Danza Del Matadors ~ Dance Of The Matadors
Chapter One
Another anniversary, another time to remember Percy and the pain of watching him die in my arms, knowing that it was all my fault. I remember because his most precious treasure, his gift to me, rests on a special place on my dresser in a velvet lined box, on a silken pillow; the Black Star, the perfectly smooth orb all that is left of the man who guarded it, who taught me the importance of friends and dreams, and for a little while, love.
Sol
The door to the rec-room opens and April steps through, wearing her ubiquitous chocker, red shirt loosely buttoned and tight black slacks. She stands in the doorway for a moment, taking in the surroundings, which is little as the lights are off, except for the bright glow of the holoscreen. From the shifting cast of light April can see three head-shapes in a row, logically sitting on the plush divan in front of the screen.
She flicks on the light switch.
"Hey! Turn off the light!"
June's angry voice is unmistakable.
The trio of heads pop up and turn, scowling. June, May and Jan.
April starts at the reaction of as simple an action as turning on a light switch. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Feb looking at her out of the corners of her eyes with a typical amused smile. Face flushing, embarrassed, she clicks on the switch again and everything returns to the way it was, before she had entered.
As sounds, the trio of heads turn around.
"Not even a thank-you?" April says to frosty silence. She almost expects to be hissed at. Sighing, inaudibly, the Pirate carefully walks over to where Feb is. "Feb?" she whispers.
"April."
April smells the grapy-alcoholic smell.
"Don't you ever stop?"
"Eeeh. Don't start again, April. It is only one glass, in celebration."
"Celebration for what?" April asks, a little too loudly. To her there is only one anniversary, a sore one that they had all shared.
"June modified the projector so it can play the media-disks we found."
April turned her attention to the holoscreen for the first time. The image on it was flat and full of bright, solid colours. A pair of very yellow, humanoid figures were standing in a house-like situation, one a bald man, the other a child. Both only had three fingers on each hand.
"Give that to me, boy!" the older man said, the father?
"No way, Homer. It's mine," the child said in return, clutching some object to his round chest.
"Why you!" Homer growled and grabbed the boy around the throat with both hands, squeezing and shaking. The boy gargled, his arms and legs flailing about in the air.
On the divan, June and May burst out laughing. June's that of an elder teenage girl changing into a young adult woman, May at the early stages of pubescence, her laugh still retaining its high-pitched childish quality.
"What the hell is this?" April said.
From beside, Feb handed over one of the many thin plastic cases they had discovered in the hundreds of years abandoned colony that they had ransacked a few days ago. April angled the case so she could see the cover in the light of the screen.
"The Simpsons?" she said, baffled.
Feb made a 'I don't know either' sound. "Maybe you should have a drink, too?"
"No thanks."
"Where were you, anyway?" Feb asked in the dark, making her voice seem richer and more mature.
"Remembering an old friend."
"Ah." April felt a hand on her shoulder. "It is today, isn't it? Another year gone. Don't be angry at them if they have forgotten," Feb meant the trio watching the old program, "they -"
"They're young, glad they survived, looking to the future."
"As you should be."
"And you," April wished that the lights were on, so she could look at her best friend. The hand on her shoulder tightened. The past hurt Feb too. Until The Simpsons finished, the women thought and remembered.
"Ow, dammit." Jan cursed. She had hit her shin against the side of the divan, trying to find her way in the dark room.
"Need a light?" April said teasingly.
Jan grunted in reply and April turned flicked the switch again, for the third time.
"That was funny," May exclaimed, standing up and stretching. To show that she shouldn't be taken for a child any more, she had stopped tying her hair up in a ponytail with a big ribbon - or rather stopped June from tying her hair up with a big, shiny, ribbon - now preferring to let her hair fall long, as June wore hers, her big sister. The girl didn't want to imitate Jan's severe bleached mannish spikes, didn't have April's blonde locks, or Feb's raven curls. Her hair was purplish, June's auburn.
