What Lies In One's Memory

By: Atomic Kokoro

Storyline

An amnesic Claus, a lost Zed, and a dumbfounded Apollo must work together to save their home worlds from utter destruction.

Before You Read

Since this is a tri-dimensional crossover, here what you got to know about each of the universes. Some of them are Alternate Universes, others aren't, so read carefully.

THEY MAY CONTAINS SPOILERS!

…

Last Exile (Claus Valca) [side note: pronounced "Cl-ow-s"]

No alternate dimension. No character change. New threat involved, however.

Kiba (Zed)

Hugh lives.

Aquarion (Apollo and Silvia de Alisa)

Apollo, Sirius, and Toma live.

…

Everyone is probably OOC. I'm sorry!

On with the story.

…

Chapter 1

Amnesic Wake

A gentle breeze tussled his orange hair, a swift scent just barely reaching his nose. He tilted his head back in interest, trying to catch the smell again before rushing off to where the scent was strongest. It was a human scent, unique as any other. All smells on people were unique, just like one's fingerprints.

This scent was masked in gasoline, metal, and oil, yet still smelling like smoked ham and sky. He wasn't sure what the sky smelled like, but if it had a scent, that would be it.

His caramel eyes peered through the leaves and bushes to a clearing. The scent came from here, did it not? He was close and he knew it! The only question was where this person was hiding. He cringed his nose at the strong smell of gasoline and oil that seemed to over take the light scent of smoked ham and sky, much to say that it wasn't the nicest thing to his nose.

He glanced around quickly, sniffed furiously through the air first before dropping his head to the ground to catch a scent. He latched on and jumped through the bushes. He looked around and scanned the ground. There was the person!

He growled. The damned scent had been too strong for him to hunt properly. He crawled to the person, who laid unconscious on the ground. He circled the person once, taking in every detail from the soft blond hair down to the rips in the soles of their shoes.

Blood trickled down their temple. A small but possibly fatal wound. He sighed, deciding to cut his hunt short and save this person from probable death. He propped the unconscious person onto his back and rushed towards HQ.

…

"In the forest?" Silvia questioned, blinking her blue eyes in confusion. "Was he attacked?"

"Like I know. I just found him." Apollo folded his arms and brought his attention back to the unconscious person.

Reika tilted her head to the side and leaned it a little closer when she heard him mutter a few words. To her luck at that moment, the boy shot up and smacked foreheads with Reika. He collapsed back onto his pillow and Reika stumbled backward. "Sorry," she chuckled, rubbing her sore forehead. "It's my bad luck."

The boy just stared at her in shock and looked around, looking astonished. "W-where am I?" he stammered. Silvia blinked. Never had she seen such gray eyes. He was very plain looking, very small, and very scrawny.

"You're at DEAVA headquarters," she explained, sitting on the bed by his legs. "I'm Silvia." The boy nodded, still looking confused. "And this is Apollo and Reika." The orange-haired male grinned while Reika just chose to wave meekly. "What's your name?"

After a moment of silence, he muttered an, "I don't know." The room went silent for a moment and the boy glanced down at his lap. "I don't remember anything."

"Amnesia?" Silvia questioned, however not expecting anyone to answer.

"That's what it appears to be," someone said by the door. Every looked over and blinked at the sight.

"Sophia?" Reika muttered. "When did you get here?"

The blond woman ignored the question. "Claus Valca," she said. "A fifteen-year-old vanship pilot. There aren't very many of those around anymore."

"I'm...what?" Claus repeated. "How do you know my name?"

Sophia chuckled. "The vanship license in your pockets really helped us out. Unfortunately, it only gives us so much information as your name, age, height, weight, birthday, and the permission to fly a vanship."

"Not even his hometown?" Silvia gasped.

"That's the interesting part," Sophia said, glancing at Silvia. "His hometown doesn't exist anymore. In fact, it was sunk down almost a century ago." Everyone's eyes widened in shock. "And what's more is that when I thought I'd look for him, where he really lives, he was supposed to be dead six thousand years ago. At the age of fifteen."

Everyone in the room back up (especially Silvia, who shrieked). "Is he a ghost?" she screamed, hiding behind Apollo, who was wondering how the records of someone dead six thousand years ago were still around.

