In the far reaches of the Milky Way, there exists a Planet that is riddled
with mystery, war, and disaster. This Planet is Zi. On this planet,
ZOIDS, metallic animals, thrive. After the seismic disasters, earthquakes
and violent volcanic eruptions, stopped in ZAC 1800, the people existed in
relative peace. In the late 1800's the tribes of the Central Continent
start to fight over the increasingly scarce supply of food. The population
rapidly grew among the fifty or so tribes. The chief of the Wind Tribe,
Helic Murlowa combined the Central Continent, ended the conflicts, and
becomes the first king in ZAC 1957. That same year, he has a son, Helic
II. Helic II's mother is also from the Wind Tribe. Two years later, King
Helic has another son named Zenevas. Zanevas' mother was Helic's second
wife from the World-Core Tribe. Then, in the year 1978 "The First Age of
Wars on the Central Continent" began. King Helic died, and Helic II
disintegrated the monarchy, and became the president of the new republic.
Zanevas is appointed supreme commander of armed forces. That same year,
the Republic Assembly frames Zanevas and he is exiled. Zanevas goes to the
World-Core Tribe and builds an Empire in the western Central Continent.
Two years later, the First Continental War breaks out. In ZAC 2029 an
earth life-ship crash lands on the Central Continent, and as a result,
military technology quickly updates. One year later, the first of many
mass-produced ZOIDs appear, named the Gojulas. War on Planet Zi becomes
more intense and brutal. In ZAC 2031 "The Second Age of Wars on the
Central Continent" starts with the first ZOIDs armed race, whereas before,
the fighting had been done with human armies, now it's with mechanical
organisms. The next year, the Battle of Aldanne, the first battle with
modernized ZOIDs happens, and the Republic wins the battle. That same
year, the Empire produces the giant- battle ZOID, the Iron Kong, which
looks like a giant ape. But in 2056, a meteorite crashes into one of Zi's
three moons causing the moon to break up and fall to Zi. That was the
beginning. Prince Rudolph, under Regent Prozen's protection, leader of the
Empire after the death of his grandfather, declares a cease-fire, and the
war is temporarily ended. Prozen, in a fit of madness used the girl Fiona
to reawaken a devastating ZOID, the Deathsaurer. It was destroyed by Van,
and Prozen was believed to be killed. That was the end, or was it? A boy
named Van, earlier in the story, who claims to love ZOIDS, stumbled upon
the find of the century. An unknown type of ZOID called an organiod, which
has the ability to merge with other ZOIDS and people to save that person
and/or ZOID. He also discovers a girl named Fiona, and they started a
journey to find out about Zoid Eve, a memory from her distant past. It was
determined that Fiona was an Ancient Zoidian, with connections to Zeke,
other organiods, and Van. They continue their adventure, trying to unlock
the mysteries of Zoid Eve, and Fiona's past.
That is the true beginning of our story. Van sat up and yawned. It seemed like forever since he had found his two best friends, Fiona, the strange girl who loved salt in her food, and Zeke, the silver organiod. Both were dearer to him than himself, and he would have died to prove it.
'AUGH!' he cried, disturbing the fragile morning peace with his groan.
'Hmmm?' mumbled Fiona, still in sleeps grasp.
'Oops! Sorry 'bout that Fiona!' Van said, embarrassed at having his friend woken up on account of him.
'It's okay Van. How about I start breakfast? I promise not to put salt in the coffeepot!' she giggled looking at his mutinous expression, and started working, frying eggs, bacon, and cutting up freshly dried papaya, Van's favorite.
'Van?'
'Yeah?' he answered.
'I've been thinking'
'You know, that can be pretty dangerous to your health!' he joked.
'Stop joking! I'm serious!' Van rolled onto his back.
'So? What have you been thinking about?' Fiona sighed. With a slight breeze in the wind, making her hair shift, she thought again of the nightmare that had griped her heart during the long, black night. Fiona was an ancient Zoidian, who had special bonds with Zeke, all organiods, ZOIDS, and Van. She also could have premonitions, and sense things. She also thought she was the doom of the planet.
'I've been thinking about a lot of things. I had another nightmare last night.' That made him roll over. Van knew that when Fiona had a nightmare, you had better listen!
'Seriously? What about Fiona?'
'The Death Saurer, Prozen, and Raven. It was so horrifying! The Death Saurer started shooting the Blade Liger, Zeke, and you! Prozen stood there laughing at me while I cried over your bodies. Then Raven appeared and said " You're the death of us all Alisi Lynette!" and then." she trailed off.
'Wow! That's one heck-of-a dream! I wonder if it means Prozen is still alive? But he died with the Death Saurer, didn't he Fiona? You saw it too, right? Well, I guess that means we better find Zoid Eve even quicker than I thought we needed too!'
'Van. There's more.' She said haltingly. Van listened in horror and pity to Fiona's next freakish dream. In it, Irvine and Moonbay, their old friends die in a charged particle beam, and then the planet of Zi explodes! Van soaks up all the misery Fiona had to deal with and gives her a hug.
'I wonder how, in your dream I mean, I wonder how Raven knew your ancient name? We never told him, and the only other people who knew were Gramps, Moonbay, and Irvine. Or did we tell anyone else? I can't remember!'
'Oh, well! We'll find out what my dream means when we're supposed to I guess!' said Fiona, beaming to be able to get that off her shoulders.
'Hey ZEKE!' she called in her sing-song voice happily, ' Lets go find Zoid Eve!' /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Hours later, in the middle of the endless, scorching desert, Zeke finally broke down and jumped on top of the Liger.
'Poor Zeke! He must be sweltering out there!' moaned Fiona sympathizing with the baking organiod.
'Gimme a break! It must be a hundred degrees in here! The Liger's gonna over-heat and then we will be in major trouble!' Van griped. Fiona smiled. They were off to another set of ruins, where hopefully; they would find another answer to their many questions about Zoid Eve.
'Calm down Van! We'll be there shortly.' They soon were. And wished they weren't. A mass graveyard of Sleeper ZOIDS was on the ground. They had seen this once, a long time ago, when they had first met.. Raven! /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Fiona shivered in the warm night air. She wasn't cold, far from it in fact, but the thought of Raven always scared her. She didn't mean to be, she knew that's what Raven lived off: other people's fear of him. So, she was ashamed to be so scared and travelling with Van.
"You silly girl!" her mind screamed at her, " Van's braved countless dangers for you, and you get scared at some ZOIDS pilot!" "Ah, but when Raven is the pilot in concern." her logical self told her. She finally drifted into an uneasy sleep. Meanwhile, Van had worries of his own, only his were about Fiona.
" Should I really take her into a battle, knowing that she and I might not get out alive? Or is there another menace out there for her, not me?" he pondered far into the night, until sleep overcame his treacherous eyes.
'VAN!' screamed a dying Fiona, with a wounded Zeke next to her. She was sobbing. ' I'll never forgive you!' she yelled at him, 'Never!' He woke up sweating. Fiona slept serenely, or at least it looked like she did. And Zeke, well, Zeke could have been dead! "Man! He sleeps like there's no tomorrow!" Van thought to himself. He drifted into a dreamless sleep. And woke up to Fiona shaking him.
'Van! You have to get up! We've got to get away from this place!' Zeke was roaring his disapproval at him. Apparently, explosions were happening all over the abandoned complex they'd found. Raven was house calling.
'Zeke! Are you okay, buddy?' Van yelled through the volley of explosions. He got a throaty roar in answer. They leapt over falling stones as the roof caved in about them. Fiona was clearly frightened, of Raven, or the explosions happening around them he didn't know. Van raced across an open field to the last place they had set the Blade Liger down for the night. It was no longer there. Van screamed in frustration. Fiona calmly accessed the situation, watching Van and Zeke to what they were going to do. Suddenly, behind them, they heard a voice on a loudspeaker;
'Well what do you know. I'm sent to guard some lousy old ruins, and up runs my playmate. Van. I hope you do better than those terrible Sleepers.'
'Aaargh! Raven! How many more ZOIDS are you going to kill?! Why don't you understand that when someone loses a ZOID, it HURTS!!?' And with that angry scream of rage, he leapt at the Genosaurer.
'Van!' yelled Fiona, 'Don't go near him, there's more here than meets the eye!'
'Kinda like you, huh Fiona?' Raven said mockingly, holding Van away with a huge, metal foot, ready to crush him into the sand. Fiona didn't respond to Raven, instead, she turned to Van.
'Please, Van! Let's just get the Liger and go!' she yelled, close to tears. Zeke roared his approval, even though he was aching to do battle with this monster, and Shadow, Zeke's very own nemesis. Shadow appeared, as if on cue, on the Genosaurer's shoulder. Suddenly, obeying Raven's command probably, he leapt at Fiona and Zeke. Van gave a yell.
'Raven! You leave Zeke and Fiona out of this!' he called. Raven ignored him. Instead, he scooped van up in one of the Genosaurer's tiny hands, then dropped Van, thirty feet down, to land dazed and sputtering sand out of his mouth. Raven laughed darkly.
'Heh-heh. Don't you worry Van; you're getting the organiod back. Fiona, on the other hand.' he trailed off with a malicious look on his face, while he smiled grimly. Enjoying the battle in his own, demented way. Suddenly he yelled one word.
'SHADOW!'
The black organiod came bursting back from the ground, where a hideous battle unfurled between the two organiods in a battle for Fiona, the ancient Zoidian who could sense ZOIDS thoughts. Fiona sensed this battle would go for worse, and, obeying Van's silent command, she made a run for it, into the desert. This is what Raven saw, and quickly calling his organiod from his foolish battle between him and Zeke. Shadow nimbly danced around Zeke and grabbed Fiona. She couldn't repress a scream, as the organiods dagger-like fingers closed around her arms, holding her helpless as Shadow pulled her into the Genosaurer's cockpit. She was screaming for help, and she gave Zeke a last, despairing thought, "take care of him Zeke." Zeke roared. She allowed herself to be put in the seat behind Ravens. Defenseless, the silver organiod watching the evil man disappear with one of his best friends. With a jolt, he remembered Van, and jumped over to him.