"How do you think they made shows like that? There weren't any real people," Jan was saying.
"With a computer, stupid," June said from her relaxed place in between cushions. "How else?"
"Don't sound smug with me," Jan growled, she liked having something to growl at, which wasn't inanimate. June was her preferable target. Feb and April were older than her, and May too young. She picked on June because June was the one she was allowed to, and could get away with it. It also helped that June actually annoyed her sometimes. Living on a spaceship, as Pirates, with just a few close companions did that sometimes.
"Nothing changes," Feb noted, watching the verbal sparring with interest. She held her glass, almost finished of its red grappa, near her chin.
It was a good thing that June and Jan were only yelling at each other, poor May stuck in the middle as she typically was, laughing or grinning when her June said something exceptionally witty or degrading, cowering when Jan glared at her, telling to her stay out of it. Jan, whist older, was taller and stronger than June, by a lot. May felt scared of Jan sometimes, she could fight and shoot, and liked guns. April liked guns too, but not the way Jan did. April's guns were nice, beautifully made. Jan talked about how many bullets a gun could fire in a minute, and how much armour it could break through. But May was also glad that Jun was around, it made her feel secure, when being a Pirate was a dangerous occupation.
"I suppose that's a good thing." April said, stepping out of the way as Jun passed her by.
"April," May chimed, "I hope you're not upset about being yelled at." Concern was written all over her face, the child not wanting to have an angry parent.
"I'm fine. I know how you all behave," April answered. "And I know that you have a school exam tomorrow."
May's concern changed in a flash to alarm.
"Eh, a test?" June poked May in the side. "You didn't say anything about a test."
"It's just a little one." May stammered.
On the sidelines, Feb took a sip, wondering how the little incident would play out.
"It's 30% of your grade." April said.
"30%!" June shot.
May was now dismayed.
"And you're staying up late? You should know better, little lady," June lectured, driving the poor May beneath the horizon of the divan.
"You should have know too, June." Feb said, stepping in. "Don't you read her school reports?"
Caught off guard, June collapsed into speechlessness. May, seeing her chance started to slip off the divan.
"You better go to bed, May, before Feb decides to let your teachers know."
May took April's suggestion seriously and scampered from the room, bursting by Jan as she returned, pack of beers under arm. Jan, used to the girl's antics wasn't too disturbed. "Want one?" she said to April.
"Sure. Planning on a long night?" April asked.
"I saw some action movies in the stash, I want to see how they fought."
"Where's mine?" June cut in. She ducked down when Jan made to throw a can at her, instead Jan tossed the can, neatly landing it directly on top of June's hidden head.
"Before then, Jan, if it's alright, I'd like to watch this movie. The history on the back is intriguing." Feb asked politely.
"What is it?"
Jan, June and April were all attentive to whenever Feb spoke and it had nothing to do with wine, men, or money.
Feb held up the case.
"Casablanca."
end chapter one
Director's Notes: Dance of The Matadors takes place after the Legacy series (and no finer character driven series I have seen, the last 3 eps had tremendous texture, animation quality, and story [besides the crazed Admiral]. The soundtrack, too, amazing. Money well spent.), and also incorporates the higher plot that was started in the second episode of the original series, which I will expand on because it was never finished. But it is pretty obvious.
A few years have passed since the end of Legacies, everyone's a little older, hopefully wiser, but as Feb said, 'nothing has changed'. The crew of the Sol Bianca are still doing what their dreams want, sailing the Sea Of Stars (had to borrow, sorry Leiji Matsumoto! Harlock rules,) as Pirates in search for relics and booty in their unique spaceship.
But, as with all my fanfic stories, I will not sit on convention, because that is stale, unimaginative (a crime the crew of the Sol Bianca would not forgive), and not my style. However, as the Sol Bianca universe is an easily expandable one, and the characters already quite thought out with history and relationships, there isn't a lot to meddle with.
So I hope you enjoy my continuation on Sol Bianca: Danza Del Matadors, as much as you enjoyed the superb animation.
