-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: I am so happy right now, because I am free! Free from the oppression of my homework! .:throws a bunch of confetti into the air:. Now once I get my diploma, I can start work! And I now have more time for drawing and writing! Squee! I also put up a new sketch page on DA, this one's of Molly, including her new outfits. I really like the one she's wearing as of now in the story, it's my pride and joy so far, along with Aikka's first outfit! The pic of Aikka's second outfit is coming along too, so that should be up in a matter of days.
Oh, and I noticed a mistake that made it in to chapter 9, the part where I was describing Aikka's second outfit. At first I was planning to make the shirt black, but that was before I finalized the outfit. When I went back to revise, I typed in the new description of it (the greens) but I totally forgot about the part at the end of the sentence where I had said it was a black shirt…So, I meant to mention this in the last update, but, we all have our klutzy moments, and I happen to have many more than most! .:fell up the stairs just yesterday:. So, just to clear that up if it caused any confusion, just ignore that 'black' deal at the end of the sentence. .:smacks self up the head:.
So, getting away from my inherent clumsiness, I bring you a new chapter! We start with a little background on Janni and her situation, and later Aikka gets a bit curious about how things went between Molly and her gunner…leading to a talk and a bit of a confession… but on whose part will that be?
To the Reviewers!
Spellcaster Hikaru: I'm beginning to think you are psychic, Hikaru! You keep making guesses about where I'm going with things! You'll probably see what I mean this time when you read onward about Janni, you may notice a very similar wording somewhere along her story as compared to your review(which I did receive after having written this chapter) You have mad Jedi skills, indeed, my friend! Use the force! I'm so glad the Phantom's getting so much love, too. I'd totally love working on something like that too, especially if Stan and Koji were there! And Molly, too. Gotta love Molly X3 And yep, I liked the fighting lesson myself, I really want to get back into martial arts…I actually made it to low-brown belt before I had to quit due to my stupid middle school changing their schedule…By now I would have been a black belt!! .:cries in the corner at the injustice of it all:. Ooh, I like the 'beetle senses' thing you thought up, that's good:D Yes, indeed, his beetle senses are tingling…we'll find out why by the end of the chapter… .:shifty eyes:. And as for our favorite Crog, I'm not quite sure what I'll be doing with him quite yet….:ponders:. I'll figure something out… Down with McMillan! .:runs off after Hikaru:.
Crazyvegimab: Yesh, Canaan! X3 I just gotta get me some references and then I can start on it, since my homework is all done and out of my way. I like how Janni's hair turned out, I wanted to make it similar to Jordan's, since I made the two of them kind of best friends along with being siblings, but the half and half hair color didn't seem to fit, just cause I did want her to be different from her brother. And I'm glad that she has gotten such a great response! Girls with guns cannot be denied X3 And that was my first race scene, so I am so glad I pulled it off! Go G'dar and his mad skills of speed…XD I kind of want to relearn how to sew so I could make a G'dar plushie…Ok, random thought there, but still! XD
RedMageSalyre: Thanks, I'm glad you like it! It's good to hear that from the author of one of my favorite stories. I agree, the prince's fighting style looks a lot like the mantis style, and Savin really does know what he is doing! Who wouldn't want these two to race together again? I hope they do a sequel and include Aikka and a second race between them, too…Hopefully Savin will consider it!
Shrouded View: Your Aikka now sits in my favorites in DA! And I understand a thing or two about uncooperative computers, I get to deal with one every day…as well as threatening it with throwing it out the window when it's always terribly slow… And I'm probably going to revise the drawing of the Phantom, but I'll put both pictures up eventually, just cause I'm still proud of my first swing at drawing a star racer. I'll let you know when that happens, though! I'm glad you caught on about and like my little continuation of the love triangle, I imagine that Janni would indeed side with her brother, the way I designed her. You'll see more of that as I add more to the story. As to Molly's day off, well, that's explained a little more in this chapter ;)
Sekai Nerah: I love Janni, I'm gonna have fun with her character! I love the martial arts, and writing the last chapter especially has made me miss it even more…I haven't been there since 5 years ago! So sad… And as to the Crogs? Well, read to find out!
Fushica: Yeah, the hair is similar because I designed Janni's character to be close to her brother, and when I first thought of giving him a sibling, the hair color thing was the first thing that occurred to me, aside from the gunner thing. She looks up to her brother so it occurs to me that she'd have dyed her hair to match. Just my reasoning for the dual-color thing going on. Thanks for your reviews!
