Bonds
Disclaimer: I don't own Oban, yada yada yada. Doughnuts, yada, yada, yada. Pants of the Crogs….. blah…blah… blah… Sav! The World.
Author's Note: For some weird reason, I'm not getting any email alerts or notes. Is this just me, or has something gone wrong with the system again?
To all my wonderful reviewers, Thank you so much for reviewing! I love you all! If you keep reviewing, I promise to keep writing!
Anyhoo, This chapter continues where Chapter Eight left off.
Chapter Ten: Changing for the Better
Eva seemed to radiate confidence. She knew this race belonged to her. No possessive fans or fierce competitors could stop her. It was hers and that was the end of it. Reflection hummed around her, every bit of it under her control. Her thumb itched to be off the break and onto the accelerator; She longed to go. As her opponents pulled up slowly beside her, her thumb twitched.
Her scolding stopped half way when she realized just who her opponent was. Could it possibly be? After all these years? Rush looked much the same as he had on Alwas, same toothy grin, same long thick orange hair. Sure, his ship had a few modifications, butt it was still unbelievably familiar to the time she had raced him back on Alwas.
She was too surprised to notice when the light turned green. Cursing as she watched the other racers pull out in front of her, Eva allowed her thumb to follow its urge. She shot forward, but her new speed was no match for the lead the other team had gained.
Aikka had gone forward like the rest, and was currently having a bit of trouble with Rush's partner. He immediately recognized it to be an Umbatah ship. The Phyls and the Umbatah were Earth's first and most trusted allies. The Umbatah were known for producing highly skilled mechanics, and had technology far superior to Earth's. Their skin ranged from a medium green to a murky blue, and they reached an average of a meter tall. Over all they weren't a very attractive people, with ugly drooping faces and large mouths that made them appear like old grumpy Earthlings. Their ears were large and stood out of their head like triangles. Most of their ships were designed around a spherical cockpit with thin prong-like attachments that added stability. This particular ship only had one prong, attached to the bottom. The whole thing must have been about the same length of the average Crog trident.
The Umbatah pilot had incredible control over his maneuverability, and thus was giving Aikka a hard time. He weaved away, but the Umbatah would roll his ship to counter Aikka's move, and force G'dar off the track. Even when the Prince was able to steer around the other pilot, Rush guarded the opposing side, and would push Aikka back at the Umbatah.
"Sorry." Eva told Aikka after she finally caught up with the rears of the other racers. "I got a little ditracted." Aikka did not respond. He had just pulled G'dar into a roll, and barely made it over the other ship. Eva pushed into the place between Aikka and Rush, finally giving Aikka the security he needed. As they pulled into the first curve, Aikka and Eva easily took first place for themselves, their small size made steering far easier. But the race was not over just yet, as Don Wei was glad to point out. He was right, considering how easily Rush and the Umbahtah stole back the lead after the curve. Here Eva began to lean back on everything she had learned on Oban: This wasn't some sissy race against pilots who had never left their own planets any more.
Coming around the outside, she and Aikka pushed the other two racers close together with aggressive force. Just before they struck back, G'dar and the Reflection stopped suddenly, sending Rush and the Umbatah skidding toward either edge of the race track. This opening as seized as Eva and Aikka flew back into first place, and rounded the second curve. They used this as a cushion of extra time, and put out all their speed to reach the final bend before the opposing team caught up. Though Rush and the Umbatah struggled to increase speed, what little advantage the front two had gained led to their victory.
When the other racers pulled across the finish line Eva climbed from the Reflection's cockpit. Rush also turned off his ship.
"Congratulations! You race well!" He told her as he approached with a bright grin. Eva pulled her goggles off her face and set them in their proper position on her head.
"Hey Rush!" She returned his smile.
"Molly!" Shock was written all over the friendly racer's face. "And Prince Aikka!" He said as Aikka walked over to where the pilots stood. "Well isn't this just a grand reunion! How have you two been?" He caught both the Nourasian and the Earth woman in a great crushing hug.
"I'm great." Eva managed as she escaped his grasp.
"Likewise," Aikka responded.
"I heard you won the Great Race of Oban! You must tell me all about it!"
"Why don't you come back with us to our pit? I'll explain there, plus I'm sure Jordan would be glad to see you as well." Eva suggested. It wasn't fair that Jordan was left out.
As expected, the ex-gunner was more than glad to see the big alien again. With the help of both Eva and Aikka, he tried to paint a verbal picture of Oban for Rush. When the day came to an end, Eva said her goodbyes to Rush and headed home with Don Wei. Rush promised both her and Aikka that he would be watching them race on the universal broadcast.