"No," Sophia laughed. "He's certainly alive."

Everyone grew silent for a moment. "How did he get here?" Reika asked after a moment. "If he's supposed to be dead six thousand years ago, then how is he here?"

Another silence tore through the room. Apollo unfolded his arms. "Time travel?"

Everyone turned to him. "Is that possible?"

"Apparently so," he said. "I mean, the proof is right here."

Everyone turned their attention back to Claus, who found himself sinking back under the covers, wishing he could return back to his normal life. Whatever that was.

…

"Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!" he cursed, flying in circles around the forest. "Wrong time, wrong place! How could I make such a mistake?" He glared at the gold markings at the back of his hand, white feathers falling lose from his angelic wings as he steadied himself to a stop. "Hey, Amil Gaoul! Was this your doing? Why am I not surprised...?"

He looked around and sighed. "What do we even need a vanship pilot for?"

The wind changed directions. He glanced up, his blue eyes staring down the horizon. "That way." And with that, he tore down the direction of the wind.

…

"DEAVA?" Claus repeated, walking along side Apollo with a bandage tied around his temples.

Apollo nodded. "Division of Earth Vitalization Advancement, although there's really no need for us since the Shadow Angels are gone."

Claus tossed Apollo a confused glance and decided not to ask. "What are you going to do now?"

"Right now? Nothing." Apollo turned a corner and Claus quickly followed. "I almost wish something would happen already, because I'm stir crazy and Aquarion is getting rusty. At least the world is getting rebuilt but that will take forever and a half to get done." He paused for a minute. "Well, I guess the whole time travel thing is something interesting. Everyone is going to try and figure this thing out."

"I don't think I can be much help," Claus muttered, glancing down. "I don't remember very much."

Apollo smiled mischievously. "That's the interesting part," he said. "We hoping we can try and help you get your memory back, then maybe we can learn a little about the world before the Shadow Angel's attacked."

"That was six thousand years ago!" Claus stammered. "I think that the world has much improved since then."

"We'll just think of it as a history lesson."

A laugh abrupt from the end of the hall. "A history lesson?" The tall teen fixed his white blouse and long, blond hair. "You won't even pay attention to the Aquarion classes!"

Apollo opened his mouth for a snappy comeback, when Claus replied, "Maybe he doesn't see it like a history lesson. Sometimes it's like hearing a new friend talk about life where they are from."

A silence droned over the hall for a moment before the teen at the end of the hall burst into laughter. "Right! Okay. But I'm sure Apollo has better things to do than to listen to you talk."

"When did I get on your bad side?" Claus asked, sounding both offended and confused at the same time. "All I said was that he doesn't see it like a history lesson. There's really no reason to start saying those things."

"Is this kid for real?" the teen gasped.

Claus sighed and strengthened his gaze. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Sirius," he muttered. "So?"

"Are you serious?" Claus asked. Apollo burst into laughter. Sirius stiffened at the comment and placed a hand on his hip before walking off. Claus blinked and turned back to Apollo. "Okay, seriously. What's his name?"

…

"This is the simulator," Apollo said, showing him the room. Claus blinked at the six pod-like things in the rather large room. "Maybe I can grab Pierre or Silvia and you can try. Except, you should probably take a few lessons first."

Claus ignored Apollo and glanced inside at the controls. "How interesting," he muttered. "I recognize some of this stuff."

Apollo leaned forward. "How?"

"Perhaps some of his knowledge has been in his mind and just needed something to remind him."

The two teens glanced at the door. "Sophia? Reika?"

"Why don't we try the simulator?" Sophia asked, wandering over by the controls. "Maybe Claus will retrieve a memory. He is a vanship pilot after all. Perhaps flying might trigger something. Go on."

Apollo helped Claus into one of the simulators before jumping in on his own. The little pod thing closed and Claus found himself looking over the controls, naming a couple of them. He assumed a couple things, like the control sticks and pedals.

Two little screens appeared and Claus glanced up to see Reika in one screen and Apollo in the other. "If you have any questions, just ask, okay?"

