FireFox- Hello all. Thanks for the wonderful reviews. It inspires me to write more…now that I have time.
Ravin- *rolls his eyes*
FireFox- Oh well, whatever. I've really been busy. But I'll try to finish these last chapters pretty quickly.
Ravin- You don't do anything quickly.
FireFox- You would know^_~ Fine, quickly for me anyways.
Disclaimer: Our hearts are drunk with a beauty our eyes could never see.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Battle Griffin fell to the ground.
It had been drained of all it's energy. A weak growl escaped from it. It had given all, and it hadn't been enough. It had taken so much energy just to remain in this form without the organoid. Let alone fight the GenoBreaker. It had never encountered an opponent as strong as the GenoBreaker. It felt its pilot beginning to stir within the cockpit. At least, she was alive. It sensed the red GenoBreaker not to far away. The GenoBreaker was still had it's mobility…unlike the Battle Griffin. It just laid in the mud.
Andrea realized she was still alive…barely. The final blast of the charge partial gun had just about melted her zoid away to nothing. It's last remaining wing had been seared away to a third. Andrea could feel the faint pulse of the zoid core. A sigh relief. The rest of the zoid could be mended. Good job, my old friend…we've done all we can.
She checked to see if any of the systems had remained on-line. "Nope, not a single one, everything is dead," Andrea muttered to herself. What hadn't been fried, was now covered in mud. She looked to her left and noticed that the glass on the left side of her cockpit had been shattered. The mud had destroyed all the delicate circuitry that had been exposed. Not to mention the interior of the zoid, itself.
The other windows around the cockpit had been charred opaque from the heat of charged particle gun. Andrea unfastened the restraints and kicked open the hatchway manually. All systems were either frozen or dead.
She looked around her from the viewpoint of her downed zoid. She wouldn't abandoned it, now. If it hadn't been enough, then well…. She noticed the GenoBreaker still standing. It was in ruff shape, not quite as bad off as her Battle Griffin, but then she never really wanted to hurt Ravin, while he had wanted to kill her.
The oil and other fluids from her zoid had created the mud pit that her zoid now laid in. What was left of her zoid was covered in mud. A sigh welled up in her at the thought of all the repairs that needed to be made. The mud would make matters even worst. Even with Free Fall fused with zoid 24/7 it would take over five days. The wings would be the hardest part to regenerate. The Battle Griffin was such a complex piece of machinery. And it had received so much damage. Hardly anything of the original zoid was left.
Small patches of ground still glowed hot from the charged particle gun. Embers decorated the battle field. The field showed all the marks of the battle.
Andrea just didn't know what to do. It was all so hard. She tried to run her hand, absent mindedly, through her long hair only to notice that the BG wasn't the only one covered with the sloppy muck.
Then the rain started to fall.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
The cockpit flew open and Ravin fell to the ground. His minded was still spinning from all voices and battle. What happened?
He remembered voices…."But you still carry his gifts," "I have nothing!" "That's right," the voice said, "NOTHING is all he ever gave you and now you punish those around you! You blame others for the emptiness in your heart!"
"I know who you are. It is more than you know."
Yes, no one will speak your name; even your gravestone will stand silent. All is bequeathed to the twilight. And she will take all.
"If I am ever to know peace, Van must die. And if I must kill you, than so be it. You will not take all, after I am done with you." "What will you be left with, Ravin? After all your fighting is done? If death brings you peace, I will gladly lay down my life for your peace. But answer me, what will you be left with after all your fighting is done?"
"What right do I have? I have all the right in existence. For I am the twilight: all is bequeathed to me and I plan to take all."
"And I told you once, as long as I am, you will never be alone."
"I will love you till the heaven rains down to the earth, and I will always be with you till the stars crumbled from the night sky"
Did she even say the last part? Or was it wind? It's not like this would have been the first time for the wind to torture him with her voice. A hidden part of his heart hoped for the impossible.
Ravin pushed himself up from the ground. The last attack had taken more energy than he had bargained for. He managed to lift himself up enough to see Shadow fall to the ground. Shadow didn't get up.
"Shadow?" Ravin staggered over to where Shadow lay motionless on the ground. Ravin knelt down and pressed his face against the giant head. "Shadow?"
The organoid let out a weak growl, trying to reassure its master. It started to erect itself.
"No…Shadow…all your energy was spent on the last attack. Just rest."
Shadow shook off his worried master's hands. After many attempts, Shadow managed to stand. He growled comfortingly and nuzzled a side of Ravin's head.
The rain started to fall. It fell to the ground with a hiss, putting out the small fires that splattered the field and washing away the signs of battle. First it was only a small drizzle, but than it picked up.
"Soon, you won't be able to tell there was a battle here at all," Ravin commented to no one as he watch the smoke's arabesque patterns raise slowly into the air as the rain quenched the small fires.
