Heart of the Melting Blood
Legend of the Moonlight
Written and 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 plagiaries everything inside this story without his knowledge.

Chronological Note: Heart of the Melting Blood: Legend of the Moonlight takes place scarcely half a year after the event in Heart of the Melting Blood RELOADED, and currently runs roughly in parallel with Guilty Gear: the World within and Without written and created by Sheo Darren. This story takes place in the TYPE MOON universe, and happens at Misaki Town where the events of Shingetsusan Tsukihime once took place.

Chapter 7
It Was Not What He Wanted

The meeting room was disturbingly silent. Visible in the pitch darkness was a group of elders sitting in a half-ring table, and they were looking down at a young woman who was shone by a lone light shining from the above. There was not a word spoken from either of them, as the elders kept their eyes locked on her for a period of time.

"Mistress," one of the elders called her, "the first judge has fallen to the hand of the lone wolf, and the wolf has yet to be tamed. What are you going to do with it?"

She was not saying anything.

"Mistress, please answer our question." The same elders insisted. "The success or failure of the judgment day depend on your decision and the leadership you offer to the Dragoon Society. If you fail in this mission, our ambition will be very hard to reach."

Again, she was not saying anything.

"Do remember, Mistress, that you and your action are being watched by us the highest council of Red Dragoon," an elder sitting at the centremost position of the table, who seemed to be the chairman of the council. "Were something to happen to you or the judges, we will presume that you have failed in your responsibility. Surely, you don't want that to happen, right?"

She was not saying anything yet again.

"You still haven't answered our question, Mistress," the elders from earlier spoke. "Do not waste our time with you here."

"I am very sorry, elders," she finally broke her silence. "It was my lack of attention that Rage had failed his mission. I will take responsibility on his behalf."

The council members looked at each other, saying something in ad lib. Then one of the people deeply laughed and told the elders to stay calm. "Gentlemen, please, do not worry about her and her legions," he spoke. "Regardless of the slim chance of successfully accomplishing the mission, I can guarantee right here and right now that the lone wolf will soon be captured and tamed before the main event takes place."

"Make sure it's done as soon as possible, Valentino," the chairman of the council insisted. "You know the consequences of failing us."

The man laughed again. "Failing does not exist in my dictionary, and I'll make sure it will not happen."

The meeting ended. The man called Valentino and the girl walked out of the meeting room and walked down the alley without saying anything. "Please forgive me for my carelessness, sir," the girl called him and halted. "Had I known this to happen, I'd never send Rage to challenge him. It was my fault that…"

Valentino sighed to hear her and approached her. "Please, do not say anything that will sadden your heart. You know you didn't do anything wrong," he spoke and gently caressed her cheek.

"But sir, I…" she spoke and seized the rough hand and held it tenderly. "I just want to… I just want to be reunited with him… again. I can no longer wait for the day to come, so…"

The mid-40's man grinned and patted her scalp. "Have no worry. I will make sure you meet him as soon as you want to." He kissed her on the forehead and stepped back from her, before resuming his walk while the girl closely followed him from the behind. "If the council wants this matter to be settled quickly, then we have to have a change in the plan. Gather the remaining judges at my office this evening, for I would like to speak with them of something. You should come as well."

"What are you going to tell us, sir?" the girl asked.

A grim smile carved upon his face. "Hunting season has begun."

x-x-x-x-x

He was not saying anything. His mind was thinking of how Ciel was doing, after badly wounded in her duel with Logan. He was concerned of her safety, and he doubted his former comrade of the Holy Order's sincere regret on what he had done on the Vatican agent. He was so deep in his thought that he did not listen to Ayu and Akiko's call. It was only after the two girls yelled at his ears that he snapped from his mind venture.

"Why are you yelling at my ears, both of you?" Alex demanded and shivered from the ringing hiss in his ears. "I could've gone deaf from that!"

