Heart of Melting Blood
Legend of the Moonlight
Written by:
Lone Wolf NEO
Conceived by: Lone Wolf NEO

Author's note: Guilty Gear is copyrighted by Sammy Studios whereas TYPE-MOON holds the right over all games under the company's label: Tsukihime, FATE, etc, etc, etc…. Lone Wolf NEO does not own any or all real-life features or whatever facts featured in this story. He does, however, own the copyright to all his original ideas in this fiction. The author would really appreciate it if readers do not duplicate everything inside this story without his knowledge.

Author's note: since Illiya Hahn shares the same first name with Illiyafeil, she will be called 'Lia' from now on.

Chapter 24
Emancipation of Mind

"So what are we going to do now?" Shirou asked.

"According to Miss Ciel, we should hold our position until the Vatican Church informs her of the Dragoon's whereabouts," Ky told them.

"Wait? Why must we wait when we can find them and crush them like this?" Illiyafeil insisted and ground her fist against her palm. Berserker mimicked what his Master was doing and roared.

"No, it would be better if the captured Judges agree to cooperate with us," Ky insisted. "Besides, from the current situation, we don't know how strong the society is."

"Apart from the Judges, that is," Logan added. "But the society's actual strength is beyond my knowledge. I can't tell how strong they are, even without the Judges."

Blaze wasn't saying anything, although he did nod to agree with the axe fighter.

"Why would we have to wait? Like Illiya said, we should slap their hump right now," Archer insisted.

Tohsaka Rin smacked him on his head. "You've been listening to that song too much, Archer," she said.

"Aw, come on! That song totally rules!" Archer exclaimed.

Again, Rin bonked him. "Shut up, Archer. You're scaring the kitty away."

Rider added another question to the conversation. "But if we do know where the Dragoons are dwelling, where should we begin our hunt? And how are we going to fight them?"

"I don't know of that right now, Miss Rider," Ky told the blindfolded Servant. "Whatever it is, I should interrogate the judges we detain at the police station. Now will you excuse me for a while?"

Ky headed to the door, opened it and entered the wardroom. Dizzy was talking with Alex as he could see, and both didn't realize his arrival inside the room. Slowly he approached them and greeted them, even as Alex realized his arrival.

"How are you now, Alexander?" Ky asked.

Alex laughed to hear the question. "Pretty much in one piece right now," he said and swung his left arm around. "Looks like I'll leave the hospital in two week's time-- OUCH!"

"Alex!" Dizzy yelped. "I've told you not to swing around too much, haven't I?"

Alex still managed to laugh, despite the nerve-biting pain he felt on his arm. "But I can still move, right?"

Dizzy gave him a disapproval look. Alex sighed and surrendered. "Sorry. I guess I should listen to you."

Ky was amazed. After all the years of vengeance and delusion, the lone wolf of Holy Orders still never failed to amuse people he met. Even the Gear woman fell to the friendly charm of the man. He could only wonder of how and why.

"Oh, yes, I should inform Mr. Hahn here that I will conduct a research to find a possible donator to heal Lia's illness," Ky spoke. Alex looked at him in surprise. "Excuse me, but I've been told that Lia suffers from thalassemia. Didn't the doctor tell you of this?"

Alex frowned. "Only now I realize of Lia's illness…" he uttered. He closed his eyes and clenched a fist. "I'm sorry, Lia… I couldn't do anything for you. I'm so sorry…"

Dizzy held his hand, giving him the calming effect he needed to. "Please, Alex, I'm sure Lia will be alright." He could only nod and held her hand in return.

"Anyway, I should be going to the police station right away," Ky told them and headed to the door. "There are still many things I have to settle before interrogating the Judges."

He stopped. "Dizzy."

Dizzy turned to him. "Yes, Ky?"

The knight took a deep breath. Intuitively he scratched the back of his head. "Listen, I… I didn't mean to hurt you back there," he uttered. "I'm sorry." She was startled, but Ky didn't say anything afterwards. His only answer was leave the ward.

"Alex?"

"Yes, Dizzy?"

Dizzy looked at him. Her eye gaze was sad, yet he saw nothing unusual from it. "I… I should excuse me right now. Justine and her friends are waiting for me outside the hospital." She paused, and then she continued. "We planned to have a karaoke party at the city's pub tonight. I'm sorry because I can't bring you along."

