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Thunder Falling	By : Croik Category: +G through L > Guilty Gear Views: 2276 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Guilty Gear, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Guilty
Gear, its characters and settings are property of Sammy Studios, and are being
used in this fanfiction without permission.
This fic is rated R for violence and sexual content, and it contains
yaoi material.

Thanks
again, reviewers!! To those of you who�ve
supported me since Culmination, and especially Uzumaki
and Shetan for their long and thoughtful reviews, I
really appreciate it! I�m in the process
of moving so the next chapter might not show up for a little longer than
usual. Sorry! But I hope you enjoy this chapter. ^.^

Thunder Falling
Chapter 3

By the time Ky returned to
his small house in the downtown of Paris, the hour had progressed past two in
the morning. He was exhausted,
perspiring within the thick folds of his full uniform, and already growing
stiff from all the tension that day entailed.
When he finally stepped through his front door his shoulders sagged with
a long, weary sigh. �Finally,� he
murmured, closing the door with a decisive thud behind him.

Ky Kiske�s home, despite
belonging to a prestigious world hero, was not in itself very remarkable. From the front door was a short, thin hall lined
with closets, preceded on the left by a staircase to the upper level and a
small foyer for visiting guests on the right.
The hall opened into a modestly decorated living room with a pair of
small sofas and a glass sliding door which led to a stone patio and tiny
garden. Attached to the living room were
the kitchen and dining room, and to the left a bathroom, and another stairway
leading into the basement where his two housekeepers would do the laundry. The bedroom and study took up the upper
floor.

It was simple�it was just
what it needed to be, and it suited Ky�s purposes. His housekeepers saw more of it than he ever
did, as he spent nearly all of his time on duty, or else working in the study. He had given them time off for the holidays,
and the house was quiet and dark without the extra light on that was usually
left for him. Ky moved slowly down the
hall, pausing at an intricate display case on his right to store his
Thunderseal. His cape followed suit in a
separate closet, and his uniform top should have as well if not for the sudden
disinterest he had in fumbling with all the straps and buckles. Instead he wandered down the short hall and
sank into a soft chair near the glass patio window. At some point it had started to snow, and the
faint white powder stuck to the dead earth that would, come spring, bear
vibrant flowers again.

He should have been
celebrating. This entire season was
supposed to one of thanksgiving and jubilation, and even now he could still
hear the cheerful songs echoing from distant streets. But as was always the case, year after year,
he merely felt cold. With the memories
of the war so close to his surface there was scarcely room in him for
merriment. It helped very little that
the praises lifted to him, to his order, were all but meaningless. It had been no strength of his that brought
salvation to the world. As a captain,
all he had ever done was watch casualties increase.

�Ky.�

The voice came softly in the
stillness of the darkened room, and Ky jerked to his feet with a start. His hand brushed at the space Thunderseal should
have occupied at his hip as he scanned for the intruder. �Who�s there?�

The shadows on his left
rippled, peeling away from the form of a man as he stepped out of the thin
hall. Even in the dark Testament�s face
was pale. �It�s me,� he greeted quietly.

Ky stared at him for a long
time, as if unable to make himself realize that what he was seeing was
real. It had only been three months and
yet he felt dimly surprised that the Gear had not changed in anything but his
attire�he was draped in a long black coat that reached from neck to ankle, and
with his face the only part of him bearing color he could have very well been
rendered invisible against the dark even without his magic aiding him. Ky�s fingers curled. �Testament�?�

Testament shifted his weight
uncertainly. �You�told me to visit,� he
explained somewhat nervously.

�I did.� Ky stepped around the sofa, too swiftly, and
paused awkwardly just in front of him.
Though his chest was swelling with elation he himself was suddenly
unsure. He didn�t even know how to
properly great him: formally, casually, intimately�? He managed a shaky smile. �Though when I did, I meant sooner than three
months later.�

Testament shrugged
slightly. �We came mostly by foot. Bridget wanted the time to train�so he could
surprise you.� He hesitated, and then
offered, �Sorry.�

�No, it�s�it�s fine.� Ky took a deep breath. �I�m glad you came. You�look well.�

�You�.� Testament paused, his brow furrowing as if he
were about to say something and then changed his mind. He frowned.
�You look awful.�

Ky chuckled and lowered his
eyes. �It�s been a long day for me,� he
explained. �With everything�.�

He trailed off when a gloved
hand touched his cheek, urging his gaze back up. He met Testament�s eyes tentatively. His insides quivered a little with the close
proximity as his mind filled with familiar remembrances. The hand slid to his shoulder, then behind
his neck, and before Ky could wonder how to react to the touch he found himself
against Testament�s chest, warm arms enveloping him. The feeling of having a strong body
supporting him abruptly stole the rest of his strength, and without a sound Ky
sagged wearily against that solid frame.

