Guilty Gear, its characters and settings are property of Sammy Studios, and are being used in this fanfiction without permission.  This fic is rated NC-17 for violence and sexual content, and it contains yaoi material. 

 

Culmination

Chapter 10

 

 

Ky awoke early the next morning when the dull hum of Mayship’s engines changed their tone.  He blinked his eyes open, and carefully stretched; his back had returned to being sore after the blow he’d received the night before, and now his head was throbbing as well.  He rubbed at it lightly as he twisted onto his side.  There was bump from where he’d struck the hanger, but he’d had worse.

 

His eyes wandered to the porthole, wondering at the time, and when he followed the pale morning sunlight he found himself watching Testament.  The Gear was just pulling a black silk shirt over his broad shoulders.  It seemed to fit him better than the one he had seen him in before.  Ky smiled slightly, oddly comforted by his presence there after the night before.  “Are we landing?”

 

Testament glanced over his shoulder, looking a little embarrassed as he quickly did up the buttons of his shirt.  “Yes.  We’re somewhere west of Rome—I’m not sure where, but everyone seems excited about it.  I’m supposed to tell you to ‘dress appropriately’.”

 

Ky frowned slightly, but when he started to shift again his feet bumped against something soft at the foot of his bed.  A quick investigation showed it was a pair of khaki pants, a white button-down shirt, fresh underwear, and a pair of strapped sandals.  Resting atop the neat pile was a note in adorable cursive that read: “I bought these for you in Rome, too.  I hope they fit.”

 

“Did Bridget do this?” Ky asked, drawing his fingertips over the soft fabric of the shirt.  He was suddenly very eager to get himself in normal clothes again, and he quickly slipped his arms into the sleeves.

 

“Yes,” Testament replied as he finished dressing.  “He’s pretty good at matching sizes, too.”  He ran a hand down the front of his shirt.  “It fits a lot better than Johnny’s did.”

 

“I’m sure.”  Ky smiled as he buttoned his own shirt, a tiny sigh of relief falling from his lips.  Though he hadn’t minded the leather all that much while they were in Rome, he was beginning to realize how much he had missed cotton, and his uniform.  “I’ll have to thank Bridget when I see him.  And…apologize, for last night.”

 

Testament nodded faintly, combing his hair briefly with his fingers before heading for the door.  “I’ll let you finish getting dressed.”

 

“Thank you.”  Once he had left Ky set upon changing the rest of his clothing.  Already he felt more like himself, and even if his hair was still the same brown his reflection pleased him.  Though he wasn’t usually one to care about his appearance it kept him from thinking back on touchier subjects.

 

Eventually, his curiosity at where they were landing overrode his memories, anyway.  The ship touched down just as he was heading for the door, and he had to steady himself a moment against the bed frame as he was jostled.  Once they’d halted he quickly followed the sound of chattering voices to the ship’s starboard hull.  By the time he reached them the crew had piled outside; he could hear the girl’s excited cheering, louder than he thought such a small crew could generate, mixed with Johnny’s deep laughter.  Frowning, Ky investigated.

 

The ship had landed on a small airstrip of thick grass, outside what appeared to be a small, sleepy town.  It was still quite early in the morning—there was still fog clinging to the earth, misting the view of low, distant mountains and sparse greenery.  The smell of salt water was heavy in the air as Ky stepped outside the ship, clinging to his nostrils and making his back tingle.  He only had a few moments to take it in; the officer’s attention was swiftly drawn to the commotion in the grass in front of him.

 

There were, as far as Ky could estimate, a good thirty or so girls swarming about just outside the ship.  Some were familiar to him as members of the crew, but most of them were not—young girls no more than eight or nine, several more than twice that age; even a few boys dotted the crowd as they mixed together, laughing and passing greetings.  As Ky watched in unmoving bewilderment one of the groups churned, girls giggling as Johnny pushed to his feet with several of them clinging to his arms and back.  Only one girl, however—a young red-head that could not have been older than five or six—had the privilege of riding on his shoulders, and she squealed in delight.

 

He spotted Bridget among them a moment later; the boy had a crew-member on each arm, in the process of being introduced around.  Despite how enthusiastic Bridget had always been, Ky had never seen him quite so excited and happy.  He was debating what to do himself when he realized Testament and Dizzy were standing beside him.  “What is this place?”

