Ok! Thanx for the vote of support! And as for you, Firey! I thought you were my friend! *Sniff* o well! N e way, I will do a little bit of answering to the first 10 reviews. I am sorry to report that Kaze is NOT, I repeat, is NOT going to be paired with Jamie. She's nice to him because a) he's a sweet kid and b) he reminds her of her of …. Well, I let you wait on that one! OK, as previously stated, I have no claim over any of the characters…blah blah…but all characters and plot twists of my own are off limits…. *audience snoring*
Well, back to the show!
The cockpit. She peeked outside.
Yes! We'll win this for sure! *Glances down at calendar*
Fitting isn't it! It's my birthday! June 30th…I'll be 14 in a few minutes…
Two startling blue eyes looked outside again.
There's Hakai. She's killing them! Yes, 12:11:00. Just a minute and 12 seconds to go…
Two blue eyes felt the battle rage rising.
It wouldn't hurt to let loose a little, would it?
Redness came to the pure eyes. They only saw one thing: the enemy.
Two shots let loose simultaneously.
The dilated pupils came swiftly back into focus.
Why did I shoot two?
The eyes widen in horror. One missile was heading for where she had aimed. The other was heading straight for Hakai.
'NOOOOOOO!' The scream rent the air as the missile struck. The pilot was blown back by the sheer force of the explosion that followed.
Consciousness came slowly. A mental inventory was not pleasing. The right leg was broken in at least three places, a deep but small gash on the right eyebrow, some metal piece dug in the middle of the back, just missing the spine. Blood clouded the vision. The pilot forced them self out.
Limping, they struggled over to the burning ruin that had once been their best friend. They got in as close as they could. No signs of life were given, except that of the raging fire. They checked their watch. It was stuck on the time the missile had struck. June 30th, 12:12:12. The exact birth date.
The blood coming from their head mingled with tears. A scorched and battered Zoid lumbered over. Some of the armor had been destroyed, but other than that, it was fine.
'I killed her, Xnyl.' The pilot said softly. 'There is blood on my hands. Blood that I cannot wash away.'
The Zoid growled softly, and knelt down to gently nudge the pilot. The pilot buried their face in the hardness of the metal. 'I killed her. It's my fault.'
The pilot was entranced by the flames. The smoke that was rising began to choke them. A hacking cough arose. After a few minutes of futile struggling, they collapsed.
Please let me die…I can't…live…murder…best friend…murder…murder…
The smoke closed in on them, a suffocating wall of darkness.
Murder…Murder…
The pilot kicked out at the over powering substance. It clung to them, trapping them. They writhed as if possessed by some unknown demon. Two eyes snapped open, but instead of seeing the intricate dancing inferno, they saw a white sheet. Sleek and sinewy arms lashed out, yanking the sheet away from the sweat soaked body. Breathing heavily, they sat up.
It was my nightmare again…will it never leave?
"Kaze! Get up or Bit and Lena will eat all of breakfast!" Doc called as he passed her door. Kaze smiled slightly as she heard him sprint down the hall, obviously not wanting to miss out.
She rolled off of her bed, and looked in the mirror.
Seven years…and what has it done to me?
Kaze stifled a yawn as she walked in. Lena, Bit, and Doc were shoveling food into their mouths as fast as they could. Brad was sipping coffee, and Jamie was struggling to keep food on the table. Kaze sat down next to Bit and grabbed one of his dozen doughnuts.
"HEY! THATSMUNCH MINE!" He said indignantly through a mouth full of food.
"Bi', shurrup. She ca' eat wha' she wans," Lena said, through an equally stuffed face. Kaze smiled, and then got up.
"I'll be in my workshop. I've got a lot of work to do."
A growl greeted her.
"Hey. How are ya?" The Zoid seemed to glance at the calendar.
"Yeah, I know. But I figure that since they're going into town tonight, I can have my sorrow fest then." The mechanical parts let loose a soft rush of steam, sounding not unlike a sigh. A sad smile came to her face.
"Yeah, I know. I know."
Bit came in just as Kaze was putting away the oil.
"Happy Birthday! Why didn't you tell us?!" He said, giving her a hug. Kaze felt a pink tinge appear on her face. She was so close…
"It isn't that important," she said, trying to slide away.
"It's your birthday!" He said, grabbing her arm.
"I just turned 21, that's all. It's nothing to get excited about."
"Yes it is! You can legally drink now!"
"Whoopdidoo," she said, lacking enthusiasm. Bit glanced down at her.
"You ok?" He asked, sensing something was wrong. His concern was more than she could handle.