'Zeke. Fiona.' and with those last words, Van faded, unconscious, into an inky blackness. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Fiona, meanwhile, was coming face-to-face with one of her greatest fears. Van possibly dead, and no rescue from the many horrors that went through her very active imagination. Raven had completely ignored her, which, she thought with a sigh, could be for the better. Raven, as if sensing her thoughts, turned and using some rope, tied up her legs, arms, hands, feet, and gagged her. Then he snorted at her weakness. He then walked quietly away, and began to confer with Shadow. Even though Raven and Shadow were too far away to physically hear them, she could always try to mentally 'hear' their words through Shadow. As soon as Shadow felt her soft, hesitant touch in the back of his mind, he jerked quickly in Fiona's direction. Raven understood, and soon enough, Fiona was locked in one of the Genosaurer's many compartments. Now she was too far away to make contact through Shadow's mind. She let herself drift into an uneasy sleep. Hours passed. Fiona woke to the smooth gait of the Genosaurer, she was behind Raven again, and still tied up. She groaned softly, but not to softly for Raven's keen ears.
'So you're up. Good. We'll be arriving shortly.' He said, almost mocking her for her known fears.
'Where are you taking me Raven?' she asked around the gag in her mouth.
'Somewhere.' Was his vague, yet purposeful response. And somewhere it was. On the outside it was shabby, and unkempt. But on the inside. On the inside, it was expensively furnished, and gracefully decorative. Fiona looked on in wonder. What kind of a person would arrange to meet her here?
Meanwhile.
Van was beating himself dizzy after he had woken and remembered that Raven had kidnapped Fiona. Zeke watched with sympathy at his friend. He felt the same way, but Zeke was in some strange way smarter than anyone gave him credit for. After a while Van finally came to his senses and decided to follow Raven's ZOIDs footsteps.
'Come on Zeke! We have to go rescue Fiona! She could be in really big danger. This is really just like her dream! Which means.' Zeke heard a sharp intake of breath from Van. 'Prozen!' Zeke hissed at the name.
'Yeah, I know what you mean, buddy.' Both were remembering how insane Prozen was, or how he had once kidnapped Fiona himself, to wake up the Deathsaurer four years ago.
"Poor Fiona" both of her friends thought.
'Well, Zeke old pal, looks like we gotta make good time. And that means that you gotta fuse with the Liger, buddy. But first,' he said with a smile, 'we have to find where Raven took the Liger!' And they were off. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
A voice came from out of the many shadows in the dimly lit room.
'Welcome Fiona Alisi Lynette.' He said the name tauntingly, even cruelly, from where he sat on his velvet covered chair, and surrounded with delicate cushions. He had many burn scars on his face, but he didn't seem to mind very much at her stares of horror. It almost looked like he wanted her to fear him. And she did. With good reason. Prozen sat in the main room and greeted Fiona with a sardonic smile. Raven followed Fiona, like he was walking an obedient dog. Her feet were unbound, and had many rope burns on them. Her hands were tied behind her back, but her head had been held proudly erect, until she saw. him! Now she was scared. What was all this about? And how did this involve her? She waited for Prozen or Raven to talk to her and answer these questions. Finally Prozen started talking. It seemed to Fiona like he was hiding something, but she couldn't tell what. After all, he wasn't a ZOID, or Van. After thinking about Van, she immediately wanted to start crying, but with a surprising strength from one so seemingly fragile, didn't. Then she realized she had trailed off into her own thoughts and started listening to Prozen's bragging.
'. It was very hard to find you; after all, you and that brat are always together. But Raven was the only one I could trust this mission to. And now, I've put this off far too long, my dear Fiona,' he said abruptly, smiling a peculiar smile at her, 'Let me introduce you to. Reece and Specula!' A girl, with high cheekbones, short blue hair with blue eyes stepped from the shadows. She had a circle in the middle of her forehead, and dressed with loosely fitting clothes. 'Quite an attractive pair don't you think?' Prozen continued, 'And, I'm told, Reece remembers all of her memories, so I'm sure you'll get along fine.'
Fiona gasped. 'What?! What are you talking about?'
Prozen says to her harshly, 'That Reece is an Ancient Zoidian like you. We have much to discuss, you and I, Fiona. But that will have to wait. I see Raven has already drugged you. Good night Alisi.' Before her thoughts blanked out, she caught the name. "Ah! I told him my name when I. first. remembered." she tried to call to Van, but, too quickly, she fainted. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\
'Hey, Zeke, could you sense something, just then? No? Well, then let's keep searching for the Blade Liger.' Van commented. Then he yelled in frustration, 'Aaaargh! What did that weasel do to the Liger? Can't you sense it Zeke?' He got a disapproving growl at him from the organiod.
' I'm not blaming you! Did I ever say that pal? Well, I guess we should do this quickly. Come- Wait! I think I see it! Wow, we found it! Yeah! Come, on let's move it, and go after Fiona and Raven!' He jumped into the Zoids cockpit and put the control to full pace. It wasn't long before they came upon Raven's campsite. "Hmm. Here's Raven's, and that's Shadow's foot print, but where's Fiona's? Ah, there hers are.' He sighed. At least they knew she was alive. Zeke was almost trembling with relief.
"Well it's gonna be a long night," he thought wearily, with the two moons of Zi shining down on his spent face and that of his silver organiod's. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Reece stared at Fiona's beautifully relaxed face. The day had dawned bright and early. This was how Fiona always looked when she was sleeping, without a nightmare. Reece admired the look of her, all the while hating every pore of her, every breath she took, every rise and fall of the drugged body. Reece was aware of how much Fiona had. Van loved her. She went on adventures, while all Reece had ever done was be used as a tool. Not that she minded by controlling people's minds. It was her unique talent. She smiled wryly. She had often been called the 'blue devil' but she had either ignored them, or killed them. They were just ignorant's and peasants to her mind.
"Well, now she will know the feeling of being controlled." She thought with relish. Reece wore blue everything, because her organiod was blue. Specula stared with disinterest at the sleeping blonde, and quietly murmured a low growl to its master.
'No, we can't kill her. Seemingly, Prozen thinks she's useful. For what, I don't know.' She replied to her dejected 'pet'. The organiod grumbled quietly, and went to explore the room. It was as beautifully decorated as the rest of the house, only Fiona's room was definitely a cell. There were iron bars on the windows, and the handle on the door had no lock from the inside. Reece had left the door open when she came in, and dismissed the guards. Fiona was sprawled on a king-size bed, and Reece was visiting the sleeping beauty. "I had wondered why Prozen was so interested, well, now I know. But I can't recall the name Alisi from my memories, I wonder why? Could it be that she is purposefully blocking my intellect? But that's impossible! Could there be something about that fragile girl that I underestimated? Possibly." Reece pondered. Briefly, she recounted her memories of Zi's distant past, with Specula at her side. In the end, she had been sent to sleep, just because of a few cases of mind-control and murder. She smiled malevolently, remembering her mind control bugs, which she had of the thousands. She could communicate through them and see through them. They were her 'spy bugs'. She contemplated the blonde's fate. She could briefly recall some sort of doom and a terrible ZOID, but that was it. Also, strangely enough, Reece couldn't access Fiona's dreams or thoughts. Normally, Ancient Zoidians are very much akin to each other's feelings, thoughts, and moods.
'What's the matter? Examining her wardrobe?' asked a mocking voice from the now-open doorway.
'Raven!' Reece hissed in reply, 'she's asleep, you fool. Do you want to wake her?'
'Actually, I want to kill her, and see Van's horrified face as I kill her.
'Ah. So you do like her.'
'Did I say that Reece? No, what I only want to do is-'
'To ruin Van's life.' She finished for him with a haughty, yet soft chuckle. Raven smiled one of his enigmatic smiles.
'You have to go. Prozen wants to talk to you over his tea.' Raven said smiling even more. Reece left the large bedroom. Wondering at Raven's odd behavior. Specula followed, groaning. She went for Prozen's rose garden, knowing where he would be.
"My, he has a taste for the extravagant. It must have cost a fortune for him, not to mention the hospital bills for those scar burns," she thought with scorn. She continued walking through the maze of hallways until she reached her destination. Prozen was exactly where she thought he would be. He beckoned to her, motioning a gilded chair. She sat. So did her organiod.
'I suppose you're wondering why I've been wanting to talk to you.' He began, but she cut her off.
'You want me to mind control Fiona to do your bidding and to look into her locked memories.' Reece stated. Specula growled in agreement.
'You can still amaze me when you don't read peoples mind, you know that Reece? That is exactly what I want you to do. I also want revenge on her boyfriend. That boy Van gave me these scars, and he's going to pay; one way or another.' An ugly look of hatred crossed his face, adding to the ugliness of his scars, but it disappeared almost instantly later by one of pleasant contentment.
'You know, I had thought of torturing her just to see his pitiful face. But then I found you! What a coincidence! And I suppose I pay well, don't I Raven?' He called to the once-empty doorway.
' I suppose.' Raven said brazenly. Prozen smiled at Raven.
'Raven is going out to find Van. I want to, ah, personally make sure he doesn't get hurt while trying to find poor, helpless Fiona. By the way, Raven did you lock the door after you went into her room?' he said harshly. Raven was undaunted.
'I believe so, Prozen.'
'Then go check.'
Raven skidded away, with his silent organiod behind them. Reece would never admit it, but sometimes Shadow scared her a bit. She sighed, just a little. Prozen couldn't look happier. His face was lit with an almost insane joy on his face. Reece didn't know if it was because of Fiona, or the troublemaker named Van. They could suddenly hear rushing footsteps. They weren't Ravens, or Shadows.
'Sir, excuse me, sir, but we've lost the Zoidian girl!' said a soldier, who looked like he was about to have his head cut off, and indeed, it looked like that was exactly what Prozen would do. He was seething with suppressed rage at the fools who had let her, the one thing he needed, escape.
'Find her, you fools!' He snapped at the guard. The guard's immediately withdrew to go search the desert, while some soldiers stayed behind to protect the talkers. Reece laughed with mirth.
'I expect Raven is already looking for her?' she asked one of the guards nearby.
'Yes ma'am' he answered, starting at the question.
'Thank you,' she answered, trying very hard not to laugh at the simpleton. 'You may leave, and take all of the guards out of the Rose Garden. If I find even one when I search, I shall kill him. Or her.' She added with an after thought. 'Now! Dismissed!' He saluted her, and trotted off, gathering his fellow comrades, a little shaken.
