the Door of Night. Only one person before had ventured into the mysterious unlimited depths of that portal into darkness– and out towards light.
Now, there were two.
Sheo Darren stepped through the Door of Night, Yuuki borne in his arms.
She was cold and still in his arms. Lifeless, she was heavy as the world.
He did not care.
This was the last time he would ever hold her. This was the last time in an era that he would do so.
He stood at the very edges of that darkness before him. One step more and he would fall into it, never to return as he was, to be so profoundly changed by the passage that he might be considered an entirely new and different being.
That had happened to his friend, the first to go through the Doors and into eternity– and back.
Now this would be Yuuki's home. Forever.
He looked down at the peaceful quiet of her face, arranged a stray curl of her damp vermilion hair into place. The smile he bore was of love.
"Farewell, Yuuki Darren. Farewell."
And then he prepared to let her go.
Just like before…
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Arigatou…
He froze when he heard her singing in the dark, Yuuki's small form held still in his arms both remembered and forgotten in that moment. His heart went still to hear that song, and a great aching peacefulness fell over his entire person, the power of her song over him was such.
Iwanaiyo…
The singer sang as if the darkness was the brightest of day, as if the lonely eternity of the Door of Night was the most peaceful of glens, a bowyer garden paradise
Her song was not a happy song. It was a song about last regrets, of "Thank you" kept tight within hearts and "Goodbyes" that don't have to be gloomy and stepping off and away after the dream ends.
But she was happy nevertheless.
She was happy because she had returned.
She was happy because she had returned at last to the one she loved.
zutto shimatte oku...
The memories came back to him. Memories of happier times in a world different from this one, when he was nothing like what he was now and lived a totally different life, when he was merely the odd young man named Sheo Darren who lived at the house of his best friend and wrote stories and dreamed of a world far different from his own…
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"Dreaming again, Sheo?"
"I guess so, Sylphe…"
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"My Master…"
"Who are you?"
"Sigil Armitage. Shiner Doll…"
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"Makenvalborg…"
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"My name… my name is Sheo Darren…"
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sayonara ha kagerinai
yume no ato shizuka ni oritatsu
He had thought it all gone when she had died. He had thought his second chance at it was all gone when Yuuki died. He knew all the girls he liked and protected and cared for could never amount to even a shadow of them.
He thought he could never be truly happy ever again.
He was wrong.
And thank God he was wrong.
ryouteni ha furisosogu kakera wo
itsumademo itsumademo daite…
He knew that song.
He knew that voice.
He knew her.
saiko made waratteru tsuyosa wo…
She lived.
mou… shitteita…
"Mou… nakanai…"
He opened his eyes.
Sylphe Phenomena Eternal smiled at him.
"Hello, Sheo Darren. Hello once more."
* * *
When Yuuki woke up, it was to find Loki smiling and crying while he held her in his arms. All the others were there, even the real –she assumed it was the real one, since everyone was ignoring him– Sho Tsuzuku who was smirking as usual and an annoyance by just being present there.
"Tadaima, Yuuki-chan. Tadaima."
She saw Sheo standing at the edge of the crowd, and when he caught her look her creator broke into a small smile and nodded.
Yuuki gasped.
He turned away and began walking towards the Door of Night.
"Sheo!"
He stopped within arm's reach of the door. He turned back to her and to everyone else.
"Where are you going?" she asked breathlessly, afraid all of a sudden.
He was smiling that quietly content smile that scared her so. "Somewhere," he said enigmatically.
"Where? Where exactly?"
Sheo looked away. "I don't know myself exactly where. But I'm sure I'll get there."
"But why?"
"I brought you back from the dead." There was deep sadness behind that smile. "In return, she left…"
She left me again…
"I have to find her. I have to go to her," Sheo repeated to himself as much to everyone else. "I have to be with her. I have to. I have to."
"You're just going to just leave us?"
"We never leave for good, Yuuki-chan." He smiled. "We never do."
Yuuki was crying.
Sheo hugged her. "Be good for me, will you? Promise me. Take care of this world for me. You're the one I'm trusting with this. Take care of all the girls." He said the girls, not my girls as he was wont to do. That made many of them cry because they felt that Sheo was leaving for good. "Make sure Bridget and May don't break up, and remember to mess up TRUE Unknown every now and then."
"Hey," protested the GG author in question.
He turned to Lone Wolf SIX. "Keep Takane-sensei happy, Lone Wolf. Or else I might just get legal on you."
"I'd never dream to do otherwise," Lone Wolf said. "Take care of yourself, buddy."
"I will, friend." Sheo turned to Loki. "You know our deal, right?"
"Right," Loki returned.
And then he turned back to Yuuki. "And you, Yuuki? What do you say?"
She wiped away her tears and nodded.
"I will."
He smiled.
He kissed Yuuki on the forehead one last time, put her into Loki's arm, gave everyone one final nod of goodbye, and turned back towards the Door of Night.
"Awaken to a new world…"
"Sylphe," he murmured.
And then Sheo Darren stepped through the Door of Night.
But he never left.
We never do…
* * *
"You should take a break, Yuuki-chan."