The pair was still for some
time, and Ky was grateful for Testament�s unquestioning support. Finally he felt steady again and started to
ease back. �I�m sorry,� he said quietly
in embarrassment. He glanced toward the
kitchen. �I should offer you
something�you�ve come a long way, and you probably didn�t get a chance to visit
the festivals, did you? You must be
hungry.�

�It�s all right,� Testament
assured, keeping a hand on his shoulder.
He seemed to be able to easily tell how close Ky felt to simply
collapsing. �I did eat.�

�Oh, good.� Ky turned back, and in meeting Testament�s
eyes found himself again at a loss for words.
He simply wasn�t sure how he was supposed to react to the Gear. Three months ago they had been enemies,
companions, and eventually lovers, all in the span of a few short days. He couldn�t help but wonder if such a brief
time meant anything now, thousands of miles away, practically in another world.

�You look exhausted,�
Testament observed.

�It�s just this time of
year,� Ky confessed. He wasn�t sure if
it was much of a help, to find himself wearing down the evening with a Gear. �I�m sorry.
I want to hear how you�ve been�what you and Bridget have been doing�but�.�

Testament regarded him
silently a moment; there was no interpreting the calm expression he wore. �Come on,� he said abruptly, giving his arm a
tug. �I�ll take you to bed.�

Ky blinked in surprise, but
by then Testament was turning way, leading him back towards the hall. He smiled faintly as he followed along. �I can find my way in my own house.�

�Then I�m making sure you
don�t pass out on the way,� Testament replied.
There was a note of teasing in his voice that made Ky�s smile deepen.

They climbed the stairs
together, and Ky was suddenly grateful that Testament had decided to lead him
after all; having been on his feet all day even a short flight to the second
story made his knees ache. The sight of
his bed, the sheets thoughtfully turned down and awaiting him, nearly pulled
him in without shedding any of his uniform.
Before he could move to it, Testament�s hands fell over him to begin
undoing the fastenings on his thick attire.
He sighed. �Thank you.�

Testament paused to take his
gloves off before returning to his work.
�I hear you�ve been very busy lately,� he remarked as he eased the outer
layer of Ky�s top off his shoulders and tossed it aside. Ky was too tired to protest his rough treatment
of the material as his gloves followed.
�Taking on the Assassin�s Guild.�

Ky smiled grimly, and when he
reached to help Testament with the buckle across his chest his hands were
pushed away. He relaxed and allowed the
Gear to do as he pleased. �Yes. We�ve made tremendous progress�they�ve all
earned the holiday.�

�And you?�

Ky chuckled quietly. �I suppose I�ve earned it, too.�

Testament�s fingers brushed
against Ky�s bare shoulders as he finished removing the thin belts that crossed
his undershirt, and Ky couldn�t help a tiny shiver. Despite being exhausted he could feel the
underlying tension between them, the way they shifted and watched each other as
if testing. Neither knew what to say or
how to act.

�Bridget wouldn�t talk about
anything else,� Testament told him as he tugged at Ky�s shirt. �Wondering how you�re doing, wanting to see
you�.�

�I did see him earlier.� It didn�t seem appropriate to mention the
circumstances, in case Testament didn�t already know about Bridget�s family
situation. He lifted his arms. �He�s seems to have done well by your
training.�

�It�s not training so much as
playing around, I think�.�

Testament pulled the other�s
shirt off, in the process his hands skating up Ky�s ribs and arms. Ky�s fingers curled slightly. He didn�t want to admit that the past several
months had been�lonely. After the time
he had spent with the pirates he had become somewhat accustomed to the sound of
breath echoing back to him in the dark.
And for one night, he had remembered what it was like to have another
pressed against him, warm and accepting.
He had missed it. With the
memories of such intimacy always close in his mind, returning every night to a
dark, empty room had worn at him; having Testament here now only made him
recognize that loneliness for what it was even more so.