"Of course I am! I'm just fine!" She yanked out of his hold and ran out of the room. Bit looked down at his hand. A slight wetness was there. Was Kaze crying?
Lena knocked on her door.
"Kaze? You okay?"
"Yeah." The strangled sob barely reached her ears. She opened the door. She expected to find a Kaze with tearstains on her porcelain smooth face, eyes bloodshot. Instead, she found a cool and calm woman gazing mistily right through her.
Whoa. What happened to Kaze?
"Did you need something?" Her came, as distant as her face.
"Yes. We're going into town, and we wanted to know if you were coming."
"No, sorry. I've got some…work…to do. Thank you though."
"All the Zoids have been cleaned and everything!" Bit said when Lena told them what had happened.
"I don't know, team. It's just seems to me that she has a lot going on right now. But if she doesn't want to come, that's her lose." Lena glanced back at the dark hallway.
"Lena, I think she wants to be alone. We'll get a lot of birthday things in town. We can throw her a surprise party." Doc said, noticing her reluctance to leave.
"Ok."
As they left, soft echoes of remorse drifted through the deserted halls.
Kaze hefted her sack onto her back. She began to scale the side of the hangar. After 10 minutes of strenuous climbing, she reached the top. The sun was just beginning to set. She emptied her bag out, item by item. She had several large bottles of Sake, a twelve pack of beer, and many other drinks. She slowly drew out a single red rose. She let loose her long hair, letting it sweep around her in the delicate breeze. Her silver dress clung to her figure, then billowed out slightly at the bottom. A single tear fell onto a blood red petal.
"I am forever sorry. I have taken a life that was not my own. Forgive me." She held the delicate flower to her breast, and then lit it aflame. The wind began to pick up, and it was swept from her grasp, to be carried far and wide before separating into dust and blowing freely.
"Hey, stranger." Brad looked up in surprise.
"Naomi!" The woman in question sat down next to him, glass in hand.
"Yeah. Don't act so shocked. So where ya been?"
"Training." He said, watching her every move over the rim of his coffee cup.
"Where are Bit and the others?"
"Shopping for Birthday presents and party supplies."
"Oh? Whose?"
"Kazeno Kauri." Naomi flinched, and dropped her cup. It shattered on the ground.
"Who?" She whispered shakily, as if wishing she had heard wrong.
"Well, she calls herself that, anyway. She's the new mechanic…" Brad looked closer at her pale, trembling face.
"What is it?"
"Don't you know?"
"Know what?" He asked cautiously. Naomi tried a smile, but it failed miserably.
"Just…be careful around her. As long as she isn't in battle…"
"She's already been hired for that…" he said with a slight sense of foreboding. Naomi went pale again. She reached for his hand and gripped it tightly, to settle her nerves.
"Brad, please…be careful…she's…" Naomi stopped herself.
"What?"
"Ask her when you get back. Ask her what happened seven years ago." Naomi got up suddenly. She gave him a brief kiss.
"Please be careful." She walked out of the diner, leaving Brad with a lot of questions that needed answering.
Kaze was stretched out on the roof. Twin moons cast light down on her, making her glow like some ethereal being. Her blue eyes were blank, stars playing in their depths.
Bit and Brad climbed up slowly. They gazed in wonder at the silent, ghostly figure that lay strewn on the roof. Brad took a step closer, then stopped. He saw several bottles gleaming on the ground. She appeared to have thrown several into a glass recycler, but after a while, she missed. The reek of alcohol had long since left. Bit carefully walked over, and touched her shoulder.
"Kaze? You need to come down now," he said softly. Her eyes slowly came into focus. She stood up slowly and then began to pick up the bottles. Then she broke down and began to drink straight from a Sake bottle.
Brad took it from her. She struggled briefly, pummeling his chest with her fists.
"Gimme the damn bottle!" Her voice was weak though, and she didn't have the will go after it. She slumped down. Brad gently helped her up. She forced her legs under her, and began cleaning up again. She took the bag from Bit and tossed it neatly down, where it landed in the bin.
She sat down again, and lifted her head to the dark sky. Bit was the first to speak.
"Ok, what's going on?" Kaze let her gaze travel slowly to him. Bit felt the hairs rise along the back of his neck.
"Why should I tell you?" She asked, without a hint of scorn in her voice.
Brad grabbed her arm and shook her roughly. "Because we're a team, that's why, and if I'm fighting along side a murderer, I want to know, and for all I know, you could be!" Her eyes grew misty and far seeing. She started off in a small voice.
