Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews guys! I'm glad you didn't abandon me, AnimeQueen! And I see Kenji's been bad again.
Thomas: Yes, she has.
Shelly: Give her a break! She's sick and doesn't need to be in school. Besides, I know she's having fun with Bakura looking out for her. Shame on you, Thomas, for letting her get sick.
Thomas: It's not my fault.
Shelly: Let's see, how could Hiltz be involved...*draws a blank*. The only way he could be involved is if Tania comes back, which I had planned on happening. Maybe I could work it in, but I didn't want to take the focus off of Erin and Thomas. I had an idea to involve the Dark Kaiser, and if you've all seen Anime Admirer's Chaotic Century page, then you all know who he is.
Anyway, enough with talking! On with the fic!
The Most Precious Gift by Shelly
CHAPTER TEN
"Ready, Erin?"
She cracked her knuckles inside the cockpit of the Shadow Fox, placing her hands on the controls to find a comfortable grip that suited her. "Ready, Van," she replied.
She was out in the desert not far from the base where her training was being conducted. They had come out here to test her abilities with her zoid and get a measure of her disposition when in battle, although Van and Thomas had already gotten a glimpse of it when they had fought her earlier. It was merely a formality that had to be observed.
She caught sight of the dust cloud that signaled her unlucky opponent's approach and spurred the Shadow Fox into action. The zoid leapt forwards with a cry, heading towards them with a loping run, and when she saw them she opened fire with her cannon, the shells striking down the Command Wolves one at a time. They split up to try and surround her, and she swung it around to follow them, bringing them down as well.
"Come on, this is too easy," she taunted. "Haven't you got anything harder than this?"
Just then a sensor started beeping an alarm, and she activated the multisensor to see a squad of Helcats coming towards her. Some of them she took out with her cannon while others she used her laser claws on to disable them. "You've got to do better than that," she said.
Van, Thomas, and Fiona watched on the viewscreen as the battle progressed before them, all of them impressed with the abilities of the unique zoid. "She's really good," Van commented. "I'm impressed with how well she keeps her cool in battle."
"It seems that's about the only time she keeps her cool," Thomas commented.
Fiona glanced at Thomas. "I wanted to say how happy I am that you and Erin have hit it off well," she said. "And so soon, too."
Thomas blushed a little at her words. "Thanks. It is a little too soon to tell. I mean, we barely know each other, but it seems that somehow we've grown close."
"Have you kissed her yet?" Van asked, a mischievous light in his eyes.
Thomas' blush deepened. "I don't see where that's any of your business," he replied.
"Oh, so that means you did," he replied.
"No!"
"Come on! Admit it!" Van continued.
"Van, please leave him alone," Fiona admonished gently with a hint of laughter in her voice.
"I see you're all still at it," a new voice joined in from behind them.
Van and Fiona looked back, their eyes widening in surprise. "Dr. D?" they both said.
"The one and only," he replied as he looked at the screen. "I see that you're watching the Shadow Fox in action. Isn't it a beauty?"
"Yeah, it is," Van replied with appreciation. "I've never seen anything like it."
"I'd be surprised if you had, Van," he said. "It's one of a kind and will only accept a certain type of pilot. I helped develop it along with her father many years ago, but we never could run any type of tests on it since no one could successfully pilot it. It just sat there collecting dust until the day when she came to take a look at it. She was already an accomplished zoid pilot by then and she had finally earned a try at it. Boy, were we surprised when we saw how well she piloted it."
They turned their eyes back to the screen, but then a beep sounded that told them an urgent message was coming in from the Emperor. Van pressed the button, and the screen changed from the battle to show Rudolph's worried expression.
"Van," he said solemnly. "Is Erin there?"
"She's still out running through the test. Is something wrong?" he asked, wondering what was going on.
"Please tell her to return to the Palace with all due haste," he said. "I'll explain everything once you've arrived." Then the viewscreen switched back to the battle, where the Shadow Fox stood amongst the fallen zoids she had defeated.
Van and Fiona looked at each other questioningly. "I wonder what Rudolph wants with her?" he asked.
Thomas gazed at the screen, almost feeling like he could see her inside the cockpit. He was worried as he didn't like the sound of the young emperor's voice and wondered how it would affect Erin. He only hoped it wasn't bad news.
Van leaned forward and pressed the communications button. "Erin, we're calling off the test. Rudolph has requested your presence back at the Palace immediately."
The screen switched to show her inside the cockpit, and Thomas felt a peculiar twinge inside his chest when he saw her. She was sitting there, her entire body tense, but it was the fear he saw in her eyes that disturbed him the most. Apparently she knew what he had called her for, but what was it?
Fear gripped her tightly as her heart pounded in her ears and her breathing became labored. There could only be one reason why Rudolph would call her, but why was it so soon? She had expected to receive such a call sometime in the future, but never did she think it would be this soon.
One thought ran through her mind at that moment, and she urged the Shadow Fox into action, hearing the voices of the Guardian Force calling her back. She looked at the small viewscreen in her cockpit and saw Thomas' worried expression. "I'm sorry, but I'll meet you all there. I don't have any time to explain. Time may be running out already."
Thomas watched as her zoid disappeared beyond the hills surrounding the base, his heart aching for her. Turning, he ran for his Dibison just as Van and Fiona did for the Blade Liger, all of them concerned for their newest member. He could only hope he would arrive in time before she left, if only to speak with her and find out what had put such fear into her heart, fear that he hoped she would share with him before it turned into pain.
****************
Oh, no, what's wrong with Erin? Why is she so afraid?
Thomas: Don't worry, I'll find out.
Shelly: You'd better. She'll need you for what I have planned. Thanks for reading everyone! *smoochies* C-ya!