"No, it's alright. Besides," and here he laughed silly. "I'm not used to karaoke. Unless-- if you want me to do live performance." He noticed that the Gear woman was deeply staring at him. He was intrigued. "Dizzy, perhaps if you could--"

A pair of moist lips seized his. Stunned, silenced, he could do nothing even as the woman deepened the kiss, never letting him go.

"I love you, Alex…"

She broke off the kiss and immediately left the room. The startled Alex said nothing for a long time. Then he put his finger upon his lips; the warmth of her mouth was still there, lingering. His heart sped up, as if been stimulated by an electric shock.

"What… was that for?"

x-x

Ky headed to the police station; he decided to begin the investigation on the Dragoon Society immediately. Logan and Blaze followed him from the behind, knowing that they, too, might be investigated later on. They didn't regret, though, for they offered their loyalty only to their mistress Lia.

They arrived at the hospital's square and saw a scene taking place. What they were looking at wasn't what they were expecting.

"For God's sake, what is this?"

"Do I see a marching parade coming?"

"……"

Justine blushed. Athena cooed. Hotaru wowed. Satsuki blinked in surprise. Rock couldn't help but to envy. Rheo batted an eyebrow in wonder. Sol was standing not far from the previous group, donning strange-looking attire identical to the uniform Ky was dressed in. The Corrupted Flame looked totally different. And damn right he was.

Ky slapped his forehead as a sign of dishonour. "Sol, what are you doing in that uniform?"

Sol looked at the scandalized questioner. He pointed to Justine and Athena, who promptly took cover behind Hotaru and Rheo. "And blame Lone Wolf NEO as well. He was the one who suggested me to return to the old days…"

Suddenly fan girls materialized and started surrounding Sol en masse. The Guilty Gear snapped in total rage and was about to swing Fireseal at the ocean of female fanatics when Kagura did the unthinkable: summoning a 'portal to Hell' and sending them into the deepest of oblivion. Sol looked at the girl, who in return smiled at him.

"How did you do that?" he demanded.

"Did what?" Kagura replied, pretending that she didn't get the question he asked.

"SOL-CHAAAANN!"

"Oh, shi--"

That lithe, energetic body of Justine crashed into him from behind. How did she materialize behind Sol, nobody knew --and certainly nobody wanted to know. The pair of arms mightily squeezing his neck made breathing difficult.

"Justine," Sol uttered. "I don't know what the hell that for was, but LET GO OFF ME!" Justine squealed in denial and happily rubbed her cheek against his. "I SAID STOP IT!"

"Never! I won't let you go!" Her arms, however, relaxed a bit. "I didn't know you would look awesome in this suit! Hurray for Sol-chan!"

Sol dropped the red-haired girl to the ground. He gave Justine a pointed look. The disappointed girl avoided his gaze as a sign of her disapproval. "Look, what's really wrong with you, acting like a fan girl and such?"

The frown was all the warning he had. Then she kicked him on the shin.

Sol chased Justine around the venue.

"What the hell was that for! You come back here right this instant!"

The girl ran back to Athena and mocked him. "Serve you right, Sol-chan. PIIDAH!"

Sol didn't continue chasing her and returned to Kagura, even as he rubbed the annoying pain on his shin. Then he looked all over himself and shook his head in disgust. "Damn, I didn't expect to wear this after ten years." He sniffed the clothing and was irked. "Smells like-- bah! Just forget it. I want to see that little girl." So saying, he holstered the Fireseal and walked toward the garden.

"Ky, wanna go and have a karaoke party with us?" Rock shouted, emphasizing the word 'party' by shaking his hips.

"Karaoke? Hah, I haven't had a party for long time," Logan answered instead and went to the group.

"But-- hey! You said you want to come with me!" Ky yelled.

Logan laughed and waved at him. "Come on, officer! I need to have a break once in a while!" He later signalled at Blaze. "Well, Blaze, want to bet on who can drink the most tonight?"

It was a challenge even a dignified ninja could not resist. Blaze laughed, went to Logan, leaving the startled knight behind and left the hospital for a night at Paris. Ky was the only one standing in front of the hospital, unsure of what to do next.