"Ok. It all happened seven years ago today." Her words burned themselves in their memories for all time.
"I was turning 14. My friend and I were two young warriors. We were the best. My friend was much better than I, but my mind worked faster and could come up with foolproof tactics. Ones that even you could understand, Bit.
Anyway, when I go into battle, I find myself confronted with another persona. A berserk. If I loosen the tight hold I have on it, I have the potential to surpass any pilot in the world. I find myself on a new level, where reaction times, resistance, and strength are impossible to achieve for anyone else. Nothing could stop me. And, at first, it was like a game…
But now, I realized how dangerous it was. So I never used it again. Except in one battle. The opposition was so weak…I didn't think I could harm anyone…I let it go a little, just enough so I could aim and let a single missile loose before they could blink.
But I fired another missile. One went straight at the enemy. Instant system freeze. But…the other…it hit my friend. There was an explosion and…" She choked.
"When I woke up, all that was left was a burning ruin." She looked up at them, eyes misting over slightly.
"I have berserk blood in me. If I get in a battle, and I loose control, I could…" She stopped again, breathing heavily. She stood up.
"That's why I don't like my birthday."
"What about your Zoid?"
"It was Xnyl, if that's what you're wondering." She laughed bitterly.
"It's funny. I can't live with her and I couldn't live with out her."
"What?"
"She's a permanent reminder. A reminder of who I killed." She paused, and glanced up at the sky, moonlight glistening on her hair, starlight playing on her bare skin. She closed her eyes.
"Both a Blessing and a Curse." She said softly. She then leapt off the roof without further notice.
Bit and Brad were horrified. Then her head popped over the edge.
"What are you to idiots waiting for?" They looked over the side and saw a platform.
"Uh, Kaze? We kind of got you some gifts…" Bit said. Kaze looked at him, surprised.
"Oh, thank you."
Brad and Bit led her into the kitchen. Kaze opened her eyes. Balloons and streamers were everywhere. She smiled shakily. Presents were piled on the tale. Jamie was coming out of the cooking area with a cake.
"Thank you…" She said as Lena carted over a huge package. She opened it carefully. A large Zoid component for speed. She smiled.
"We couldn't really think of anything to get you, so we got you what all girls need." Bit said, blushing furiously. Brad sipped his coffee indifferently, but there was a definite tinge on his cheeks too.
"IT WASN'T MY IDEA, I SWEAR!" Jamie yelled. Kaze smiled a little.
"Well as long as it isn't lingerie." She said as she opened the package. She pulled out a very black, very lacy, almost see through bra. She reached in to pull out a very similar thong.
"We got them in assorted colors too." Brad muttered.
"Don't expect me to try them on." She warned. "I'll wear 'em, but you won't ever see them." She said as they hurried out before Lena attacked.
"Please?" said Bit, poking his head back in. When she shook her head, it was followed by a very discourage sigh. "Well, if you change your mind…OWWWW!" He screamed as Lena launched herself at Bit, throttling him and cutting off his scream.
"Let me show you what happens to womanizers like you!" She yelled in his ear as she dragged him down the hall to her room. She slammed the door, and Bit started screaming again.
Kaze slowly waked through the halls. It was almost midnight.
Just a few more minutes, and it will all be over.
She thought over the day.
Well, maybe it wasn't that bad… she smiled softly as she opened her door.
A strong arm shot out and snaked itself around her stomach.
Kaze felt another pair of lips meet her own. A hot tongue seared through…and then a hot sweetness race through her body. Powerful hands wrapped around her waist. She felt her arms go over the broad shoulders. The hands slowly traveled up her back, memorizing the geography of her body. One hand gently twined through her hair. The kiss deepened. Kaze was beginning to hear a roaring in her ears from the lack of air. She felt him pull away reluctantly.
"Happy Birthday, Kaze." A voice said huskily. He kissed her forehead.
Kaze stood stock still long after the shadow man had left.
Who was that?
Ok, I'm just gonna go to bed and say this was all a dream. A very realistic, surprisingly enjoyable dream with a really good kisser…Kaze gave up making excuses and flopped down on her bed. But it was long after she had shut her eyes that her heart slowed down and she drifted off to sleep.
HAHAAAA! So, who do ya think the mystery kisser was? I'll give ya a hint; NOT JAMIE! ^ ^ Ok, spazzing just a bit. N e way, what do ya think? I realize I've probably pissed alotta ya off by not pairing her with Jamie, but he just seems to young for her. Well, like I've mentioned, flames are accepted. Please review even if you don't like the possibilities.