Hello everyone, and welcome to 'Kaze No Ne'. As I posted an emergency gift fic for a friend in the SSB category, I shall proceed to post one here. This little piece is a dedication to a close friend, who issued a cry of distress yesterday. As a result, I posted '1000 Words' in the SSB category. Here is another tribute to that dear friend, whom I treasure greatly. Learning of her despair broke my heart, the poor thing.

Disclaimer: Aside from a brand-new PS3 and a copy of MGS4: Guns of the Patriots, I don't own anything related to Konami. I would, however, love to own David Hayter. Bwee hee hee.

As all of my work does, 'Heart' contains a humanized Solid Snake. In other words, Snake will exhibit human emotion. We all know what THOSE are, don't we? But if you're more comfortable with Snake being a self-proclaimed bad-ass, then you're better off elsewhere.

This is set in the world of MGS4: Guns of the Patriots.

The notes of daybreak were performed by the hands of fate. They played for their audience silently, bringing gentle streams of sunshine. Birds took flight and performed inner concerts, not wanting to alert the world of their presence. The springs of a newborn day brought a rare gem to their world, and they decided to enjoy every second of its ephemeral life. The gem was commonly known as 'serenity', something that came as quickly as it left. In a world filled with gunfire, though, how could the lifespan of serenity extend beyond the reach of a few seconds? How could it evade inevitable annihilation?

She awakened, not greeting the newborn light with a smile. As a denizen of the Nomad, she considered herself the guardian of its remaining inhabitants. Instantly she launched herself out of bed, only concerned with one thing: the life of another. That particular life didn't sleep too far from her, only missing her by a few minutes. She had done nothing but worry about him through the night, so slumber hadn't exactly been pleasant. However, she cared nothing for herself-which wasn't anything new.

She knew. She knew he was prone to nightmares. He had fallen into them every night. It was as if he had befriended the Emperor of Nightmares, receiving the gold membership card for premium nightmares. He wasn't in the condition to deal with those nightmares either. Betraying his natural age, he had reached the condition of a seventy year old man. In his eyes, he was well over a hundred.

Seeing his brother on the battlefield only made things worse. Liquid was a denizen of Hell, no doubt about it. Every morning she breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Solid Snake wasn't anything like Liquid. When it came to his brother, Snake was on the other end of the Earth. Which was part of Liquid's problem. Why didn't his brother join him? Why didn't he want to further his father's goals? Why didn't he want to tear down a world of ignorant bliss? Why was he so adamant about staying with useless, ignorant mortals? Why was he ignoring the reasons behind his birth?

She ran, frantically thinking of a familiar face. She didn't have to run too far, but when she stopped, her heart soared right out of her chest. "Oh no," she cried out, clasping her hands to her face. Her gentle, motherly features lit up with the greatest concern. Her eyes quickly fell onto a most disturbing sight. A seventy year old man was still in his bed, but was far from peaceful. Eyes wide open, spasmodic and choking, he was in a completely different world. She knew she had to do something, and fast.

Her little feet stormed against the Nomad's floor, footsteps conveying her distress. Mere seconds passed before she shook the last customer of the Nomad into awakening. He had, true to his form, passed out right at his desk. Monitors hummed, silently awaiting further input from their master. Meanwhile, a Z.O.E II wallpaper happily sat as a background for one of the monitors. Even as the world crumbled around him, Dr. Hal Emmerich was the world's biggest otaku.

"Stenbuck! Stenbuck, wake up! Please wake up!"

Eyes fluttering, 'Stenbuck' re-entered the world of reality. As a nervous bundle he awakened, hands instantly disturbing piles of paper and coffee mugs. "Sunny?" he asked, happy to see that Liquid hadn't invaded their one and only haven. "Sweetheart, what is it?"

The little girl was a portrait of fear. Eyes ablaze in concern for her other friend, she explained the situation. "It's S-S-Snake," she began, pointing in the direction of her convulsive companion. "P-p-p-please, Stenbuck! He's choking! You've g-g-got to do s-s-something!"