Eva dug through her drawers of clothing. It was after dinner, and instead of joining Don Wei in a game of chess or in a card game, she insisted on packing for their trip to Nourasia. Aikka had told her that currently in Nourasia it was late summer, as apposed to the late autumn weather here on Earth. This meant she would have to pack summer clothes. Short and shirts were soon stuffed away in a large duffle bag. She had a bit of a difficult time picking out shirts though. She had so many, each different. Some were layered, and others bore elegant designs, or radical sayings. Slowly, she picked out her favorites. First, there was her tang top that looked like a giant yin-yang symbol. Next she picked out a few different plain looking shirts, and she added a punk-ish shirt, along with a few long sleeved ones incase there was a light wind.
Eva was nearly finished when a knock sounded on her door. "Come in!" She called. It was Don. He raised his eyebrows at the mess of clothes that covered her floor. "Well?" She asked, impatient to get back to her packing.
"Eva, you'll need to pack a dress," He began, before being rudely interrupted by his daughter.
"What?! A dress? Why do I need a dress?"
Don continued with a slight twitch of irritation. He would never become accustomed to Eva's outbursts. "Mr. Canaan said the King and Queen of Nourasia are holding a formal party in honor of the finalists. It is to be a strictly formal event. That suggests that you will need a nice dress."
"But!" Eva began. It was the manager who interrupted this time.
"But nothing. I will not have my only daughter looking anything but her best. Is that clear?"
Eva glared. "Yes Dad." There was no arguing with him now.
"Good. I will see you in the morning." And Don left as he had came, leaving an upset Eva in his wake.
Dislike was an understatement. Eva despised dresses. On other people, they were fine, but when she was wearing them, uhg! They made her feel vulnerable, like a damsel in distress from one of those stupid fairy tales. She couldn't run in them, and they just didn't match her personality. Still, for her father, she would at least look through her closet. Out of all her clothes it was discovered that only two items were dresses. One was a light blue spring dress that her father had bought her a few years back. It had never been worn, and Eva doubted that it still fit her. The second was a Christmas dress given to her by Rick's wife Risata. Eva had only worn it once, and only then for a family portrait in which she and Blume were matching. When it became obvious to Eva that neither dress would work, she sighed, and meandered down to the basement where all of her mother's belongings were stashed away in boxes. Eva was fairly sure that she would be able to fit into her Mom's old clothes.
It was down to the basement she went. Navigating through the sea of boxes, she managed to find Maya's old things in the far left corner of the room, coated in a layer of dust. As a child, the basement had always scared Eva. It was like the mouth of some giant beast waiting to swallow her up. With age, she had learned that there were much scarier things than a big slimy monster waiting to jump out from behind a pile of boxes: an adult male Crog (fully equipped with explosive doughnuts) ready to rip her in half for example. Now that was scary. Even with this understood, Eva couldn't help but shiver at the sense of foreboding emanating from the basement. Could it be the memories from her childhood still lingering, or perhaps something else?
Feeling of dread or no, Eva still needed to get those dresses. Gripping the flashlight in her mouth (because this section of the basement was poorly illuminated) Eva pulled out the pocket knife Jordan had given her for her birthday. She dragged the well used blade across the packing tape that held the box shut. It gave way, and the talented pilot was soon rooting through the box. Unfortunately, this box contained no clothing, and Eva was forced to search through many others before she finally reached what she was looking for. She dug a few of Maya's evening gowns from the final box. Once a large pile of cloth had accumulated in her arms she trudge back to the main story, and then up to her own bathroom, the one with a full length mirror.
Eva looked at the pile on the sink, first her mother's favorite gown. She was surprised at just how well it fit her. The cloth flowed over her body, making her look stunning, but something seemed wrong about it. Looking at herself in the mirror, Eva was overcome by shame. She was soiling the memories of her mother by wearing this outfit. She was destroying her mother's smell and replacing it with her own. In disgust, she quickly removed the cloth, nearly ripping it in the process. The aspect of trying Maya's other dresses suddenly became very unappealing. With a sigh, Eva gathered them up again, and traveled back downstairs.
