Dark Side Of The Moon

Chapter 5: Keeper Of The Unknown

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: The Guilty Gear Series is the rightful property of Arc System Works. Some of the characters are being borrowed for non-profit purposes.

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

:xXx:

Dizzy awoke in darkness. Her eyes adjusted quickly, however, and she felt protrusions wiggling about on her back. The Half-Gear was glad to finally have her wings and tail in functioning order even if they did lack their former power. She at least stood more of a fighting chance than a couple of days prior. She noticed Sol's body sitting amongst the crates. She stood up soundlessly.

'He's helpless...strike now Dizzy! Avenge the rest of the Gears! Avenge mother!'

She heard the raspy voice of Necro fill her mind.

'Even if we did...his power will save him. We are all too weak as it stands, Necro. We must preserve our lives long enough to regain full power.'

The silky voice of Undine followed with reason. Dizzy aimed her palm toward Sol's direction, pondering which action was best, because both voices rung validly true. The Gear's head lifted up slightly as his crimson and gold multicolored eyes opened to stare into her own.

"So...you've gained the partial strength of your other limbs."

Sol grunted out, speaking without a hint of tiredness in his voice, making Dizzy wonder if he had slept at all. His eyes moved down to face her palm. If he knew what she was thinking about doing, he didn't show it and closed his eyes and lowered his head again. She lowered her hand, knowing that it was best to wait for now until her power was regained. She turned away from him, focusing on stretching her other senses to see how well they faired since they had been blunted with her diminished power as well.

"We are closing in on a large mass. It must be Zepp...which means we'll be landing soon."

She said, using her advanced hearing. Sol nodded softly but otherwise remained silent. Dizzy sat back down across from him.

"You never did answer my question as to why we're going here due to that interference back on land. Care to explain yourself now?"

Dizzy whispered to him, knowing to keep her voice as low as possible to avoid detection since the two of them would be on enemy territory for quite some time.

"...You'll know soon enough..."

Sol muttered, his lazy speech pattern angering Dizzy. She simply scoffed at him and turned away. It was as he said though, she'd know soon enough.

:xXx:

"Keep searching."

Sol instructed of Dizzy, while he himself kept rummaging through a landfill of old world technology, known as Blacktech. Now considered nothing more than junk, only Zepp held the remnants of what remained of the scientific advancement of technology before the study of magic took over. Sol and Dizzy had stealthily made their way to one of the many massive junkyards that covered the floating Zepp's surface.

"I don't get it...when it comes to everything else you don't seem to care at all, but when it comes to finding a piece of red metal it seems to mean the world to you. Why do you need to find a replacement piece for your forehead anyway? The world already knows you're a Gear so hiding your emblem is not going to help you in the slightest."

She told him, already deducing his need to find a piece of red metal. She had found many already, but when she showed him, he would simply say it wasn't the right one. He even let her hold onto his vest and told her to search fo a metal that was specifically the same color. It had already been a couple of hours, and Dizzy was barely searching at all anymore, being more intent on watching the clouds or watching the city in the far distance with specks of people milling about on the streets.

'What's his real purpose for finding a metal the same color as his clothing? There seems to be a more serious reason then just simply a fashion statement. Unless...!'

Dizzy's eyes widened when realization hit her. She was about to talk to Sol but caught sight of a woman in a tight red dress.

"A human...?"

Dizzy spoke out, surprised that she and Sol may have been snuck up on. The Gear turned his head to regard the woman upon hearing Dizzy speak. The woman held a slab of metal formed in the shape of Sol's old headpiece.

"Your Sharon...then...!"

The Gear's eyes shown with anger for the first time to Dizzy as she saw him hop off the junk pile and land in front of her.

"Damn Bastard!"

Sol spoke, before rushing at Sharon with a flame gauntlet arm. A coffin shaped portal appeared before Sharon, and Slayer the Vampire came through it, fist aimed at Sol's hand. The attacks met with a sound that rivaled the clap of thunder. Sol followed up with a vicious downward swipe of his sword, which was deflected by Slayer's rising foot. Sol ended with a powerful flaming uppercut while Slayer ended with a downward punch that generated a black flame to counter Sol's own fire. Slayer teleported away as Sol hopped back. The Vampire adjusted the tie of his suit.