Choking on what, 'Stenbuck' didn't know. Judging from the tone of his surrogate daughter, though, the situation was grim. Quickly wiping away his desire for more sleep, he shot up from his seat and took the little maiden by the shoulders. "Thank you coming to me, Sunny," he said, trying to be as calm as possible. "Now, why don't you prepare breakfast? I'll take care of everything."

She didn't waste a second to respond. She nodded, eyes filled with the love she had for her surrogate father. A second passed before she bolted upstairs, hoping to refresh her family for the day ahead. Meanwhile, a certain otaku attended to the business at hand. Someone he cared for was evidently in grave danger.

Please be all right. Please be all right. Please be all right, Snake. Please be all right.

If he repeated those words a million times in his head, it wouldn't have been enough to capture all of his fear. Carrying the fear that couldn't be captured, Hal took off in his friend's direction. He discovered a sight that would have deepened Sunny's fears, for the eyes of his friend were still, wide open and dilated. The coughing had come to an end, but something far worse had occurred. Blood was streaming from his mouth, falling onto the Nomad's floor.

Right on the spot, Hal conjured the worst conclusion imaginable. As white as a sheet he rushed to his friend's side, palms sweaty and heart throbbing quicker than Superman could fly. He placed his hands onto his friend's chest, checking for a heartbeat.

Only silence answered him.

His own heart fell into the pit of his stomach and stopped. Tears, as they had done many times in the past, pierced his eyes like lightning bolts. His throat became painfully dry, and so did his chest. Dizzier than he had ever been before, he sent two fingers to check the other's pulse.

More silence answered him.

"Oh my god," the otaku said, voice drenched in horror. "Sunny! Sunny!"

The sound of small feet entered his ears, and soon, an answer came. "What is it?" she asked worriedly, clearly uncomfortable with seeing her family in such distress. At the age of seven, the only things she should have been concerned with were breakfast cereals and cartoons. Unlike other seven year olds, though, she concerned herself with her family. It might have been a makeshift family, but a family nonetheless.

"Sweetheart, get me some water! Please!"

Sunny and Hal were officially on the same page. Both of them were drowning under the same fear, unable to comprehend it or even measure it. The little maiden did as she was asked, heart wondering about the near future. Would Snake be all right? What had happened throughout the night? Why was 'Stenbuck' so upset?

Down the stairs she went, carrying a glass of dirty water. She found her beloved 'Stenbuck' performing CPR compressions, tears streaming down his face and heart racing faster than any racehorse.

"Come on, Snake. Come on. Come on. Stay with me. Don't give up on me!"

She almost dropped the glass. Her eyes widened, studying the sight before her. Were they about to lose the one they loved so much? Did she lose her chance to say 'I love you' to the old soldier? Did he finally succumb to-

It was too painful to think of, even though reality shoved the possibility in her face.

A second round of breathing began. She clasped her hands to her chest, still holding the glass of water. Hal didn't care too much for the blood rushing out of Snake's mouth, much more concerned with saving his friend's life. Luckily, results emerged three minutes later. More blood came from the old soldier in violent coughs, and his eyes returned to the world of the living. Hal backed away a few steps, face glowing with skyhigh anxiety. He placed his hands about Sunny's shoulders, then exchanged a fretful glance with her. "Honey," he said, voice quiet but filled with panic, "let Snake have the water. And be careful with it, okay?"

She nodded, eyes conveying her promise to follow directions. While her makeshift father struggled to gather himself, shaking with the potency of an earthquake, she administered the medicine. In mere seconds, the liquid was sent down her friend's throat. It was practically inhaled. "Th-th-there we go," the little girl said, inwardly delighted at her first contact with Snake. Moments ago, she had never even existed in the old soldier's world. Or so she thought.

"My god, Snake," the rattled otaku cried out. "You're lucky I took a class on CPR back in college! What on Earth happened to you?!"