'Prozen, let me contact her, try to make her turn around and run back here! It would be practice, and what's the point of not having a little fun in all this mayhem?' she half asked, half pleaded. He thought it over, thinking through all the pro's and con's before deciding.
'Try.' He said, with a smirk to himself. 'You might find her will hard to dominate. Just try and convince, don't force her, I want to see what both of you can do.'
She fumed at the comment that she couldn't hold her own. She repressed the emotion, and busily set to work, trying to find the pale blonde, running across the noon desert. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Fiona had woken up to a splitting headache, and fear. No one was in the room with her, so she deemed it safe to stand. As she stood, she remembered what Prozen had said, the day before. Or was it a few hours ago? She couldn't think straight. Dizzily, she took account of her surroundings.
"Prozen always had a flair for expensive things," she thought wearily.
"But wait! The door is lightly ajar, and there aren't any guards in sight." She realized excitedly that this is her chance at escape. She wouldn't wait for Van, she didn't like being a damsel in distress. So she grabbed a few apples from the fruit dish by her bedside and ran. She got out easily enough, no real close calls, and was running for all she was worth towards the vast desert. She was terrified, and her fearful brain made her think that she was being followed every two minutes. After she had run quite a long way, and the run-down house was a speck on the horizon, she stopped for her scanty dinner. Two bites of an apple. She was too tired to eat anymore.
"And besides, it's not like I need the food. I'm going to have to ration it.' And with that last thought, sleep overtook her. She thought she was safe from animals, and wild ZOIDS, but she had forgotten who had been employed to get her. A dark shadow quietly slipped through to where Fiona slept. She jerked up; some unknown fear having woke her. She saw something around the edge of her vision. She quietly gathered up her meager supplies, and started walking quietly towards an oasis toward the west that she could visible make out, even if it was fast growing into the afternoon. She hoped the shadow did not see her, or follow her. But it was doing both, unknown to her.
'Van, help me! I'm so scared.' She whispered to herself, continuing walking. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Van started. It had appeared that he had 'seen' Fiona, walking alone in the desert. He shuddered. It was late afternoon, and Van and his organiod had bedded down for the night. Zeke was angry. He had wanted to keep going after his friend, to save her, and help her defeat this enemy that frightened his human friends so. Briefly, Zeke could feel her, which meant that she might be very close, or that she is far away, and strong. Somehow Zeke sensed that this was neither. He wondered how this was, but could find no answer. But he truly missed Fiona's gentle hugs when he was upset with Van, or the way Van used to get mad at Fiona when she dumped water on his head to cool him off. He laughed to himself, his anger disappearing just like his friend had. That thought made him somber once more. He contemplated how much Fiona really meant to himself, and Van. He realized that Fiona is the key to keeping them all together. Suddenly, Van spoke.
'You miss her, don't you?' he asked quietly in a soft voice. 'I do too.' They stared up quietly at the now visible stars, and fell asleep to their favorite memories of times together. Zeke saw his ancient friend come from the pod she had slept in, and the one he had slept in as well. He saw her arguing with Van, about everything! He smiled in a way that only an organiod could. Van, however, was thinking of different times. All the hugs, all the laughs, and all the fun was because of his friends; Zeke, Fiona, and the now missing pair of Irvine and Moonbay. He knew that they were safe, but they had given up working on Zoid Eve after the Deathsaurer, everyone kind of spread apart, went their separate ways. He sighed.
"I know I won't be able to sleep with her out there somewhere, possibly in danger." Aloud he said, 'Zeke, lets get some sleep buddy.' And eventually, sleep did overcome his eyes, but only because he was so fatigued, and worried. And they both slept, and they both dreamed. Their dreams were full of shadows, and whispers in the dark. They didn't realize that Fiona was trying to contact them, only dismissed them as nightmares caused by the night sounds coming from the desert they were surrounded by. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Prozen stared at a picture sitting on his desk. It was of two people and an organiod. The two people were Van, and Fiona. The organiod was Zeke. Prozen stared at hatred at Vans young features. The picture was a year old, that one of his younger spies's had taken to put in the file for his enemies. He hated Van Flyhieght. Van had spoiled everything. He would be ruling the whole world of Zi right now, with his beautiful face unmarred by ugly explosion scars. When the Deathsaurer had blown up, seemingly, he had been burned to death. Not true. He had escaped, using the force of the air exploding as a wave, and all he had to do was surf on the edge to freedom. But his face had been disfigured, and he was easily recognizable with these distinctive burns as markers. His hair had partially been scorched off, and his was short, like before he had found Raven, as a child. He still had those famous two hairs out of his head. He just couldn't have his ponytail. He sighed tiredly. He had been up all night revising and editing his master plan. He was still confident that he would have a total victory, and have the pleasure to kill Flyhieght. That put him in a better frame of mind, and he set off to find the guards to see if they had found Fiona yet. They hadn't.
"That child is getting cunning. I hope Raven finds her. Reece still hasn't moved from her trance to find that girl from where ever she ran to. I still can't believe the incompetence of the guards. I had ordered them to watch that cell day and night.' He silently fumed himself into a temper.
'Calm down, or you will make those burns reopen again.' Said his special nurse, as she came in to help him with the still new pain of the hideous wounds. She bustled about efficiently, while Prozen talked to her. He had come to trust her over the months that she had helped him. He knew she could be possibly dangerous to him, but he didn't care, this was the only person he could talk to without being constantly sieged by 'yes sir!' He didn't want that. What he wanted was someone's real, true, unpaid comments on what he was doing. He slowly retold his tale of short glory.
'So, Raven caught Fiona-' he broke off when he saw the nurse start and drop a case of medicine labeled 'painkillers'. She had never dropped anything before in front of him.
'I'm so sorry Gunther!' he had given her permission to call him by her first name. He dismissed the incident.
'It's all right. Anyway, Raven captured Fiona, while managing to injure Van!' he said gleefully. This time the nurse remained stoic to his disturbing words. She turned. Black braids and tawny skin greeted him with a smile. A starched nurse jacket was hung over a familiar orange outfit. She dimpled and curtsied.
'Prozen.' She said, ' let me help you reclaim the throne of Zi!' she said passionately.
'Of course Moonbay!' He said, startled, and pleased. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Van woke up to the sun touching his eyes, and Zeke's growling to get up, get moving. He grumbled back. Zeke wanted him to get up so they could keep looking for Fiona. Zeke almost wanted to hit him with his tail, but the momentary anger was gone soon.
'Man, I wish I had some Papaya!' Van said, trying to lift the uneasiness between the two. 'That would really make things easier, huh! Lets roll Zeke! Mobilize!' He cried, while Zeke leapt into the Liger. Zeke started walking at a rapid pace towards the endless dessert. They had been walking for hours when they were bombarded by enemy missiles. Van, using his piecemeal training to help his speed, and concentration. He growled along with Zeke and used his blades to cut the visible guns in half. He looked, and saw a dozen black Redlars, a lot of Rev Raptors, and a few command wolves coming towards them. Van was shocked at the amount of ZOIDS this place had. Suddenly, a ram-shacked cottage had appeared in front of his vision.
Meanwhile..
'Sir, shields are down! A stray bullet shattered the main reactor!' A technician barked to Prozen, who barked back,
'What am I paying you fools?!' The poor excuse for an army immediately quivered, and everyone stood stock- still.
'Well?' Prozen spat at them. They moved quickly, shifting around Reece, who was sweating, and grinding her teeth faintly. Prozen smiled, mockingly at Reece. Fiona was more powerful than she would ever have expected, as he had known.
'She will be a worthy prize,' he thought, imaging Van's horrified features as he watched her be killed. Or maybe he would reverse it, and watch Fiona's face. But that would ruin the death that Prozen had planned for him. So Prozen sat, enjoying his classic ways to murder people. Van was here!
'Sir! Van Flyhieght is here! We've bombarded him, but so far, have not sufficiently damaged his ZOID, should we let him surrender?' A nervous wreck of a man asked him. For the thousandth time, Prozen wished for Harding. She had been a prime soldier, and devoted for him, but had lost her life tragically. Instead he smiled at Moonbay, sitting tensely at a seat next to him.
'She is scared of the soldier's guns poor girl,' he thought sadly, forgetting that Moonbay had done her fair share of gun fighting.
He ordered curtly, 'Send out the Black C.W. and the pilot that it belongs too,' smiling at Moonbay, he said, 'our best!'
'No kidding' she said under her breath.
'Aha, he will bring that brat to his knees!' Prozen said, comforting himself. 'Besides, one half of Van's brains and team are missing!' he laughed pleasantly. The guns fired, and Van dodged the all, but didn't notice the black Command Wolf that was in sniper position fire at him. Van cursed himself for being so unobservant. The black command wolf motioned the other pilots to leave. It was obvious to the other soldiers that this was a grudge match, so they quickly backed out. The black Command Wolf led him away from the house and deeper into the desert. Then, the black Zoids pilot abruptly cut off all communications between himself and his base, saying the Blue Liger had hit him hard, before he terminated the line. Then he relaxed, and leapt out of his cockpit, walking calmly towards the massive metallic animal that threatened his life. He put his arms up in the universal signal of 'I surrender.' He had remained passive, and had not spoken a word to the brash young Van.
'Why hello Van, funny seeing you here,' he said in his deep voice.
'Irvine!' Van yelled joyously, jumping from his cockpit to embrace his former travelling companion. Irvine didn't noticeably appreciate the emotion. Irvine made sure his boss and his cohorts couldn't see him, then made it look like the Liger and Wolf had fought placing them on their sides, with the help of Zeke. Not missing his continued joke with Van, Irvine said,
'Say, Zeke aren't you tired of Van by now?' ducking Van's punch, and yell; 'Irvine!' Irvine laughed. He was impressed that Zeke and Van were still traveling together.
'What'cha been up to Van?' He asked, jumping back in his Zoid to pilot it away from Prozen's stronghold.