Claus nodded and the giant screen that pretty much took over most of his sight and the visible areas of the ship turned blue. "I feel like I should be wearing a helmet or something," he sighed. "This feels weird."

"Try just flying for now," Sophia suggested from the controls, sounding slightly distracted. Claus did so. With procedures that basically formed on their own, he got the ship in the air.

"This...feels..."

"Hope you weren't afraid of heights," Apollo joked. Reika chuckled.

Claus glanced at a button on the control sticks. "Does this thing have guns?"

"Yeah," Apollo muttered. "Try shooting something."

"What's there to shoot?" Claus asked, although his question was rhetorical. He pressed a trigger and bullets went flying. Claus tilted his head to the side and fired again. "Don't shoot until they're just out of the cross heirs..."

"No," Reika corrected. "Our accuracy is pretty good in these ships. You can aim in the center."

Claus shook his head. "That's a tip for vanships in battle," he said. "I don't remember why I know that, I just remember it."

Apollo and Reika looked at each other. Sophia sighed and clicked a button on the controls. "I think that's enough for now."

At that moment, lights flashed and sirens blared. "Unknown enemy sightings just outside DEAVA headquarters. Sirius de Alisa to Vector Mars, Silvia de Alisa to Vector Luna, Apollo to Vector Sol."

"Alright!" Apollo cheered, jumping out of the simulator. "Finally, some action!" He was gone before anyone knew it.

"C'mon, Claus," Sophia said, motioning him over. "I'll take you to the control room."

Claus nodded and followed.

…

"There?" the Angel asked, finding himself hovering over a small area with a big building in the middle. "Why would he go there? This place is in the middle of nowhere!"

He ignored the rest of his confused thoughts and dived towards the building. Before he could get close, a jolt of electricity ran through his body. He cried out and leaped back. "A shield? Why must it always be this difficult?"

…

"Vector Mars, ready for take off."

"Vector Luna, ready for take off."

"Vector Sol, ready for take off."

Claus watched the three ships take off towards the out skirts of the headquarters in awe. "That's cool."

"Any idea where, what, or who this enemy is?" Sirius asked through to the control center.

"From appearance, I'd say Shadow Angel," a teen with black hair informed.

"That's not possible!" Apollo yelped through the screen.

Sophia shook his head. "That's what I thought."

There was a silence. "How about talking to them?" Everyone turned and stared at Claus like he was crazy. "There's no harm in it. If they attack, attack back."

Another awkward silence. "I guess so," Silvia said after a moment. "It only makes sense." Then she sighed. "Merge 1."

"Merge 2," Sirius followed. Claus blinked in confusion.

"Go, Aquarion!" Apollo shouted. The screen went white. Claus blinked and on the screen was a rather large robot. His jaw dropped.

…

He stared at the giant robot in confusion through the shield. "What the hell is that?" he demanded, although there was no one to hear his request.

"Who are you?" it demanded, although it had the voice of a teenage male.

He blinked in absolute shock. "Zed...?" he muttered.

"Are you a Shadow Angel?"

"...No..."

"Then, what are you?"

"What are you?"

There was an awkward silence, although no one could ignore the quiet snickering of Claus, who had actually been wondering the same thing.

Zed blinked and looked past the metal. "Oh, you're a human." The boy in the ship gasped. "So, what's your name?"

"Apollo," he said carefully.

Zed put his hands on his hips. "Okay, Apollo. I'm looking for someone and something tells me he's here. He's about five feet, three inches tall, blond hair, gray eyes? I tried to open a portal to my time line and someone-" he glared at the back of his hand. "-messed me up. I didn't have enough time to catch him and I sort of lost him."

"Are you talking about Claus?" a girl asked. Zed's eyes opened and he looked around for where the voice was coming from. "In here." He looked back at the robot and to see a blond girl beside the orange-haired teen named Apollo.

"Oh. Hi," he muttered. "Is that his name? I didn't enough time to ask."

"So I was right," Apollo muttered. "It was time travel. You screwed up the time line so Claus vanished at the age of fifteen."

Zed blinked. "Eh? I plan to take him back when he's finished helping me."

Apollo frowned in confusion. "Helping you?"

Zed nodded. "We are at war with some weird beings that call themselves the Shadow Angels."