Sunny jumped out of Snake's bed, then returned to her first task. Normally she would have retreated with a mixture of reluctance and regret, feeling as if she not only failed Hal but Snake as well. Current circumstances caused her to feel like a heroine, and that made her smile. Meanwhile, an old soldier still hadn't returned to reality. He might have returned to the world of the living, but his comprehension on reality was absent. He was completely lost, confused by everything around him. Not even Hal could calm him.

Hal was confused at first, assuming that his old friend just refused to speak. Seconds passed before he noticed how disoriented Snake was. The old soldier was no different from a deer caught in the headlights of a diesel truck. "Snake?" the otaku asked gently, cautiously placing his hands about the other's shoulders. He wasn't afraid to reach out to him, but he didn't want to alarm him. It was bad enough to see him frightened.

"Snake, it's…it's me. Hal. Otacon."

Snake, completely silent, looked into the otaku's eyes. He attempted to register the other's words, but Hal was just as familiar as a three-headed clown. He might as well have spoken in Russian, for the soldier couldn't recognize him. As a result, Hal shot a hand to his forehead.

"Please please please please please don't let this be a stage of Alzheimer's. This can't be a stage of Alzhemier's. I can't have all of the world's bad luck! Please don't let this be connected to Alzheimer's!"

Anime junkies were well-versed in Japanese animation. They knew the first anime's birthday. They knew the name of every DragonBall Z character like the backs of their own hands. They memorized the dates of every convention, every artist, and every voice actor. They also memorized every episode of their favorite show. To the untrained eye, that knowledge was just as useful as an empty carton of milk. Luckily, Hal's addiction to anime came in handy. Determined to revive his friend through his addiction, he rushed over to his desk. From it came the MARK II, the most adorable (not to mention bravest) robot imaginable. Seconds passed before something appeared on its monitor, and it wasn't the face of an informant.

It was an episode of Love Hina.

It was the Spring Special. 'I Wish Your Dream', it was called, and the MARK II played it. It was one of Hal's favorite episodes, but it wasn't just because of the slapstick and drama. He played it three days after he met a certain someone. Snake didn't exactly approve of Keitaro's stupidity, Hal's fondness for Pocky sticks, or his laptop's anime wallpaper.

A short amount of time passed before Sunny snapped a picture of her first family.

That picture became Hal's new wallpaper, replacing Edward and Alphonse Elric.

With the forlorn eyes of a child, Snake watched the MARK II's monitor. Hal could only wait in torturous silence, hoping that his love for anime would do something for the friend he loved. Seconds passed before his heart soared right out of the Nomad's roof. Taking the MARK II into his arms, Old Snake looked into Hal's eyes helplessly.

"Otacon?"

Tears surged into the otaku's eyes. He rushed to Snake's bedside, hardly able to stand. "Do you remember me?" he asked, heart running through a pretty rock road. "Do you really know who I am?"

While Naru pummeled Keitaro for the fifth thousandth time, Snake gave his friend a soft glare. "Of course I do," he replied. And with that, Hal gave an immense sigh of relief. He knew, just from listening to his friend's tone, that he hadn't succumbed to the loss of memory.

"My goodness, Snake! You've got to stop doing this to me! I've probably lost thirty years of my life because of you!"

The glare remained on Snake's face, but sadness crashed into it. He looked like an indignant child. "No one asked you to take care of me," the old soldier murmured, lowering his head. He proceeded to place the MARK II onto the floor, and it quickly retreated to its normal position. He might have used those words as defense mechanism, but his eyes betrayed their anger. I'm glad you're taking care of me, his orbs said, begging the other to stay. Noticing this, Hal proceeded to wrap his arms around the other. Neither one of them spoke for what felt like an eternity, but then the otaku broke the silence. "I'm taking care of you because I love you ," he said firmly, looking straight into the old soldier's eyes. The last three words caused Snake's eyes to widen, pitchers of bewilderment pouring into them. It was like Hal had unexpectedly jumped into the Italian language.

