I dedicate this fic to my friends Talon Silverwolf and Xouls Rainez which are my brothers in fanfiction.

Dizzy's reddish eyes squinted with the contact of the little light beams piercing through the thick forest shade. The shadows cast by the trees blocking the sky wasn't a new sight for the young maiden, it was what used to be the feel of home, an enclosed refuge left from her early, sad days.

But reminiscence wasn't her purpose, it was reunion. "It's been so long...I'm a little nervous."

"It's okay, Dizzy. I'm sure he wants to see you too."

"Do you think so?" The Gear replied to the girl beside her who didn't seem to mind the weight of the anchor on her shoulders.

Their tall, musclebound captain who still wore thick black shades and a pirate hat inside the dark forest, walked ahead of them. He bid farewell with a promise to bring with him Dizzy's friend. Johnny looked back with a smile as he told two of his crew to stay where they were and wait for him.

Would she surprise him? Dizzy asked herself. Will he be happy to see her? She blew warm air to her sweaty palms. What would he say to her? She wanted to tell Testament a lot of things,a lot of stories. Firstly, she would remind him that she was really happy with the Jellyfish and he didn't need to worry for her. Johnny was a good captain and he should get along with him, it's pretty easy if he tried. So many good things had happened since she last visited and she wished he could experience them too. Would she have the courage to say that she missed him, and wanted to see him more often? The butterflies in her stomach fluttered with both excitement and nervousness. May joining her and Testament would be interesting. Her time with her friend would be short, but she knew she would be happy with it. What could possibly happen this day?

Part I

"Dizzy, what's wrong?" Her companion, May, asked terrified.

The Gear didn't know what was happening. There were no voices, sound, nor words. All there was was the sensations in her head and the pain of two of her wings, twisting, both having their own urge to take over. Everything she saw blurred, they rocked, then faded into shade.

I can fight this! She told herself as she exerted a great deal of concentration to control all the energy flowing out. But her efforts were futile as she realized that...

She was making no different at all. And she was already doing her hardest. It was different this time, a new taste of confusion. No apparent threat was around and her body wasn't hurt. Instead, there was something, a presence that made Necro and Undine berserk.

"So you cannot control it..." A voice reached her ears.

"Testament!" Dizzy cried out, holding back her tears. The voice she heard was hazy, but she was exactly sure who he was. "Please help me, Testament!" She cried out for her friend, knowing that he was very close by.

"I'll look for Johnny! I'll leave her to you guys!" The girl with the pirate hat said as she ran was. However, it was what Dizzy wanted; the further she was from her, the safer May would be.

"I guess we have to stop it physically..." There was another person with them. His voice was utterly familiar but her mind was already bent to Necro's instinct. Most of her awareness was almost lost. "Don't worry...I'm here to help. You'll be fine." The voice assured her, from a man with a golden hair and white clothing.

A flash of lighting broke her dark window. A gleaming sword cut through, and now, in between the serpents coming out of her hand she finally saw the two people helping her out. She knew Testament very well. Clad in black and holding a crimson scythe, he was her guardian and a friend who had never left her. Yet the other person was someone she hadn't seen since they first met. He was the officer with blue and white uniform, wielding what for her the most beautiful sword she had seen.

It was Ky Kiske.

Roars of beasts and growls of unearthly creatures filled Dizzy's ears and she could not longer hear her own screams. The ground tore with their ferocity, fighting each other as their masters willed them. Though their battle peaked in savagery, she felt little fear for she had put her trust on Testament, and the officer. I cannot do this on my own, I need them. But after this, she vowed that she won't be the helpless girl she once was, she would not only rely on them and would help herself as well.

Soon after, a sphere of light blinded her. Feathers dark and white scattered all around the maiden like a fountain of sparks. Whoever caused it or how it exactly happened didn't matter as the pain in her head and body faded away. The feel of the cool breeze of the grove on her bare skin slowly returned.

"Seems like they calmed down." The raven haired man loosened the grip on his scythe as he sensed that danger was gone.

"Testament..." Dizzy's lips widened to form a big smile of relief and happiness to him as soon as she regained her eyes. She reached out to his hand and got up on her knees, slightly shaking. There was still pain left from all the activity her body had to endure earlier. "Thank you..."

"Don't worry about it."

As Dizzy dusted off some dirt in her knees her eyes finally met the glimpse of the other forest visitor. "You..." She addressed to the officer she last met a few weeks ago.

"It's unfortunate that we met again in this kind of situation Ms. Dizzy."