"But oniichan seems to be sad," Akiko said. "Could oniichan be thinking of the megane oneesan you walked with yesterday?" He had a very embarrassed look on his face, as the young girls started teasing him. He almost lost his patience and was about to chase them around the class before he slumped in depression. "What's the matter, oniichan? Is something the matter?"

"Yeah, you aren't usually like this in class," Ayu said and stared at him. "If it's not the megane oneesan you're worried of, then what is it? We can help you if you're willing to share your problem with us."

He smiled at the offer and patted their head. "Don't worry about me, Ayu-chan, Akiko-chan. Oniichan is just a bit tired from last night."

Akiko gasped and tried to hide her shocked expression. "Tired? Oh my god! Did you and megane oneesan… do that?" she asked and laughed. "Look! Oniichan is blushing! Oniichan is blushing! Oniichan is embarrassed now!"

A very mortified look crossed his face, even as the people inside the staff room watched at him in intrigue. "Where the hell did she learn things about that? Man, Miss Ciel is going to kill me if she listens to this…" he whispered.

x-x

"That was a tough day," Alex complained as he walked from the kindergarten. "And I had been embarrassed in front of Miss Amasawa because of Akiko's misunderstanding. What had Akiko really thought of that time? If she was just joking, well…"

"Alex?" He halted and turned to his left; it was Saber, Shirou and Illiya, to his delight. "Where are you from? Are you going to visit Ciel at the hospital?" Saber asked.

"No, unfortunately. I just finished my work at the kindergarten, and am heading back home," he told them. "And you guys are visiting her? At this time?"

"Oh, Shiki just called us," Shirou told him. "He invited us to visit Ciel at the hospital today, and we thought we could ask you to come along."

"I'd like to, but I cannot right now," he said and uneasily smiled. "Not when I still have to deal with yesterday's incident. Sorry, guys, but can you go ahead without me? I think I'll pay her my visit tomorrow."

Saber just sighed to hear that. "Well, if you said so. But that Logan guy asked us whether he could come with us," she said. "And I think he's at the hospital already. Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"No, thanks. I highly appreciate the invitation, though," he said and resumed his walk. "Do send in my regards to Miss Ciel when you meet her there, and tell her to get well very soon. I fear someone will be extremely upset to know that she's not alright."

"Alright, then, we'll be going now. We'll tell her your regards, don't worry about it, okay?" Shirou said, as they headed to a different direction. "See you later, Alex."

"Bye-bye, Alex-oniichan! See you tomorrow!" Illiya waved at him. Alex just waved at the girl before he headed his way to the city park. There, he walked toward the battleground and stood there. Silent as he was, he later cursed and plunged his fist onto the pavement.

"Damn it! Even Logan didn't tell me why he attacked me," he grumbled and pulled back the bleeding fist. "There has to be an explanation on his action along these passing days. If he didn't do this on purpose, someone must be controlling him from the behind. And what's this Great Judge and Judgment Day thing? What's the big deal?"

He stared at his injured knuckle and decided to go to Tohno Residence. "I better go home now; Miss Sion must be worried, if not Miss Hisui and Ren."

x-x

"Tadaima." Immediately he was greeted by Sion as he opened the door. "Miss Sion? Is something the matter?"

She was staring at him for a very long time before she snarled. "You… don't you dare making me worried!" she cried. "Do you have any idea of how worried I am after what happened to you yesterday? For God's sake, you're terribly idiot!"

"What… what's with this commotion? Miss Sion, just what's going on?" he demanded.

The Atlasian alchemist kept staring at him before she frowned. "When Arcueid told me you were under attack, I was worried that you might get hurt. And after the Logan person met me and told me what really happened…"

"Logan came here? What did he tell you?" he asked and took her arms. Unknowing to him, Sion fell onto his body and clung onto him very tightly. "Miss Sion…" He said nothing after that and slowly embraced her, whispering to her ear, "I'm sorry if I have made you worried yesterday."