"Now tell me what happened. What did you see?"

As always, the otaku was a gentle soul. With anyone else, Snake would have retreated into a growling ball. Hal, however, caused him to feel comfortable. Around the personification of warmth, he had nothing to fear. "I…" he began, lowering his head once again. "I…I…I couldn't breathe," he began, the world's pain filling his eyes. He looked as if he wanted to reach out to Hal, and hold him even if Hell threatened to tear them apart. He looked ready to cry, torn apart by everything he had seen.

"There were…there were a lot of…"

He couldn't continue. Wincing, he turned his head away from the Emmerich. Hal, totally uncomfortable with his friend's pain, brought the other into his arms. "What did you see?" he repeated, voice as soft as moonlight. Meanwhile, MARK II decided to turn on a Kingdom Hearts anthem. The fans of Kingdom Hearts knew it as 'Simple and Clean'.

Snake looked into his eyes, begging him to refrain from further questioning. He had jumped off a cliff, launching himself into a never-ending sky of despair. He gripped the Emmerich for assistance, but another half of his heart didn't want to be rescued. In the end, Snake chose to be rescued. "There were a lot of needles," he went on, gripping the other's arms. "I…I saw them. All of them. And they all-"

Cutting off another dive into pain, Hal asked him another question. "Was anyone there?"

That question wasn't any better than the first. "He was there," the old soldier replied, shutting his eyes. 'He' was evidently Liquid Ocelot, otherwise known as his psychotic brother. "I heard him. And there were…others with him. I heard…I heard Meryl."

"Meryl? Are you absolutely sure?"

The wounded, frightened canine glared at him. "I know her, Hal. She was there. And she had every reason to be there."

"What were they doing ?" the otaku asked. He was happy to see that Snake had become more comfortable with relaying his story, but there wasn't anything else to be happy about.

"I…I'm not sure. They were…injecting me with something. Don't know what it was, but I felt it. I felt it…going through me. I…"

As curious as ever, Sunny came down the stairs. She kept herself hidden, as she had done during many of their conversations. "I...tried to…tell them to stop, but…I don't know," the soldier went on, trembling and tearful. "I don't know if they heard me. Wouldn't have cared if they did hear me, though. Couldn't really speak, because…I…I was…inside of…a tube of some sort."

One word simultaneously shot through Hal and Sunny's minds.

Experiment.

"I…I heard them laughing at me. They…they were…trying to turn me into something. I felt myself transforming-couldn't see anything-called out her name but she didn't answer-"

Dropping her tray of lovingly prepared eggs, Sunny ran right down the stairs. Hal tightened his grip on his old friend, tears flowing from his gentle brown eyes. The little girl looked on in horror as a scene from a horror movie unfolded. Liquid and Meryl's experiment fell into another fit of convulsions, torn between a nightmare and reality. The otaku cried out to him frantically, but none of his cries struck home. In his mind's eyes, Snake had returned to his tube. Needles were prodding him, entering him, tearing him apart. Pain released itself in mournful cries, but only the laughter of his keepers replied. He saw only blood, other tubes and other victims. What were they doing? Were they trying to produce something? Were those bodies in the other tubes?

Hal's frantic cries soon faded. Blood flashed before his very eyes, combined with the red dirge of sirens. Wires soon pierced his skin, penetrating his insides. Something lifted him from his tube and into the air. "Well well well," a woman said scornfully, standing at the side of a newfound lover. "Looks like we've got ourselves a rebel."

"It's trying to defy its purpose," her lover explained, then snickered. "Don't worry, love. It doesn't have a prayer. Before you know it, I'll have its spirit torn apart. I'll order the others to drain it of its blood, then it'll be filled with my brand-new toy. Just wait and see, Silverburg."

It? Was he not a man of human flesh? Had he lost all intimate contact with Meryl? Did his brother really hate him so much? And what were they trying to transform him into?