At that moment Dizzy also got the picture of the damage she had done-craters, fires, ice patches and worst of all, a few wounds on the two men. She felt her heart sink with guilt. The area was cleared into an open space and she tried to count the number of trees she just destroyed. But at the moment, the two people who had helped her was much more of her concern.

"I'm very sorry for the trouble Testament, and for your injuries, Sir Ky." She remembered their first encounter, the scene was much the same; the place destroyed because of the fight. However, all the ex-knights and police officers she had encountered had treated her like an animal, but Ky Kiske treated her as a woman instead. He had entrusted her to Johnny with the deal that she must control her power. And now she hoped that she hadn't disappointed him. "Thank you for helping me out again..."

"Don't worry too much about me. It's my duty, ma'am. I'm glad you see to have calmed down." Ky didn't show a negative reaction, unlike what Dizzy feared. Instead, he spoke with the same manner as he did when they first met, even friendlier to her this time. "I want to know what happened here."

Testament followed with a question with the same caring attitude he always had. "Why did they go berserk?"

"I'm not sure myself. But I feel that something bad is going to happen soon..." Her eyes looked dazed. Both the men who were with her sensed danger themselves, and drew their scythe and sword. Just as they expected, a few humanoid machines clad in the white Holy Knight uniform appeared.

"Testament, stay with Ms. Dizzy. I'll handle them."

Two self aware Gears seen together would be more dangerous. Testament would not risk it. "No, you stay with her. I'll handle this," he told him. "I don't like to be helped by a human, but I guess I have no choice." As Testament neared the metal heads, they uttered a few words of insult before retreating back into the woods.

"Testament... I..." Why should things go like this? She didn't want to part with him yet.

He knew what she felt, but she shouldn't burden herself with him, meeting him had put her in harm's way. Visiting him had cost her trouble, but he would give nothing in return. Unlike her true friends now, her real family, all he could do was to protect the forest that was once her home. Seeing her again brought him a mix different emotions. "Dizzy... I was really happy to see you again. Take care of yourself." He didn't look back at her. Don't come here anymore, please... "Goodbye, my friend."

"Goodbye... Take care of yourself too..." As the male Gear disappeared with them, Dizzy's eyes looked down in sadness, seeing him go away. She should never have came here, all she brought was nothing but trouble and danger. After everything that had happened, she could not offer anything to repay him for all he had done.

"I... don't know exactly what was happening before I arrived, but I'll stay with you until your captain picks you up," the officer, Ky, said, breaking the silence after the storm. She didn't answer. The young man looked at her and noticed her pale skin and her face distressed. "Are you alright?" He asked, concerned.

"Something's coming..." Dizzy felt the same sensations she had earlier. Though she seemed to have developed some resistance to the influence, its power grew as it got nearer. "Ugh..." She held her temple as a sudden pain surged inside.

Both suddenly heard a cryptic voice not far from where they were. "Hmmm... Looks like you've retained the resonance component." A lanky man emerged from the forest depths, wearing a distinct uniform. "Impressive, for a copy," he muttered under his breath.

"Who are you? Why are you in this forest?" He asked with authority as an officer and tightened the grip on his sword, readying his feet for movement. He knew that anybody who had ventured into this hidden part of forest would have a purpose. Also, if the Gear Dizzy was seen, especially if she was with him, it would be very, very difficult to devise a cover.

"Well, all I need to say is 'Post-War Administration Bureau,' right? I think that pretty much says it all." There was a calmness in the intruder's voice that made him even more suspicious than before.

"Answer me! What is it that you want?" For the former knight, Post-War Bureau is the most dangerous group he could run to.

"I've gotten some orders to go round up Gears. We've been letting them roam around freely for way too long."

No... this can't be happening. Ky knew that many from the government doubted that the Gear Dizzy was successfully slain, that's why he had backup plans to conceal her whereabouts. But this situation was what he feared the most. The Bureau acted too soon and appeared at a place where he wouldn't have any resources or allies. Either they had known that Dizzy's death was fake from the start, or they had been actually watching all his actions from the very beginning.

Ky gritted his teeth in frustration. "What's the point of taking her now? She's not dangerous oranything!"

He laughed mockingly. "You really think that? What kind of responsible person would just let living weapons run around? You heard me, right, they're weapons. You want people to die?"

"Tsk... She wouldn't hurt anyone!" He was sure and had no doubts that Dizzy is a completely good person. People had yet to see for themselves.