Molly-92: No gomen is necessary! Lol..Glad you like it, thanks for the support!
Crystal Persian: Yep yep, she's her sister's brother! That'll be more evident as we go along :) Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it! X3 Oh! And update your story asap, kay? I love reading it!
Furubaforever: Thanks! Here's the update, hope you enjoy! X3
I love the readers of my story, but I especially love the reviewers! Love and pocky to you all! Standard disclaimer applies; Janni Wilde is mine. As is the Phantom. .:huggles them possessively to her:.
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-Chapter 11-
Admittance and Assault
--
It had started out to be a boring night, a night just like any other boring night of the week. She had homework, and now, with her brother having been absent from the household for almost a year, her parents had more time to acknowledge that fact. It truly got on her nerves, now more than ever.
It was torture for her to sit there and search her laptop sources for causes and effects through the course of Earth's political history or the solution to agonizing algebra equation, when there were more intriguing things to think about. Almost a complete year ago, her life had become a sort of mystery, and it was something that persisted in nagging at the girl, reminding her daily about the absence of one person.
Huh.
Had it really been a whole year since she'd last seen him? How long had it been since he last gave her a tip on how to use a gun right? How long since they'd last shot cans clean off their handmade wooden ledge in the backyard together?
They always said of her that she resembled her big brother more than she did either of her parents. She eagerly followed in his footsteps, even at an early age, and he, in turn helped her along all the way. When big brother Jordan played out in the front yard with the neighbor kids, shooting at each other with plastic water guns, it only took her half a heartbeat to have joined them. And when he got his first real gun, she was the first, and usually the only other kid he'd let touch it. Therefore, it came as no surprise that when Jordan Wilde enrolled in the Space Academy of the Earth Coalition, Janni Wilde was eagerly awaiting her fourteenth birthday so she could join and eventually fight alongside her brother.
People had always said of the brother-sister duo, that Janni was three years younger than Jordan, but just as trigger happy.
But then, a year ago, something changed, Jordan had only been home from a round of service, when something called him away. He had only given the scantiest details, saying something about an interplanetary race…on a different planet. Janni wanted to come, much to no one's surprise, but for once, Jordan said no to his little sister.
He hadn't stuck around long after notifying her and their parents before setting off, leaving fourteen year old Janni in a pout at her window as she watched him leave, duffle bag over his shoulder. He had literally left within hours of even knowing he'd be leaving. It happened that fast.
As he headed down the driveway towards the limo that apparently held the rest of his team, their parents waved to him, but Janni could only sit at her window as he turned his glance to her. With a two fingered salute, Jordan gave one last smile to his sister before leaving, oblivious to the fact that he wouldn't see her for so much longer than he ever intended. Both brother and sister were oblivious, that things were never going to be the same for either of them again.
After all that happened, after Janni got over her initial irritation of being left behind, she looked to the day when her brother would come home again, the day that they could take their old fashioned BB guns out back and shoot at soda cans, just like old times. She forgave her brother almost instantaneously and she couldn't wait for him to get back.
Nearly two months passed after his leaving, but finally, finally word had come. Though it wasn't what Janni, or her parents were expecting.
She remembered that day so clearly, though at times she wished it didn't; the words that came out of the government official's mouth still affected her to this boring, average day.
All that was said about her brother's whereabouts and the results of this 'race' that no one could know about, was that he, along with the rest of the Earth team, had won. Jordan, however, had to remain on the planet it was hosted upon (even the name of the planet could not be divulged, which greatly annoyed the young gunner) for reasons that they of course could not elaborate on.
It was a cold, harsh assessment, that really carried no emotion or pity for the family that was now officially short by one. It barely qualified as an explanation, Janni had adamantly said, demanding more about her brother. The government, though, seemed set on keeping the whole thing a secret to the world, including those closest to the people involved, no matter how the younger Wilde had yelled at them with tears in her eyes.
All that had really been said, was that Jordan wasn't coming home.
That night was when life seemed to twist horribly out of proportion for Janni; her brother, her best friend, was basically dead to the world of Earth, and she had no clue as to why the injustice had to be.