"Awww. It's in so much pain. Shouldn't we just kill it?"

"No can do, Meryl. You have to remember something. We're dealing with the legendary Solid Snake. We need him if we're going to be successful!"

If a solution wasn't thought of, Snake would launch right back into his previous state-spasmodic and pretty much near death. Hal and Sunny exchanged another glance, and then the little girl concocted a plan. Hurriedly she darted from her place, seeking the much-needed assistance of a friend. Throwing a glass of water on Snake wouldn't do too much of anything, so she needed help of another kind. And so out of his cage Solidus came, whisked into the arms of a loving yet frantic girl.

"Come on, Solidus! I n-n-need you to d-d-do me a favor!"

The chicken evidently didn't want to be disturbed. Squawking, he flailed about in Sunny's arms.

Which was exactly what the little girl wanted him to do.

Earning a look of immense astonishment from 'Stenbuck', Sunny put her plan into action. Hoping for the best, she threw the wrathful chicken onto Snake. Shocked beyond belief, Hal instantly took the maiden into his arms. The two of them watched the chicken assault the old soldier. For a moment, Snake flailed out as if he were fending off additional tubes. Then he recognized the angry, vengeful bird.

"What in the hell are you doing, you stupid bird?! Get away from me!"

'Gladly, you stupid human!' the bird squawked, quickly returned to Sunny's arms. "I'm s-s-sorry," the little girl said nervously, giving Snake a small bow. "It was the only thing I th-th-thought of. You were…you were about to g-g-go away again."

As if discovering her for the first time, Snake looked at her. He realized what he had done, and became a beacon of humble apologies. Sheepishly he lowered his head, eyes pleading for a hug. Putting down the livid Solidus, Sunny granted his wish. She tossed off her nervousness and jumped onto his bed, then wrapped her little arms around him. It wasn't long before Snake began to sob, hands running over the little girl's back. Seeing their bond come to life, Hal became a victim of tears.

"Sunny…I…I'm s-s-sorry."

"For what?" the maiden asked worriedly, wiping away tears from her friend's wrinkled face.

"For being what I am. For being so…so…filthy."

Sunny, despite her fragile age and the intense situation, was a beacon to be admired. She smiled at her beloved friend, inwardly thrilled over their newborn friendship. "You're not dirty," she said quietly, then patted him on the head. Without even realizing it, she had cast off her tendency to stutter.

"Don't say things like that anymore. I think you're pretty, and I'm happy to be your friend. So there."

Almost strutting off, Sunny left Snake's bedside triumphantly. Snake looked to Hal in confusion, face still drenched in pain.

"Pretty?"

"I guess so," the Emmerich said with a shrug, wielding an affectionate smile. Snake gave off one of his trademark grunts. "The kid's definition of the word is messed up," he said, trying to hide his reddened cheeks. "Glad she's no longer afraid of me, though."

"She never was, Snake. She was just…well…shy around you. You weren't exactly the easiest person to get along with back then, and even after you left your 'hardcore punk' stages, you still kept your distance from her. I know why, but she couldn't read your mind-or your heart."

"What about you? How did you feel about me back then?"

Hal was shocked by that question. He looked at his friend in confusion, but quickly became a close friend of heartache. Snake would cry if he didn't receive a likable answer. Thankfully, Hal had a sweet answer to give. "I thought you were a cold hard slave master," the otaku said jokingly, shaking his head sadly. "You were one of a kind, Snake. Someone that truly screwed up my life in more ways than one. I hated every minute I spent with you."

Like a child discovering his mother's face for the very first time, Snake gazed at the one he called 'Otacon'. Otacon had gone through his own pain, his own heartache and struggles. He was currently entangled in an ill-fated relationship with Naomi Hunter, which was enough to drive daggers through anyone's tolerance levels. Despite all of that, the otaku remained at his side. He even had enough energy to joke around.