 

“It’s their home,” Dizzy replied with a fond smile as she watched the playful antics.  “I’m sure Johnny can explain it better, but they brought me here when I first joined the crew.  They’re all the orphans Johnny’s picked up during his travels.”

 

“Orphans…?”  Ky looked again, feeling something like guilt crawling into the pit of his stomach.  He knew immediately that Dizzy was telling the truth; the girls crowded around Johnny were watching him with awe and affection, and as he made their way through them he greeted them with the same.  This was a reunion of family, and Ky almost wanted to glance away from something so intimate.  More than that, he was painfully reminded of his accusations the night before, and how ridiculous they now seemed.

 

“They look…pretty happy.  For orphans.”

 

Ky glanced up at Testament’s remark, frowning thoughtfully.  The Gear had an odd look on his face; it seemed to be a mix of wonder and almost trepidation, his eyes sliding from each child as if expecting something special to occur that he didn’t want to miss.  It was almost charming to think that, after everything Ky had witnessed on the ship, Testament was still shy around children.  He had to admit, however, that he shared some of that subtle uncertainty.  If these girls were companions to pirates, there was no knowing how they might react to a police officer, let alone a Gear like Testament.

 

“Tes!”  The youngest of Testament’s assigned hair-brushers came rushing toward them suddenly, her eyes bright with excitement as she all but pounced on the Gear’s arm.  He stared down at her blankly.  “Come on—I want you to meet everyone.”

 

Testament blinked, as if not quite understanding, and when she tugged him at first he didn’t move.  It wasn’t until Dizzy giggled, urging him on, that he allowed the girl to lead him a step.  He glanced back, and Ky couldn’t help but chuckle at his helpless face.

 

“Go on,” he urged.

 

Testament frowned at him, clearly dubious, but there was a certain light behind his eyes Ky hadn’t seen before.  At last he nodded to the little girl and followed her into the fray of youths.

 

Ky sighed quietly, watching as Testament was shown off to some of the younger girls.  He could see a few of the elders—especially the boys—eyeing the Gear with concern, but over all they seemed to be receiving him well.  Most of that was probably the doing of his youthful and eager companion.

 

“Aren’t you going, too?” Dizzy questioned at his side.

 

Ky shook his head.  “Not yet.  If this is their special reunion…I don’t have any right to interrupt.”  His eyes slipped to Johnny, and he pursed his lips.  “Besides, Johnny and I…well….”

 

“It’s all right,” Dizzy quickly assured.  “He understands.”

 

Ky nodded vaguely, taking a moment to better get his bearings and take in the scenery.  He didn’t recognize any of the architecture here, nor the small, lazy town bordering the airstrip they had landed upon.  A few of the townspeople, however, had gathered nearby to wave and call greetings of their own.  It felt like a welcoming of heroes, almost, and Ky smiled faintly with nostalgia.  He remembered a time when his own Holy Order had once been celebrated with such praise.

 

The officer’s eyes were drawn again to Johnny when he noticed him speaking to a longhaired stranger.  It was a man, shorter than him but seemingly of the same age, dressed in long baggy pants and loose-fitting, robe-like top, both of the same pale blue.  His thick black hair had been secured in a somewhat sloppy braid that trailed down his back; it reminded Ky of the work that had been done on Testament’s hair.  It wasn’t until Johnny nodded back at Ky, and the stranger turned to look, that he realized the man was Asian.  His face was somewhat long but there was no mistaking the tone of his skin, the almond shape of his dark eyes.

 

The stranger approached with a kind smile, and before Ky could begin to wonder who he might be Dizzy stepped past him.  “Youn—it’s good to see you,” she declared warmly, and the man spread his arms to welcome her in a firm embrace.

 

“Dizzy, I’m glad to see you well.”

 

“You, too.  How is everyone?”

 

The man chuckled.  “As lively as ever.”  He pulled back slightly so he could see Ky, and he nodded a more formal greeting.  “And you must be Sir Kiske.”

 

Ky was a little surprised at first; he had thought maybe his dyed hair would keep him from being recognized right away, but then realized that Johnny probably had warned them ahead of time of their coming.  “Yes, that’s right,” he greeted, offering his hand.  “Ky Kiske.”

 

“Ahn Youn,” the man introduced himself as Dizzy stepped back, shaking Ky’s hand.  “I was a little surprised to hear you were coming, but you are welcome here.”