As soon as Ky was free of his
shirt he leaned abruptly forward; his fingers twisted in the front of
Testament�s jacket as he pulled him into a firm, long-awaited kiss. The Gear stiffened in surprise. It lasted only a moment, and then Ky was
bound again in strong arms, Testament�s mouth hot and insistent against his
own. He murmured between them in quiet
relief. Testament�s lips were just as
full, his hands just as broad as he remembered, and he could not have been more
pleased to know he wasn�t the only one who had been waiting for this moment.

Ky pulled back reluctantly
when his breath ran out. �I�m glad,� he
whispered, knowing Testament would understand.
Whatever had taken place between them, it might not have been a mistake.

�You�re exhausted,� Testament
returned lightly. His uncertainty seemed
to have vanished; he drew his hands up to Ky�s shoulders, massaging the tight
muscles. It was blissful, and when Ky
sagged against him with a grateful murmur he chuckled softly in his ear. �See?
We can�reminisce in the morning.�

Ky smiled boyishly into
Testament�s shoulder. �Will you stay?�
he asked, inexplicably embarrassed. �It�s
not a large bed, but�.�

�We�ve made do with worse,�
Testament reminded him with a smirk. He
eased Ky back. �Go ahead. I�ll be right there.�

�All right.� All too pleased that he wouldn�t be spending
the night alone, Ky slipped out of his boots, socks, and�with a blush�his
pants. As he slid beneath the blankets
he snuck a peek at Testament, who had stripped out of his coat and was removing
the familiar bands of black leather.
When he�d finished Ky was a bit surprised to see Testament�s choice of
undergarments was little more than a black thong. When Testament caught him watching he made a
face and dropped onto the bed with him.
�Something wrong?�

�You�re bolder than I am,� Ky
chuckled, relaxing into his pillow.
Testament crawling over him, his eyes flashing in the dark, made Ky�s
insides tighten.

Testament rolled his eyes,
giving Ky�s shoulder a tap. �Turn over.�

Ky did so somewhat reluctantly,
but when Testament�s hands returned to massaging his stiff shoulders and back,
he quickly surrendered. �You don�t have
to do this,� he murmured as his eyelids fluttered shut. He stretched and settled himself. �But�thank you.�

�Just got to sleep,�
Testament�s low voice floated down to him.
�We can talk in the morning.�

Ky smiled. He would have liked to remain
awake a while longer, to feel more of Testament�s hands, but he was already
taking the Gear�s advice. With a quiet
sigh he relaxed against his pillow and was soon deeply asleep.

*****

�Uh�what time is it?�

�Sometime�after four, I
think.�

�Bugger that.�

Venom frowned, and he was
just thinking of how irritating drunkards were when he stumbled, barely
catching himself on the inn wall as his long travel case bumped against his
knee. He had certainly had his fair
share of alcohol that evening. Or
morning, as it now seemed to be. When he
looked to his unlikely companion he found Axl leaning against the opposite
wall, eyes closed and smile lazy. With a
sigh he tugged the man�s coat sleeve and urged him on. �The room,� he said firmly. �What number was it?�

�115,� Axl mumbled. He allowed Venom to lead them down the narrow
hall to the room he had reserved earlier.
They had parted with the second Axl not long ago when they could no
longer find cheap alcohol, and with the promise of a room for the night�without
having to offer an innkeeper his name�Venom couldn�t refuse the remaining
blonde. Looking rather ridiculous in the
process they had somehow managed to find the correct inn after three tries, and
were now making a journey of discovering the right room.

Venom was surprised with
himself. It was absurdly unlike him to
act with such little caution.

The pair reached room 115 at
the end of the hall and, being the slightly less intoxicated of the two, Venom
fitted the key into the door and allowed them to enter. He was surprised, but relieved, to see a pair
of beds awaiting them. �You reserved a
double?� he asked as they stumbled inside.

�I knew you were comin�,
remember?� Axl chuckled. He fell, face
first, onto the closest bed.

Venom closed the door behind
him, removing only his shoes as he spilled onto what seemed to be his sleeping
space. His luggage he took slightly
better care of in placing on the floor in easy reach. �I still don�t understand,� he confessed as
he stretched out against an uncommonly soft mattress; he hadn�t felt anything
like it in perhaps years, and he nearly fell asleep right there. Axl�s reply caught his attention before he
had the chance.