"You shouldn't…" she sobbed and buried her flushed face beneath his arms. "Please, Alex… you've been facing so much hardships along your life, and you're going to harm yourself yet again? Please, Alex, no more… no more…" No words were to be spoken, he decided, as they were not necessary to calm a crying heart. Softly he kissed her scalp and held her close, cuddling her as he did. She sank in the warmth embrace of the black feather and she let it be.

"Anyway," he said and pushed her off his body, "what's cooking for tonight's dinner? I kind of hungry already."

She grumbled at first before she giggled and took him to the kitchen. "Hisui was preparing some meals when you arrived. Perhaps you ought to ask her yourself."

x-x-x-x-x

"How are you doing now?" Arcueid asked.

"I'm fine," Ciel answered and sipped the tea. "The doctors here are doing their best to keep me fit. I should be able to leave this hospital in a day or two."

"Hah, I could care less if the one I have to visit happens to be… my archrival," Arcueid answered, causing Ciel to cough in protest. Beside her, Shiki was trying not to let arguments between the two of them to ignite. "But anyway, there's no use I want to argue with you right now; not when it's him we have to take care of."

"You mean Alex-kun?" Ciel asked and gazed outside the windows. "I don't know what really happens to him, but since that day… he's become so quiet. He doesn't want to talk with anyone else except when he really needs to; not even to his friend Logan. Well, he had apologized to me for being responsible that night, but I don't get it."

Arcueid looked at her. "Huh? Something's knocking your mind, Ciel?"

"If he is indeed one of the Great Judges, he could've just abandoned me to chase Alex-kun or, at least, ordered his minions to pursuit him," Ciel continued. "But he has something more… personal behind the battle."

"I don't get it," the True Ancestor insisted. "Care to clarify?"

"Shiki, we're here." The people inside the ward shifted their attention to the coming visitors. "Sorry for being late. We had tough times in coming here and almost got lost, if Logan hadn't shown us the way."

"Saber, you're just in time. Please come in, and do make a lot of noise. I'm sure Ciel wouldn't mind it," Arcueid told them. Again, Ciel coughed in protest; this time, followed by an angry vein popping on her forehead.

"I thought Alex's coming with you," Shiki said.

"He was, but he refused to come along," Saber said and put the bouquet next to the bed. "He said something about 'finished my work at the kindergarten and am heading home'. Oh, he sends his regards to you, Ciel."

"Oh, my. That Alex-kun, he shouldn't be too generous," Ciel replied and giggled. "And you mentioned Logan a while ago. Where is he, if I may ask?"

"He's waiting outside the hospital," Shirou answered. "He said it'd be the best if an injured wolf is to be left alone, not disturbed."

Ciel just chuckled at it. "He should say that to Alex-kun, not me. Oh, well; at least, he is no longer an enemy."

"That reminds me to ask Lone Wolf," Shiki said and scratched his chin. "He must have something, and he must have known all about Alex's commotion here."

x-x-x-x-x

That afternoon was serene. It was Sunday, and Alex was given a day's off from his work at the kindergarten. Immediately he seized the opportunity to walk around the town, talking to every people he could meet and interacting with them.

He arrived at the square. He looked around and saw an ice-cream booth nearby. Deciding to buy himself an ice-cream, he approached the booth when a rain of arrows appeared from nowhere and showered the city park. He was stricken and evaded all arrows fired at the square. The people around were struck in fear and scattered for cover; he was dead furious to see the civilians involved in the chaos and ordered them to leave the park immediately.

"Halt!" He immediately stopped on his track as he heard a yell from the bushes. "We are not here to look for trouble with you, and we advice you not to do the same to us."

"Just who the hell are you guys this time!" he demanded. "And what business you have with me here? Speak quickly!"

"We are here by the orders of the highest council of the Red Dragoon," the man who carried an oversized crossbow spoke as he appeared from beneath the undergrowths. "Patience, lone wolf, for I am not here with any intention of hurting you or anybody else around this vicinity."

"You… you're the one who fired the arrows at me! Just what the hell was that for?" he demanded.

A swordsman walked next to the archer and grinned slyly at Alex. "We thought it would be necessary to prevent a wolf from escaping, whether it's hunting season or not. Hence, the arrow shower."

