AN- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Well… this is my first manga-centric fic, and this is also going to be my first humor fic. ^^ Well, not at first, but it will get funny after the first few chapters. Real funny. Real freaking hilarious. XD But, the first few chapters will introduce two OCs, that will be crucial to the rest of the story. And also, this fic will begin a few months after the last book in the manga. That means Raven is now good, and they are all based inside Horai, the giant floating fortress-like Zoid. And following the differences of the manga, in this fic, Shadow will be female, and Raven will have a twin brother named Donnie. Yeah… that'll take some time to get used to. ^^; But, I hope you like this fic! Seriously, this fic is meant to be funny and taken lightly, but there will be serious parts in places. Anyway, enjoy the fic!! XD
Disclaimer- Nope, Zoids doesn't belong to me. And the manga isn't mine either, that honor goes to Michiro Ueyama. But, I do however own this fic and my OCs, and the Shadow figurine perched on top of my computer. XD
Note- Even if you haven't read the manga, you should still be able to follow along and understand pretty well. I highly suggest you look for the manga. It's very hard to find these days, but its well worth its price. There are 14 books, and personally, book 14 is the best, but each one is extremely good. You can't call yourself a Zoids fan until you own at least one book of the manga. Highly recommend it. Personally, I think it's better than the anime! But, again, this fic is based off of it and not the anime. So things WILL be different. Just to let you know, characters will have different personalities and backgrounds and pasts and such.
.:Cruel Irony:.
"Donnie, does the room have to so dark?" Raven complained, sitting beside Shadow in a nearly pitch-black room. Donnie was looking Shadow and her nest over, following Horai's advice.
"Sorry Joyce, but it being dark will keep Shadow more at ease and help keep her calm. After all, we don't want her to be fully awake and agitated when we take the eggs, do we?" Donnie responded, looking over at Raven. Raven shook his head no. He did not want Shadow to go nuts when they took away her two eggs.
"How much longer 'til they hatch, Donnie?" Raven asked, looking over at the eggs Shadow was curled around. The silver eggs reflected what little light there was, making them glitter. One was smaller than the other, although Donnie had said that it was common for one egg to not survive in a first clutch. "Donnie, do you think that one egg will survive? I don't know how Shadow would take loosing one of her two chicks…"
"I think it's dead Joyce… I mean, its small, and it hasn't really moved or made much noise since it was laid…" Donnie said grimly, looking at the smaller egg darkly. The egg beside it was larger and moved and made lots of noise, but the small one rarely made noise and hardly ever moved.
"Should we… move it then? Put it somewhere warm and watch it? Just to see if it hatches?" Raven suggested, getting up and walking over beside his twin brother. Donnie narrowed his eyes slightly in thought.
"I know, let's take it to Horai! She'll know!" Donnie said suddenly, smiling at the mention of Horai. Raven nodded and knelt down to Shadow, putting his hand on his Organoid's snout. Shadow purred and nuzzled his hand, closing her eyes happily. Raven smiled slightly and patted her snout, before he carefully picked up the egg, moving slowly so not to upset Shadow. She snorted at him and tightened her tail around her remaining egg, narrowing her eyes unhappily.
"Sorry girl, but it's for the good of the egg…" Raven said, holding the delicate egg carefully as he and Donnie left Shadow alone with her remaining egg in the dark room. Donnie shut the door, as Raven had his hands full.
"Let me lead the way, I doubt you remember how to get to the Core…" Donnie offered, walking in front of Raven. He didn't care much; he trusted Donnie and was focused on the egg in his arms. It seemed… different than the other one. This one seemed a slightly darker color, although it could just be the black of Raven's shirt reflecting on its mirror like surface. The black seams and rivet-like spots were the only breaks in the uniform grayish-silver color, making it look less organic.
Suddenly, Raven heard something, like someone shouting boo followed by a loud roar, further down the hall. Donnie seemed to hear as well, for he stopped the moment he did. It was quite scary how alike they were, despite growing up in completely different households. "What was that?" Raven asked quietly, tightening his grip on the egg slightly.
"I'm not su-" Without warning, Zeke came barreling down the hallway, roaring loudly in panic. He rushed past Donnie and thwacked him with his tail in his blind panic, knocking him back into Raven, sending both boys to the ground on their backs with a shout of panic, Donnie landing on top of Raven…
SMASH!!!!!!
Raven felt a strange wetness on his chest, and sharp stabs of pain, like he was being stabbed. Donnie scrambled off him and looked at Raven, gasping in horror and scrambling backwards. "Raven!" he shouted in fear, his eyes wide and focused on something. Raven's vision was blurry from the impact, but he could feel a… weight on his chest. He looked down, and saw the crushed remains of the egg on him, bits of the metal eggshell buried into his chest and arms, drawing blood. But he didn't care about that, even if they were driven in deep and close to his heart. His eyes were transfixed on the hatchling that had moments ago been inside the egg.
The small, frail chick was sprawled on top of him, unmoving and covered in slime and bits of shell. It was black like Shadow, with small but slightly similar crests and appearance. But it was… different. Swirls of violet covered its body, and crumpled silver wings lay useless at its sides. But what caught his eye were the twin fangs showing in its small jaws.