As she closed up the box, her eyes caught on something. Beneath all the other boxes was an odd white box. It was shaped differently, and had complex gold patterns of flowers and wines on it. As usual, Eva's curiosity got the better of her, and she soon moved the other boxes to the side, her flashlight resting on the unique box. With great care, she opened it. A small gasp escaped her lips: this was her mother's wedding dress! Eva pulled it out to inspect it in the light. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. The main piece was a white tube top dress with a long trail dangling behind. Skillfully embroidered in the fabric was white lace, and it was adorned with tiny shining pearls. Though the dress was slightly discolored from age, Eva marveled at it. She remembered a picture in the hallway of her mother wearing this dress with a happy Don staining beside her. If Eva ever was to get married, this was the dress she wanted to wear. When she had been only a small child, Maya had told her a story of a magical dress passed down through generations of women. They all would wear it to their wedding, and it was said to bless their marriage. They would then pass it down to their own daughters (or son's fiancés, as the case might be) and the cycle would continue. Eva knew instantly that this was the legendary dress her mother spoke of.
"Mom, when I get married, I'll wear this dress in memory of you. I hope to make you proud." Eva felt that if she voiced her thoughts aloud, there was more of a chance they would be heard in the spirit world.
As she packed the dress away Eva realized she still did not have anything suitable to wear to the formal party her father had mentioned. Realizing the commotion this would cause if brought up, Eva decided it would be best kept a secret from her father. She would tell him right before the party was about to take place that she didn't have anything to wear, and then he would be forced to not allow her to attend. Sure, Don Wei was resourceful, and he would probably find a way to make her go anyway, but for now, Eva would keep on hoping.
Upstairs in his own room, the man of topic sat milling over his desk. It was covered with pictures of Eva. Though he had none from the ten years she had been away at boarding school, the other eight years were enough to completely cover Don's normally neat desk. How had she grown up so fast? Even in just the three recent years she had gone from being a naïve child to a mature and beautiful young woman. Though he couldn't be prouder of his no longer so little girl, he was also worried for her. He had seen the way that Nourasian man looked at her. (Don refused to admit that Eva had looked at Aikka in the same manner.) The mere thought of what he might do to her when the two where alone sent shivers through the father's spine. Something had to be done. Don reached down absentmindedly to stroke Plato, who was rubbing against his legs. After this race was over, the two would be planets apart again, which was good news as far as Don was concerned. But until then, he would have to keep a close eye on Eva. Yes, a very close eye indeed.
Eva watched as Stan and Koji packed away the reminder of the star-racing equipment in the large Earth transport the following afternoon. Jordan had already gone back to his own apartment to pack. They were leaving tomorrow morning, bright and early. They were one of four teams of finalists headed to Nourasia. Over a week's time, the teams would face off, before returning to their home planets, one team with a very shiny new trophy in tow.
Raising her arm in the air, Eva waved at Stan and Koji as they left for the same reason as Jordan. With nothing to do, Eva helped Aikka in his own packing. It wasn't that difficult, and soon almost everything was packed away. Eva paused, about to pick up a particular flowering plant. It was made of long stems and grass like leaves. Each stock was topped by a beautiful bell-like flower. The flowers were all mostly white, with yellow, orange, or pink streaks running up the petals: They reminded her of Earth tulips. She cupped one in her hands and brought it up to her nose.
"Do you find its smell pleasant?" Aikka asked with a smile as Eva righted herself.
She nodded. "It smells beautiful, just as nice as the flower itself." Aika's smile widened. He found Eva far prettier than the flower, but he kept the thought to himself. Instead, He pulled out his dagger and cut one of the tulip-like flowers at the steam.
"For you." She accepted the flower with a blush and a gratified hug. Though Aikka longed to hold her a bit longer, Eva pushed him away, grabbing instead at his hand.
"C'mon, I want to show you something." With so little packing left to do, Aikka reasoned he could spend a little more time with Eva. He held tightly to her waist as she fired up her rocket seat, the flower tucked carefully down the front of her sweater.
Eva wove expertly through the mass of hangers and around the stadium. She finally stopped at a small park situated just north of the track. Though fairly small, the park looked well kept, all the leaves from the barren trees long since raked away. Eva left her rocket seat at the edge, and lead Aikka through on foot, as if the place was somehow sacred to her.
In the very center of the park was some sort of memorial. There were three large slabs of polished black marble standing erect in a small rectangle of concrete. One faced them while the other two seemed to frame the center one and where tilted to be viewed at a 45 degree angle. Engraved in the marble were various names, embossed in gold. Eva pulled the undamaged flower from her sweater and placed it in the small gold cup built in at the front of the monument. The Nourasian flower was not lonely, as it was surrounded by many other flowers, though they were all dry and withered. Eva walked around the cup, and on her tip toes traced small gold letters on the top left of the center slab of marble.
"My dad didn't even know about this monument," She began. "It was made to honor all the pilots who died racing. Besides Mom's grave, I like to come and visit this place too. It seems connected to her." Aikka understood now. The flower had reminded Eva of her mother.