 

“I appreciate that.”  Ky glanced at Johnny, but the man was moving away towards the back of the ship, surrounded by his crew and the other children—Bridget and Testament among them.  “So, Johnny told you about me, then.”

 

“Yes.  I’m very sorry to hear what you’ve been through.”  Youn’s voice was deep and smooth, almost parental-sounding with its rich, mature tone.  It reminded Ky suddenly of his old schoolmaster as a boy and relaxed him almost instantly.  “I hope you don’t mind, but I also told the children.  They reacted to the news fairly well, but perhaps you’d best ride with me on the way to the House.”

 

Ky frowned slightly as he tried to puzzle out the meaning of those words.  “Oh.  Yes, of course.  If you think it best.”

 

“Thank you.”  Youn turned to Dizzy with a smile.  “Why don’t you go help them for a bit while I speak to Sir Kiske?”

 

“Yes, of course.”  Dizzy nodded to them both before slipping away to join the others.

 

Ky watched her, his mind beginning to spin with more questions.  Though it warmed him somehow hearing himself addressed as “sir” once more, there seemed to be something reserved behind Youn’s pleasant tone.  He didn’t understand until he caught the glance of one of the elder boys watching him.  There was something sharp, almost fearful in his eyes, and when Ky glanced about he caught several of the other children sneaking similar glances at him.  They all turned quickly away once he’d spotted them.  It was puzzling, and sobering, to think that these youths for some reason feared him; were uncertain of a police officer when a pair of Gears walked easily among them….

 

Youn must have noticed his stare, for a gentle hand came down on his shoulder, drawing his attention back.  “Please don’t be upset by it,” he said softly.  “You must understand, we are all the accomplices of the Jellyfish Pirates.  When they heard a police officer was coming—the head of the police—they were afraid it might be to make arrests.”

 

“These are all….”  Ky frowned at the group as Mayship’s belly was opened, allowing for them to begin unloading the piles of supplies.  “You’re all pirates?”

 

Youn chuckled.  “In a manner of speaking.  Come walk with me, Sir Kiske.  There is a lot to explain.”

 

*****

 

Bridget couldn’t stop grinning as he scampered into Mayship’s cargo hold, several of the crewmembers on his heels as well as a few of the boys.  There were kids everywhere—some his age, some older, some younger—and he hadn’t been around this many at once in a long time.  At least, not so many that would greet him with such enthusiasm and acceptance.  All he’d needed to say was that he was a new member of the Jellyfish Pirates and already another two dozen friends had been added to his growing list.  All around there was laughter, and relief, and excitement, and he was part of those at the center.  It left him so happy that if there hadn’t been work for him to do, he might have rolled across the grass giggling like an idiot.

 

For now, however, he and a young blonde named Zinnia were hefting a large crate between them, carrying it down the few short steps to begin a pile outside of the plane.

 

“They’ll bring the trucks around in a second,” Zinnia explained, huffing, as they set the box down and went for a second.  “Then we take them down to the House.  It’ll be your first time, right?  It’s really great.”

 

“Really?”  Thoroughly excited, Bridget raced him back into the ship, where Testament was amazing the younger children with his strength by carrying two of the crates by himself.  Bridget giggled, and when he noticed Zinnia eyeing the Gear with some concern he thumped him on the back.  “Don’t make that face.  Testament’s great—he’s a good Gear now.”

 

“If you say so.”  They selected a second crate, half dragging it towards the slowly growing pile as everyone bustled in and out.  It wasn’t until they were on their way to their forth that Zinnia asked, “Was that really Ky Kiske back there?”

 

“Hm?  Oh, yeah.”  Bridget smiled shyly. “He’s something, isn’t he?”

 

“He looked kinda shrimpy.”

 

Bridget stuck his tongue out at the boy.  “What do you know?  He’s even tougher than Johnny.”

 

Though he expected Zinnia to retort with something akin to “is not,” one of Bridget’s favorite verbal exercises, a look of apprehension spread over the boy’s face, and a few faces bearing the same turned toward them.  “Don’t worry!” Bridget quickly assured as he bent down for another box.  “He’s here…on vacation.  He’s not gonna arrest anyone.  He’s…uh…a good cop.”

 

Zinnia didn’t look convinced as he helped Bridget lift.  “If you say so.”