'I could ask the same thing from you Irvine.' Van grew somber as he started asking questions of Irvine, hurtling them like accusations when it came to Fiona. 'Why are you with these people? They attacked me you know! Where's Moonbay? Do you know where Fiona is? Is she hurt? Where's Raven? How did you get in this guy's army?' He continued relentlessly until Irvine stopped him, saying that this would be a good place to start talking. They had stopped at a lush oasis, which resembled the one where Fiona had been walking towards.. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Fiona trembled, scared to her wit's end. She had made it to the oasis, only to collapse from fatigue, before seeing that the oasis had been occupied. The fifty-or-so odd bandits gathered around her, noticing her travel-worn clothes, and her body, and looking at her scant belongings. They were about to start rifling through them when some one burst through the trees, with a huge, gleaming gun in his hands.
'Hands up! I'm from the Imperial Task Force! You're all under arrest!' the figure yelled at the men who had all suddenly appeared to have a gun, knife, or both in his hands. The oasis quivered as soldiers burst from the bushes, with rifles aimed at the bandits and cut-throats. The leader of the gang, having more intelligence then his comrades reached to put his gun and knife down, then grabbed Fiona, picking her up and putting his blade to the blonde's throat. The lead man of the task force drew his breath.
'Put the girl down, or you will be facing the death penalty!' The man yelled, his short blonde hair waving in the now risen sun. The leader yelled menacingly. He drew a thin line of blood on the girl's neck. Not being able to stay unconscious, Fiona gave a soft moan, and opened her ruby red eyes. She stared with muted horror at the disgusting man who held her, and almost passed out again. She looked pleadingly at the man with the big, gun, asking him silently to help her out of the obvious trouble she was in. The man holding her, noticing the silent exchange viciously hit her with his knuckle. The fair-haired girl cried out in pain, and the blonde man, who had a red tattoo under his eye, grew grim. He motioned to his men, who instantly disengaged the safety of their guns. The looked polished and ready for anything that might be thrown their way, which included knives, rocks, and sharp objects.
'Lieutenant Thomas! What should we do about the girl?' whispered one of the army officials' subordinates.
'For the final time,' Lt. Thomas stated clearly, 'Let the girl go. If she is harmed you will all be hurt one hundred fold, compared to her own pain.' He didn't like the look that came with this sentiment. All of a sudden, one of the lesser bandits gave a cry, and thumped to the floor, dead. Where he had been standing, the shadows intensified, letting no light touch them. The leader took this opportunity to run like a bullet, with Fiona still in his arms, down to the shallow lake, which was wide, and the others could barely make out the other side. The bandit started to drag his hostage into the water, making her clothes cling to her exhausted, drained body. Thomas took a running leap, and some how managed to push the big man off into the lake, without harming the fragile girl. The bandit sputtered out wet, muddy clay, afraid of the numerous guns and angry faces of his ditched comrades. The bandits quickly surrendered, with their leader out of action. Fiona sighed softly, chilled to the bone, tired, hungry, and frightened of her most resent horrible ordeal. Lt. Thomas noticed that she was cold, and immediately ordered the men to start making tents, a portable campsite soon appeared, and the soldiers, after tying up the captives firmly, went to bed. A medical doctor was called, so that Fiona's wounds could be cared for. She held herself very still, not flinching when they applied peroxide to the cuts and lacerations on her arms and ankles. The doctor commanded the remaining soldiers leave the tent and go to bed, while he set up a cot for the hardly conscious girl to sleep on. Her last thought before she faded into senselessness, was 'I'm safe here now.'
The doctor and Lieutenant had a long conversation, never noticing the dark silhouette that slipped into the sleeping girl's room. They had also forgotten about the dead bandit, whose body had mysteriously disappeared. Fiona murmured in her sleep, thinking about Van, and trying to contact Zeke. The shadow smiled with grim humor down at the pale girl. He whispered into his portable radio,
'She's here, what do you want me to do with her?' The thing seemed to listen to the response. 'Very well.' Meanwhile, the blonde haired man heard whispers in the room and went to investigate. What he found was nothing out of the ordinary. As he passed the fold-up cot the girl lay on, the man happened to glance down. What he saw was an angel. The man, name of Thomas Shubaltz, had not seen Fiona clearly, having her face in the bandit's arms, and in shadow. He fell instantly in love with the girl, and decided to call his brother with how the raid had gone. He moved out of the tent to send his transmission. He arrived in another tent, and instantly set up the vid- phone. His brothers jarring features rubbed away his fatigue of no sleep. Thomas reported proudly;
'Brother you would have been happy for me tonight. The bandits had a hostage, I managed to get her away before any harm came to her.' He said, saluting with pride at his older brother. The elder Shubaltz looked at him skeptically.
'Where is the hostage Thomas?' he asked of his younger brother.
'Resting Sir. She appears to have many wounds before the bandits caught her. The good doctor here,' Thomas said, motioning to the doctor, 'treated all of her wounds, and gave her a sleeping pill. She seems to be traumatized, and rightly so.'
'Very good. Drop her off where ever she wants to be taken, and don't let Emperor Rudolf be disappointed in his confidence with you.' Karl said.
'You think I'm a fool? I know better than that. I have to question her first, but I will later, when she's rested. She's very pretty you know.' Thomas said, rushing on.
'Actually, I don't. Good night Thomas. We have been recruited to try and find Raven, who disappeared a while ago. Good luck with the questioning.' The vid-com blinked out, along with Karl's face. The Shubaltz brother yawned, and stretched out along a pallet. 'Night time.' he thought sleepily. In the shadows inside of the girl's tent Raven smirked. He couldn't wait for Prozen's orders. Raven dozed, imagining the ways he could kill Van, and stay out of that girl, Reese's, way. He slowly started falling asleep. Raven started to his feet, and told his organiod to watch for people. Shadow growled, obeying his master's command. Raven started to rest, being as sleep-deprived as Fiona. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Van listened patiently to Irvine. They had traveled all day until Van had found a set of ruins. They had hid their ZOIDs, and gone in to chat privately. Irvine told him all he knew about Fiona's escape.
'Raven had drugged her. She was sent to talk to Prozen! Yes, he's alive,' he said, seeing Van, and Zeke's horrified expressions. 'He some how survived that blast. Moonbay cared for him, healing his many scar burns. She got close to him, found out how he worked, and I became his trusted ZOID pilot. I was surprised when he never noticed me. I think he lost part of his memory, at least where I'm concerned. But he's never forgotten you. Or Fiona. He caught Fiona, because, Van,' he hesitated slightly. 'I think he thinks he's in love with her. I know, I know!' he continued seeing Van's clenched fist. 'He knows you also love her. You do, don't you?' Irvine asked his friend. Van stared at the rising moons, the first stars, thinking of what was being asked of him. He answered calmly, if softly, 'Yes, I love her. I always have. I believe I always will. Now explain about how she escaped.' Irvine visibly didn't want to go on, but he did after Van's incessant protest's, and Zeke's threatening growls.
'Reece, an Ancient Zoidian like Fiona, visited her while she was drugged. She commanded the guards to leave their posts. The fools did, being afraid of her.' Irvine nodded to Van. 'She controls minds. Then Raven came.' Van stiffened. 'She went some where after that. Raven left after looking at Fiona, murmured a few things I couldn't hear, then went after Reece. Reece has an organiod as well. Its name is Specula. The guards didn't come back. Fiona woke up, took a few looks around, and bolted. I saw it all on a tape from a vid-camera from her bedroom.' Van sighed. He had thought she could be close, but all they had seen was a small oasis, and an army camp. They had steered clear of the army. Van couldn't get a lingering presence out of his head. Suddenly a thought came to him, "We would have over taken Fiona, if she had gone this way, we should have seen her. They had arrived at some caves perfect for hiding ZOIDs. He stood rapidly. He remembered how Fiona's presence had felt before, when she had resurrected the Liger. She had felt happy, and safe inside herself. He realized it was Fiona's presence in his mind and made a beeline for the hidden ZOIDS. Irvine stopped him.
'There's something else Van. Raven has been sent to fetch Fiona. So have I. Moonbay and I are working hard to get at Prozen, but he's stubborn. You need to stay out of the way.' Irvine said.
'Irvine, just reunite Fiona with me and you can send me to prison. I know where she is.' Van pleaded to the cocky Zoid pilot.
'Fine, but then you both go to prison together. I wouldn't want true love separated while I'm on duty. Where is she?' Irvine said impatiently albeit sarcastically.
'Remember the army camp?' Van said smugly, watching Irvine's reaction.
'Dang! I think I know that she has company! Raven's locator is right there! We are in so much trouble if he spots me with you.' Irvine trailed off, looking into the distance. 'Van you're staying here.' He says firmly to the hot-shot pilot next to him.
'NO!' Van yelled at Irvine. After ranting for a few minutes, he saw the sense in the plan. Irvine could pick him up on the way back to Prozen's, and say he had captured him. Fiona would go along because Van was there. Zeke would have to be taken away, but there were no options about that. Zeke went along humbly, because if the plan got Fiona back, he would be grateful. So Irvine settled out quickly, hoping against hope that he could somehow get Fiona without Raven's interference. Van sat glumly, sulking out in a cave with the Blade Liger. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. It felt like forever since they had first started this journey, with Fiona getting kidnapped. Meanwhile, as Van reflected his past, Thomas pondered briefly about waking the prisoner up, but thought against it. He was totally shocked there for, to see the blonde girl walking out of the tent. He ran up to her, blushing as he said his name, class, and position in the Imperial Army. Fiona sighed.
"Looks like someone here likes me." She thought, wearing a small smile on her face. She failed to notice the black creature that slipped out of her tent after her, following her up to the small muddy pond, where she could bathe her face, and talk to the soldier, and answer his questions.
'My name is Fiona Aleece Lynette. I'm an Ancient Zoidian.' She stated boldly. The man gaped at her.
'But, but, t-there aren't any A-Ancient Zoidians! They're only a myth!' Thomas said, wondering if he thought her childish. Fiona sensed these thoughts, and ignored them, not wanting to embarrass him when Van came and rescued her.
"Van." her heart constricted painfully at the thought of his name. Did he miss her? She wondered where he was now. "I hope he's not hurt. Him, and Zeke, always in some sort of trouble." She patiently answered his questions, until it came to the inevitable;
'How did you end up in an oasis, surrounded by murderous criminals?' Thomas said, before glancing at her shly.
'Would you believe me if I said I was being chased by P-' She was cut off by a man in a black command wolf bursting through the soldiers lines, and swooping down to snatch Fiona up in the cockpit. She started to scream, but stopped when she saw it was only her old friend Irvine.