"I've got lots of things to do," was her distracted protest.
"No, you don't," he replied patiently.
"Millia and Venom need to be paired up–"
"They can wait."
"–And then I have to do Zappa and S-Ko–
"It'll take a while to get there."
"–And who the heck am I supposed to pair with Potemkin?"
"Yuuki-chan?"
"Hai, Loki-kun?"
"Shut up," Loki told her affectionately.
Yuuki smiled foxily at him. "Make me."
He did. He kissed her.
They took a good time of doing it. They didn't seem to even try to breathe anymore or care about breathing. They even broke the Guiness World Record for longest passionate kissing while doing it.
When it ended, Yuuki smiled and beamed, "Baka Loki-kun…"
"Always was your idiot," he told her happily.
They were just about to kiss again when the intercom rang.
"Ignore it," Loki murmured in her ears while nibbling at them. She smiled impishly in agreement.
"Of course."
The intercom rang again, interrupting their private moment together even as they had just resumed it.
"If it rings one more time," growled Yuuki, much to Loki's amusement, "It is going to get it…"
"You have to get it, anata-chan," he told her affectionately.
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"Don't."
"Do."
"Don't."
"Don't."
"Stop trying to trick me."
"Would I ever try to trick you, Yuuki-chan?"
She grinned. "Never."
They were going to kiss again.
The intercom rang for the third time.
Suppressing a curse, That Girl went over to hit and hit the red button. "This had better be good," she said very coldly, even watching the subtly delighted Loki enjoy her barely restrained state of annoyance. Her fiancé always had had some really weird sense of humor.
The dispatcher on the PA probably knew about what she had just cut short– and sounded really sorry for doing so. "Sorry, ma'am. We'd just like to report to you that we now have the latest developments on Revolution. We thought you'd like to know."
That did not stop her from giggling to her companions on the command bridge, who also shared knowing smiles at what their colleague was gesturing about.
At it again, huh?
Nene Romanova, Celtic Midori and the SDF trio of 'bridge bunnies' all broke into giggles at the thought of Loki 'Casanova-ing' their boss.
Yuuki frowned and wondered just how Gendo Ikari kept his subordinates quiet yet loyal. She decided to ignore their laughter, though. There were more important things to deal with than annoying flunkies.
There was a new fighting tournament in town. A mysterious person named Zofeah had appeared just recently. There was no background documentation on this character, least of all any recorded relation to Guilty Gear or SNK. Despite this, Zofeah had announced and held a new Guilty Gear/SNK fighting tournament, Revolution. Already some fighters had already tangled with each other, some winning and some losing, some fights disrupted because of external interference.
New teams were being formed: Bridget was hooked up with the Hokage ninjas Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, but had last been seen meeting the girl named Malin. May had for all reports tagged along Yagami Iori, of all people. The Wanderer had left word that he was joining up with Lone Wolf SIX and his teacher Takane Hibiki for a while. And the Saiyuki bunch was hanging out with Dizzy, Hotaru, Rock and Ky.
Worse news followed. ZEPP was reportedly under attack by NESTS; the attack had been halted but heavy fighting was still going on at several sectors of the aerial colony/fortress/nation. Mass-produced Robo Ky units had been detected infiltrating cities and military bases. There had even been confirmed sightings at Russia of Kusanagi # 102796, the most powerful and feared of the evil Kyo clones created by NESTS.
And in one of the most disturbing of all reports…
Orbital satellites had detected immense energy emissions from the Magnolia Village. Not just once, but twice. The nature of the energy fluxes were determined to be massive fluctuations in Timespace, when energy from the dimensional plane itself had been invoked. The exact timing of these fluxes was pretty well recorded: All timekeeping equipment in the area of effect of the power had malfunctioned and shut down at the exact moment it was triggered.
What was even more puzzling was that at slightly before the second explosion of power at Magnolia, a disturbance of a different nature took place. A dimensional rift –in essence a door between dimensions– had opened. Whoever it had disgorged was pretty formidable, thought no hard evidence on the latest was available as of now.
Surprisingly, GVS author Lone Wolf SIX had nothing to do with the new contest, let alone all the trouble. In fact, he was on the list of the invited fighters.
Yuuki knew that very wall.
Her name was on it, too.
And so was Sheo Darren.
But no one knew yet that Sheo was gone for good… or at least for the foreseeable future.
Yuuki had seen to that very well.
In her experience and opinion, 'mysterious new beings' usually meant trouble, often of the worst kind. She'd had very good experience with such; after all, it had only been several short months since Sho Tsuzuku had 'killed' her.
So, in order to give such evil beings a second thought, she brought Sheo Darren back.
In a fashion, that is…
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He was supposed to be Sheo Darren to all who knew him. He didn't look exactly like the author. He looked exactly as the author himself did. He even acted as the original did.
But his true name was Rheo Farren, a name Yuuki had plagiarized from TRUE Unknown. He was not Sheo, not at all.
He was a clone, a Half Gear, carefully created to look and think and act and feel exactly like Sheo. He even had a limited version of The Will and The Word.
His mission was to perpetuate the illusion that Sheo had returned. In effect, he was supposed to be Sheo.