Donnie was looking at it in shocked horror, completely frozen. He appeared afraid of it for some reason. Raven tried to get up, but found he couldn't; the fall had made him more than a little dizzy. Donnie helped him up, and Raven picked up the seemingly lifeless hatchling. It was light as a feather in his hands, and cold as ice. He wiped away the clinging slime and eggshell from his chest and arms, the fluid making his skin feel strange; he figured it was probably poisonous.
"Is it… alive?" Donnie asked, looking at it curiously. Raven shrugged, holding the frail creature carefully in his hands. He held it up and looked at it, fearing that it was dead. He hardly registered the fact that blood was dripping from punctures on his chest and arms, sharp shards of the metal eggshell having sliced into him. Blood streamed down his arm, dripping down his fingers and onto the chick.
Then, it moved.
Raven watched as it seemed to come to life, taking a weak, shallow breath. Its eyes slowly opened, glowing a bright, icy blue. It opened and closed its tiny jaws, making a quiet, weak noise. It moved slightly in Raven's hand, shakily lifting its head and making a squeaking cry.
"Uhh… what do I do?" Raven asked, looking at Donnie. Donnie shrugged, his eyes locked on the chick. Raven was transfixed with the hatchling, not understanding how it was alive. It squirmed slightly in his grip, making a distressed noise. Raven responded by holding the fragile hatchling closer to his body, shifting it so it rested in his arms like he would hold a child.
Strangely, the hatchling quieted, shifting slightly in Raven's grip like a kitten. It flapped its oversized, crumbled wings and made a cooing noise, pressing its frail, cold body into his bloody chest. Raven blinked his eyes in shock, not expecting the hatchling to act like he was… its mother or father, or something.
"Donnie… um… what should I do?" Raven asked, looking up at Donnie. "How should I know? I've never seen a hatchling before…" Donnie said, his eyes focused on the tiny hatchling. "The only thing I can tell for sure is that its female… she's thin and has different eyes than a male…" he said, pointing to the hatchling's glowing eyes. She squeaked and tried to hide from him in Raven's arms, pressing herself more against him. Donnie looked up at his brother. "What are you going to name her?"
Raven opened his mouth to respond, when he felt a strange sensation on his arm, a tickling or stroking almost. He looked down, and saw the hatchling licking at one of the gashes from the eggshell. Her tiny, pale pink tongue appeared to be lapping up the blood. He blinked his eyes curiously, finding it strange that the hatchling was drinking his blood, and that he wasn't feeling any pain. "Umm… what is she doing?" he stated flatly, watching the newborn hatchling curiously.
"I don't know brother, but… it doesn't look good…" Donnie said, his eyes glued to the frail chick, "… I don't think letting her drink your blood is good… she might take a fondness to it and… well…" he trailed off.
"Don't worry Donnie, I just think she's hungry. Umm… what do you feed a baby Organoid, anyway?" Raven asked, looking up at Donnie. His twin brother shrugged.
"I don't have a clue Joyce, maybe Horai-" he was cut off as Van came running down the hallway, probably after Zeke. He was laughing, but skid to a stop upon seeing that Raven was holding something. But Raven wasn't in the mood to talk with him.
"Van! Did you scare Zeke?!" Raven growled, trying to hide the fragile creature from Van's sight. Van grinned and nodded.
"Yeah, I jumped out and scared him to death!!" Van beamed, until he caught sight of the hatchling Raven was cradling. "What's that?!" he said, bringing his face right up to the chick. She squeaked and clung to Raven's shirt, her eyes squeezed shut, terrified of him.
"Well… you made Zeke run into us, and smashed Shadow's egg!!" Raven snapped, turning away from Van, trying to keep the hatchling from panicking. Van looked at him dumbly.
"Shadow's a girl?" Van cocked his head slightly and blinked. Raven rolled his eyes.
"Yes… Shadow is a girl, and you almost killed her hatchling!" Raven hissed, narrowing his eyes. Van seemed completely unfazed.
"Ha! Your Organoid is a girl!!" Van mocked, beginning to laugh. Raven sighed and closed his eyes, trying to keep from killing Van.
"I don't have time for this Van! Just get lost!" Raven snarled, turning and walking away towards Horai's Core. Donnie turned and followed him. Van scratched his head.
"What'd I do?" Van muttered, sighing.
Raven looked down at the tiny hatchling in his arms. It was growing livelier by the moment. She was moving around and flapping her wings, squeaking and chirping. She wasn't trying to get out of his hold; she seemed like she was just trying to figure out how to move. Raven shifted her carefully so that his right arm was free, and hesitantly stroked her head. The chick made a startled squeak, but quieted, looking up at him with white-tinged blue eyes. She cocked her head, shifting around in his arms, fluttering her delicate silvered wings. She cooed and rubbed the side of her face against his finger, chirping softly.
"Heh… she likes you, Joyce…" Donnie said, looking back at him, smiling. Raven rolled his eyes slightly, but didn't turn away from the chick he was holding.
