His Oldest Friend.
By Darkened-Storm
Summary: Nine-year-old Van Flyheight dreams of becoming a zoid pilot. But his new friend doesn't like zoids and fighting. Can Van convince her that not all zoid pilots have to become soldiers? Pre CC.
Setting: Wind Colony. Six years before Chaotic Century. Van's father is still alive at this time.
Author Note: The 'Herman' referred to in this fic is Herman Snr, as in Rob's father and the former president. This story contains OCs. This story fits into a continuum with my other zoids stories, and thus the characters here are not a pairing. This is purely a friendship story.
"Beans and cauliflower," Steph Summers mumbled as she pushed her dinner around on her plate with her fork. It was a difficult task with her left hand, but Maria Flyheight wasn't stupid enough to leave her good hand untied.
"I can't think of anything more disgusting to eat," she muttered. She mooshed the white leafy substance under her fork. It squashed easily under the utensil, squirting vegetable juice onto her plate. She was so hungry...
"This is all your fault," she snapped, glowering across the table at her cell mate.
"How is it my fault?" Van Flyheight retorted. His dinner didn't look any more appetising that hers. Maria had given them what Van had determined to be the yuckiest vegetables on Planet Zi as part of their punishment. "You were the one who was complaining you were bored."
Steph scowled childishly. "And it was your genius idea to steal the Command Wolf," she said.
"We didn't steal it - we borrowed it," Van corrected half-heartedly. For as long as he could remember, he had wanted to be a zoid pilot, just like his father. This time, however, Van had to admit, borrowing Dan's old Command Wolf and taking his eight year old friend on a joy ride in the desert hadn't been his best idea.
"Yeah, but you were the one who almost blew up the priest's garden with the Beam Cannon," she reminded him. "Some zoid pilot you'll make, you can't even pilot a Command Wolf."
She ducked her head a little as a broccoli was thrown in her direction. His aim was off, however, because he threw it with his left hand, his right also bound tightly to the table.
"Shut up!"
She laughed, tossing a bean back at him. "Maybe next time you should start with a hoverboard or something easy," she teased. She watched with a delighted grin as her friend's face changed from red to a disturbing shade of purple.
"You'll see," Van said, a little louder than he had intended. "One day, I'm going to be the best zoid pilot around. I'll even become better than my dad."
"No one could be a better pilot than Dan Flyheight," she told him seriously. "He's a living legend in the Republican Military. Even President Herman thinks so!"
"Really?" Van asked, his dark eyes lighting up with excitement. He seemed to have misheard her earlier statement, or he didn't hear it at all, because he went on. "That proves it! I am going to be a great pilot!"
Steph shook her head, but she couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. She knew that boys around Van's age had a one track mind. "What will you do then?" she asked curiously.
"What do you mean?" Van asked, sobering a little.
"Most zoid pilots join the military, and I don't like the military," Steph explained. "My brother was a zoid pilot in the Republican Army." Her eyes saddened at the thought, and she looked down at the vegetables on her plate.
Van stabbed the last pea on his plate with his fork, shoved it in his mouth and swallowed before asking. "What happened to him?"
"He died."
Van looked shocked. "I'm sorry," he muttered uncomfortably, thinking of mother who had died long ago. Van didn't even remember her, but he missed her dearly.
"If the military protects us, it can't be all that bad can it?" he said after a moment.
"Well no, but if there were no militaries, there wouldn't be any war would there?" Steph said. "And if there were no wars, people like my brother wouldn't have to fight. And if they didn't have to fight, nobody would have to die."
"That's true," Van agreed solemnly, then he grinned. "In that case – I'll be a pilot who doesn't join the military. Zoids can do more than just fight. They're our friends and partners."
Steph frowned thoughtfully. "You really are a peculiar little boy, Van." It was the best way she could think of to describe him. He was her oldest friend, and she adored him in the way all eight year old girls adored boys who gave them attention, but she didn't necessarily understand him all the time.
"I'm not little," Van protested. Then he smiled at her. "And I don't care if Maria makes me eat beans and potatoes for the rest of the week, I'm going to become the best zoid pilot there ever was."
At the mention of his sister, they both heard the sound of keys rattling outside the basement door. A moment later the lock clicked and the door opened.
"Here they are," Maria said, crossing her arms over her chest and scowling at her little brother and his friend. "These little trouble makers have had a busy day."
"Daddy!" Steph squealed when she saw her father and Van's standing behind Maria. Upon seeing his father, however, Van immediately sat up a little straighter in his chair and pushed away his plate.
"Dad. I can explain everything – " he stammered, looking as guilty as a cat who'd just swallowed a mouse.
Captain Flyheight sighed as he gave his son the once over. "Do I want to know what you've done to warrant your sister's wrath?"
"Who said it was warranted?" Van said. Maria yanked his ear, making him grimace. "Ow! Okay, maybe it was," he admitted.
"Your son took you're his new friend and Zeke on a joy ride around the village," Maria said crossly. "He nearly destroyed the church! And he ruined all of Father Leon's flowerbeds."
"It was an accident!" Van exclaimed, waving his hands. "Honest!"
Maria rolled her eyes. "Funny how a lot of accidents tend to happen around you, don't they Van?" she said, scowling at her baby brother. "What are we going to do with you?"
Dan raised a gentle hand to calm the situation. "That's enough Maria," he said. Maria fell silent, still looking slightly miffed. She turned on her heel and marched back up the stairs, muttering under her breath.
Van poked his tongue out after her, but quickly sucked it back in when his father glowered at him. "Van," he sighed, ruffling his son's hair. "You're always showing off for girls." Van looked away as his cheeks turned red as his father turned stood up straighter and turned to his colleague.
"Sorry about all this, Mark" Dan told his old friend. "Van doesn't get a chance to play with kids his own age all that often."
The colonel chuckled. "I think kids just love a bit of adventure," he said, untying his daughter's hand from the table. "Come on missy, it's time to go home."
Steph leaped down from the chair, her sandal clad feet clapping against the basement floor as she trotted after her father. "Bye Van! I had fun today!" she called over her shoulder. "We'll play again next time I visit."
Authors Note:
This was just a little idea that popped into my head when I was thinking of my OC's background and I thought Van would be the perfect character for this. I tried to express a little of their naivety towards the war, which I think they would be a little young to understand.
It also gives a little insight into the beginnings of both character's desire to remain independent from the military during the war in Chaotic Century, Steph, because of her brother's death and Van because of his father's. It's not designed to be an extraordinary literary piece, but just a little tiny insight into their childhoods together.
If you would like to read more, please check out my other Zoids fic, Century of Revolution.