Previously in Heart of the Melting Blood RELOADED…
"Mai," Sayuri whispered and softly brushed her lips against Mai's cheek. She stood back and giggled as she saw her friend stirring in her sleep. "Be happy, Mai. Be happy."
Yuu touched Hikki's cheek, smiling to see his sleeping face. "Gomen ne, Hikki. I couldn't meet you at the wedding to say congratulation," she spoke. "But I'm very happy to see you finally achieving your true love. Yokatta."
"Omedetou, Mai."
"Omedetou, Hikki."
The girls bad farewell and disappeared in the open air. Yet it was not before they spoke a verse, together, and smiled at the couples.
"I will always be with you, zutto…"
x-x-x-x-x
Guilty Gear
Heart of the Melting Blood RELOADED
Written by: Lone Wolf NEO
Conceived by: Lone Wolf NEO
Lone Wolf NEO does not own any of all the games or anime or manga featured in this story, but he owns the copyright to all his original ideas in this fiction. Lone Wolf would really appreciate it if readers do not plagiarise everything inside this story without his knowledge.
Chronological Note: Heart of the Melting Blood RELOADED takes place scarcely half a year after Guilty Gear versus SNK 2: Battle Revolution, and currently runs roughly in parallel with Guilty Gear: The World Within and Without written and owned by Sheo Darren.
Featured song: Yakusoku (Love Hina).
Note: words marked '…' are monologues, unless stated otherwise.
Chapter 33
Epilogue: Monologue of the Hearts
Another morning arrived at Kiev; a peaceful morning, that is, after endless times of crisis and battles happening at the city. It was the time where people finally had the long-desired peace, after facing the almost-destined destruction of their hometown that happened before their very eyes. And yet, the city was once again saved from the hands of evildoers, thanks to the dedicated warriors who fought for the people they protected. Still, with innocent souls victimized by the unwanted war, it was uncertain whether peace would still prevail on this land.
It was peacefully silent at the necropolis. A few people were present, most of them regular visitors of the place, as well as people from other areas who wanted to pay their respect to the deceased.
He was kneeling in front of the tombstones, accompanied by the girl he had vowed to protect and stay with forever. In his hands were a bouquet of red roses bought at flower shop, and he was holding it close to his chest.
"Well, it's almost a year now, I think," he finally broke the silence and put the bouquet between the tombstones. "That reminds me; how many times I went to this place just to see you two? I can barely remember the numbers," half-jokingly he spoke. His voice was calm, no longer blended with sorrow and pain. He chuckled and clapped his hands as if praying for the deceased soul. The girl followed on, and both of them were in temporary silence.
He opened his eyes. A faint smile carved upon his shounen-ish face. "Zofeah, Yuu, today is the last day I can pay you visit. Yeah, I know this isn't the right thing to do, but I can't just stay here and do nothing but visiting this place forever," he uttered. He, then, read the inscriptions on the tombstones:
"Zofeah Falken. The second child of Chrono, died in the battle of life and death for the sake of his brother. He may have gone, but he will still be remembered inside our heart."
"Yuu of Magnolia Village. Innocent, gentle, full of hopes and desire, she sacrificed her life for the sake of her most beloved one. Let us not forget her heroic act."
-and chuckled. "Just like what Lone Wolf-san told me: we can't be like a frog living inside a can, knowing nothing but the world it's secluded in. That's why…" and he chuckled again, albeit his voice sounded sober. "That's why I've decided travel around the world, like what I used to do. That's right; I might even go back to Magnolia Village, I kind of miss the people there."
He stood up and approached the young woman he had married to. "Ikuzo, Mai," he spoke and offered her his hand.
The Swordswoman of Present smiled and took his hand. "Haii."
Both of them walked away from the tombstones, heading toward the main gate. A few steps later, he halted and glanced back at the cemetery. "Zofeah, Yuu, gomen ne. The next time I go to this place, I promise to tell you everything I've seen from my travel. Sayonara…" He turned around and resumed walking down the street, the girl holding his hand.
x-x-x-x-x
monologue of the timekeeper
'Well, it's been a month or so since the Second Battle of Kiev took place. Everybody's returning to their place of origin; Geese and Misaki-san return to South Town not long after the marriage, while Terry departs for another of his journey. I must say that these two people still haven't settled their ageing rivalry, though I can no longer sense hatred from either of them. I can still remember Mister Terry saying something about that kind murderer, and the thought of how he would like to date her when they meet.'