The government official was surprised, the policeman's emotional words are unexpected. Ky Kiske was determined would to against the Bureau for that Gear. It was abnormal. "We'll save the talk later... We don't have time." Priority was the princess, never mind the knight. After a chuckle, the man from the bureau revealed a strange, cryptic device in his hand. His dark lips formed a devilish grin before shouting out "Justice!"

Both the officer and the pirate froze in shock as they heard its name.

Out of darkness emerged a statuesque figure clad in a white armor, its hair was crimson blood and its eyes and claws were that of a beast. It was floating as several magical rings surrounded its feet.

"Don't worry it's just a copy, but it's strength is pretty close to the original."

With the ghost of the Commander Gear in front of him, the former leader of the Holy Knights can only give a murderous glare in place of his intense anger and hatred. "What are you thinking, building something like that!"

The intruder just maniacally laughed in return.

"Mother..." Dizzy froze, her knees weakened and slumped to the ground.

"It can't be!" Ky exclaimed. She recognized her as her mother! She cannot be its daughter. Justice was sealed for 5 years. The Commander Gear and Dizzy never met. The information in his database confirmed that Dizzy was found as an infant at the time when he was just entering the police force.

"Mother...mother...mother." The young Gear called out as if she was chanting.

But the other Gear was mindless, showing no reaction. It remained motionless in the air, eyes glowing and its red hair glowing with the exposed sunlight. "Target acquired. Changing Mode. Begin Capture." It talked without emotion, and landed its feet on the ground.

"Stay back! I'll take care of her!" Her safety was more important than answers.

Ky immediately assumed that the other Gear's presence somehow messed with Dizzy's system. He charged his sword with a huge amount of energy, the excess cracking along the ground with high, glowing voltage. He wanted to yell at her: "run away" but she would be safer to be with him than for her to venture into a forest possibly monitored by the Bureau. He pulled Dizzy by her arm and pushed her away from him as hard as he could just in time for him to prepare himself for enemy's attack.

Justice dashed forward, fast yet silent as the wind. It extended its black claws, ready to pierce with its sharp-like sabers. The rows of swords came descending over Ky but he used his weapon to block them before it could even reach the level of his head. The Thunderseal, charged with current, weakened the impact of the blow by deflecting the Gear's physical properties. He pushed forward to gain enough distance away from the young woman. The predator fell back not very far, its feet sliding on the ground.

I'm just going to watch them somewhere safe. The intruder from the Bureau warily crept back behind the trees as pieces of dirt were thrown into the air.

The impact of the attack brought pain to Ky's knees, and the electrical current he used caused a slight numbness all over his body. But, such concerns were forgotten in battle. As soon as the Gear regained its balance, the former knight tried to stop any of its sudden movement with a lighting projectile. It successfully staggered the Gear, giving Ky the time to begin his sealing spell. However, Ky noticed that the Justice copy had quickly buried its tail on the ground just as it recovered from his stun, he moved back on time to barely dodge a number of spikes coming out of the earth. A few tore pieces of flesh from him.

He was almost immune to pain as all his mind focused on keeping the young woman safe, killing the abominable opponent was just as important. He dashed forward as the copy was pulling back its spikes. The short lag enabled Ky to land a clean slash on his opponent's body, his electricity burning its flesh. "Take that!"

Blood gushed off the the Gear's wound and Ky yet prepared another seal, expecting the Gear to fall back in a distance. But he was wrong. The wound, minor but supposedly painful, was ignored. Instead, it opened up its shoulders and charged a ball of energy on each. The beast had no instinct for survival; all it did was to follow its masters command. He was blocking its path, and must be removed.

Quickly devising a plan, he stabbed one of its sides with his charged sword, pulling it out quickly and landing a slash right afterward, nearly severing the arm off. It was enough to stop one attack and cause the Gear to cry a painful scream. But to Ky's shock, the other side hastened its firing. Ky had to respond fast by covering his whole body with a sphere of compressed particles, creating a shield for the incoming burst. The fake Justice's inferior gamma rays were deflected into different directions, scattering light and fire. Ky prayed that none of them will hurt Dizzy, but hoped that one would hit the person from the Bureau.

The clash ended with a loud boom and a blanket of smoke, blinding the former soldier to all that moved. "Dizzy where are you? Answer me!"

There were no answer for a few seconds as the smoke began to clear. He looked around frantically, scanning every detail he could see. Not far from him was Dizzy, her knees on the ground. But to his horror, Justice was approaching her from his right. He moved his weakened feet to run as the lightning sphere drained him well. Ky saw Dizzy ready herself to face her opponent, struggling to stand up. She raised her arm and her left wing moved with it, forming an crystal shield.