"She probably just thinks I'm her mom or something… that's all…" Raven said, continuing to stroke the frail chick. Donnie chuckled slightly.
"No… I talked with Horai a few days before Shadow laid…" Donnie said matter-of-factly, "… hatchlings form a bond with their mother while their still in the egg. So, she knows you're not her mother…"
"But then why is she so calm and relaxed with me?" Raven asked, blinking his eyes.
"Well… you spent a lot of time with Shadow after she laid, and you talked to her, right?" Donnie asked. Raven nodded slowly, not knowing what he was getting at. "Well, the hatchling probably recognizes your voice, and knows you aren't a threat. That… or she just likes you…"
"Great… now I'll have two Organoids to look after…" Raven rolled his eyes, although the notion didn't really bother him that much.
"I could always watch the second egg, brother, if this one is too much of a handful…" Donnie offered, glancing back at him. Raven nodded. He had a feeling that two hatchlings and a mother Organoid would be too much for him. Besides, Donnie would need an Organoid partner to keep him company while they were away.
Looking down at the hatchling, Raven noticed that she was licked at the gash again. She seemed to have a strange affinity with blood. He didn't stop her, instead he watched as she licked up the blood that still oozed from the shallow cut. He began to ponder what she was doing, when he remembered the fangs. 'I wonder if she's a vampire? No… vampires don't exist…' he pushed the notion from his mind, finding it absurd. But, he did get the feeling that she needed some sort of food, so he let her continue to lick at his wound without interruption. After all, it wasn't hurting him, so what was the harm?
Raven was fascinated with the tiny hatchling, stroking and rubbing her fragile head. She stopped licking at the wound and lifted her head. Her eyes were closed happily, and she was making a purring noise. "You like that, don't you girl…" Raven said quietly, smiling slightly. For some reason, he felt attached to the fragile hatchling, like he felt attached to Shadow. 'It must have to do with the fact that she is related to Shadow…' Raven told himself, continuing to stroke the delicate hatchling.
"Did you ever decide on a name for her, Joyce?" Donnie asked suddenly, glancing over his shoulder at his brother. Raven blinked and looked down at the hatchling, seeing her looking up at him and wagging her tail like a puppy.
"… Corva…" Raven answered, stroking the hatchling's head gently. She seemed to respond to the name instantly, and perked up, flapping her wings and chirping.
"Corva? That's a unique name. But it fits her somehow…" Donnie replied, continuing to lead Raven towards Horai's Core. Corva chirped and shook her delicate body, rubbing the side of her face against Raven's chest. Raven smiled slightly and gently rubbed her, surprised with how fond he had grown of the chick.
Raven tore his eyes from Corva and looked at where the eggshell had slashed his chest. Most of the wounds had stopped bleeding, but they felt strange. He was seriously thinking that the slime inside the egg had been poisonous.
As if in response, Raven suddenly grew dizzy, stopping and groaning. Donnie immediately took notice. "Joyce? Are you alright?" he asked in concern, turning to him. "I…. I-I don't know…" Raven stuttered, staggering on his feet. His vision began to fade and blur, suddenly weak and tired. He started to fall, but Donnie caught him.
"What's wrong?!" Donnie asked, panic showing in his voice. Raven couldn't answer, unable to even stand anymore. Corva squeaked in fear and clung to Raven's shirt, terrified. Donnie was supporting him, Raven's left arm across his shoulders, keeping him from collapsing.
"S-something… wrong…" Raven breathed, Donnie having to hold him up, "… the egg… s-omething… in t-the… egg…" he forced out, knowing that something inside the egg must be poisonous or affecting him. Or, that one of the shards had pierced deep enough to make him bleed internally. He held on to Corva with his free arm, making sure she didn't fall. She was crying loudly, obviously panicked. Raven couldn't do anything, and just managed to hand her to Donnie with the last of his strength. He took her from him, and Raven's energy seemed to completely leave him. If not for Donnie, he would have collapsed and been unable to move.
"C'mon brother, we need to get you to Horai; she'll be able to help you…"
.:End of Chapter 1:.
AN- heh… umm… I'm gonna go and… curl up in the corner and die now. I know that was terrible. But it's my first time writing the manga, so it's a little difficult since I almost exclusively wrote the manga before. Cut me a little slack, okay? Anyway, I hoped you like. It'll get funnier in later chapters, I promise. Especially in next chapter, when Raven meets Horai, the bright and cheery spirit of the Zoid everyone is in at the moment. Poor Raven… XD I hope you liked, and please leave a nice review!!
I tried a different style with this. Reading the manga influenced me a bit. And also, I know arathia is gonna mention this, but just for the record I did NOT take unpublished book 15 into consideration when writing this fic. Just to avoid confusion. And a quick note- Shadow was put into her capsule with the eggs inside her, so Zeke is NOT the father. And also, I've been wanting to write about Raven with a hatchling for a long time. Sorry if this chapter was short and fast, but I wanted to get everything set up. Next chap will be better, I promise. ;D
And special thanks to Sparky, Kokoro and Wolfy!! Without you three, this fic would never have been posted!! ^-^
~Ibeyla ^^