Janni, sitting at her desk on that seemingly average night, wiped furiously at her stinging eyes, as if it would scare away the tears that were close to coming. If she'd have known that the night a year ago would have been the last she'd ever see of her brother, she wouldn't have tried to be so angry with him for having to leave her behind. She would have hugged him, and said good luck, instead of running off to her room like a little girl that she never was. She would have at least waved back to him as he looked at her last. Heck, she probably would have tried even harder to have gone with him!
She set her face in her hand, her tan cheek mashed into her palm, as she tried badgering her brain to make some headway in her algebra homework, which incidentally was due the next day. How exciting her life was now; every day was a race of her own to get her homework done in time. The only real motivation for her to do the crap in the first place was that it was required for her as a student of the army academy to have decent grades.
If it were up to her, she'd simply quit school, focus on becoming as good a gunner as her brother, and then set out on her own journey to find Jordan. Damn whatever confidentiality that the government had, she'd go and pound the information out of them!
With a little more time on that fateful, seemingly average night, Janni finally conquered her math assignment. Switching off the light on her desk and flipping the top of her sleek laptop down, Janni got up in the newfound darkness and stretched herself out after the ages of rigid study. She didn't even bother with going down to fetch some foregone dinner, it was late, she was tired, and every time she subjected herself to thinking about her lost brother, she found that her appetite would run away. So, her option now was bed time.
"Damn, Jordan, would it really have been so bad if you just took me with you?" she asked the darkness, pulling off her T-shirt to leave her in a blue camisole underneath. "Two gunners are better than one, you know…" She proceeded to take the hair tie out of the end of her long braid of bleached hair, letting her hair fall out of its plaited pattern, leaving braid-induced waves throughout. The girl's keen eyes noticed something, though, some sort of golden streak from outside; she saw the light reflecting on her walls.
With a look out her window, she gasped to notice something odd, a sort of golden glow coming from below her window. Her parents were out, but she figured maybe they left the porch light on…Unlikely. It suddenly seemed to move, and Janni pulled herself to the window, almost suspicious of what she might find. Maybe someone was here? Then why wouldn't they ring the doorbell? She peered through the glass, over the window sill…
There was just light, from what she could tell. And it looked all the more brilliant, practically white. And just for a second, she swore that a face turned up to her…
Janni ran straight for her closet, grabbing her choice handgun. A stranger, and an alien stranger by the looks of it, was just a scenario that this house was ready for, with its quality collection of guns. She then rummaged around for some cartridges to load it with, when the room took on a golden glow and a voice made her turn in place.
"Janni," The light seemed to actually be in her room now, standing at the center of the place, with white yellow appendages swirled about the room. The shape looked majestic, but was still giving her the creeps. There was the face again, though, peering out with gold eyes at her.
"How'd you get in my room!? And how'd you know my name!?" Janni shrieked. Didn't she just see him standing outside? Her window wasn't even open! He took a small step forward, and she then aimed her unloaded handgun at the mystical creature.
"Don't come any closer, or I'll shoot! And I know how to use this thing!" The glowing figure looked cross eyed at the weapon that was practically in his face, then started laughing, leaving a very familiar feeling resting in Janni.
"Janni, even if that thing was loaded, you couldn't hurt me with it." His voice rang with a certain familiarity that resonated within Janni, letting her lower her useless weapon.
"J…Jordan?" She whispered, not daring to believe what her brain was coming up with. This…glowing…creature was her brother?? The figure nodded. "It…it can't be…you're all…glowy!" Janni said blatantly, not even bothering to tap into her better vocabulary. Jordan grinned lopsidedly at his sister's odd behavior, resisting the urge to laugh.
"Yeah, well, things have changed, you know. I've changed." Jordan said, smiling, his golden eyes half lidded with longing that Janni didn't entirely understand. "But I suppose this would be a better way to talk to you," With that, the golden light began to recede into its owner, leaving him in an outfit of mulberry and purple color scheme. Janni turned on the ceiling light, since her brother no longer supplied light to the room.
He looked down at her just as he always did, with that dual hair color and goofy smile, though his eyes were no longer a deep brown, but the same gold they'd been moments ago. She stared, or rather, gaped at her big brother, finding herself to be, in her own words, confused as Hell.
"Jordan, since when do you wear pink?" she narrowed her eyes at him, almost suspiciously. Jordan looked forlornly at his outfit, and then back to her.