Alex lost his patience and pounced at the two newcomers when a figure appeared before him and blocked his fist with an energy shield. He was backed off and had to jump away for a distance, as a female monk stood before the twos in a battle stance. "Shoot! Even a girl is against me! What are you up to with me! Answer me!"

"Patience, lone wolf," the archer said as he reloaded the crossbow. "Even as we have the answer you need to know, we're prohibited to say or do anything until they arrive. Only after that, we're allowed to do whatever we're ordered to."

"What the hell does that mean, whoever you are!" Alex yelled.

"It means," the swordsman said and pointed the rapier at Alex's face, "to shut the hell up. Mistress will be coming in any moment, and so does he. All you have to do for now is to sit down like a kid and behave. Is that not okay with you?"

The female monk turned to her right. As if she sensed something, she retreated several steps behind and covered herself with a cloak. "They're here."

Alex turned to the direction the three people were looking, and saw a girl standing at a hill not far from them. He was wondering of who the girl was when she turned around and looked at him. He was in great surprise. The gaze of the sapphire eyes was cold. The smile on her face was grim. The face was showing a sadness he never saw before. Upon closer look, he later realized he was facing with something he least expected to see. Something he had not wanted to in the first place. Something… that had to do with his past.

And she was calling him with a suffix he could never have mistaken.

"Brother… Alex…"

"LIA?"

He gasped. The girl responded to the name, yet she said nothing and walked a bit away from him. He called her again when another shadow appeared in the sunlight, and it was grinning mockingly at him. "What's the matter, lone wolf? Are you shocked to see your sister again after these passing years? Or are you perhaps shocked because she is with me now?" the shadow asked as he slowly revealed himself in the silhouette.

"Val… Valentino! Is that really you, Valentino!" he cried out in horror.

The owner of the name laughed and holstered a sword on his shoulder. "Yes, that be me, the old Valentino who used to accompany you on your… 'cleansing' mission. Of course, I very doubt you'd still remember your former days as… an assassin."

He stepped back. "I'm… I'm an assassin? This cannot be happening…! I… I never thought myself of working as an assassin!" he insisted.

"Or perhaps you've forgotten the time you were assigned to assassinate the highest commander of the Holy Orders," Valentino said and shook his head. "What a pity. You were among the most feared and respected assassins the Guild ever had, and yet you deny the fact that you're among them. Foolish of you; you should've known about it better than the rest of us."

"An assassin? Me? The best in the guild? You've got to be kidding me," he groaned. "Why would I work and serve for the Guild, when I know it's nothing more than a group of criminals and outlaws? Why would I?"

"Yet it was this crime group who adopted, raised, trained, and took a great care of you and your sister. Why, Alexander," Valentino spoke and snorted. "Why are you trying to forget? Why are you trying to run away from your pre-destined fate? Why are you trying to ignore the truth? Why, Alexander? You must tell me the answer, or I cannot leave you and this place in ease."

He fell to his knees, clutching his head and shivering in pain. "Stop it…! Just stop it! I don't want to remember anything… I don't want to face it again…! Stop!" he cried.

The broadsword-carrying man snorted and plunged the weapon on the ground. "What's wrong with you? You should be happy to see your beloved little sister, at least. Come on! Smile for a second, will you?" He later laughed and shook his head in amusement. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot. You hesitantly accepted the news of Lia's unconditional death days after you left the guild, and had been thinking that you had lost the most precious treasure in the world. Surely it would've affected your performance after the orders took you in. Isn't that right, Alexander?"

"Stop it! JUST STOP IT!" he cried and cringed in pain. "Just… stop…"

He snarled at the response. "Look at you. You used to be strong, honourable, respectable, dedicated and deadly. You even earned the nickname lone wolf for all the lone works and commitments you had done. Where is he? Where is the lone wolf of the Assassin's Guild everybody always talked of? Tell me, Alexander, where is he, for I long to see his fatal bites again."