Wearing his heart on his face, Otacon smiled with all of the love he had to give. "Yep," he went on, pacing as he usually did in times of reflection. "I would have preferred death over being rescued by you. You were a handful!"

As a mesmerized, curious fawn, Snake stared at him. "Do you…do you still feel that way?"

"I most certainly do. I still hate you, Snake. I can't wait for you to keel over and die. I'm surprised you haven't crumbled up yet."

"Would you laugh at me if I did?"

That question brought an end to the banter. Sorrow pierced Hal's smile, transforming it into a saddened doorway to love's eternal light. "No," the otaku replied softly, returning to his friend's side. "No, I wouldn't. I would never laugh at you. I love you. Remember?"

"Does that mean you won't hurt me?"

"Yes it does, Snake. I'm not about to stab you or experiment on you. I'd rather die than hurt you."

"Does that mean…I…I can say…what I want to say? I can..s-s-say…what I f-f-feel?"

Trying not to break down was hard. Incredibly hard. "Of course you can," the otaku replied tenderly, placing his hands about Snake's shoulders. Looking into his friend's face, he suddenly realized just how old Snake had become. His heart fell once he realized that, but his soul quickly picked it back up.

"Say whatever you want. I'm here. I'm listening."

Like a nervous child speaking for the first time, Snake peered into his eyes and delivered the words he desperately wanted to say.

"I…I…l-l-love you t-t-too."

Such simple words. Such simple, beautiful words.

He never said them to Meryl. He never had a chance to say them to Big Boss, Big Mama, or even the lost Liquid. And in the nine years of their friendship, he had never uttered them to Otacon. Not once.

They were words he couldn't learn. Words he couldn't grasp. Words he couldn't spell. But for the very first time, he found them. He found them and learned all about them, finding their meaning in Otacon's eyes. Finding them in Sunny's simple act of kindness. Finding them in her usage of the word 'pretty'.

"I love you too, Otacon. I love you too."

Neither of them spoke for what felt like an epoch, holding one another while wrapped up in tears. Otacon broke their tearful silence, dewdrops streaming from the eyes of kindness.

"By the way…you don't look a day over twenty."

Meanwhile, accompanied by the MARK II, an aspiring chef remade eggs. As she did, she sang the words to a song the MARK II played.

"Dreaming of the stars on high

That speak to me in secret sighs

Drifting on a breeze

Only I can feel and hear

Could it be the sacred wind

That's pulling me to now begin

To walk into the dark

Carrying the light of tomorrow

Need to walk the wings of high

Dreaming of the stars on high

That speak to me in secret sighs

Drifting on a breeze

Only I can feel and hear

Could it be the sacred wind

That's pulling me to now begin

To walk into the dark

Carrying the light of tomorrow

Need to walk the wings of high

Beyond the earth, beyond the sky

C'mon don't hesitate

Don't look back we've got to go now…"

There's a spotlight on a song, and it's called 'Kaze No Ne'. It's originally featured in 'Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. The Arrange Version is the PERFECT accompaniment to this piece. The first notes of the song totally symbolize the dawn of a new day. Find the link to the song in my profile, right after this!

'Love Hina' is a romantic comedy, featuring the comedic couple of Keitaro and Naru. In the anime, the bashful Keitaro is constantly a victim of Naru's martial arts prowess.

DragonBall Z, as you probably know, is one of the world's greatest animes. Not to mention an anime pioneer. XD

Sunny's nickname for Hal (Stenbuck) is the last name of Leo, a protagonist of the 'Z.O.E' series. The usage of that nickname was inspired by the wallpaper of Hal's laptop in MGS4. XD Take a close look and you'll see that he has a wallpaper of Dingo Egret. I was about to have Sunny call him 'Egret', but Leo is much friendlier character. XD

This, by far, is my greatest MGS piece yet. And it was written for a very dear friend.

Lady Zephyr, with all of my little heart, I hope you enjoyed this. And I hope I was able to heal a little, if not all, of your sadness. Lots of love always.