�Understand what? I �splained the time travel.�

�That, I understand,� Venom
was able to say, amazing himself. �But I
still don�t understand�why me?� Neither
had bothered to turn on a light when they�d entered, and so when he glanced
over at Axl was only barely able to make out his features in the dark. �There are so many people here�why did you�?�

Axl dragged himself more
comfortably onto the mattress with a soft groan. �I dunno.
That was a different me.�

�But�you�re still the same
person�.� Venom relaxed onto his back,
frowning to himself. �This is strange.�

�Isn�t it?� Having twisted onto his stomach, Axl
stretched lazily. �But I dunno. You look pretty interesting, I guess.� He yawned.
�An assassin in Paris. This man
you�re chasing�must be sumthing.�

Venom was about to reply that
he wasn�t exactly a �man,� but it would have been too difficult an explanation
given their relative states. �He is,� he
said instead. As he stared up at the
ceiling his view began to blur at the edges, and he sighed softly. �I don�t know if I can win.�

�Ooh, it�s a job. What if y�can�t kill him?�

Venom closed his eyes. He suddenly remembered why he didn�t usually
drink; it was harder to lie. �In that
case,� he murmured, not caring if Axl was really listening, �I�ll make him kill
me.�

The room was silent, and
Venom was sure that Axl had simply fallen asleep when the man shifted
slightly. �Bummer.�

Venom�s lip curled slightly
in a bitter smile. �Maybe.�

Axl shifted again, and after
another quiet moment Venom could hear him snoring quietly. He sighed.
It didn�t matter what Axl thought, after all. He had been the one that called him over,
that invited him here�if he was disappointed with his guest now it was his own
fault. Venom hadn�t asked for any of
this.

He twisted into his side,
away from the man, slipping beneath the top blanket as he, too, fell asleep.

*****

The ceiling of his small room
at the back of the temple wasn�t the most exciting thing Chipp had seen all
day. For the moment, though, it seemed a
good alternative to sleeping. The buzz
from the alcohol he and Anji had shared earlier had long since worn down,
leaving him lethargic and bored, but he knew that going to sleep now would only
hasten him waking up to a hangover. He
usually didn�t let himself drink at all anymore let alone to excess, and he
always paid for it.

More than that, he could
still hear Anji pacing across the mats two rooms away. Baiken hadn�t come back yet.

There was a light knock on the
panel to his room, and Chipp called for whoever it was to enter; anyone coming
to visit him at this early hour should be interesting. He wasn�t at all disappointed when the face
that peeked inside was that of Murase Sousuke�s daughter, Wakami. She was a beautiful young Japanese girl, with
long, silk-black hair that reached to her waist and bangs cut straight across
her eyebrows. Being the caretaker of her
parent�s shrine she had been looking after Anji, Baiken, and him during their
stay in the colony. He�d never seen her
out of her shrine robes, as was the case now as she stepped hesitantly
inside. �Can you not sleep, Zanuff-san?�
she asked, her voice thickly accented.

Chipp sat up quickly,
blushing a little at having been caught by her in only his boxers. �Oh, hi,� he greeted with a boyish
smile. He suddenly wished his Japanese was
good enough for him to speak with, to make it easier on her. �You�re up pretty late, aren�t you?�

Wakami blushed as well as she
took another hesitant step inside. �So
are you,� she replied. �Can you not
sleep? Should I get something for you?�

�Ah, no, I�m fine,� Chipp
replied with an embarrassed laughed. He
always felt a little silly when Wakami was around; the way she fixed her
adorable dark eyes on him made him want to grin stupidly. �You shouldn�t have to look after me.�

�You�re our guest,� she
replied brightly. �My father said to
look after you all, and�I would like to help you when I can.� She lowered herself gracefully to her knees
beside him. �Are you sure there is
nothing I can do? Or�.� She ducked her head. �Are you worried about Baiken-san?�

�Well�.� Chipp shrugged. �Not worried, really. Just�you know�.�

The sound of footsteps echoed
to them from down the hall, and Chipp cringed a little as he recognized them as
their missing companion. �Like I
said�not worried.�

Even knowing Baiken was
coming, Chipp and Wakami both flinched a little when she appeared in the open
doorway. She looked just as disheveled
as she�d left, though by now was somewhat more sober. She set Wakami a pointed glare and then
marched past her into the room. �I�m
sleeping in here,� she declared as she dropped onto the mats behind Chipp.

Chipp and Wakami exchanged
glances. �Um�why?� Chipp asked
hesitantly.

�Because.� She didn�t bother with finding an extra
futon, choosing instead to stretch herself out on her side, facing away from them.