"It's not very chivalric to attack a defenseless woman, Sol."

Slayer said smoothly, smoke exiting from his pipe. Sol stepped forward bringing his arm swinging in front of him before bringing his extended arm forward towards Slayer with a -thumbs down- motion.

"I already knew you would come out to protect your bitch. What the fuck are you doing here anyway? Going to interfere, old man?"

The Gear spoke with an angered tone as he got into his lazy fighting stance. Slayer smirked slightly

"And if I indeed am going to meddle in your affairs? What are you planning to do, Sol?"

The Vampire inquired. Sol's eyes flashed dangerously.

"I'll kick your ass!"

Sol threatened as he twisted his body around so his back was to Slayer and he performed an odd but powerful thrust of his giant sword towards Slayer's head. Slayer teleported out of harms way, appearing in front of the Gear.

"Hmmm...Quite rash of you when your not even at full strength. What are your plans for the Half-Gear, Sol? Why do you allow her to stay by your side?"

The Vampire asked calmly. Sol sneered.

"The fuck should you care what I do with her? Didn't we have an agreement not to interfere with one another over a hundred years ago? Mind your own business, old man."

The Gear spat out.

"I indeed would stop...if only you ceased to do so many intriguing things with your life thus far, Sol."

Slayer said, a small grin on his face. Meanwhile, Dizzy had her own thoughts concerning the newcomers.

'These people's auras...they aren't Human, yet they aren't Gears either. What are they? The traitor said he's known this strange man for over a hundred years. Mother was born over a hundred years ago...are they closer in age to one another than I ever thought possible? That must be wrong! He would have surely been under Mother's control then. How...?'

Dizzy continued to ponder about the enigmatic Gear himself more than what his plans might be for her instead as he brought his sword forward in a high slash to hit Slayer's head again, only to have Slayer teleport away again. He was definitely toying with Sol from what Dizzy could see. It seemed that the strange man and Sol had an all together shaky past with one another. Slayer's presence alone seemed to make Sol come alive with emotions, and the Vampire's words only fueled anger and annoyance the likes of which she would never thought to have been possible to see in the fairly taciturn Gear.

"Why don't you quit before I reduce you to ash, old man!"

Sol grunted as he charged up his power slightly before thrusting his sword into the ground, sending a semi large wave of fire in Slayer's direction. It actually caught the Vampire, the last flame sending Slayer flying. He twirled rapidly in the air, smiting out the flames before they could burn his clothing. His suit was now slightly charred upon landing.

"Oh, so you do have enough power to catch me by surprise still. Interesting...Truly interesting, Sol."

Slayer said with an amused tone, hands clapping in praise. Sol only looked more annoyed. He was about to attack when he heard a feint noise.

"Shit...if only you didn't interfere, old man! Seems the guard patrol is back."

Sol spoke, his right eye twitching in annoyance. Slayer removed his cape.

"Then let us continue this pleasing conversation elsewhere."

He said as he tossed his cape into the air, letting it stay opened. Dizzy could have sworn there were eyes at the top of the cape.

"Ladies first."

Slayer spoke politely. Sharon already went through the cape, but Dizzy looked questioningly towards Sol. The Gear only grunted and nodded. Dizzy decided to follow suit and walked into the cape. Sol walked toward it next, but before going in Slayer spoke to him.

"The Half-Gear is quite the catch, don't you agree?"

Slayer said with a hint of humor in his voice. Sol growled low in his throat like a feral animal.

"Shut the hell up! Tch! Annoying old man..."

He retorted before walking through. Slayer shrugged.

"Heh, defensive aren't we?"

He said softly with amusement before walking into the cape as well. A few seconds later, the cape closed in on itself as it too disappeared.

:ToBeContinued:

Note-I always enjoy writing Sol and Slayer interactions because Slayer seems like one of the few people who could truly get a rise out of Sol. There's more interaction between the two of them rather than Sol and Dizzy unlike the other chapters, but oh well. It makes a nice change of pace, I suppose. Although I had fun writing this chapter, I still don't think it turned out all that good. The creator is always his/her own worst critic though.