"Why didn't they invite me?" he finally exclaimed. He sighed and shook his head afterwards. "I better go and do my works right away…"

x-x-x-x-x

Alex was outside the wardroom, standing on the balcony, staring at the full moon. He was humming to a song, tapping his palms on the holding bar. He was thinking that he would be spending the rest of the night alone; Dizzy must probably be enjoying herself at the karaoke bar with her friends, Lia had gone missing for a couple of hours. He was wondering whether he would not have someone to talk to.

It wouldn't be, as he realized that someone was standing next to him. He turned around to see the person, who in return smiled at him. "My presence here doesn't bother you, does it?" asked Sion.

"No, in fact," he answered and looked back at the moon. "I was wondering whether you want to come here or not. I need someone to talk with right now, actually."

Sion giggled at the answer and moved closer toward her. She looked up, watched at the full moon and took his hand. "Alex, I… I need to tell you something," she said.

"You do? You remind me of someone when you said that," he told her. "Someone… very dear to me."

A faint blush tinted her cheeks. She frowned and had a bashful smile carved upon her face. "I am?" She heard nothing from him, but later felt two strong arms resting about her shoulders. Upset at first, she later leaned against the hard, muscular body, resting her head upon his chest.

"Do you want to say something, Sion?" Alex asked as he cradled her.

"Umm." She took both his hands and held onto them. "I… I missed you so much, Alex. I thought I'd never see you again."

"I missed you, too, Sion," he whispered and tightened his arms around her body. "And I'm sorry for making you upset. Say…"

"Yes, Alex?"

"Dizzy told me about you, her and Lia," he uttered and lifted his hand to the moon, as if wanting to bring it down to earth. "I guess… I guess I should understand how the three of you feel toward me."

"Alex, what do you want to tell me?"

"That I love you. Dizzy, Lia and you, I love you all."

Her heart suddenly sped up. She twitched at the rush of blood in her face, and her cheeks started to flush brightly. She almost lost her breath and felt her sights blacking out.

"You… can't be serious," she said after regaining her strength.

"I'm sorry for hiding this from you." He later rested his chin upon her scalp and sighed. "It took me… years to force myself into loving someone again. I thought I could never accept someone to reside inside my heart, because…"

"Because you're afraid to hurt their heart, right?" Sion pulled herself from his firm embrace and turned to gaze at him. "Tell me, Alex. Does it hurt to choose and love someone without hurting other people's heart? Is it painful to let different people love you?"

Alex broke the eye gaze and turned away. "Sion, I…"

"Look at me, please," she begged and pulled his face toward hers. "I know you're reluctant to tell us your true feeling because you don't want to hurt any of us, but you can't hide it from us forever. It will never help you at all, because you know that we love you. You… just refuse to accept the fact, don't you?"

Alex's blue eyes stormed open. He could only stare as Sion frowned and buried her blushing face beneath the patient clothes. "I'm sorry, Alex," her trembling voice was heard. "I thought I was the only one who loved you. I just found out about their feeling towards you. I… I'm jealous at them because they're not afraid to love you."

"Dizzy… Lia…" His eyes closed, and he uttered a name under his sombre breath. "Hikaru…" Then years of memory of the woman he regarded as his first love emerged, along with vivid images of her smile, pure and innocent. He grimaced to think of the memory he had shared at the woman.

"I'm sorry, Alex," Sion apologized. "I know it's very hard for you to accept our love. I…"

"Will they approve of our love?"

Sion looked up and saw him staring down at her. His blue eyes were cold, yet she felt so radiant to gaze into his sight. She smiled and placed her palm upon his cross scar. "I don't know what they might think of right now, but Dizzy and Lia had told me they were ready to leave you for our sake. They said they didn't want to see you hurt if you were forced to love them…"

"They… they couldn't be this serious. I… I do love them, but…"

"Hush." A soft finger touched his lips; her tender smile silencing his griping heart. "You love Dizzy because she's your best friend, and you love Lia because she's your precious little sister. I can understand that, but they aren't the ones you've been looking for, right?" She laughed silly and frowned again, shyly running her finger down his chest. "Strange. I didn't know I could say something like this. But… I know you love me because…"

She pulled his face down and seized his moist lips, taking the lone wolf completely by surprise. The kiss lasted for eternity, and it deepened as she pressed herself against his body and became lost in the cloud of passion that enveloped her.