Chipp frowned, and when he
looked again to Wakami she ducked her head again. He sighed.
�Wakami, thanks for looking after me, but it�s pretty late. I think I�m going to go to bed now.�

�All right.� Wakami bowed shortly, then pushed to her
feet. �Goodnight, Zanuff-san. Baiken-san.�
With another bow she departed, closing the panel behind her.

Quietly, Chipp arranged his
futon and slipped beneath the blankets, attempting to give Baiken the space she
seemed to need. She wasn�t asleep�he
could tell by the strange aura of tension in the room as he tried to find a
comfortable sleeping position. At last
he spoke up. �Anji�s been worried. You should let him know you�re back.�

Baiken snorted, and when she
didn�t reply he tried a different tactic.
�Did you go into town like that?�

�I needed to talk to him,�
she muttered, her voice hoarse with fatigue.

�That Murase guy?�

�Yeah.�

�Oh.�

Chipp fell silent again�that
was about the limit of his ability to cope with people in the state she was
in. He rolled over, intending to go to
sleep and let Anji worry about it in the morning. The sound of Baiken�s voice caught his
attention before he could do so.

�Something�s going to
happen.�

�Huh?� Chipp twisted to face her once more. �What do you mean?�

�Something�s going to happen
to this place.� Baiken curled in a
little on herself. �And I�m not supposed
to care, but�it means something to Anji.
To Wakami and Miyuki. And I can�t
stop it if no one will listen�.�

Chipp sat up, a little
startled to think that Baiken was really trying to tell him something
important. It wasn�t just her paranoia
or anger�she really did know.
�What�� He gulped. �Like what?

Before Baiken could answer
the sound of many heavy footsteps echoed down the hall to them. �Mito Anji!� a voice was calling, followed by
others Chipp couldn�t make out. He glanced
to Baiken.

�Something like this,� Baiken
muttered, not looking up.

Chipp frowned at her, but as
the footsteps drew nearer he pushed to his feet and investigated. A group of men was coming down the hall with
Murase Yuuya at the lead, followed by a flustered and protesting Wakami. Further down Anji finally appeared from his
room to meet them. �What�s going on?�
the Japanese man asked as he wiped his glasses on his T-shirt. �It�s��

�I�m sorry about this, Anji,�
Yuuya said evenly, resting a hand on the sword at his hip, �but I have to bring
you in.�

�Bring me in?� Anji replaced his glasses on his nose. �Why?�

�Yeah,� Chipp added
impetuously, �what for? What�s going
on?�

Yuuya smirked without
humor. �You�ll see, all right? Come on.�
He waved for Anji to come forward, and as the men shifted behind him, it
was then that Chipp noticed they were all armed, and a few were carrying
lengths of sturdy rope.

Anji stared the men down a
moment, when suddenly his face paled a shade.
�This is about him, isn�t it?�
he asked softly. His jaw clenched.

�Afraid so. So if you don�t mind��

Chipp glanced between them,
and the realization hit him just after it had Anji. �It was Baiken,� he breathed, watching
helplessly as Anji stepped closer and allowed Yuuya to begin leading him
towards the exit. �She told you about
how Anji, and the Gear man�.�

They didn�t look at him�the
men parted to let Yuuya and Anji pass, as if�Anji were just going to let them
get away with this. �Wait,� Chipp
started to protest. �Are you fucking
arresting him? He didn�t do anything��

He reached for Yuuya�s arm,
and was stopped by one of the men he had brought. Chipp cursed and thrust the man aside. �What the hell is this?� he shouted
angrily. �Anji, don�t�you don�t owe
these shits��

�It�s all right.� Anji met his gaze briefly before turning,
starting on his own to the door. �I�ll
tell them what I know.�

The men followed him, and
Chipp could only gape, frustrated but helpless, as they disappeared
outside. Yuuya was the last to go, and
he sent Chipp a lopsided smirk before he, too, was gone. Leaving Chipp and Wakami to gape after them
in confusion.

�Baiken�.� Chipp whirled, stomping back into his
room. �Baiken, aren�t you going to do
something?� he demanded at her turned back.
When she didn�t reply he scowled and came further inside, moving around
in front of her. �Didn�t you hear what
just happened�Anji�s been arrested!
Don�t you��

He crouched down, intending
to give her a good shake, but he stopped before he could touch her. Baiken was already sound asleep.
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