 

Bridget pouted, but there didn’t seem to be any way to convince them just yet, and he didn’t want to alienate all his new friends.  He did, though, feel bad for Ky, having to wake up to this mistrust after everything that had occurred the night before.  Vowing to make it up to the officer later he devoted himself to his work with great zeal, determined to give everyone the best impression of him as possible.

 

*****

 

“We’re just north of Alghero, on the island of Sardinia off Italy’s western coast,” Youn began to explain as he and Ky made their way across the airfield to where two very large, magic-powered flat-bed trucks had been parked.  “If you’ve never heard of it, that’s good news for us.”  He chuckled lightly as he climbed behind the driver’s seat of one of the trucks, Ky taking his place beside him.  “It’s not a very large island, but we appointed a Duke just a few years ago, and we’re quite satisfied with remaining unknown to the rest of the world.”

 

Ky nodded thoughtfully.  Honestly he had never heard of Sardinia, though admittedly this region of Europe was often overlooked by the United Nations unless there was some need for reconstruction or aid.  But there seemed to be no evidence of Gear attacks here, none of the rubble and solemnity that blanketed most of Italy itself.  “So you’re not recognized by the United Nations as a full country,” he surmised.

 

“No, we’re not.”  Youn started the truck up and drove it around to the back of the plane where supplies were being busily unloaded and arranged.  “Before the Crusades, Sardinia was almost always under the rule of some other country, mostly Italy.  During the wars it was kind of forgotten—this is a simple place, and it isn’t able to produce anything especially helpful to a war effort.  When Italy was more or less destroyed by the Gears, we were left on our own.”  He smiled ironically.  “My grandfather fled Korea during all the attacks on Japan at the beginning of the war.  This place was small, out of the way—there was no reason for Gears to come here.  But even when they did reach this region, we were lucky and were overlooked.  My family has lived here peacefully ever since.”

 

“You’ve been living autonomously, then.”  It seemed strange, to think that a place like this, not only untouched by Gears but beautiful, could go unseen for this long.  He wondered briefly if even his superiors knew of its existence.  “That must be difficult, if you’re not engaging in trade with foreign nations.”

 

“You’d think that,” Youn said with a smile.  “But the truth is this island can pretty much support itself.  Our population is low and mostly consists of natives.  We have fields for growing wheat, plains for raising cattle, and plenty of coastlines for fishing.  Though we do have to import a lot of fruit and vegetables, we do so mostly through Rome, so as to not attract attention.  That, and we especially receive a lot of aid from the Jellyfish Pirates,” he added.

 

Despite their youth, the children worked diligently in loading the trucks, and soon enough the small caravan was rumbling slowly down a twisted dirt road toward the ocean.  The youths trotted alongside the vehicles, laughing and joking to one another.  Youn paused in his explanations so that Ky would be able to take in the view, to his appreciation; he was startled by how beautiful the countryside was, considering this was an island he’d never heard of.  The area they were in was at a low elevation, dotted with sparse forestry and a clear view of the coast stretching west and south for miles.  But to the north Ky could just barely see the outlines of rounded mountains and sheer cliff sides, and to the south an impressive harbor of tall-masted sailboats.  As they neared the beach he was granted a spectacular view of sparkling ocean, a rich blue-green in the early morning, waves cresting gently against a shoreline of golden sand.

 

“I didn’t know,” Ky said quietly, “that places like this still existed.”

 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”  Youn pointed out his window for Ky to look.  “There’s the House.”

 

The House, as it seemed to be called, was nothing like Ky had imagined—not for an orphanage, certainly.  The building was at least four stories tall, stretching down the coastline in a subtle curve.  There were tiled roofs, wide pale arches, balconies with black lacquered bars, sun umbrellas and gardens; everything was grand and welcoming, and when they pulled into a bricked courtyard he finally understood why its exterior was so lavish.  “This is…a hotel?”

 

“Used to be,” Youn corrected, leading them to the side of the large building to what appeared to be a large storage house.  “When tourism dried up and the place went bankrupt, Johnny and I…kind of helped ourselves.”  He stopped the truck and slipped out, Ky following.  “Come on, I’ll give you a tour.”

 

There were even more children waiting at the House for their arrival, and as soon as the trucks had halted Johnny led them all in another effort to move and arrange the incoming supplies.  Ky by now was feeling somewhat guilty in that he wasn’t aiding them, until he realized that most of the packages being unloaded with such care were most likely stolen goods.  He wasn’t sure what to make of it as Youn led him around to a side door to the House, taking him inside.