"ggrrroowwlll," Shadow growled meekly at the sight of the Battle Griffin.
"Growl," Shadow nudge the frozen Ravin onward to the Battle Griffin. (Don't you want to see her if she is alright and not hurt?)
The color drained from Ravin's face, "What if I hurt her…or worst?"
"Rowl," Shadow rowl'ed soothingly. (I think she knew what would happen…but she still came looking for you)
"GROWL!" (Come on! I'm not waiting all day! Mauve wants to see his mistress again!)
Shadow threatened to drag Ravin over to the site where the Battle Griffin laid covered with sludge.
Ravin tried to push the organoid away. He couldn't help but smile at Shadow's confidence at the situation. Ravin wished he was so certain.
The rain continued to fall harder. It was starting to wash away some of the mud covering the Battle Griffin. Ravin's stomach turned as he saw the mangled shape it was in, but continued on his path towards it with Shadow bouncing behind him.
"ROOOAARRR!" (Hurry up…quit taking forever! Mauve's mistress could just be laying there hurt or bleeding. By the time we get there, the Battle Griffin will have turned to stone!) Shadow roared in the rain.
Ravin stopped dead cold and just stared ahead in the rain. The rain started to come down even harder. A lake was beginning to pool are the downed zoid. It had once looked so proud and beautiful, now all that remained was a defected hunk of metal. Ravin's heart skipped a beat as Shadow's words stung him.
"Roar." (Do not worry. The zoid core hasn't shut off. And she was always a one to be okay.)
Ravin took comfort in the truth of his organoid's growls. Perhaps if the zoid core is still alive…maybe she managed to… Ravin thought to himself. He looked down at the ground for the rest of the journey. He couldn't stand to see the damage he had done to Battle Griffin. He tried to make sense of why he had attacked her. Sure, he had said he hated her, never forgiven her when she left, and refused to admit her existence, but he had never…
He looked down at a small puddle of mud. He saw a guy that had no real purpose any more. 'You sure are a piece of work, guy. A priceless one-of-a-kind piece that's worthless.' Ravin thought to the image.
Ravin's head snapped up as he heard some noise coming from the zoid. His heart smiled as he saw the hatch to the zoid's cockpit being kicked opened. He watched as the object of his anxieties climbed onto the zoid's head for a better view the battlefield. He smiled sadly as she ran her hand through her now muddy brown hair.
He felt relief at the thought that she hadn't seen him yet as he continued to walk towards the zoid.
Andrea's heart leapt has she saw Ravin walking slowly to her zoid with Shadow limping agitated behind. Her smile softened as she heard Shadow roar something to Ravin. Shadow had his own ideas about who ordered who around at times. 'Probably telling him to pick up his pace,' Andrea smiled tiredly.
He noticed when her dark eyes flashed and caught sight of movement below. He stopped as she looked down at him in the first time for years. His heart stopped also. What little resolve he had began to break away, he knew he couldn't stand it again if she ran away again. He looked back at those dark eyes. Those eyes just seemed to be waiting…but waiting for what?
Her smile faded a little as Ravin looked up to her. His eyes looked like they felt so… Andrea couldn't quite place the emotion and it worried her. She didn't want to be the cause of any more pain to Ravin. She almost wished she had never meet him, because she had brought so much trouble to the boy. 'You're to selfish for that, Andrea, and you know it. Given the chance to do it all over again, you would make sure it was Shadow who found you.'
"Roar!" (Come on! She is waiting for us! Hurry up, Ravin!)
'Really, Ravin, can't you walk any faster. I swear by the time you get here I'll be an old lady!'
Ravin stopped and looked up at Andrea when he got to the foot of the zoid. All his hopes, fears, and dreams ran rampant through his body. He felt like they would tear him to shreds. He had to force himself to bring his eyes to meet hers.
"Hello again Ravin."
~*~*~*~*~
Van looked over to where Janine's jade eyes sat staring at the wreckage of the blue Blade Liger.
"Really Van, what is the point of giving you all this nice equipment just so you can go destroy it," sighed Janine. "It'll take awhile for all the repairs to be made. And there is no way of transporting it to a base or something. The thing would probably fall apart on the trip anyway."
"Fiona," Van mumbled quietly as he bent down to check on Zeke.
"Well when Thomas gets here, or more importantly Beek arrives, I can begin repairing the blue Blade Liger's systems. And Thomas can work with more delicate circuitry. And Irvine…well, he can just stand around and look hot or whatever he does," Janine ended in contempt.
"Don't you think the pilot of the strange zoid seemed very talented? I mean, with the GenoBreaker so damaged, even a regular pilot could stand a chance against Ravin? Right?" Van looked at Janine imploringly.
Something in his eyes told Janine that Van could easily believed that lie if she said it. He didn't want the truth, he wanted Fiona. Eclipse looked to his master to see what she would do.