Chapter One
Another anniversary, another time to remember Percy and the pain of watching him die in my arms, knowing that it was all my fault. I remember because his most precious treasure, his gift to me, rests on a special place on my dresser in a velvet lined box, on a silken pillow; the Black Star, the perfectly smooth orb all that is left of the man who guarded it, who taught me the importance of friends and dreams, and for a little while, love.
Sol
The door to the rec-room opens and April steps through, wearing her ubiquitous chocker, red shirt loosely buttoned and tight black slacks. She stands in the doorway for a moment, taking in the surroundings, which is little as the lights are off, except for the bright glow of the holoscreen. From the shifting cast of light April can see three head-shapes in a row, logically sitting on the plush divan in front of the screen.
She flicks on the light switch.
"Hey! Turn off the light!"
June's angry voice is unmistakable.
The trio of heads pop up and turn, scowling. June, May and Jan.
April starts at the reaction of as simple an action as turning on a light switch. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Feb looking at her out of the corners of her eyes with a typical amused smile. Face flushing, embarrassed, she clicks on the switch again and everything returns to the way it was, before she had entered.
As sounds, the trio of heads turn around.
"Not even a thank-you?" April says to frosty silence. She almost expects to be hissed at. Sighing, inaudibly, the Pirate carefully walks over to where Feb is. "Feb?" she whispers.
"April."
April smells the grapy-alcoholic smell.
"Don't you ever stop?"
"Eeeh. Don't start again, April. It is only one glass, in celebration."
"Celebration for what?" April asks, a little too loudly. To her there is only one anniversary, a sore one that they had all shared.
"June modified the projector so it can play the media-disks we found."
April turned her attention to the holoscreen for the first time. The image on it was flat and full of bright, solid colours. A pair of very yellow, humanoid figures were standing in a house-like situation, one a bald man, the other a child. Both only had three fingers on each hand.
"Give that to me, boy!" the older man said, the father?
"No way, Homer. It's mine," the child said in return, clutching some object to his round chest.
"Why you!" Homer growled and grabbed the boy around the throat with both hands, squeezing and shaking. The boy gargled, his arms and legs flailing about in the air.
On the divan, June and May burst out laughing. June's that of an elder teenage girl changing into a young adult woman, May at the early stages of pubescence, her laugh still retaining its high-pitched childish quality.
"What the hell is this?" April said.
From beside, Feb handed over one of the many thin plastic cases they had discovered in the hundreds of years abandoned colony that they had ransacked a few days ago. April angled the case so she could see the cover in the light of the screen.
"The Simpsons?" she said, baffled.
Feb made a 'I don't know either' sound. "Maybe you should have a drink, too?"
"No thanks."
"Where were you, anyway?" Feb asked in the dark, making her voice seem richer and more mature.
"Remembering an old friend."
"Ah." April felt a hand on her shoulder. "It is today, isn't it? Another year gone. Don't be angry at them if they have forgotten," Feb meant the trio watching the old program, "they -"
"They're young, glad they survived, looking to the future."
"As you should be."
"And you," April wished that the lights were on, so she could look at her best friend. The hand on her shoulder tightened. The past hurt Feb too. Until The Simpsons finished, the women thought and remembered.
"Ow, dammit." Jan cursed. She had hit her shin against the side of the divan, trying to find her way in the dark room.
"Need a light?" April said teasingly.
Jan grunted in reply and April turned flicked the switch again, for the third time.
"That was funny," May exclaimed, standing up and stretching. To show that she shouldn't be taken for a child any more, she had stopped tying her hair up in a ponytail with a big ribbon - or rather stopped June from tying her hair up with a big, shiny, ribbon - now preferring to let her hair fall long, as June wore hers, her big sister. The girl didn't want to imitate Jan's severe bleached mannish spikes, didn't have April's blonde locks, or Feb's raven curls. Her hair was purplish, June's auburn.
"How do you think they made shows like that? There weren't any real people," Jan was saying.