'Irvine! What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?' she asked, with noticeable perplexity about her.
'Rescuing you.' He said with a smart grin. 'We got Van, Fiona! Don't worry we got a plan! Okay, here's how it goes.' He detailed the plan to her, trying not to scare her, as his ZOID raced to Van's hiding place among the caves in the mountain range looming ahead of them. 'And then, I turn you over to Prozen,' Fiona cut him off.
'There is no way I am going to be at the hands of that mad-man again.' She said resolutely. 'I have suffered enough! Do you know what he has chasing me?!' She demanded from the shocked pilot, 'He's got Raven after me, I met another Ancient Zoidian, and to top that off, I think he's in love with me!' Irvine was silent, contemplating what would happen to Moonbay if he didn't come back with Van. He gave up the struggle in his mind long enough to hear what Fiona had said. It shocked him. Fiona had changed since he had last met her. Usually she thought about others before herself, but now, she was concerned about everyone, including her own safety. Irvine wondered if Prozen scared her so much. He knew that before the Deathsaurer had awakened he had her captured and he brought her himself to where the Deathsaurer lay dormant. While Irvine contemplated the mysteries of Fiona, she bit her lip and tried hard not to think of how close Van was. When the caves came into view on the monitor, she was shifting in her seat, and squirming with impatience. Irvine grinned; thinking all had gone well. Suddenly sirens screamed, buttons flashed, and explosions happened all around the Command Wolf.
That is the true beginning of our story. Van sat up and yawned. It seemed like forever since he had found his two best friends, Fiona, the strange girl who loved salt in her food, and Zeke, the silver organiod. Both were dearer to him than himself, and he would have died to prove it.
'AUGH!' he cried, disturbing the fragile morning peace with his groan.
'Hmmm?' mumbled Fiona, still in sleeps grasp.
'Oops! Sorry 'bout that Fiona!' Van said, embarrassed at having his friend woken up on account of him.
'It's okay Van. How about I start breakfast? I promise not to put salt in the coffeepot!' she giggled looking at his mutinous expression, and started working, frying eggs, bacon, and cutting up freshly dried papaya, Van's favorite.
'Van?'
'Yeah?' he answered.
'I've been thinking'
'You know, that can be pretty dangerous to your health!' he joked.
'Stop joking! I'm serious!' Van rolled onto his back.
'So? What have you been thinking about?' Fiona sighed. With a slight breeze in the wind, making her hair shift, she thought again of the nightmare that had griped her heart during the long, black night. Fiona was an ancient Zoidian, who had special bonds with Zeke, all organiods, ZOIDS, and Van. She also could have premonitions, and sense things. She also thought she was the doom of the planet.
'I've been thinking about a lot of things. I had another nightmare last night.' That made him roll over. Van knew that when Fiona had a nightmare, you had better listen!
'Seriously? What about Fiona?'
'The Death Saurer, Prozen, and Raven. It was so horrifying! The Death Saurer started shooting the Blade Liger, Zeke, and you! Prozen stood there laughing at me while I cried over your bodies. Then Raven appeared and said " You're the death of us all Alisi Lynette!" and then." she trailed off.
'Wow! That's one heck-of-a dream! I wonder if it means Prozen is still alive? But he died with the Death Saurer, didn't he Fiona? You saw it too, right? Well, I guess that means we better find Zoid Eve even quicker than I thought we needed too!'
'Van. There's more.' She said haltingly. Van listened in horror and pity to Fiona's next freakish dream. In it, Irvine and Moonbay, their old friends die in a charged particle beam, and then the planet of Zi explodes! Van soaks up all the misery Fiona had to deal with and gives her a hug.
'I wonder how, in your dream I mean, I wonder how Raven knew your ancient name? We never told him, and the only other people who knew were Gramps, Moonbay, and Irvine. Or did we tell anyone else? I can't remember!'
'Oh, well! We'll find out what my dream means when we're supposed to I guess!' said Fiona, beaming to be able to get that off her shoulders.
'Hey ZEKE!' she called in her sing-song voice happily, ' Lets go find Zoid Eve!' /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Hours later, in the middle of the endless, scorching desert, Zeke finally broke down and jumped on top of the Liger.
'Poor Zeke! He must be sweltering out there!' moaned Fiona sympathizing with the baking organiod.
'Gimme a break! It must be a hundred degrees in here! The Liger's gonna over-heat and then we will be in major trouble!' Van griped. Fiona smiled. They were off to another set of ruins, where hopefully; they would find another answer to their many questions about Zoid Eve.
'Calm down Van! We'll be there shortly.' They soon were. And wished they weren't. A mass graveyard of Sleeper ZOIDS was on the ground. They had seen this once, a long time ago, when they had first met.. Raven! /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Fiona shivered in the warm night air. She wasn't cold, far from it in fact, but the thought of Raven always scared her. She didn't mean to be, she knew that's what Raven lived off: other people's fear of him. So, she was ashamed to be so scared and travelling with Van.
"You silly girl!" her mind screamed at her, " Van's braved countless dangers for you, and you get scared at some ZOIDS pilot!" "Ah, but when Raven is the pilot in concern." her logical self told her. She finally drifted into an uneasy sleep. Meanwhile, Van had worries of his own, only his were about Fiona.
" Should I really take her into a battle, knowing that she and I might not get out alive? Or is there another menace out there for her, not me?" he pondered far into the night, until sleep overcame his treacherous eyes.
'VAN!' screamed a dying Fiona, with a wounded Zeke next to her. She was sobbing. ' I'll never forgive you!' she yelled at him, 'Never!' He woke up sweating. Fiona slept serenely, or at least it looked like she did. And Zeke, well, Zeke could have been dead! "Man! He sleeps like there's no tomorrow!" Van thought to himself. He drifted into a dreamless sleep. And woke up to Fiona shaking him.
'Van! You have to get up! We've got to get away from this place!' Zeke was roaring his disapproval at him. Apparently, explosions were happening all over the abandoned complex they'd found. Raven was house calling.
'Zeke! Are you okay, buddy?' Van yelled through the volley of explosions. He got a throaty roar in answer. They leapt over falling stones as the roof caved in about them. Fiona was clearly frightened, of Raven, or the explosions happening around them he didn't know. Van raced across an open field to the last place they had set the Blade Liger down for the night. It was no longer there. Van screamed in frustration. Fiona calmly accessed the situation, watching Van and Zeke to what they were going to do. Suddenly, behind them, they heard a voice on a loudspeaker;
'Well what do you know. I'm sent to guard some lousy old ruins, and up runs my playmate. Van. I hope you do better than those terrible Sleepers.'
'Aaargh! Raven! How many more ZOIDS are you going to kill?! Why don't you understand that when someone loses a ZOID, it HURTS!!?' And with that angry scream of rage, he leapt at the Genosaurer.
'Van!' yelled Fiona, 'Don't go near him, there's more here than meets the eye!'
'Kinda like you, huh Fiona?' Raven said mockingly, holding Van away with a huge, metal foot, ready to crush him into the sand. Fiona didn't respond to Raven, instead, she turned to Van.
'Please, Van! Let's just get the Liger and go!' she yelled, close to tears. Zeke roared his approval, even though he was aching to do battle with this monster, and Shadow, Zeke's very own nemesis. Shadow appeared, as if on cue, on the Genosaurer's shoulder. Suddenly, obeying Raven's command probably, he leapt at Fiona and Zeke. Van gave a yell.
'Raven! You leave Zeke and Fiona out of this!' he called. Raven ignored him. Instead, he scooped van up in one of the Genosaurer's tiny hands, then dropped Van, thirty feet down, to land dazed and sputtering sand out of his mouth. Raven laughed darkly.
'Heh-heh. Don't you worry Van; you're getting the organiod back. Fiona, on the other hand.' he trailed off with a malicious look on his face, while he smiled grimly. Enjoying the battle in his own, demented way. Suddenly he yelled one word.
'SHADOW!'
The black organiod came bursting back from the ground, where a hideous battle unfurled between the two organiods in a battle for Fiona, the ancient Zoidian who could sense ZOIDS thoughts. Fiona sensed this battle would go for worse, and, obeying Van's silent command, she made a run for it, into the desert. This is what Raven saw, and quickly calling his organiod from his foolish battle between him and Zeke. Shadow nimbly danced around Zeke and grabbed Fiona. She couldn't repress a scream, as the organiods dagger-like fingers closed around her arms, holding her helpless as Shadow pulled her into the Genosaurer's cockpit. She was screaming for help, and she gave Zeke a last, despairing thought, "take care of him Zeke." Zeke roared. She allowed herself to be put in the seat behind Ravens. Defenseless, the silver organiod watching the evil man disappear with one of his best friends. With a jolt, he remembered Van, and jumped over to him.
'Zeke. Fiona.' and with those last words, Van faded, unconscious, into an inky blackness. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Fiona, meanwhile, was coming face-to-face with one of her greatest fears. Van possibly dead, and no rescue from the many horrors that went through her very active imagination. Raven had completely ignored her, which, she thought with a sigh, could be for the better. Raven, as if sensing her thoughts, turned and using some rope, tied up her legs, arms, hands, feet, and gagged her. Then he snorted at her weakness. He then walked quietly away, and began to confer with Shadow. Even though Raven and Shadow were too far away to physically hear them, she could always try to mentally 'hear' their words through Shadow. As soon as Shadow felt her soft, hesitant touch in the back of his mind, he jerked quickly in Fiona's direction. Raven understood, and soon enough, Fiona was locked in one of the Genosaurer's many compartments. Now she was too far away to make contact through Shadow's mind. She let herself drift into an uneasy sleep. Hours passed. Fiona woke to the smooth gait of the Genosaurer, she was behind Raven again, and still tied up. She groaned softly, but not to softly for Raven's keen ears.
'So you're up. Good. We'll be arriving shortly.' He said, almost mocking her for her known fears.
'Where are you taking me Raven?' she asked around the gag in her mouth.
'Somewhere.' Was his vague, yet purposeful response. And somewhere it was. On the outside it was shabby, and unkempt. But on the inside. On the inside, it was expensively furnished, and gracefully decorative. Fiona looked on in wonder. What kind of a person would arrange to meet her here?
Meanwhile.