The relief the officer had when she saw her defense shattered when she fell back to the ground, holding her head and screaming. This gave the copy an opportunity to wrap the threads coming out of its arm around Dizzy, immobilizing her. Ky arrived just in time to hack its limb off. "Stay off her!" He growled as he cut them one by one. It was then he realized that he left his other side open-and it was too late do anything.

Justice's spiked tail spun around Ky, trapping him tightly, before hurling him into the hard, rocky ground. The impact heaved the young man into the air like rag doll that landed back into the ground, flat and lifeless.

Darkness filled his sight, his senses seemingly shut down and all that was left was the stinging pain in his head. No, he cannot be knocked out. They were going to get her. Wake up. His body felt light. The blackness disappeared as a white shadow clouded everything in his vision. "Open your eyes," he told himself.

Please! Wake up! He heard her call him and shortly, a painful scream pierced his ears. He needed to hurry, or else...

He'll lose her.

His sight, shut in the dark, slowly opened to the light escaping from the gaps of trees. He thought his ears heard faint, indiscernible sound, but the rest of his senses were still recovering from numbness, but he had to make haste. Were those sobs? Was she crying for help?

Then there were tears on his cheeks, warm and flowing. Was he crying? Maybe. But he really wasn't sure. Why would he cry in a time like this? He had no reason to. He needed to wake up.

The thought of failing to protect her was unbearable. He repeated the oath of a Holy Knight over and over in his mind, chanting it to wake himself. His eyes finally began to open, and soon, he was met by a hazy light that slowly traced a form; she hovered above him-a face of a human and he knew her well.

"...Dizzy?" Ky weakly called to her, his vision blurred from the minor concussions and the tears on the corner of his eye.

"Thank goodness..."

As she cried, golden tears fell down from her eyes. Each of the orbs glittered as her cheeks glowed with the sunset's light. They gently dropped on the young knight's face, sliding down as if they were his own.

Dizzy covered her face as she tried to stop her tears. "I was...so afraid. I-I'm so..."

As his sight recovered, the thought of Justice coming to attack Dizzy struck Ky as he remembered the real situation. His heart began to race as he was able to see blood drenched clothes and the same red liquid trickling down her head. He hastily struggled to lift his upper body by using his hands as support and sprang up with pain in the process.

"Ms. Dizzy! Are you alright? Where-"

But the rush of his mind to fight died down with the sight of a dismembered corpse nearby, nearly beyond recognition.

Justice...? Ky knew it was her but a part of him refused to believe what he was seeing. But the stench of blood was too strong to be unreal, the ground, and the both of them was soaked with it. She...did this! His eyes widened in awe of the sheer destruction her power brought. What's more terrifying in her was that it only took her mere seconds to do such a thing. That a gentle young woman like her wielded an immerse power like that, beyond her control was something that Ky pitied, he wished that she could help herself, but it's impossible on her own.

"Are you alright, Ms. Dizzy?" He asked again, now with a more concerned tone than a panicked one. He had to admit it, but it seems that with even the Bureau's resources, none can harm her physically. But again, like what happened in the past, their trying to cage her, and it was tearing her apart. "The Bureau...where did they-"

She remained seated by him, her hands still on her face as more drops fell on her lap. "He escaped...I'm sorry I didn't know what to do. I was, I was so...afraid."

"It was my fault..." He lifted his arm to put it on her shoulder, and a light pain pierced the side of his body because of his injuries. He wanted to comfort her. "If only I was able to-"

"I was so afraid." She cut him off. "When you got hurt, when you didn't move...I didn't know what to do. I thought lost you, I was so afraid. I was so afraid that I lost you."

The young officer was speechless. He had been thinking of protecting her all the time, but the reality was that he was the one whom she fought for. She was afraid for him, not for herself. It wasn't supposed to be that way. Ky forced back his composure and answered Dizzy with a low voice. "I am truly grateful that you saved me, but please Ms. Dizzy, do not burden yourself with me. It is my duty to protect you and I have failed." Now, what should I do? Should I contact the headquarters? But if I do they would...

There were more urgent matters to attend to, but he cannot distract himself from the thought that he probably owed her his life and she deserved the proper gratitude. He would have wanted her to receive that...if she weren't put in harm's way. "Promise me one thing-whatever happens, please don't risk yourself for me."

"Why? Why shouldn't I fight for someone like you?" Dizzy stood up, her expression, hurt.