'Reia-san, Elde-san and Robo-san left the city earlier this morning. Well, I didn't have much time to spend with them since they insisted to continue their journey, yet I felt glad to know them even for a while. Oh, about Robo-san, he told me that I still owed him for fooling him back at Magnolia Village. Man, can't he try to forget it once in a while?'
'I still wondered of who Mister Hahn is, since we never met each other here. The only thing I know about him is that Lone Wolf-san described him as "a lonely knight who is accompanied by black feather", and I don't really understand about that. The other thing I know about him is that he has a girlfriend, and I must say that she is quite an attractive woman. He also left the city after the wedding, saying something about "paying someone dearest his last visit." I wonder what he means by that.'
'As for the rest of the people, well, they return to their place. Miss Ciel and her companions are going back to Misaki Town, and I'm thinking of visiting them with Mai when we have our opportunity. The AEGIS Squad and the crews of MITHRIL already left yesterday, and Miss Rosette and her fellow humanitarian workers left the city with the Jellyfish Pirates. Some of them are staying here but others decide to take their leave, and whether they will return here is entirely up to them.'
'As for me, well, it's time for me to leave Kiev with Mai. Not that we don't want to stay here after getting married, but I feel that I still have unfinished errands before I arrived here. Yeah, I've been travelling around the world, meeting a lot of people and challenging martial fighters, and still I need to settle things first and foremost. I don't really know what are they, but I must have them done or I'm in trouble.'
'But it doesn't matter to me now, because now I have her, the woman I promised to her and myself to defend forever. It won't matter, because I now have a new life to share with, and a future both of us would face together. I'm sure that she is thinking the same thing right now.'
"Zofeah… Hibiki-san… Dizzy-chan… Lone Wolf… Nagalintar… Mriya-oneesan… Yuu… minna… arigatou…"
x-x
"Hikki?" He was startled and looked at her. "What are you daydreaming of? You seem to be thinking of something."
"Nothing, Mai," he told her. "Nothing. A bit of memory, I guess."
They continued walking, greeting the Robo-Ky Mark 1s who were helping townspeople in cleaning the streets. Once in while, they could see the sights of Ky screaming in anger at the ever-cheerful Mriya who was ogling Lone Wolf NEO, with the disgraced Hibiki watching at the scene in jealousy. Sol was present as well, watching at the scene while sipping his Marlboro, before Kagura took the cigarette from his mouth and told him something about the danger of smoking. They were the only people left behind at Kiev, after the rest of the fighters left the city days earlier.
"Ne, Hikki," she called him as they walked to the lake garden, "where will we be going? You said something about travelling, so…"
"For one thing," he spoke and tightened his grip on her hand, "I haven't paid the villagers a visit for a long time. I wonder how they are doing, and besides…"
"Besides?" she asked and stared at him.
"I wish I could leave this place for good," he answered. "Not that I hate this place, but here is the place where many memories are buried beneath… memories I can't possibly afford to get away. So much of it… there's so much of it I can barely keep up with them…"
She smiled and took a hold of his hand in return. "Whatever happens, I'll stay with you. Your happiness is my happiness; your pain is my pain; your smile is also my smile."
He grinned at the comment and glanced up at the sky. "Sou, da yo…"
x-x-x-x-x
monologue of the wanderer
'It's been a while since I officially became a Wanderer, and married to Hikki to be exact. There are many things I cannot express with words alone, and there are some other things that I cannot think of. The battle of Kiev, the incident at bridge of promise, and the date…'
'Since I left the EFZ League and Plaplaman-sama to became a Wanderer, I begun to learn things I couldn't when I was with them. And I begun to realize that a Wanderer cannot forever be alone, because he or she must have someone to defend in the first place. It proved to be true, because now I have Hikki to protect, as a Wanderer and his dearest wife. I still feel sorry for my former comrades, but I'm sure they will forgive me.'