"Well, I have to, I mean…Janni." He suddenly turned serious as he said her name, earning a bit of surprise from her. "You've always wondered what really happened to me, haven't you? Why I couldn't return?" Janni nodded eagerly.
"Well, I'm here to tell you. I haven't got much time to be here, so…" He took some more steps towards his sister, and gripped her gently by the shoulder, bringing his other hand up to her face. As fingertips grazed her forehead beneath the blonde fringe of her bangs, Janni looked confusedly at him.
"Jordan, what are you…" Jordan had already shut his eyes, but made it somehow clear for her to be still.
"Just trust me, Jan. I'm telling you everything," with that, golden light poured from his fingertips and onto her head, though she didn't see it.
Before her eyes now, was a different scene, the view of the army gun range where they'd trained, where he was shooting at targets like nothing else, before a chunk of the wall collapsed from all the damage he'd done. Then there was a man, middle-aged and in a suit, with white streaks running through his black hair, saying that he'd take him…she somehow knew that 'him' was Jordan.
After that, things moved quickly, she saw the familiar scene of her brother saying goodbye, then it was on to completely different surroundings. She saw everything, and it felt like she was seeing it all at once. That racing pilot called Rick Thunderbolt, the mechanics known as Stan and Koji, that man from before, Don Wei…and her.
She suddenly knew all about the truth of this interplanetary race, everything about what the real terms of the race had been. She saw every race, every enemy and every friend, every twist and turn of her brother's story. She felt like she was living it at the speed of light. She saw the progress her brother had made as a person, all the little fights he had gotten into. Particularly highlighted, were the ones between himself and a certain Prince Aikka of Nourasia.
Most of all, she saw how her brother had really changed; she watched him fall in love.
She could see that both Jordan and the Nourasian had fallen for the girl known as Molly, but in the end, it was her brother who actually become a hopeless romantic for her sake, him who got his feelings out in the open, it had been him that made the sacrifice of his human life for her. He'd given himself to the avatar's power before the evil Canaletto could do anything, he'd saved the galaxy as well as the one he loved when it was almost literally inches from falling into the hands of a crazed, crusader of a vulture. And as a result…
He had been torn from the life he once knew, the life he had wanted to make with Molly. It was the ultimate sacrifice.
She suddenly knew everything, and everything was coming down on her shoulders.
"Jordan…" She collapsed into his arms when the last of the pictures played across her vision, that last sight of the Oban modules taking off, taking Molly, or Eva, rather, back home to Earth. She almost felt the tear that fell down her brother's cheek at that memory. "I'm so sorry…I never knew how huge this was…"
"I know," Jordan smiled, stroking the waves of his sister's hair. "I didn't expect you to know much. I know how touchy the government is about the subject…I know a lot of things now," He gripped her by the shoulders, taking her out of his chest so he could look at her properly. His expression was suddenly solid and serious.
"Janni, I need you to listen to me, I haven't got that much time, and I really shouldn't even be here," Janni nodded dutifully, too stunned for words anyway. "That girl, Eva Wei, is in danger. The Crogs have started another bout of war, this time against Nourasia. They've already attacked Aikka, but Eva is next." Janni stared at him, wide eyed. Though, judging by the concentrated story she'd just witnessed, the Crogs did have reason, in their own, twisted minds, to attack Aikka and Eva.
"Aikka is already here on Earth, and he's with her, but he is right to be worried about a Crog attack here. The Crogs are coming, and they're coming for her." His expression was stone, and his golden eyes that had seemed warm a few minutes ago carried strain.
"There's going to be another Crog invasion?" Janni asked light-headedly. She hadn't been alive for the first one, but stories she'd heard about it still left chills in her spine. Jordan looked away distractedly.
"I can't say much…I don't even know that much about it. Avatars have nearly limitless powers, but they still can't read the future. But I can tell you that an attack, if only to get Molly, is pretty definite. The president has even turned his back on offering her protection, and he's leaving the planet wide open along with that…" At that, his face seemed to carry a bit of disgust. "The good news is, though, Aikka's staying around to protect Eva. And I want you to do the same."
"Wha-?" Janni said, her normally wide eyes all the wider. Jordan nodded quickly. His time was running out, he could practically feel the Creators tugging him back to Oban.