He no longer said anything. He just shivered and continued mumbling to himself, begging to something even he did not know. Valentino sighed to see the reaction left the city park, as the Judges and Lia closely followed him from the behind.

Then Alex called them aloud. "For God's sake! If your intention is to avenge me for the betrayal, why must you wait for ten years! Why must you wait until now to put the judgment onto me! Answer me, Valentino!"

He halted and turned back to him. "There is no answer of the question, Alexander, but I can only say one thing: get rid of your ignorance and live the life the way it is. Ah, yes, before I go," he said, "I'd like to forewarn you of an upcoming hunting season the Dragoon Society's hunters is going to handle. Preparations will be done in ten days, and they are impatient to hunt down a wolf's pack. You'd better get ready, too, because you might be involved in this event."

He resumed his walk, as the warriors escorted him to a nearby helicopter and left the city park. Alex was left at the place, in a confusion he never thought to have before. He stared at his hand before cupped his face with it. "Why… why now…"

x-x

"And you want to know what Alex said after that? 'Oh my god! That's the ugliest dragon I've ever seen in my whole life! How are we going to kill that thing?'" Logan spoke, even as Arima and Satsuki laughed. "But he did kill he dragon, and that awarded him with another Silver Cross. Man, I envied him so much for having so many medals in his collections. Even that Kiske guy was seldom awarded with the same honorary as he did."

"Had Alex-san did something embarrassing when he was still a knight, Logan-san?" Satsuki asked.

"Why, yes he did; and he did it several times," Logan spoke and laughed. "Everybody was like 'what the hell is with this kid?' whenever he was caught doing embarrassing things; the most often being caught dating with female knights."

Arima laughed at the speech. "Was he really that… playboy, Logan-san?" she asked.

"Most of us thought he was, but every female knights we had asked said that he was the most easily approached holy knight in the group, and wouldn't mind befriending ?or dating- him," Logan continued. "I bet that's why he was so mad to see Ciel getting hurt."

Sion's ears was burning in embarrassment. "Of course, that doesn't mean he can date any girl he meets at the outside. Alex should know there's someone who's waiting to be taken out for a date," she insisted as she walked toward the stairs. She suddenly squealed when Arcueid managed to grope her, and cried in distress when she was continually fondled on the bosom. "Arcueid! Stop it! Stop it! You're harassing me!"

"Aw, our Mistress Sion is still embarrassed to admit it! Boo-hoo!" Arcueid exclaimed and continued teasing her, as a pair of cat's ears popped on her head.

Logan watched at the duo and blinked several times. "Did I say something?"

The door was opened. All of them watched and saw Alex walking into the house. "Yo, welcome home, Alex," Logan said and waved to him. He did not reply to the greeting; instead, he headed to the stairs and walked to his room. "What's with him? He isn't usually like that," he wondered.

Sion managed to get off Arcueid's possessive embrace and approached him. "Okaeri, Alex." She, too, did not get any reply from him and was promptly ignored. "Alex? Is there something wrong?" she asked and reached for his shoulder.

"I'm just a bit tired. Please… spare me some privacy," he told her and left him. Sion just watched at him and was wondering of what went wrong to him.

"Tired? He looks more like he just met something awful," Arcueid said and folded her arms. "Anyway, like he said, let's just leave him. He'll be fine and come down here."

"Alex…"

x-x-x-x-x

He was shocked. Scattering before his eyes were bones and charred bodies, all of them were spreading to as far as an eye could see. He looked around him and to himself, noticing that he was back in his Holy Knight uniform. He winced and put a hand on his head. "Is this… hell? The place all wrongdoers and sinners were sent into, waiting for their punishment?" he whispered and started walking across the bone field. He later shrugged and grumbled. "No… this is for someone like me as well… someone who had killed and slain people without ever questioning the reason…" He, then, looked back at the bones and noticed features that could only be found in Gears. "These bones… they might be the Gears I had killed… Gears who had no ideas of why they must be punished in the name of God and justice…"

He continued walking, climbing up a hill made of bones and reached its top. There, he met someone he awfully recognized as Sion. "What is she doing at this place?" he asked and approached her. When he tried to reach for her shoulder, she turned around and stared at him. He was in disbelief; it was her.