'I know it's a bit to early for us to begin a new life as married couple, since we had only known each other for a very short time. Yet I believed in him when he proposed me for the marriage, because deep inside my heart, I know that he would protect me the same way Sayuri did. I believed in him when I had lost faith on myself, because… because I know he's the only person I can and will rely upon. I know he believes in me, because I can feel that he already vowed to defend me with everything he has.'
'Well, I had learned a valuable lesson from Hikki after knowing and trying to run away from him: human is and always be dependant to each other, even to a Wanderer. And I think I'm in love with him for the fact that both of us do need each other as one. For now, I'm happy to finally live together with him.'
'Yuuichi… Reia-sensei… Elde-san… Hibiki-san… Lone Wolf-san… Nagalintar-sama… Sayuri… minna… arigatou…'
x-x
She looked at the people and waved at Mriya who was calling for their names, while evading the scandalized knight's Sacred Edge. She giggled as the knight cried in dismay and continually attacked her sister-in-law before Sol stopped him in the track with Tyrant Rave Beta, and the rest of them PWNING the knocked out Ky. The young woman of the Falken family cheerfully danced around Lone Wolf, while the dismayed Hibiki bopped the author on his head with her shirasaya.
"Mai."
She stared at him. "Haii?"
He looked at her. "Aishiteru ze…" I love you…
She smiled. "Watashi mo…" Me too…
x-x-x-x-x
yuugure chiisana kage ga hashaide
watashi o toorisugi ieji e kaette yuku
ano hi anata to konna fuukei
okutte kawashita ne
futari dake no takaramono o…
kokoro de musubareta yakusoku
ima mo ima mo taisetsu ni
idaite itsuno hi ka anata ni atte soshite
hataseru sonna hi o
watashi shinjinagara sugoshitemasu…
ima goro doko ni iru no deshou ka?
kawashita yakusoku kokoro ni mada aru kana
kisetsu watatte shibatta keredo
kawarazu ano koro no anata dato negatte imasu…
omokage musurettemo yakusoku
ima mo ima mo kono mune no mannaka o atsuku shite
shikkari kokoro, kokoro musubareteru
koto o watashi shinjinagara matteimasu…
anata ni aetanara yakusoku sotto, sotto
tazunetai ano hi no futari e to modoreru
naraba douka mouichido
yakusoku shite ne shinjinagara inottemasu…
x-x-x-x-x
At faraway, the handmaiden of Fate watched at the young couples and smiled. "Be happy, Timekeeper, Wanderer. Be happy, and I will be happy for the two of you as well," she whispered and walked toward the hill, closely followed by the wolf.
She halted and took a glance at the park, where the lone wolf of author universe was saying something to his assistant while his former girlfriend continually teased and ogled him, much to her dismay. She giggled. "Well, lone wolf, you have once again done your responsibility as an author. I'm very grateful to see you successfully defending these people. Congratulations." The wolf whined and stared up at her, as if asking for who she was looking at. She stared at her pet wolf and chuckled, before patting its head. "It's someone I've known for a very long time, little one. Don't worry; we'll meet him eventually."
She turned back to the lone wolf. "We'll meet again, Lone Wolf. Sayonara."
End of Heart of Melting Blood RELOADED
x-x-x-x-x
Next on Heart of Melting Blood…
A word or two from the author: The next instalment of Heart of Melting Blood, due to be posted next year, will not be encircling around the concept of Guilty Gear universe, but will be focused on TYPE-MOON universe, most notably Shingetsusan Tsukihime and Melty Blood. As these two titles might cross over with each other, it's been decided that this next instalment will be posted at Misc./Crossovers section unless stated otherwise. So, we'll keep yourself updated through email or you spend your time visiting Lone Wolf NEO's bio page or Misc./Crossovers. In the meantime, please, do continue reading and enjoying this fan fiction. Thank you very much, and happy holiday.
As to quote Lone Wolf NEO himself: "Is this the end of the beginning, or is this the beginning of the end?"