Van was beating himself dizzy after he had woken and remembered that Raven had kidnapped Fiona. Zeke watched with sympathy at his friend. He felt the same way, but Zeke was in some strange way smarter than anyone gave him credit for. After a while Van finally came to his senses and decided to follow Raven's ZOIDs footsteps.
'Come on Zeke! We have to go rescue Fiona! She could be in really big danger. This is really just like her dream! Which means.' Zeke heard a sharp intake of breath from Van. 'Prozen!' Zeke hissed at the name.
'Yeah, I know what you mean, buddy.' Both were remembering how insane Prozen was, or how he had once kidnapped Fiona himself, to wake up the Deathsaurer four years ago.
"Poor Fiona" both of her friends thought.
'Well, Zeke old pal, looks like we gotta make good time. And that means that you gotta fuse with the Liger, buddy. But first,' he said with a smile, 'we have to find where Raven took the Liger!' And they were off. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
A voice came from out of the many shadows in the dimly lit room.
'Welcome Fiona Alisi Lynette.' He said the name tauntingly, even cruelly, from where he sat on his velvet covered chair, and surrounded with delicate cushions. He had many burn scars on his face, but he didn't seem to mind very much at her stares of horror. It almost looked like he wanted her to fear him. And she did. With good reason. Prozen sat in the main room and greeted Fiona with a sardonic smile. Raven followed Fiona, like he was walking an obedient dog. Her feet were unbound, and had many rope burns on them. Her hands were tied behind her back, but her head had been held proudly erect, until she saw. him! Now she was scared. What was all this about? And how did this involve her? She waited for Prozen or Raven to talk to her and answer these questions. Finally Prozen started talking. It seemed to Fiona like he was hiding something, but she couldn't tell what. After all, he wasn't a ZOID, or Van. After thinking about Van, she immediately wanted to start crying, but with a surprising strength from one so seemingly fragile, didn't. Then she realized she had trailed off into her own thoughts and started listening to Prozen's bragging.
'. It was very hard to find you; after all, you and that brat are always together. But Raven was the only one I could trust this mission to. And now, I've put this off far too long, my dear Fiona,' he said abruptly, smiling a peculiar smile at her, 'Let me introduce you to. Reece and Specula!' A girl, with high cheekbones, short blue hair with blue eyes stepped from the shadows. She had a circle in the middle of her forehead, and dressed with loosely fitting clothes. 'Quite an attractive pair don't you think?' Prozen continued, 'And, I'm told, Reece remembers all of her memories, so I'm sure you'll get along fine.'
Fiona gasped. 'What?! What are you talking about?'
Prozen says to her harshly, 'That Reece is an Ancient Zoidian like you. We have much to discuss, you and I, Fiona. But that will have to wait. I see Raven has already drugged you. Good night Alisi.' Before her thoughts blanked out, she caught the name. "Ah! I told him my name when I. first. remembered." she tried to call to Van, but, too quickly, she fainted. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\
'Hey, Zeke, could you sense something, just then? No? Well, then let's keep searching for the Blade Liger.' Van commented. Then he yelled in frustration, 'Aaaargh! What did that weasel do to the Liger? Can't you sense it Zeke?' He got a disapproving growl at him from the organiod.
' I'm not blaming you! Did I ever say that pal? Well, I guess we should do this quickly. Come- Wait! I think I see it! Wow, we found it! Yeah! Come, on let's move it, and go after Fiona and Raven!' He jumped into the Zoids cockpit and put the control to full pace. It wasn't long before they came upon Raven's campsite. "Hmm. Here's Raven's, and that's Shadow's foot print, but where's Fiona's? Ah, there hers are.' He sighed. At least they knew she was alive. Zeke was almost trembling with relief.
"Well it's gonna be a long night," he thought wearily, with the two moons of Zi shining down on his spent face and that of his silver organiod's. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Reece stared at Fiona's beautifully relaxed face. The day had dawned bright and early. This was how Fiona always looked when she was sleeping, without a nightmare. Reece admired the look of her, all the while hating every pore of her, every breath she took, every rise and fall of the drugged body. Reece was aware of how much Fiona had. Van loved her. She went on adventures, while all Reece had ever done was be used as a tool. Not that she minded by controlling people's minds. It was her unique talent. She smiled wryly. She had often been called the 'blue devil' but she had either ignored them, or killed them. They were just ignorant's and peasants to her mind.
"Well, now she will know the feeling of being controlled." She thought with relish. Reece wore blue everything, because her organiod was blue. Specula stared with disinterest at the sleeping blonde, and quietly murmured a low growl to its master.
'No, we can't kill her. Seemingly, Prozen thinks she's useful. For what, I don't know.' She replied to her dejected 'pet'. The organiod grumbled quietly, and went to explore the room. It was as beautifully decorated as the rest of the house, only Fiona's room was definitely a cell. There were iron bars on the windows, and the handle on the door had no lock from the inside. Reece had left the door open when she came in, and dismissed the guards. Fiona was sprawled on a king-size bed, and Reece was visiting the sleeping beauty. "I had wondered why Prozen was so interested, well, now I know. But I can't recall the name Alisi from my memories, I wonder why? Could it be that she is purposefully blocking my intellect? But that's impossible! Could there be something about that fragile girl that I underestimated? Possibly." Reece pondered. Briefly, she recounted her memories of Zi's distant past, with Specula at her side. In the end, she had been sent to sleep, just because of a few cases of mind-control and murder. She smiled malevolently, remembering her mind control bugs, which she had of the thousands. She could communicate through them and see through them. They were her 'spy bugs'. She contemplated the blonde's fate. She could briefly recall some sort of doom and a terrible ZOID, but that was it. Also, strangely enough, Reece couldn't access Fiona's dreams or thoughts. Normally, Ancient Zoidians are very much akin to each other's feelings, thoughts, and moods.
'What's the matter? Examining her wardrobe?' asked a mocking voice from the now-open doorway.
'Raven!' Reece hissed in reply, 'she's asleep, you fool. Do you want to wake her?'
'Actually, I want to kill her, and see Van's horrified face as I kill her.
'Ah. So you do like her.'
'Did I say that Reece? No, what I only want to do is-'
'To ruin Van's life.' She finished for him with a haughty, yet soft chuckle. Raven smiled one of his enigmatic smiles.
'You have to go. Prozen wants to talk to you over his tea.' Raven said smiling even more. Reece left the large bedroom. Wondering at Raven's odd behavior. Specula followed, groaning. She went for Prozen's rose garden, knowing where he would be.
"My, he has a taste for the extravagant. It must have cost a fortune for him, not to mention the hospital bills for those scar burns," she thought with scorn. She continued walking through the maze of hallways until she reached her destination. Prozen was exactly where she thought he would be. He beckoned to her, motioning a gilded chair. She sat. So did her organiod.
'I suppose you're wondering why I've been wanting to talk to you.' He began, but she cut her off.
'You want me to mind control Fiona to do your bidding and to look into her locked memories.' Reece stated. Specula growled in agreement.
'You can still amaze me when you don't read peoples mind, you know that Reece? That is exactly what I want you to do. I also want revenge on her boyfriend. That boy Van gave me these scars, and he's going to pay; one way or another.' An ugly look of hatred crossed his face, adding to the ugliness of his scars, but it disappeared almost instantly later by one of pleasant contentment.
'You know, I had thought of torturing her just to see his pitiful face. But then I found you! What a coincidence! And I suppose I pay well, don't I Raven?' He called to the once-empty doorway.
' I suppose.' Raven said brazenly. Prozen smiled at Raven.
'Raven is going out to find Van. I want to, ah, personally make sure he doesn't get hurt while trying to find poor, helpless Fiona. By the way, Raven did you lock the door after you went into her room?' he said harshly. Raven was undaunted.
'I believe so, Prozen.'
'Then go check.'
Raven skidded away, with his silent organiod behind them. Reece would never admit it, but sometimes Shadow scared her a bit. She sighed, just a little. Prozen couldn't look happier. His face was lit with an almost insane joy on his face. Reece didn't know if it was because of Fiona, or the troublemaker named Van. They could suddenly hear rushing footsteps. They weren't Ravens, or Shadows.
'Sir, excuse me, sir, but we've lost the Zoidian girl!' said a soldier, who looked like he was about to have his head cut off, and indeed, it looked like that was exactly what Prozen would do. He was seething with suppressed rage at the fools who had let her, the one thing he needed, escape.
'Find her, you fools!' He snapped at the guard. The guard's immediately withdrew to go search the desert, while some soldiers stayed behind to protect the talkers. Reece laughed with mirth.
'I expect Raven is already looking for her?' she asked one of the guards nearby.
'Yes ma'am' he answered, starting at the question.
'Thank you,' she answered, trying very hard not to laugh at the simpleton. 'You may leave, and take all of the guards out of the Rose Garden. If I find even one when I search, I shall kill him. Or her.' She added with an after thought. 'Now! Dismissed!' He saluted her, and trotted off, gathering his fellow comrades, a little shaken.
'Prozen, let me contact her, try to make her turn around and run back here! It would be practice, and what's the point of not having a little fun in all this mayhem?' she half asked, half pleaded. He thought it over, thinking through all the pro's and con's before deciding.
'Try.' He said, with a smirk to himself. 'You might find her will hard to dominate. Just try and convince, don't force her, I want to see what both of you can do.'
She fumed at the comment that she couldn't hold her own. She repressed the emotion, and busily set to work, trying to find the pale blonde, running across the noon desert. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Fiona had woken up to a splitting headache, and fear. No one was in the room with her, so she deemed it safe to stand. As she stood, she remembered what Prozen had said, the day before. Or was it a few hours ago? She couldn't think straight. Dizzily, she took account of her surroundings.
"Prozen always had a flair for expensive things," she thought wearily.
"But wait! The door is lightly ajar, and there aren't any guards in sight." She realized excitedly that this is her chance at escape. She wouldn't wait for Van, she didn't like being a damsel in distress. So she grabbed a few apples from the fruit dish by her bedside and ran. She got out easily enough, no real close calls, and was running for all she was worth towards the vast desert. She was terrified, and her fearful brain made her think that she was being followed every two minutes. After she had run quite a long way, and the run-down house was a speck on the horizon, she stopped for her scanty dinner. Two bites of an apple. She was too tired to eat anymore.