"NO!"

x-x

He abruptly woke up. Sweats were seen dripping down his face, dampening the blanket he used. He was startled for a very long time before he cupped his face and groaned in pain. "Goddammit… why must I be haunted by that kind of dream…"

He later frowned. He knew he could not hide the confrontation he had faced with the judges, and he would have to tell the residence of Tohno mansion about it. Everything, if possible, would be revealed to them. "Tomorrow…"

x-x-x-x-x

"Bye-bye, oniichan!" Akiko and Ayu waved goodbye at him as they walked out of the kindergarten complex. "See you tomorrow, and don't forget the promise we made, okay?"

"I will, Ayu-chan, Akiko-chan!" Alex replied and waved back at them. He sighed as he finished yet another day as an educator, and he only hoped he would not have to deal with problems again on the way home. "Alright, then." He walked down the road, thinking of what to be said once he called all of them in the gathering.

He stumbled upon Logan, who happened to accompany Ciel from the hospital. "Ah, you guys. Good timing, I was about to see you at the hospital," he said. "Can you spend your time and come to the residence?"

"Is there something you want to tell us, Alex-kun?" Alex did not answer the question Ciel asked and quickly headed to the mansion, leaving the twos in confusion. They stared at each other in wonder before nodded and followed him to the residence.

x-x

"So? What's with these commotion?" Arcueid asked, snorting at the presence of Ciel at the mansion.

"Alex asked us to come here for something… important," Logan told her. "Sort of. He looked upset when I asked him why; maybe he has something to tell us."

"I don't mind about that, but why the rest of us?" Akiha asked, even as Hisui served the guests with teas and cakes. "And besides, shouldn't he accompany Arima and Satsuki for their tuition at this time?"

"Sorry for waiting." All of them looked at the staircase and saw Alex coming down the stairs, accompanied by Sion. "Is everyone here? I'd like to see all of you here before I start this conversation."

"Are we late, everyone?" Saber asked, as the FATE trio arrived. "Alex called us in a sudden and asked us to come over, so we rushed from our hometown right away."

"No, you just came in time," Alex told them and sat on the sofa. "If everyone's here, I guess I can start this right now."

"Alex-kun, what is it you want to tell us?" Ciel asked, concerned of the purpose she was called over.

He was silent, slowly clenching his hands into a fist. Then he took a deep breath and gazed to the ceiling. "I met her yesterday."

"Her? Who?" Sion asked.

He closed his eyes, even as tears were forming in his eyes and he tried not to show them. "Lia."

Immediately the people were in ad lib. Lia? Who was she, and how did she relate to him? There must be an explanation behind this.

"Ne, Alex-kun, who is this Lia? And why are you so sad when you say her name?" Ciel asked again.

He stooped his head, very slightly. "She's… she's my sister."

Again, the people were in ad lib. His sister? This was the most shocking thing they ever heard. But why was he so unhappy?

"Then, what are you being upset of? You should be happy to see her, at least," Shiki insisted.

"How can I be happy, Shiki?" he replied and frowned, tightly clenching his fist. "How can I ever be happy when she died a long time ago? I… I couldn't believe myself that I'd meet her of all people…"

The ad lib became more frenzy, as the residents were talking among themselves in suspicion. Then who he had met yesterday? Was he telling him a hoax, or was he trying to explain a paranormal phenomenon?

"I thought I could forget everything… everything about her…" he spoke and frowned even lower. "My most important person to me in my whole life… after the Gear family… why this must happen now? I just want to forget it once and for all…"

"Alex," Sion said, finally breaking off the disorder, "please tell us what you really want to say, and… please let us know of why she was so… important to you."

He took a deep breath and gazed at the ceiling again. "It all started over ten years ago, when I was only fifteen."