"Because I know you're the only one who can fill the void inside my heart," Alex whispered over her swollen mouth. "Oh, Sion, how foolish I was to ignore this truth." Then he seized her lips, taking a sharp intake of breath with him as he devoured her, like a hungry man suddenly presented with banquet. Sion fell in line, bringing her arms to the nape of his neck and clinging closer to him. She knew it was a triumph, for she had finally tamed the heart of the lone wolf and was ready to give everything to the man who owned it.

They broke off the kiss and stared at each other for a long time. Then he pushed her slightly away and took her hand. She could not believe her eyes when she saw him inserting a ring into one of her fingers. "Alex, this…"

He took the hand and kissed the ring. "This ring was given by the first woman I loved before she left this world. You remember Hikaru, right?"

She just nodded to answer yes. She remembered her as Alex's first love. She had to wonder of the purpose Hikaru gave the ring to her.

"She… she had wished to see me presenting this ring to the first woman who would love me as much as her did, or even more. It took me more than years, but…" Alex went silent and stared at her for a long time. Then he continued his words. "But finally I will have her wish granted."

My life is brilliant, my life is pure
I saw an angel of that I'm sure
She smiled at me on the subway
She was with another man
But I won't lose no sleep on that

'Cause I've got a plan…

She started to blush. "Alex, what… does that suppose to mean?"

"Sion," and here he brought his hand upon her warm cheek, and tenderly cupped it. "I want to take you as my wife and live with you forever. Will you marry me, my one and only Sion?"

You're beautiful, you're beautiful
You're beautiful, it's true
I saw your face in a crowded place
And I don't know what to do

'Cause I'll never be with you…

The purple alchemist gasped. She could feel her heart beating wildly against her ribcage, and she felt her head strangely light. A butterfly sensation was tingling in her stomach, and she lost a word to express her feeling. Unable to contain her feeling, she cried and stroked his hand along her flushed cheek. "I never thought to know that you were going to propose me for marriage, but… I'm so happy."

"I take that as a yes," he replied and reclaimed her mouth again. "I love you, Sion."

Yeah, she caught my eye, as we walked on by
She could see from my face that I was
Flying high
And I don't think that I'll see her again
But we shared a moment that will last till the end…

"I love you, Alex…" she sighed and shivered at the touch of his fingers against her spine. "Please, don't let anything come close to us…"

"I will not allow that to happen," he whispered and held her close. "Ever."

You're beautiful, you're beautiful
You're beautiful, it's true
I saw your face in a crowded place
And I don't know what to do

'Cause I'll never be with you…

The couple held onto each other again and were oblivious of the moonlight that shone down upon them. Slowly they sank into the sea of romance, thinking of nothing but the love they shared and the sense of unity they felt for the other. Neither one decided to say anything more; rather they let themselves enjoy this moment of tranquillity and delight.

You're beautiful, you're beautiful
You're beautiful, it's true
There must be an angel, with a smile on her face
But it's time to face the truth
I will never be with you…

x-x-x-x-x

"Dizzy-chan, are you alright?"

Dizzy's thinking process was disturbed. She turned around and saw Hotaru staring at her. She was worried, and she could see it coming from their eyes.

"Dizzy-chan, we're having karaoke right now and all you do is sit down?" Hotaru insisted and pulled her toward the karaoke booth. "Come on, Dizzy-chan! Think of nothing and sing till we drop!"

"Yeah, we sing and then we drop to the floor!" Justine exclaimed and waved the grape juice bottle she was holding.

"Dizzy-chan, sing us a song!" Athena cheered. "We'll dance for you!"

The Gear woman could only giggle and took the microphone. "Everyone, are you ready to shake your booty tonight?"

The crowd cheered and clapped for her.

"Say 'Shava-Shava'! Say 'Shava-Shava'! Say 'Shava-Shava'! Say 'Shava-Shava'!"

x-x

Sol halted. He arrived at the destination he was headed to. A lone bench near the garden's lake, sitting next to a lamp post. He saw a girl sitting below the solemn light of the post, and just shook his head.