But he could never be Sheo.
He knew that himself very well.
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"We need more information. I have to investigate this tournament and this Zofeah. When I hear this guy's name, shades of Sho Tsuzuku keep appearing in my mind."
"That is understandable."
"What's not understandable is that I have to break our date for tonight," she regretted. "Sorry, Loki-kun. I was looking forward to it, after all the busy hours at work– and then this."
"And ignore the world you've promised to take care of for Sheo?" Loki gestured magnificently. "You have a greater duty than to me, Yuuki-chan. Don't let me get in the way when duty truly needs you.
"Besides," he added mischievously, "This investigation looks more interesting than a date."
She grinned, her boyfriend always the Norse prankster god of night at heart despite himself. "Then consider this our date?"
"Gladly."
Yuuki left instructions for Rheo to be informed of her absence and asked Ayanami Rei to guide the Half Gear
She touched the picture on her table with fondness and murmured, "I'll be back soon, I promise."
Then Yuuki left with Loki in tow. The door closed. The light turned off. The picture was left all alone.
But she didn't leave, not at all.
We never do.
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The picture stands alone on the desk, but not forgotten.
It is of Sheo Darren.
* * *
Lost in the depths of eternity, she stirs for a moment. Awoken for a fleeting second, she remembers her life and her duty, one and the same, dedicated to one young man. Her world and existence revolved around him. She had eyes and ears and heart and mind and soul only for him.
"My Master… Sheo Darren…"
But for a while longer, she sleeps.
Sigil Armitage sleeps.
* * *
Star of Bethlehem, Star on high
Miracle of love of midnight sign
Let your luminous light from heaven
Enter our hearts
Star of happiness, Star of wonder
You see everything from afar
Oh light oh holy light
Oh light divine
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"Arise, ye beloved who sleeps. A new world awaits you. A new saga beckons.
"The eternal journey begins once more.
"Awaken, Journeyman."
Sylphe Phenomena Eternal opens her eyes.
"Awaken, Sheo Darren."
* * *
So far away, a heart beats.
Eyes open into the light.
He awakes.
The End…
…But Also A Beginning…
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Sheo's Last Words
This is the last chapter of The Wedding Night 2. This is my serialized first fan fiction to be finished (the first TWN was a one-shot). It's been a pleasure to write prologue, thirteen chapters (including one chapter with five parts) and epilogue in six months and to watch all the reviews pile up. I love reviews.
Ending something is quite painful and hard. Ending something so fun and happy for you is extremely so. But writing this sometimes comes rather hard. The story itself had digressed from its original purpose of crazy humor. It's taken a dark edge (too dark for some, too light for one person especially– and yes, I mean you, S.T. ^_^), characters have died, Yuuki and all the people here and even Sheo had to sacrifice a lot just for the world to stay as it is. I've even messed up Lone Wolf SIX's reality without trying, not that he minds, but it just shows how much effect a couple of thousand words or so can have on people. We change the world without realizing it.
I've poured myself into this work. Not just my efforts; I've poured in so many original concepts: Sheo, Sylphe, Sigil, Makenvalborg and so many others. They're all my original concepts from my original stories. They're my work, my life as an author and conceptualist and all that comes with the role. (Don't you dare plagiarize them; my brother knows a lot of hackers, and he answers to me, and I'm quite malevolent when it comes to protecting my own ideas. You can use then, though you should get my permission first ^_^.) They are me, much more than I am myself.
They are me.
In a sense, thus, this story is me.
I am my story.
This final chapter is dedicated to the following people:
Rocky, Jon Jon, Sam, Arthur, Baluca, Jer, Kiko, Butch and all the Roen gang, for providing me with much of the insanity I put in this fan fiction; most of my reviews; and letting me deck you up one side and then the other as your insert characters. Yes, yes, Rocky, I know you are disappointed. I found I couldn't dwell on the fight scenes anymore, so I skipped them for this final story. Sori talaga; but you have your own story where you can mess me up all you want as revenge ^_^.
Lone Wolf SIX, for being such a nice guy even though you just had to get Cassandra as well when you already had Takane-sensei for a girlfriend –but I digress: Again, thanks for letting me shamelessly pirate your fan fiction. You're the first Internet friend I've ever made; I hope I remain your friend forever more.
Blackheart ZERO, TRUE Unknown, Person with many aliases, Sir G, Kaiser Ryouga II, Athena Asamiya, Chisaii404, Michiku and Nik Hasta for plagiarized material and insert appearances and the fan fiction and reviews I so love. Keep on following and reviewing, please!
All the gaming companies and anime companies I've messed up: Sony, Sega, Arc System Works, Sammy, Team Ninja and the like: I'm so sorry! Please don't sue me!
Finally, I dedicate the last words to myself: Sheo. Farewell. It's been quite a romp through this world you've created, but all good things must end.
But they never said those good things couldn't come back!
I'm working on a sequel right now –its current name is Guilty Gear: The World Within And Without, but I've got a number of other stuff to deal with. Refer to my biography section for updated details and tentative schedules of release.
Until then: Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat!
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Sheo Darren