"I am honored that you would take me to such a special place." Aikka couldn't have felt more trusted. Showing him a place so closely connected to a cherished loved one showed just how much confidence she had in him.
"It's no big deal, really." She turned to give a light smile to him. Aikka shook his head.
"After a being dies, their soul is dispersed into nature, and helps the plants to grow, and the rain to fall. However, part of their spirit still lingers with their loved ones, or places they are remembered at. Taking me here to meet your mother means more to me than I can say." She smiled in response, a true smile. Nothing more needed to be said, and she gripped his hand tightly in her own and led him away.
Aikka could feel his heart beating in his throat. He had found a new respect for Eva, and now as she held his hand he swore he was blushing more than she had when they had first met back on Alwas. As they reached the rocket seat, Aikka felt he should do something. Since their last moments on Oban, he had longed to really kiss her, to pour own all his emotions. He had just not been able to find the right time though. It was this moment that he realized was perfect.
"Eva?" She turned to look at him.
"Hmm?-!" Her eyes widened as Aikka's soft lips pressed against hers. She immediately close her own eyes, and responded, kissing back. Aikka lost himself in their kiss, pushing all his passion and longing at her, his hands wrapped tightly about her waist. Eva, in turn, felt along Aikka's back, pushing her body close against his. They both stopped for breath, Eva snuggling while Aikka gazed at her with eyes half closed, as if he was drunk with her taste.
"Aikka." She murmured, enjoying the feeling of his warmth cradling her. "Promise to never let me go."
Aikka was overcome by pure bliss. In his mind Eva was the only thing he wanted, everything else would have to wait. "Promise," He replied, before stealing her breath with another kiss.
The girl with long brown hair looked about at her group in surprise. As the leader, she had never been questioned. She, Sophie, head of the Aikka fan club, always knew what was best. But now, there was some sort of unrest in her little group of six girls. For the first time, there was murmuring and backtalk. It had all started with their second interaction with Eva. Ren, the quieter of the oriental twins, who wore glasses and her raven black hair in a long braid that dangled down her back, had the nerve to ask if Eva could be right.
"What if," she had ventured. "What is she's right and we're really nothing to Prince Aikka?" Sophie had been quick to assure her otherwise, but then her irritating radical sister joined in. Yuri was a bouncy girl who wore weird clothing that never matched, and was over obsessed with anime, some type of Japanese cartoon.
"Even if Aikka does like us, What about his feelings for Eva? I mean does he really like her as she said?" Of course Yuri would defend Ren; they were family. Sophie knew the other girls didn't feel that way. However, she decided to go ahead with the spying anyway. Everything went downhill from there. It seemed that Aikka did like Eva, a lot.
"They're a couple." Yuri now pointed out.
"They're not just a couple, they're a celebrity couple!" Ginger, the red-head indicated her excitement by waving her arms around. "And they're so cute together!"
Sophie wanted to scream at all of them. How could they be so stupid and turn against her? If Aikka was paired with Eva, he couldn't be with them!
"I thought you said we weren't supposed to mess with celebrity couples." This time it was Bre-Ann, the athletic girl with dark skin. Sophie hated to say it, but she was beginning to see their point. Still, she refused to back down just yet.
"Are you guys saying we should just give up on Aikka?! After everything we've done?" She shouted out at all of them. Their vigor died down. Sophie let out a triumphant grin. It looked like she'd win, until Yuri came forward again.
"We've not giving up on Aikka. We're just supporting him in a different way." The others nodded in agreement.
"Fine." Sophie spat. "Then what do you propose we do?"
"What do you think Kisuhs?" Bre-Ann directed the comment at the Phyl girl. The thick fibers that covered her body were a deep grey, and she wore a grey dress with pale yellow designs. Her mask was white, and her eyes were a vibrant piercing yellow. She showed the other girls a mental image of them all kneeling down in front of Eva and Aikka.
"You think we should ask for forgiveness then?" Ren gave her interpretation of Kisuhs' vision, at which the Phyl nodded.
And that's just what they did.
Eva wasn't sure just how to take this group of fan girls bowing down to her and Aikka at this time in the morning. She was tired, and had barely slept at all last night (Not for the reason you all are thinking.). She was nervous about going to Nourasia the next day. They said they were sorry, and were changing, but Eva wasn't sure she believed them. She didn't even know what they were doing to change themselves.
"Instead of being the official Aikka Fan club, we're now the first official AikkaEva fan club!" Eva was not allowed to reply as Jordan dragged them on to the shuttle. Eva feared that her life would never return to normal again. Not that she wanted it normal.