"It is because...it's not a civilian's duty to protect an officer. I don't know what I'll do if something bad happened to you." He told her kindly, but with firmness in his voice. I don't know what I'll do if something happens to you Ms. Dizzy. It wasn't only her safety that he was concerned-she was dangerous herself, her powers unstable, uncontrollable, a painful fate on her shoulders. He was not only afraid for her, but afraid of her as well.

Yet, she was his friend, meeting her was unforgettable. Though he was sure that she might not feel the same way, he would fight to protect her to follow his duty, even if it would cost him his life. She deserved justice as much as everyone else.

"But friends fight for their friends..." She reasoned out.

"I...uh, Ms. Dizzy..." The tables turned, he had to rethink everything he would have said.

She looked at him with a curious look in her stare. "Yes?"

"I don't want to be rude but we've only met once before this incident." He didn't want to hurt her but he didn't want to encourage her either to be further attached to him. The incident with the Bureau and the Justice copy just confirmed that either of them was being watched in secret. Any of their meetings, either the one from the past or the current one would have been terribly perilous if the higher authorities were to know about it. He hoped that this would be the last, and the thought made him sad. It's for her sake. "You didn't need to risk your life for me." Ky slowly got up using his sword as his support, refusing the young woman's hand.

"Officer," she called him softly, "-don't you think I didn't know?"

"Huh?"

"I know that you're the one who removed the bounty on my head and faked my death, Johnny didn't need to tell me that." Dizzy silenced the young officer. What she said was true; he both committed a true act of kindness, which was, an act of deception to the public as well. Right but wrong. Good for her, bad for him.

She continued. "I hear you talk to Johnny over the radio sometimes, and Zepp joined in at one occasion. Also, you've always badly wanted to arrest Johnny, but you wouldn't do it seriously anyway for the crew's sake." Her eyes were fixed on his, crinkled and red with all her crying moments ago. "You may think I know nothing about what you did for me, but I know that you have kept me safe." The young woman was sincere yet straightforward. "Only you could have done such things, I know it could only be you."

"I-" The young man bowed down and scratched the back of his head, not knowing how to receive her words. "I guess...I can't deny anything."

"Therefore you're a friend to me."

"Ms. Dizzy-"

"A very important friend."

"I don't think-"

She leaned forward. "You are!"

"Then...I guess I am."

"And I haven't even thanked you yet." Dizzy finally reached her stumbling block after insistence after insistence. She then began to realize how embarrassing she was, spouting all those words without even thinking about them. "Oh my..."She felt heat on her cheeks as the officer stared at her, as if pressing her to continue. What should she do? Why were they even having this conversation! Dizzy breathed in a fair amount of air to quell her rising panic before finally saying what she really meant from the start. "I was so much of a trouble today. But then, officer, next time...I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise."

"Oh dear..."Ky used his hand to rub his forehead, running out of ideas. "Very well then, I'll count on you Ms. Dizzy." He said to her, amused with her persistence, his heart touched, admitting to himself that he liked that part of her.

"I won't disappoint you." Her lips curved into a gentle smile.

"I know you won't." Smiling back, he paused and reminded her: "But now we have a lot of things we must urgently take care of-this corpse and the Bureau..." He was stopped as the tip of the sun finally sank into the mountains, with it, withdrew the beams of light.

Danceljoy's Notes:

(*) I speculate the Crow wears some sort of a government outfit.

(*) The PWAB isn't directly or officially recognized as a government branch I my opinion, but of course, the connections are too obvious.

(*) The events of AC is said to have happened shortly after GGXX storyline, so I think Ky and Dizzy wouldn't have any meeting in that period. However...

(*) There was an incident with I-no in the Drama CD's. I speculate they wiped out Ky's memory in that event. Because I think the only time that I-No could have been abusing Dizzy was when she fell off the Mayship.

(*) The official art where Dizzy was in Ky's library before even AC was released might have been set after the events of the said game.

(*) Dizzy called the officer, "Ky-san" in AC though the subtitle omitted the suffix. I figure that that she wouldn't be formal with Testament as both of the are close friends, while Ky on the other hand, has some sort of authority. Therefore, "Mr. Ky Kiske," "Officer" or "Sir," would be more appropriate I think. How Ky addresses Dizzy could formal too, we can say that because we have never heard Ky utter her name before. (Maybe in GGX+, I haven't seen that one yet.)

(*) I necessarily put canon game lines here because this is essentially a retelling of AC. Trust me, I would have found it easier to put my own.