"Janni, please, do this one thing for me. Protect Molly. She's…precious to me. But there's only so much attention I can pay to any one person now that I'm the avatar. I can only stick myself so far into the affairs of the planets. So I need you to promise me that you'll watch over her with Princey for me, alright?" Jordan looked at her desperately, feeling the clock ticking against him. Janni looked sadly at him, but nodded, certain of her task. "That's my girl. Oh, yeah, I want you to have this."
With that, the avatar held out a hand, before a couple of worn army tags materialized there, the chain coiled in his hand. Janni gaped at him, then the tags, before taking the chain between her fingers and lifting the things out of his palm.
"Grandpa and your ID tags?" She murmured, reading the marred letters on each.
"That's right. I want you to have them, Janni. They got me through every race alive, so Grandpa's gotta be doing something with 'em." Janni had already guided the necklace over her head, with the two silver plates dangling on her chest. She smiled up at him, and he quickly caught her wrist and brought her into a deep embrace.
"Thank you, Janni. I'll never forget this." Jordan shed a tear into his sister's hair, knowing he really wouldn't, not for his whole ten thousand year life.
Janni was just starting to cry her own tears into her brother's magenta outfit, when he suddenly disappeared gracefully from her tightening grasp, leaving her alone in her bedroom, surrounded by a slight haze of golden spots of light. The only signs that the whole thing had ever happened was the ID tags on her chest, and what seemed to be a symbol on her wrist. She supposed her brother put it there, as that was really the last place he'd been in contact with her. It nearly looked like a tattoo, some sort of odd tattoo that exuded white-gold light that her brother had been seemingly made of.
"The mark of the Avatar will protect you, always, little sis."
That was the last she heard of her brother that night, but, staring at her brother's insignia on her wrist, she felt honored that her brother was the head of the galaxy now, that he'd chosen her to trust with the protection of his most cherished treasure, this girl named Eva Wei. So much for boring nights…
Looking at the gun that she'd dropped on her bed, she smiled, deciding it was high-time she started packing.
--
"You're Jordan's sister," Eva had guessed, now taking the sight of the girl in.
No wonder she'd been so familiar. She had the same tan, the same eyes, she had even dyed her hair to look two-toned as her brother had done. She had a bit of muscle tone, but nowhere near overdone. Her shape was hidden beneath baggy cargo pants that tucked into her combat boots, and by a trench coat that she wore over herself. Beneath her mantle, though, there seemed to be what Eva knew as a peasant top, rather feminine, compared to the rest of the girl's outfit.
But the thing about her dress that most fascinated her was the pair of military ID tags that hung from her neck. She had seen them on Jordan several times, especially before a race when he'd usually ask his grandfather for good luck. She'd seen them floating along with him as he fell into the orb of power.
"That's right," Janni smiled to Eva, looking at her warmly. "I'm his sister. And I can tell you that he gives you his deepest regards, Eva."
Eva suddenly blushed, knowing what was probably meant by deepest regards. Aikka looked sideways at this, a little confused at the reasons for her reaction. He of course knew Jordan had developed feelings for Eva during the race, seeing as he was often the target of jealousy for this reason. But did this mean Eva knew about it too?
Perhaps something had happened between them…there was that section of time that was missing from his memory of their final confrontation with Canaletto, due to his unconsciousness. All he knew was that he was knocked out by the former avatar, and that he awoke in a reborn Oban, and figured out that Jordan had become the avatar in place of Eva. He could only wonder if something happened between the two humans while he was out.
There had to have been something he missed, he thought. And he found the prospect to be somewhat dismal to him, it left him a bit disappointed. Though he found himself again trying to scold himself for thinking that way…
"Jordan came to me last night as the Avatar, and gave me knowledge of everything that happened a year ago, and he also told me that Aikka's right, the Crogs have Eva targeted." Janni continued seriously, looking at everyone before landing her deep brown gaze on the prince, who in turn, jumped out of whatever thoughts he was having about Eva and her relationship with the gunner of a deity. "He sent me after her in order to protect her from the Crogs. An attack is an imminent possibility, but he couldn't tell me when. He just wants me to be here, and be ready."
All of the group sank a little at this news. Don seemed to be almost paralyzed, though he personally felt he shouldn't have been. He had known about this threat the past two days since Aikka had shown up injured and in his daughter's arms…but still the news that his only daughter was the target of the most hostile creatures in the galaxy became possibly more harrowing every time he heard it.