"I don't know about a regular pilot," Janine trailed off. Van's eyes turned down to the ground. "But obviously, the pilot was not ordinary. I am sure she is very talented, more than anyone can know. And I am sure, she will do all within her power to keep Fiona and Moonbay safe."
Van looked at Janine questioningly. She turned back to the blue Blade Liger, afraid Van would press her about her connection. Eclipse only looked at the darkening sky.
"Rrrggggg."
"Thomas?" Janine turned to see what was troubling her organoid.
A golden streak was the only brightness in the sky. Gravity began to pull the beam down towards the earth. The ray fell with a clunk to the earth like a dead star.
The intense light started to fade revealing a golden dragon collapsed on the ground. Before the light totally faded to nothing, it released it's passengers.
A confused girl looked around trying to figure out where the aurous organoid had taken her and her friend.
"Fiona!"
"Van?! You're okay!" Fiona's heart screamed with joy.
Van caught Fiona tight in hug and spun her around in the rain. He pulled her head close to his heart.
"Fiona I am so glad you are okay…when Zeke said he sensed you in that strange zoid that challenged Ravin and I couldn't even stand to help…I was so worried. You don't know what it is like to be so close and not be able to help the one you love if your life depended on it," Van traced her facial features with his hands, reassuring that she was indeed okay.
"I know the feeling," Fiona slowly pulled away slightly from Van as his words sunk in, "oh Van, I thought we would be stranded forever in that desert. I was so afraid I wouldn't get here in time."
The two stood together heedless of the downpour.
Moonbay looked on at the pair with a smug smile on her face, 'Well it IS about time those two got their act together.'
Janine only turned a paler shade of white and shook her head, "Oh no…no, no. Get up, come on, get up, damnit!" she silently urged the dirt mound behind the two lovers, not even aware of their existence.
Eclipse roared, trying to challenge the mound up. Getting madder and madder, it continued to roared. It looked furiously at the silver one's masters. Didn't they understand anything!
Janine pushed through Van and Fiona without even acknowledging their existence. She rushed to the dead gold.
It's neck was strangely askew as if it were broken and one of the wings were folded back oddly. Janine quickly pushed that thought from her mind, she didn't even dare think about what would cause the owner to order the organoid away. She only concentrated on the organoid with all her soul and mind.
Janine's tears mixed with the rain as she grabbed the organoid's two horns and straightened out the long neck. Lovingly she bent the wings back in the correct position. Nothing seemed broken with the organoid, but why wouldn't it get up? Janine buried her face on the organoid. NO!
Moonbay scowled at the girl, "Look here, do you just think you can just ruin a moment like that?! Why they have been waiting for years," Moonbay threatened the girl.
"It doesn't matter now," Janine mumbled.
"What did you say," Moonbay walked closer to the girl about to pull out her stupid green locks when the red organoid jumped between her and its master.
"Ambient?" Moonbay stammered.
At the mention of that name, the red organoid growled even louder. It warned Moonbay with it's snapping teeth that if she continued on this course, she might lose something very precious to her.
Van held Fiona close to him as he yelled for Zeke to protect Moonbay.
"Roar!" (Don't you dare harm the loud one!)
"Roorrrgggahhh!" (Back down silver one! You don't intimidate me. You barely can stand.) It sneered. It was so angry at them all. Didn't they understand? How could they not? The blonde headed one should have! It had been fused with her! Eclipse angrily turned its head to the blonde headed one. It was so angry.
Sensing the malice towards Fiona, Zeke lunged for the back of the red organoid's neck. Eclipse roared in pain and defiance.
Fiona hid herself in Van's embrace as Zeke fought a losing battle. She could fell Ambient's rage at them all echo in her own bones.
The rain fell without mercy.
Zeke lunged again at the red organoid, but Zeke was just so tired. The crimson organoid ducked its head easily and dug his horns into Zeke's stomach. Rolling its head, it threw Zeke down.
"That's enough, Eclipse."
The organoid threw a glancing look at it's master and turned its attention back to Zeke.
Janine stood up, her eyes swimming with fury and helplessness. "I said that's enough Eclipse," she hissed.
Eclipse stopped in its tracks and turned back to his master.
"What are you doing with Ambient?" screeched Moonbay.
Janine smiled sadly at her organoid, "Ambient, uhh? So that's what she meant" She glanced up at Moonbay with a sinister smile, "The blood red eclipse will surround all without their knowing. The blood red eclipse is ambient."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
FireFox- I couldn't resist the play on Ambient's name. All the organoids' names are actual words, except Zeke of course.
I am so sorry I didn't get this posted sooner. I just got a new computer^_^ Yay! And wouldn't you know it, my computer didn't have MircoSoft works like my old but a different program. So I had to covert all my .wps documents...and I had a lot^_^U Then I noticed I was out of CD's to burn them too.
So. Here it is. I hope it is good. Thanks to my loyal reviewers.
Please review^_^