Slowly he approached her. "Hey, girl, care to have a company?"

Lia lifted her head. "Oh, sir." Quickly she tidied her maiden clothing and corrected her seating. "Hello, good evening. How can I… help you?"

Sol said nothing and took a seat beside her. He plunged the Fireseal next to the bench and stared at the night sky. "You don't have to. I just want to spend some time with you."

The young girl blushed. "Thank you, sir… I was thinking whether I should leave this place."

"Call me Sol, I'm not used to formal suffixes," Sol told her. "Girl, what's your name?"

"Lia… Mr. Sol. Pleased to meet you."

"What are you doing here, Lia? You're supposed to look after your brother, you know?" he asked.

Lia shook her head. "No, it's alright with me. I… I just need room for privacy." She noticed how long the Guilty Gear was staring at her, and she blushed. "Please, Mr. Sol. Don't look at me like that. I'm not used to…"

"Why? Is it because," and here Sol batted an eyebrow. "You have something about your brother?" Slowly she nodded, even as she tried to make the blush go away. Sol grumbled in wonder and leaned agaisnt the bench. "You already have that kid's trait, even when you don't realize it yet."

"Mr. Sol, I… may I ask you of something?"

Sol turned his attention to Lia. "What is it?"

"Is it alright…" she spoke, "if I give my brother to Sion? I… I just realized that I wasn't the person he wanted to. I…"

Sol stared at her. "Are you sure you want to do that, Lia?"

She just nodded, even as tears started fill in her eyes. "It's the least I can do for now," she told the Flame of Corruption. "If… if brother can live happily with her, I'll be happy for him, too…"

"Don't lie in front of me, Lia," Sol insisted. "I know you don't want him to leave you. Don't you?"

Lia frowned. "I… I…"

"Look, Lia," Sol spoke. "I don't like being an advisor, but if you don't let him know, you'll never know when you'll have that chance. Do you expect time to be with you? Besides." He paused. He sighed and continued talking. "The doctor told me you're having serious thalassemia problem."

She cried. "I don't want to trouble him with my illness…" she sobbed. "Mr. Sol, I…"

"How long you're going to hide this matter from him? Forever?" Sol gave her a look of disapproval. "Look, Lia. Sooner or later, you're going to tell him of everything. You can't run away from the fact that you have a caring brother."

The young maiden broke into a bitter wail. She could no longer contain her emotion and cried. Sol grumbled at the reaction and brought her towards him. "Damn. Will you ever stop crying?" he demanded. Lia wasn't listening to him, even as she kept crying and buried her flushed face beneath his Holy Orders' sleeves. Sol could only sigh and slowly patted her shoulder, his eyes rolling to the dark sky of Paris.

x-x-x-x-x

He stared at her. The Atlasian alchemist's naïve face as she was sleeping tickled the very root of his heart. He gazed at the peaceful expression and couldn't help but to chuckle; at least to himself. He may have found his eternal love, but he wouldn't do such things as allowing him and the young woman to succumb to the overgrowing passion they had felt. Nor he could afford to stain the person he cared of very much in the name of love. So as soon as she fell asleep, Alex brought her to the bed and left her alone, accompanied only by the wedding ring she wore. He felt like an idiot to leave his newfound love by herself when he should've gone and cradle her in his arms, sharing the night together as a married couple. He could go onto the bed and possessed her right now, showing her how much he loved her.

That can wait, he told himself as he put the blanket over her. She stirred in her sleep and unconsciously mumbled as if her nap was disturbed. Alex realized how he needed to left her unnoticed, so he bent down and brushed his lips upon her forehead. The featherlike touch was a calming effect, and soon she fell into her doze. Slowly he ran his fingers through her lavender hair, now free of all restrains and spread across the pillow. "Good night, Sion," he whispered and kissed her. "Sleep well."

He broke away and headed to a uniform suit hung next to the ward's door. It was his Holy Orders outfit, brought by Dizzy during her most recent visit. That Gear woman told him she had repaired the uniform whenever she could, and had strived to restore the garb to its original condition. It wasn't perfect, as he noticed, but at least he knew Dizzy had tried. "Thanks, Dizzy," he uttered and took the black clothes. He stared at it, clenched his fists beneath it and closed his eyes. "There's one final debt I must settle before anything goes against me."