"Yes, well we should all be ready…" Don said somberly, silently cursing the current president of Earth. How long was it until the next election, again?
"We are glad to have you, Janni, Let us hope that we will all get through this together." With that he gave a look to Eva, who instantly felt the whole gravity of everything pulling on her shoulders. She and Aikka were the only true targets, yet she was bringing everyone down, even Jordan's little sister.
Janni, seeming to notice Eva's plight, came over to the girl and wrapped an arm around her.
"Your dad's right, we'll get through this, all of us, Eva," Eva seemed to lift with the gesture, smiling at the gunner girl. "Just trust my brother. He's gonna work things out," she then turned her look towards Aikka. "For everyone."
Aikka couldn't help but smile back, gratefully. It seemed Jordan had finally put their differences aside. This person called Janni, even seemed to be more hospitable than her brother had once been towards him. But the most important thing was, Jordan was protecting Eva still, in his own way. Eva now had that much more protection, and that was what really mattered to him.
--
An hour or so passed with Janni now in their party, and they found her to be quite enthusiastic and enjoyable company. Stan and Koji were pleased to actually have a gunner again to compliment the new racer, and Stan found his fantasies of shooting the Crogs from the sky to be renewed. They had insisted that she hop into the turret of the Phantom, to have a trained gun to make sure everything was in working order for such a momentous occasion.
Janni had a time of fun, pivoting the turret in every direction possible, even pretending to have some target practice. It was a good feeling to the girl that she was really following in her brother's footsteps now, sitting in the same design of turret as her brother once had. Even Janni started concocting her own fantasies of shooting opposing Crog armies out of the sky.
As pleased as he was now about his daughter having two dedicated guardians again, Don Wei, standing at the railing in front of his office, felt he was forgetting something. It was something that he felt should be obvious, though he had a time thinking about it…
His eyes found Eva, in her new home of a cockpit, testing out the communication system with Janni and the two mechanic boys. Today was Monday, he suddenly remembered, and he was startled to think for a second that Eva was ditching school.
But, no, he still had things to get used to about having a child; this was one of those 'inservice' days, as they called them…Though the subject of school brought something else up. He walked down the stairway to the garage floor, and did the courtesy of waiting until Eva climbed out of the cockpit and onto the ladder to bring it up.
"Eva, have you done any homework in these last few days?" He asked the girl seriously, just as she met the halfway mark of the ladder. Crimson eyes looked obliviously into her father's hardened obsidian black ones, and it clicked in her mind that she had indeed been neglecting her homework…and not for the first time.
"Yeah, I got it pretty much finished," She shrugged nonchalantly, choosing to look at the steel ladder as she scaled down it.
"Don't lie to me, young lady," Don told his daughter sternly, as she turned her blank face to him. "I know how to tell when someone is lying, believe me." He sort of grinned at that, and Eva looked off, knowing she'd been caught.
"Sorry, dad…" She said quietly, before Don set a hand on her shoulder.
"Eva, you can't keep slipping up on your homework, I know it seems useless to you, but believe me, it's better to be well-rounded." Eva turned a smile to her father, who smiled back knowingly. "Now, I want you to get back to the house, get your schoolwork, and come straight back here, is that understood? I want it done before you go back to school tomorrow."
Eva nodded, sporting a look as if she'd just been sentenced to jail time. Don patted her lightly on the back.
"Good girl. Oh, and have the prince accompany you, as well," he said, catching a glimpse of the prince by his beetle. "I believe Janni is still busy with the turret…" He said this just as Janni discovered how to switch sides in the turret, giving a squeal form inside the craft to exhibit her excitement as such. Eva couldn't help but laugh at the sound.
"Alright, I guess I'll be back, then…" Eva said, recalling her duty. It was funny, she'd done everything on Alwas and Oban without a second thought, but when it came to non-life threatening things like doing homework, all she wanted to do was stall. She grumbled at the irony as she shuffled off to find the prince.
He was leaning against the door again, staring at the sky. To the girl, it looked as if he was simply contemplating the possibility of rain. Though, truthfully, Aikka was feeling more unease than before. He sensed something…
"Hey, time for a field trip!" Eva came up behind him, interrupting his thoughts, bringing him back to reality with a start.
"Ah, a what?" he asked her curiously at the strange phrase.
