One More Time

Author: Shadow_Moon_Sedai

Genre: Zoids

Rating: PG-13

Summary: There is so much about the past we try to hide... but what is Bit Cloud's biggest secret? Shaunrio knows and it's been getting her into some major trouble. But is it really Bit's secret their after or her own?

Prologue- It's all in the Past.

Shaunrio was eight when he first left home. She never understood why he returned. Their father was cruel to all four of the kids: Shaunrio, her brothers, and her baby sister. Their mother had died when her baby sister was born, only five months earlier, and their father blamed all of the children. Not that little Jix or Lara could understand why their father came home from work everyday drunk and went into tirades. Shaunrio didn't know either, in truth, but he did. Her oldest brother, three years her elder, understood why Shaunrio was the main target of their father's abuse: she was almost an exact copy of their mother, with dark hair like tree bark (that's what her mother had called it, anyway) and eyes the color of clear sapphires. She was the only one like that. Her other siblings all looked like their father, with dark blonde hair and ocean colored eyes. But looking like their father was her eldest brother's only flaw: otherwise, he was the exact opposite. Her father was loud and at the same time quiet. He never spoke kind words to the children and since Shaunrio's only memories of her first five years were of her mother, she assumed her never had. But her brother was something altogether different. He always smiled and always made sure that the kids kept in high spirit. He was more of an adult, in Shaunrio's eyes, then their father.

"Stupid bitch! Where is he?!" Shaunrio's tiny fingers wrapped tightly around the thick wrist of her father as his own fingers tightened on her throat. He was angry. And, as usual, was taking it out on her. "Where is that stupid brother of yours?!" She couldn't take the breath to answer. He growled angrily and tossed her aimlessly across the room. She landed on the couch and rolled off to the floor, breathing heavily. Her neck hurt and she wanted to cry, but that would only fuel her father's rage.

"Shaun?" Someone was kneeling next to her, then hugging her tightly. Sobs racked her tiny body, made frail by months of harsh punishments from her father. "It's okay, Shaun, I'm back," whispered her brother's voice in her ear as he smoothed down her hair. "I promise."

"You!" yelled her father, his voice raising. "What are you doing back?! I thought you were too god damned good for this family!" Her brother lifted his head and glared.

"What the hell is your problem?" he asked. "Why do you pick on Shaunrio so much? I'm more of a challenge, you stupid bastard."

"Bit, no," pleaded Shaunrio, her voice harsh. "Don't-" But the damage was done. Her father gave a roar of anger and dove for the two children. Bit pulled Shaunrio to the side and out of the way, then gave her a push towards the hall.

"Lara's crying," he said, which was true. The baby's cries could be heard coupled with that of three year old Jix. "Go take care of them, okay? For me?" She hesitated, seeing her father starting to rise from the floor. But Bit gave another insistent push and she left to take care of the two youngest children.

When she returned, her father was gone and her brother was laying across the couch, holding a bag of ice to his face.

"Bit," she sighed, shifting Lara to her other hip. Jix sniffled and burst across the floor to his brother.

"Hey, kid," said Bit warmly, hugging the boy awkwardly with one arm. "Shaun, are you alright?" She nodded and he smiled. "Good..."

Chapter One- It's all in the Present

"Jix, put that game down at get to work on your homework." Shaunrio wiped flour from her hands onto her black jeans and turned to the cookbook again. "Two cups sugar... Lara, darling, can you hand me the sugar?" Perched on the counter, Lara pushed the bag of sugar over towards her sister, then took another lick of her quickly dying ice cream cone. "Lar, hun, I think it's time we got you a bowl. You're ruining that dress Aunt Amai sent you." Shaunrio reached up into the cupboard next to Lara and pulled down a slightly chipped white bowl. "Here, kid. Put that in here and I'll get you a spoon."

"But what about my cone?" asked Lara softly. Shaunrio smiled.

"You can eat that with your fingers," she said. "Jix! Come on!"

"Coming, Shaun!" The kitchen door burst open and Jix ran in. Tall and lanky, he fit perfectly into the hand-me down clothes he wore. "Can you help me? It's matrices and I can't write them out quite yet."

"Bring it in here," said Shaunrio, her hands already busy mixing the dough in the bowl. "Lara, do you have homework?"

"Just my reading," she answered in a quite voice. "And Jix said he'd help me with that-" There was a knock at the door.

"MAIL!" came Jix's yelled. There was the sound of running feet, a thud, papers being shuffled, more running, and Jix was in the kitchen again. "We got a letter from Bit!"

"Read it!" said Lara in as loud a tone as her voice would go. Jix sat down at the table and all but tore apart the letter.

"'Dear Shaunrio and kids,

As usual, I can't tell you where I am. But I'm with a group of Zoid pilots and they're the greatest guys in the world. I've been winning some lately and some of my share of the prize money was wired into the account. I hope it helps for something. Happy birthday, Jix, by the way." Jix stopped to smile proudly. "Anyway, this is short again. We have a battle starting soon. Be safe. Love your brother, Bit." Shaunrio smiled.

At least he's staying out of trouble, she thought idly. "Alright, Jix. Now. Go get your homework." As Jix was returning back to his room, there was a knock at the front door. Shaunrio cursed, earning a giggle from Lara, and grabbed a towel to try and clean her hands. "Coming!" she called at the second knock. She opened the door, slightly scarred from years of Jix's uncoordinated sliding into it to get the mail and faced a tall man with dark hair and even darker eyes. "Can I help you?"

"Is this the former home of a Mr. Bit Cloud?" Out of habit, she shook her head.

"No," she said. "No one by that name's ever lived here." He narrowed her eyes.

"What's your name?"

"Shaunrio Jisan," she answered automatically. He seemed to accept it as a good answer and nodded.

"I'm sorry for the trouble, Miss Jisan."

"It's alright. I'm sorry I couldn't help." She shut the door and sighed. They're coming more frequently. Maybe we should move... Lara tugged at the bottom of her shirt. "What, hun?"

"Why do they want Bit?" she asked. Shaunrio sighed and knelt down.

"Lara, it's a long story," she answered. Jix was standing over Lara now, his eyes dark and grim. Unlike Lara, who had been only two when Bit left for good, he remembered. "Jix..." A sudden feeling of dread washed over her. "Jix, I want you to get together some clothes. You and Lara are gonna go visit Aunt Amai for awhile."

"You said 'you and Lara'," he repeated. "What about you?" Lara pouted, realizing that their sister was going away from them. Shaunrio hugged her tightly.

"I'm going to find something," she said. "And besides, you get off school for awhile, so what's with all the questions?"

"Off... school?" he said in barely contained excitement. "Alright!!! Come on, Lara! Let's get some stuff together!" He grabbed the little girl's hand and pulled her away. Shaunrio had to smile.

We're still in high spirits, Bit, she thought, standing up. Just like you always taught us to be...

A/n: So what'd ya think? This is my first Zoids fic... um. RnR, no flames. Pyros do darn well in making their own, thank you, and I happen to be a pyro. :)