 

“I first met Johnny when a plane he was on crashed here, almost ten years ago,” Youn resumed his story telling.  “He had May with him, then, and they were the only ones that survived the crash.  My family cared for them and sent them off.  A few months later he showed up here again, this time with some orphans he’d found in the aftermath of a Gear attack.  We agreed to take care of them.  A while later he came back with more.”  Youn chuckled with the memory as he led Ky though the lobby, which now seemed to have been converted into a play and study area.  There were toys, books, and games strewn everywhere, a few TVs, even workout equipment in the corners.  “Eventually there got to be so many we took over this abandoned hotel.  Everything seemed to work out perfectly; the dining room and the kitchen were already connected so it was easy to prepare large meals, and we converted the activities hall into one large sleeping area.”

 

Youn opened a large set of double doors, revealing a wide room with a wooden floor and tall ceiling, white walls lined with arching windows and cabinet after cabinet.  Nearly the entire floor space was covered in mattresses and strewn blankets—like on gigantic bed pieced together.  Ky was admittedly baffled.  “Doesn’t that get uncomfortable?” he questioned.

 

“This is mostly for the younger children,” Youn admitted.  “There are plenty of rooms, but nearly all of the children here were either orphaned or abandoned; the youngest of them don’t like to be separated from everyone for very long, if at all, so it was easier to keep them all together.  The hotel rooms are used by the older kids and some of the townspeople that volunteer here as staff.  Though many of the children we’ve raised have moved on by now—living in the city, some of them send money or toys back to us as they can afford.”

 

“I see.”  Ky let his eyes drift over the scene a while, contemplating silently.  He could see a few mounds among the piled blankets, doubtlessly children who had not been able to wake themselves in time to see Johnny’s arrival.  A teenage girl was watching over them with one such youngster clinging to her sleep shirt; the child could not have been more than five years old.  Ky’s heart ached a moment in sympathy, but he soon realized that the young boy appeared content.  He was surrounded by peers, cared for and adored by men like Johnny and Youn.  In his work Ky had seen many orphanages, but no other cared for with such diligence and effort, such honest, selfless affection.

 

The officer stepped outside the sleeping room once more, gathering Youn’s attention to him.  “Why are you telling me all this?” he asked quietly.  Bridget and Testament were just as new to this place as he, and yet neither of them had been pulled especially aside for a tour and explanation.

 

“Because I want you to like this place,” Youn replied honestly, meeting Ky’s gaze.  “We can’t stay hidden here for long, and when the United Nations finally takes notice of us it’s likely Sardinia will fall again under the control of another country.”  His voice lowered slightly.  “We’ve been trying to build up our own government—a democracy, that will allow us to ask that we be accepted as an independent nation.  We’re even trying to cut back on how much we depend on Johnny for his piracy.  But we need time.  If you were to report back to your superiors about us, all the freedom and independence we’ve been struggling to achieve could be lost.  That’s why we desperately need you to understand our situation.”

 

Ky lowered his eyes as he considered these words.  He did not want to believe that the government he so lauded and believed in could be such that it would take away a people’s freedom, but he was beginning to realize that his old ways of thinking might no longer apply.  He had been naïve in the past, as was proof in his even being in this situation.  The Gears he had once hated and slaughtered had saved his life.  The pirates who he had once shunned and hunted had supported and hidden him from his betrayers.  The order he had once believed in was conspiring against him and innocent people.  It was foolish to even trust in his judgment anymore.  He had been wrong about everything. 

 

But Youn needed an answer, and with a quiet sigh he nodded.  “I cannot lie outright to my superiors, but I will keep your secret as long as I can,” he said.  “And when the time comes, I will vouch for your and your people.  I don’t want to see anything happen to this place.”

 

Youn smiled only faintly, but with such gratitude as Ky rarely saw in a man.  “Thank you, Sir Kiske.”

 

Youn excused himself then under the explanation of checking on the progress of breakfast.  Ky lingered a moment longer.  He moved through the hall to one of the balconies overlooking the beach—it had been a long time since he’d had the chance to enjoy the ocean, its sheer size and majesty….  And he bowed his head, hands clasped in humble prayer for the first time in many days.

 

 

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