"With a computer, stupid," June said from her relaxed place in between cushions. "How else?"
"Don't sound smug with me," Jan growled, she liked having something to growl at, which wasn't inanimate. June was her preferable target. Feb and April were older than her, and May too young. She picked on June because June was the one she was allowed to, and could get away with it. It also helped that June actually annoyed her sometimes. Living on a spaceship, as Pirates, with just a few close companions did that sometimes.
"Nothing changes," Feb noted, watching the verbal sparring with interest. She held her glass, almost finished of its red grappa, near her chin.
It was a good thing that June and Jan were only yelling at each other, poor May stuck in the middle as she typically was, laughing or grinning when her June said something exceptionally witty or degrading, cowering when Jan glared at her, telling to her stay out of it. Jan, whist older, was taller and stronger than June, by a lot. May felt scared of Jan sometimes, she could fight and shoot, and liked guns. April liked guns too, but not the way Jan did. April's guns were nice, beautifully made. Jan talked about how many bullets a gun could fire in a minute, and how much armour it could break through. But May was also glad that Jun was around, it made her feel secure, when being a Pirate was a dangerous occupation.
"I suppose that's a good thing." April said, stepping out of the way as Jun passed her by.
"April," May chimed, "I hope you're not upset about being yelled at." Concern was written all over her face, the child not wanting to have an angry parent.
"I'm fine. I know how you all behave," April answered. "And I know that you have a school exam tomorrow."
May's concern changed in a flash to alarm.
"Eh, a test?" June poked May in the side. "You didn't say anything about a test."
"It's just a little one." May stammered.
On the sidelines, Feb took a sip, wondering how the little incident would play out.
"It's 30% of your grade." April said.
"30%!" June shot.
May was now dismayed.
"And you're staying up late? You should know better, little lady," June lectured, driving the poor May beneath the horizon of the divan.
"You should have know too, June." Feb said, stepping in. "Don't you read her school reports?"
Caught off guard, June collapsed into speechlessness. May, seeing her chance started to slip off the divan.
"You better go to bed, May, before Feb decides to let your teachers know."
May took April's suggestion seriously and scampered from the room, bursting by Jan as she returned, pack of beers under arm. Jan, used to the girl's antics wasn't too disturbed. "Want one?" she said to April.
"Sure. Planning on a long night?" April asked.
"I saw some action movies in the stash, I want to see how they fought."
"Where's mine?" June cut in. She ducked down when Jan made to throw a can at her, instead Jan tossed the can, neatly landing it directly on top of June's hidden head.
"Before then, Jan, if it's alright, I'd like to watch this movie. The history on the back is intriguing." Feb asked politely.
"What is it?"
Jan, June and April were all attentive to whenever Feb spoke and it had nothing to do with wine, men, or money.
Feb held up the case.
"Casablanca."
end chapter one
Director's Notes: Dance of The Matadors takes place after the Legacy series (and no finer character driven series I have seen, the last 3 eps had tremendous texture, animation quality, and story [besides the crazed Admiral]. The soundtrack, too, amazing. Money well spent.), and also incorporates the higher plot that was started in the second episode of the original series, which I will expand on because it was never finished. But it is pretty obvious.
A few years have passed since the end of Legacies, everyone's a little older, hopefully wiser, but as Feb said, 'nothing has changed'. The crew of the Sol Bianca are still doing what their dreams want, sailing the Sea Of Stars (had to borrow, sorry Leiji Matsumoto! Harlock rules,) as Pirates in search for relics and booty in their unique spaceship.
But, as with all my fanfic stories, I will not sit on convention, because that is stale, unimaginative (a crime the crew of the Sol Bianca would not forgive), and not my style. However, as the Sol Bianca universe is an easily expandable one, and the characters already quite thought out with history and relationships, there isn't a lot to meddle with.
So I hope you enjoy my continuation on Sol Bianca: Danza Del Matadors, as much as you enjoyed the superb animation.