Thomas: Yes, she has.
Shelly: Give her a break! She's sick and doesn't need to be in school. Besides, I know she's having fun with Bakura looking out for her. Shame on you, Thomas, for letting her get sick.
Thomas: It's not my fault.
Shelly: Let's see, how could Hiltz be involved...*draws a blank*. The only way he could be involved is if Tania comes back, which I had planned on happening. Maybe I could work it in, but I didn't want to take the focus off of Erin and Thomas. I had an idea to involve the Dark Kaiser, and if you've all seen Anime Admirer's Chaotic Century page, then you all know who he is.
Anyway, enough with talking! On with the fic!
The Most Precious Gift by Shelly
CHAPTER TEN
"Ready, Erin?"
She cracked her knuckles inside the cockpit of the Shadow Fox, placing her hands on the controls to find a comfortable grip that suited her. "Ready, Van," she replied.
She was out in the desert not far from the base where her training was being conducted. They had come out here to test her abilities with her zoid and get a measure of her disposition when in battle, although Van and Thomas had already gotten a glimpse of it when they had fought her earlier. It was merely a formality that had to be observed.
She caught sight of the dust cloud that signaled her unlucky opponent's approach and spurred the Shadow Fox into action. The zoid leapt forwards with a cry, heading towards them with a loping run, and when she saw them she opened fire with her cannon, the shells striking down the Command Wolves one at a time. They split up to try and surround her, and she swung it around to follow them, bringing them down as well.
"Come on, this is too easy," she taunted. "Haven't you got anything harder than this?"
Just then a sensor started beeping an alarm, and she activated the multisensor to see a squad of Helcats coming towards her. Some of them she took out with her cannon while others she used her laser claws on to disable them. "You've got to do better than that," she said.
Van, Thomas, and Fiona watched on the viewscreen as the battle progressed before them, all of them impressed with the abilities of the unique zoid. "She's really good," Van commented. "I'm impressed with how well she keeps her cool in battle."
"It seems that's about the only time she keeps her cool," Thomas commented.
Fiona glanced at Thomas. "I wanted to say how happy I am that you and Erin have hit it off well," she said. "And so soon, too."
Thomas blushed a little at her words. "Thanks. It is a little too soon to tell. I mean, we barely know each other, but it seems that somehow we've grown close."
"Have you kissed her yet?" Van asked, a mischievous light in his eyes.
Thomas' blush deepened. "I don't see where that's any of your business," he replied.
"Oh, so that means you did," he replied.
"No!"
"Come on! Admit it!" Van continued.
"Van, please leave him alone," Fiona admonished gently with a hint of laughter in her voice.
"I see you're all still at it," a new voice joined in from behind them.
Van and Fiona looked back, their eyes widening in surprise. "Dr. D?" they both said.
"The one and only," he replied as he looked at the screen. "I see that you're watching the Shadow Fox in action. Isn't it a beauty?"
"Yeah, it is," Van replied with appreciation. "I've never seen anything like it."
"I'd be surprised if you had, Van," he said. "It's one of a kind and will only accept a certain type of pilot. I helped develop it along with her father many years ago, but we never could run any type of tests on it since no one could successfully pilot it. It just sat there collecting dust until the day when she came to take a look at it. She was already an accomplished zoid pilot by then and she had finally earned a try at it. Boy, were we surprised when we saw how well she piloted it."
They turned their eyes back to the screen, but then a beep sounded that told them an urgent message was coming in from the Emperor. Van pressed the button, and the screen changed from the battle to show Rudolph's worried expression.
"Van," he said solemnly. "Is Erin there?"
"She's still out running through the test. Is something wrong?" he asked, wondering what was going on.
"Please tell her to return to the Palace with all due haste," he said. "I'll explain everything once you've arrived." Then the viewscreen switched back to the battle, where the Shadow Fox stood amongst the fallen zoids she had defeated.
Van and Fiona looked at each other questioningly. "I wonder what Rudolph wants with her?" he asked.
Thomas gazed at the screen, almost feeling like he could see her inside the cockpit. He was worried as he didn't like the sound of the young emperor's voice and wondered how it would affect Erin. He only hoped it wasn't bad news.
Van leaned forward and pressed the communications button. "Erin, we're calling off the test. Rudolph has requested your presence back at the Palace immediately."
The screen switched to show her inside the cockpit, and Thomas felt a peculiar twinge inside his chest when he saw her. She was sitting there, her entire body tense, but it was the fear he saw in her eyes that disturbed him the most. Apparently she knew what he had called her for, but what was it?
Fear gripped her tightly as her heart pounded in her ears and her breathing became labored. There could only be one reason why Rudolph would call her, but why was it so soon? She had expected to receive such a call sometime in the future, but never did she think it would be this soon.
One thought ran through her mind at that moment, and she urged the Shadow Fox into action, hearing the voices of the Guardian Force calling her back. She looked at the small viewscreen in her cockpit and saw Thomas' worried expression. "I'm sorry, but I'll meet you all there. I don't have any time to explain. Time may be running out already."
Thomas watched as her zoid disappeared beyond the hills surrounding the base, his heart aching for her. Turning, he ran for his Dibison just as Van and Fiona did for the Blade Liger, all of them concerned for their newest member. He could only hope he would arrive in time before she left, if only to speak with her and find out what had put such fear into her heart, fear that he hoped she would share with him before it turned into pain.
****************
Oh, no, what's wrong with Erin? Why is she so afraid?
Thomas: Don't worry, I'll find out.
Shelly: You'd better. She'll need you for what I have planned. Thanks for reading everyone! *smoochies* C-ya!