Slow as he was, the knight was fully dressed, tossing the unwanted clothing out of the way. Now that he was out of the way, Alex took a second to look at his reflection on the mirror. He scowled; it was the old image of the black feather who had served the people as a Holy Knight, and the image also concealed the dark sides of a heartless assassin and a man loved by his Gear family. He was aware of how his past had shaped him to become what he currently was. He shook his head in disapproval. He just had to keep going forward and carve his own future with his very hands.

He went back to the bed. Gazing at the still-sleeping Sion, Alex took out his rosary and pulled it off his neck. He reached for her hand, put the rosary on its palm and closed her hand. He held her hand for a while and let it go, and he went toward the table. He took the sword of Black Sabbath, unwrapped its clothing that was keeping it covered and clipped it on his belt. Then he picked his pocket and took out what looked like a piece of metal talon welded on a thin lace. He wore it around his neck, stared at it and headed to the balcony. He donned the black scarf, went silent and breathed out.

"I'm leaving."

x-x

Justine was stunned. All in a sudden, her vision became blurred. Her head was tingling in ache. She heard a faint voice echoing inside of her ears, calling her name in low tone.

"Guys," she called the group. "I'm very sorry, but I must leave. I… I don't feel quite well right now."

"Do you really have to leave?" Athena asked. "We still have a lot of time to spend here."

Justine laughed silly and brought her palms to a praying gesture. "I'm sorry, Athena, but I have to. We still have lots of time at Paris, right?"

"Should I bring you to the door, Justine?" Dizzy asked, offering her an escort.

The red-haired girl shook her head. "No, thanks, Dizzy-chan. I can take care of myself." She approached the door and waved to them. "Well, then, enjoy yourselves!"

So saying, Justine immediately left the karaoke lounge and went outside. Athena watched at her best friend and was in doubt. She was concerned of whether her mood wasn't going well, or something had caused her sudden change of behaviour.

x-x

He arrived at a cemetery at Paris suburban area, the destination he was headed to after leaving the hospital. He approached a small chapel at the middle of the area and looked around its vicinity for a while. He didn't hesitate; so as soon as he arrived at the building, he slightly drew out Black Sabbath and pressed his thumb against its razor-sharp blade. He lifted his bleeding finger, took the metal talon and put it on his right palm.

He waited.

He shook his head.

Here goes…

Alex pressed the bleeding thumb against the small object. Instantaneously the talon glowed bright red and the blinding light shone across the cemetery before turned into a narrow beam that shot through the night sky. A violent surge of power coursed through his vein and flowed down his leg into the ground, shattering the ground around him. It disappeared, and the talon no longer shot red beam and reverted to its glowing state, pulsing like a heartbeat.

The necklace was clenched. It was worn around the neck again. Black Sabbath was withdrawn and brought over his face. He gazed into the blade and saw a reflection of a redheaded girl standing behind him. A look of surprise came across his face.

Who is the girl? What is she doing here?

"Are you the one who has summoned me?"

He turned around and glanced at the girl. "I didn't remember anything about summoning you. Please leave this place, you don't belong here," he told her.

The tank top, denim-wearing girl who had her red hair tied in twin ponytails pointed to the necklace. "Then explain how did you possess my belonging," she demanded.

He looked at the necklace and then back to the girl. "You don't know anything about this necklace!"

The girl, instead, grinned and pulled back her hand. She summoned a dark orb of energy from her hand and she brought it close to her face. "Oh, yes I do." With that declared she swung the energy-laden forward and sliced the air before her. Alex immediately recognized the attack well. Way too well.

"It's the Michael Blade!"

The assassin-knight jumped over the light blade. It missed completely and savaged the area it went across, slicing several tombstones and destroying the gate that kept the area confined. Alex landed and stared at the redheaded girl. "Who are you?"

"Sacred Knight of Holy Orders, Alexander Hahn," the girl spoke in deep tone.

He couldn't believe it at all. He recognized that voice! And he instantly identified the murderous aura that was coming from the eyes when she glared at him. "It cannot be! You… you're…"

"We meet again, Alexander."