"And besides, it's not like I need the food. I'm going to have to ration it.' And with that last thought, sleep overtook her. She thought she was safe from animals, and wild ZOIDS, but she had forgotten who had been employed to get her. A dark shadow quietly slipped through to where Fiona slept. She jerked up; some unknown fear having woke her. She saw something around the edge of her vision. She quietly gathered up her meager supplies, and started walking quietly towards an oasis toward the west that she could visible make out, even if it was fast growing into the afternoon. She hoped the shadow did not see her, or follow her. But it was doing both, unknown to her.
'Van, help me! I'm so scared.' She whispered to herself, continuing walking. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Van started. It had appeared that he had 'seen' Fiona, walking alone in the desert. He shuddered. It was late afternoon, and Van and his organiod had bedded down for the night. Zeke was angry. He had wanted to keep going after his friend, to save her, and help her defeat this enemy that frightened his human friends so. Briefly, Zeke could feel her, which meant that she might be very close, or that she is far away, and strong. Somehow Zeke sensed that this was neither. He wondered how this was, but could find no answer. But he truly missed Fiona's gentle hugs when he was upset with Van, or the way Van used to get mad at Fiona when she dumped water on his head to cool him off. He laughed to himself, his anger disappearing just like his friend had. That thought made him somber once more. He contemplated how much Fiona really meant to himself, and Van. He realized that Fiona is the key to keeping them all together. Suddenly, Van spoke.
'You miss her, don't you?' he asked quietly in a soft voice. 'I do too.' They stared up quietly at the now visible stars, and fell asleep to their favorite memories of times together. Zeke saw his ancient friend come from the pod she had slept in, and the one he had slept in as well. He saw her arguing with Van, about everything! He smiled in a way that only an organiod could. Van, however, was thinking of different times. All the hugs, all the laughs, and all the fun was because of his friends; Zeke, Fiona, and the now missing pair of Irvine and Moonbay. He knew that they were safe, but they had given up working on Zoid Eve after the Deathsaurer, everyone kind of spread apart, went their separate ways. He sighed.
"I know I won't be able to sleep with her out there somewhere, possibly in danger." Aloud he said, 'Zeke, lets get some sleep buddy.' And eventually, sleep did overcome his eyes, but only because he was so fatigued, and worried. And they both slept, and they both dreamed. Their dreams were full of shadows, and whispers in the dark. They didn't realize that Fiona was trying to contact them, only dismissed them as nightmares caused by the night sounds coming from the desert they were surrounded by. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Prozen stared at a picture sitting on his desk. It was of two people and an organiod. The two people were Van, and Fiona. The organiod was Zeke. Prozen stared at hatred at Vans young features. The picture was a year old, that one of his younger spies's had taken to put in the file for his enemies. He hated Van Flyhieght. Van had spoiled everything. He would be ruling the whole world of Zi right now, with his beautiful face unmarred by ugly explosion scars. When the Deathsaurer had blown up, seemingly, he had been burned to death. Not true. He had escaped, using the force of the air exploding as a wave, and all he had to do was surf on the edge to freedom. But his face had been disfigured, and he was easily recognizable with these distinctive burns as markers. His hair had partially been scorched off, and his was short, like before he had found Raven, as a child. He still had those famous two hairs out of his head. He just couldn't have his ponytail. He sighed tiredly. He had been up all night revising and editing his master plan. He was still confident that he would have a total victory, and have the pleasure to kill Flyhieght. That put him in a better frame of mind, and he set off to find the guards to see if they had found Fiona yet. They hadn't.
"That child is getting cunning. I hope Raven finds her. Reece still hasn't moved from her trance to find that girl from where ever she ran to. I still can't believe the incompetence of the guards. I had ordered them to watch that cell day and night.' He silently fumed himself into a temper.
'Calm down, or you will make those burns reopen again.' Said his special nurse, as she came in to help him with the still new pain of the hideous wounds. She bustled about efficiently, while Prozen talked to her. He had come to trust her over the months that she had helped him. He knew she could be possibly dangerous to him, but he didn't care, this was the only person he could talk to without being constantly sieged by 'yes sir!' He didn't want that. What he wanted was someone's real, true, unpaid comments on what he was doing. He slowly retold his tale of short glory.
'So, Raven caught Fiona-' he broke off when he saw the nurse start and drop a case of medicine labeled 'painkillers'. She had never dropped anything before in front of him.
'I'm so sorry Gunther!' he had given her permission to call him by her first name. He dismissed the incident.
'It's all right. Anyway, Raven captured Fiona, while managing to injure Van!' he said gleefully. This time the nurse remained stoic to his disturbing words. She turned. Black braids and tawny skin greeted him with a smile. A starched nurse jacket was hung over a familiar orange outfit. She dimpled and curtsied.
'Prozen.' She said, ' let me help you reclaim the throne of Zi!' she said passionately.
'Of course Moonbay!' He said, startled, and pleased. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Van woke up to the sun touching his eyes, and Zeke's growling to get up, get moving. He grumbled back. Zeke wanted him to get up so they could keep looking for Fiona. Zeke almost wanted to hit him with his tail, but the momentary anger was gone soon.
'Man, I wish I had some Papaya!' Van said, trying to lift the uneasiness between the two. 'That would really make things easier, huh! Lets roll Zeke! Mobilize!' He cried, while Zeke leapt into the Liger. Zeke started walking at a rapid pace towards the endless dessert. They had been walking for hours when they were bombarded by enemy missiles. Van, using his piecemeal training to help his speed, and concentration. He growled along with Zeke and used his blades to cut the visible guns in half. He looked, and saw a dozen black Redlars, a lot of Rev Raptors, and a few command wolves coming towards them. Van was shocked at the amount of ZOIDS this place had. Suddenly, a ram-shacked cottage had appeared in front of his vision.
Meanwhile..
'Sir, shields are down! A stray bullet shattered the main reactor!' A technician barked to Prozen, who barked back,
'What am I paying you fools?!' The poor excuse for an army immediately quivered, and everyone stood stock- still.
'Well?' Prozen spat at them. They moved quickly, shifting around Reece, who was sweating, and grinding her teeth faintly. Prozen smiled, mockingly at Reece. Fiona was more powerful than she would ever have expected, as he had known.
'She will be a worthy prize,' he thought, imaging Van's horrified features as he watched her be killed. Or maybe he would reverse it, and watch Fiona's face. But that would ruin the death that Prozen had planned for him. So Prozen sat, enjoying his classic ways to murder people. Van was here!
'Sir! Van Flyhieght is here! We've bombarded him, but so far, have not sufficiently damaged his ZOID, should we let him surrender?' A nervous wreck of a man asked him. For the thousandth time, Prozen wished for Harding. She had been a prime soldier, and devoted for him, but had lost her life tragically. Instead he smiled at Moonbay, sitting tensely at a seat next to him.
'She is scared of the soldier's guns poor girl,' he thought sadly, forgetting that Moonbay had done her fair share of gun fighting.
He ordered curtly, 'Send out the Black C.W. and the pilot that it belongs too,' smiling at Moonbay, he said, 'our best!'
'No kidding' she said under her breath.
'Aha, he will bring that brat to his knees!' Prozen said, comforting himself. 'Besides, one half of Van's brains and team are missing!' he laughed pleasantly. The guns fired, and Van dodged the all, but didn't notice the black Command Wolf that was in sniper position fire at him. Van cursed himself for being so unobservant. The black command wolf motioned the other pilots to leave. It was obvious to the other soldiers that this was a grudge match, so they quickly backed out. The black Command Wolf led him away from the house and deeper into the desert. Then, the black Zoids pilot abruptly cut off all communications between himself and his base, saying the Blue Liger had hit him hard, before he terminated the line. Then he relaxed, and leapt out of his cockpit, walking calmly towards the massive metallic animal that threatened his life. He put his arms up in the universal signal of 'I surrender.' He had remained passive, and had not spoken a word to the brash young Van.
'Why hello Van, funny seeing you here,' he said in his deep voice.
'Irvine!' Van yelled joyously, jumping from his cockpit to embrace his former travelling companion. Irvine didn't noticeably appreciate the emotion. Irvine made sure his boss and his cohorts couldn't see him, then made it look like the Liger and Wolf had fought placing them on their sides, with the help of Zeke. Not missing his continued joke with Van, Irvine said,
'Say, Zeke aren't you tired of Van by now?' ducking Van's punch, and yell; 'Irvine!' Irvine laughed. He was impressed that Zeke and Van were still traveling together.
'What'cha been up to Van?' He asked, jumping back in his Zoid to pilot it away from Prozen's stronghold.
'I could ask the same thing from you Irvine.' Van grew somber as he started asking questions of Irvine, hurtling them like accusations when it came to Fiona. 'Why are you with these people? They attacked me you know! Where's Moonbay? Do you know where Fiona is? Is she hurt? Where's Raven? How did you get in this guy's army?' He continued relentlessly until Irvine stopped him, saying that this would be a good place to start talking. They had stopped at a lush oasis, which resembled the one where Fiona had been walking towards.. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Fiona trembled, scared to her wit's end. She had made it to the oasis, only to collapse from fatigue, before seeing that the oasis had been occupied. The fifty-or-so odd bandits gathered around her, noticing her travel-worn clothes, and her body, and looking at her scant belongings. They were about to start rifling through them when some one burst through the trees, with a huge, gleaming gun in his hands.
'Hands up! I'm from the Imperial Task Force! You're all under arrest!' the figure yelled at the men who had all suddenly appeared to have a gun, knife, or both in his hands. The oasis quivered as soldiers burst from the bushes, with rifles aimed at the bandits and cut-throats. The leader of the gang, having more intelligence then his comrades reached to put his gun and knife down, then grabbed Fiona, picking her up and putting his blade to the blonde's throat. The lead man of the task force drew his breath.
'Put the girl down, or you will be facing the death penalty!' The man yelled, his short blonde hair waving in the now risen sun. The leader yelled menacingly. He drew a thin line of blood on the girl's neck. Not being able to stay unconscious, Fiona gave a soft moan, and opened her ruby red eyes. She stared with muted horror at the disgusting man who held her, and almost passed out again. She looked pleadingly at the man with the big, gun, asking him silently to help her out of the obvious trouble she was in. The man holding her, noticing the silent exchange viciously hit her with his knuckle. The fair-haired girl cried out in pain, and the blonde man, who had a red tattoo under his eye, grew grim. He motioned to his men, who instantly disengaged the safety of their guns. The looked polished and ready for anything that might be thrown their way, which included knives, rocks, and sharp objects.
'Lieutenant Thomas! What should we do about the girl?' whispered one of the army officials' subordinates.
'For the final time,' Lt. Thomas stated clearly, 'Let the girl go. If she is harmed you will all be hurt one hundred fold, compared to her own pain.' He didn't like the look that came with this sentiment. All of a sudden, one of the lesser bandits gave a cry, and thumped to the floor, dead. Where he had been standing, the shadows intensified, letting no light touch them. The leader took this opportunity to run like a bullet, with Fiona still in his arms, down to the shallow lake, which was wide, and the others could barely make out the other side. The bandit started to drag his hostage into the water, making her clothes cling to her exhausted, drained body. Thomas took a running leap, and some how managed to push the big man off into the lake, without harming the fragile girl. The bandit sputtered out wet, muddy clay, afraid of the numerous guns and angry faces of his ditched comrades. The bandits quickly surrendered, with their leader out of action. Fiona sighed softly, chilled to the bone, tired, hungry, and frightened of her most resent horrible ordeal. Lt. Thomas noticed that she was cold, and immediately ordered the men to start making tents, a portable campsite soon appeared, and the soldiers, after tying up the captives firmly, went to bed. A medical doctor was called, so that Fiona's wounds could be cared for. She held herself very still, not flinching when they applied peroxide to the cuts and lacerations on her arms and ankles. The doctor commanded the remaining soldiers leave the tent and go to bed, while he set up a cot for the hardly conscious girl to sleep on. Her last thought before she faded into senselessness, was 'I'm safe here now.'
The doctor and Lieutenant had a long conversation, never noticing the dark silhouette that slipped into the sleeping girl's room. They had also forgotten about the dead bandit, whose body had mysteriously disappeared. Fiona murmured in her sleep, thinking about Van, and trying to contact Zeke. The shadow smiled with grim humor down at the pale girl. He whispered into his portable radio,
'She's here, what do you want me to do with her?' The thing seemed to listen to the response. 'Very well.' Meanwhile, the blonde haired man heard whispers in the room and went to investigate. What he found was nothing out of the ordinary. As he passed the fold-up cot the girl lay on, the man happened to glance down. What he saw was an angel. The man, name of Thomas Shubaltz, had not seen Fiona clearly, having her face in the bandit's arms, and in shadow. He fell instantly in love with the girl, and decided to call his brother with how the raid had gone. He moved out of the tent to send his transmission. He arrived in another tent, and instantly set up the vid- phone. His brothers jarring features rubbed away his fatigue of no sleep. Thomas reported proudly;
'Brother you would have been happy for me tonight. The bandits had a hostage, I managed to get her away before any harm came to her.' He said, saluting with pride at his older brother. The elder Shubaltz looked at him skeptically.
'Where is the hostage Thomas?' he asked of his younger brother.
'Resting Sir. She appears to have many wounds before the bandits caught her. The good doctor here,' Thomas said, motioning to the doctor, 'treated all of her wounds, and gave her a sleeping pill. She seems to be traumatized, and rightly so.'
'Very good. Drop her off where ever she wants to be taken, and don't let Emperor Rudolf be disappointed in his confidence with you.' Karl said.
'You think I'm a fool? I know better than that. I have to question her first, but I will later, when she's rested. She's very pretty you know.' Thomas said, rushing on.
'Actually, I don't. Good night Thomas. We have been recruited to try and find Raven, who disappeared a while ago. Good luck with the questioning.' The vid-com blinked out, along with Karl's face. The Shubaltz brother yawned, and stretched out along a pallet. 'Night time.' he thought sleepily. In the shadows inside of the girl's tent Raven smirked. He couldn't wait for Prozen's orders. Raven dozed, imagining the ways he could kill Van, and stay out of that girl, Reese's, way. He slowly started falling asleep. Raven started to his feet, and told his organiod to watch for people. Shadow growled, obeying his master's command. Raven started to rest, being as sleep-deprived as Fiona. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Van listened patiently to Irvine. They had traveled all day until Van had found a set of ruins. They had hid their ZOIDs, and gone in to chat privately. Irvine told him all he knew about Fiona's escape.
'Raven had drugged her. She was sent to talk to Prozen! Yes, he's alive,' he said, seeing Van, and Zeke's horrified expressions. 'He some how survived that blast. Moonbay cared for him, healing his many scar burns. She got close to him, found out how he worked, and I became his trusted ZOID pilot. I was surprised when he never noticed me. I think he lost part of his memory, at least where I'm concerned. But he's never forgotten you. Or Fiona. He caught Fiona, because, Van,' he hesitated slightly. 'I think he thinks he's in love with her. I know, I know!' he continued seeing Van's clenched fist. 'He knows you also love her. You do, don't you?' Irvine asked his friend. Van stared at the rising moons, the first stars, thinking of what was being asked of him. He answered calmly, if softly, 'Yes, I love her. I always have. I believe I always will. Now explain about how she escaped.' Irvine visibly didn't want to go on, but he did after Van's incessant protest's, and Zeke's threatening growls.
'Reece, an Ancient Zoidian like Fiona, visited her while she was drugged. She commanded the guards to leave their posts. The fools did, being afraid of her.' Irvine nodded to Van. 'She controls minds. Then Raven came.' Van stiffened. 'She went some where after that. Raven left after looking at Fiona, murmured a few things I couldn't hear, then went after Reece. Reece has an organiod as well. Its name is Specula. The guards didn't come back. Fiona woke up, took a few looks around, and bolted. I saw it all on a tape from a vid-camera from her bedroom.' Van sighed. He had thought she could be close, but all they had seen was a small oasis, and an army camp. They had steered clear of the army. Van couldn't get a lingering presence out of his head. Suddenly a thought came to him, "We would have over taken Fiona, if she had gone this way, we should have seen her. They had arrived at some caves perfect for hiding ZOIDs. He stood rapidly. He remembered how Fiona's presence had felt before, when she had resurrected the Liger. She had felt happy, and safe inside herself. He realized it was Fiona's presence in his mind and made a beeline for the hidden ZOIDS. Irvine stopped him.
'There's something else Van. Raven has been sent to fetch Fiona. So have I. Moonbay and I are working hard to get at Prozen, but he's stubborn. You need to stay out of the way.' Irvine said.
'Irvine, just reunite Fiona with me and you can send me to prison. I know where she is.' Van pleaded to the cocky Zoid pilot.
'Fine, but then you both go to prison together. I wouldn't want true love separated while I'm on duty. Where is she?' Irvine said impatiently albeit sarcastically.
'Remember the army camp?' Van said smugly, watching Irvine's reaction.
'Dang! I think I know that she has company! Raven's locator is right there! We are in so much trouble if he spots me with you.' Irvine trailed off, looking into the distance. 'Van you're staying here.' He says firmly to the hot-shot pilot next to him.
'NO!' Van yelled at Irvine. After ranting for a few minutes, he saw the sense in the plan. Irvine could pick him up on the way back to Prozen's, and say he had captured him. Fiona would go along because Van was there. Zeke would have to be taken away, but there were no options about that. Zeke went along humbly, because if the plan got Fiona back, he would be grateful. So Irvine settled out quickly, hoping against hope that he could somehow get Fiona without Raven's interference. Van sat glumly, sulking out in a cave with the Blade Liger. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. It felt like forever since they had first started this journey, with Fiona getting kidnapped. Meanwhile, as Van reflected his past, Thomas pondered briefly about waking the prisoner up, but thought against it. He was totally shocked there for, to see the blonde girl walking out of the tent. He ran up to her, blushing as he said his name, class, and position in the Imperial Army. Fiona sighed.
"Looks like someone here likes me." She thought, wearing a small smile on her face. She failed to notice the black creature that slipped out of her tent after her, following her up to the small muddy pond, where she could bathe her face, and talk to the soldier, and answer his questions.
'My name is Fiona Aleece Lynette. I'm an Ancient Zoidian.' She stated boldly. The man gaped at her.
'But, but, t-there aren't any A-Ancient Zoidians! They're only a myth!' Thomas said, wondering if he thought her childish. Fiona sensed these thoughts, and ignored them, not wanting to embarrass him when Van came and rescued her.
"Van." her heart constricted painfully at the thought of his name. Did he miss her? She wondered where he was now. "I hope he's not hurt. Him, and Zeke, always in some sort of trouble." She patiently answered his questions, until it came to the inevitable;
'How did you end up in an oasis, surrounded by murderous criminals?' Thomas said, before glancing at her shly.
'Would you believe me if I said I was being chased by P-' She was cut off by a man in a black command wolf bursting through the soldiers lines, and swooping down to snatch Fiona up in the cockpit. She started to scream, but stopped when she saw it was only her old friend Irvine.
'Irvine! What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?' she asked, with noticeable perplexity about her.
'Rescuing you.' He said with a smart grin. 'We got Van, Fiona! Don't worry we got a plan! Okay, here's how it goes.' He detailed the plan to her, trying not to scare her, as his ZOID raced to Van's hiding place among the caves in the mountain range looming ahead of them. 'And then, I turn you over to Prozen,' Fiona cut him off.
'There is no way I am going to be at the hands of that mad-man again.' She said resolutely. 'I have suffered enough! Do you know what he has chasing me?!' She demanded from the shocked pilot, 'He's got Raven after me, I met another Ancient Zoidian, and to top that off, I think he's in love with me!' Irvine was silent, contemplating what would happen to Moonbay if he didn't come back with Van. He gave up the struggle in his mind long enough to hear what Fiona had said. It shocked him. Fiona had changed since he had last met her. Usually she thought about others before herself, but now, she was concerned about everyone, including her own safety. Irvine wondered if Prozen scared her so much. He knew that before the Deathsaurer had awakened he had her captured and he brought her himself to where the Deathsaurer lay dormant. While Irvine contemplated the mysteries of Fiona, she bit her lip and tried hard not to think of how close Van was. When the caves came into view on the monitor, she was shifting in her seat, and squirming with impatience. Irvine grinned; thinking all had gone well. Suddenly sirens screamed, buttons flashed, and explosions happened all around the Command Wolf.