"A field trip. We gotta go back to the house. Dad figured out I haven't touched my homework this weekend…" Eva informed him grimly, as she kicked up the kickstands to her bike. Aikka still looked puzzled, but nodded, first going to grab his bow and quiver off of G'dar. "You, ah, really think we'll need those?" Eva asked him nervously as he landed squarely on the ground next to his mount.
"I sincerely hope not," was all Aikka supplied as he attached his quiver full of arrows to his back, slinging his bow on a shoulder. "It is better to be prepared rather than unprepared." Eva shrugged, but gave a nod, throwing her leg over the seat of her rocket seat.
Wrapping his arms around Eva's waist from behind, Aikka truly hoped that he was just being paranoid…Still, he held to her, finding himself more protective of her than ever before.
--
The silence of the Wei household was broken by a distant rumble of thunder, as well as the clinking of a key in the lock of the front door. Satis, who had just been enjoying a nice nap on the couch where Aikka had designated himself during the nights, looked to the door, blinking his cat eyes several times. Unfurling himself from his curled position, he jaunted over just as Eva and Aikka were admitted entrance.
Stepping in, Eva rubbed her arms speedily, trying to get rid of the chill that was on them.
"It's probably going to start raining soon," She observed to Aikka, who filed in after her, his blue eyes still scanning for hidden dangers. Still carrying his bow and quiver, he watched the girl before him lean down and retrieve the mewing Satis.
"Hey, beautiful," she cooed to the young cat, before setting him back down and turning to Aikka again. Giving him a quick once over, his posture and facial expression gave her all the information she needed. "Aikka, you look a little tense, you've been kind of out of it most of the day," She observed of the prince, concerned. Aikka snapped back to reality, and a grimace formed on his face.
"It's just, a feeling I have…I daresay we should not remain here for long, Molly. We need to keep you under full protection," Aikka told her quietly, leaving Eva to stare. She managed to shake herself out of her stunned look before he turned his blue orbs back to her, and nodded in agreement. Turning, she began towards the stairs.
"I'll just get my stuff, then," Eva told the Prince, who was now staring off into the flat screen of the television, just as tense as she'd seen him all day. Staring at his reflection in the screen, Aikka pondered whether or not to voice the other nagging that had taken to monopolizing his thinking space. The sound of Eva's foot connecting with the first step made him throw himself into a decision.
"Molly," he requested her attention, causing Eva to turn her eyes to look at him, crimson and full of question. Aikka's own blue connected with her eyes, and he fiddled absently with a pocket on Rick's jacket.
"Molly, I hope you don't take me as prying, but if I may ask," Aikka started, finding Eva turning fully towards him. "I wonder, what exactly happened in the Temple of the Heart? After I was rendered unconscious?" Eva's breath seemed to catch in her throat, even Aikka heard it from where he stood next to the couch.
Eva smiled at him, coming away from the stairs. He did have a right to know, she figured; he was just as much involved as she was.
"Well, I didn't hear from you or Jordan, so I went for the pyramid, but Canaletto appeared in front of me before I got there," Aikka shifted at this, regretting that he hadn't been able to protect her that day, and not for the first time. Eva's expression looked worse, though, considering what had been revealed to her in that confrontation. "He told me everything, how he'd been messing with the course of time, just to set me up so I'd come to race on Oban, so I'd win, and so I'd turn down the avatar's powers…"
Now she sat down on the coffee table, setting her head in her hands, staring at Satis who was sitting peacefully before his master. Aikka looked her over with a new feeling of thoughtfulness. So explained some of the more phenomenal happenings of the race…
"So, Sul was a victim of Canaletto?" Aikka suggested quietly, sitting on the couch and leaning forward to her. Eva nodded.
"He caused everything. He caused my mother's crash, and all that time I blamed Spirit for everything, for splitting up my family." Eva confirmed with a sort of sad malice. "He made Rick crash in the first race, too, he made it so he'd never be able to race again, just so the team would be forced to bring me in."
Aikka nodded, seeing it as logical, though it was even more sinister and conniving than he'd first thought Canaletto as being. It made his insides squirm, just thinking of how Eva would have felt back then, just thinking of having ones entire life plotted out, by a so-called 'crusader of purity', no less.
"Then, he forced me to activate the pyramid, but the Creators showed up, and tried to fight him," Eva's voice elevated a little with the tidbit of good news. "They started forming an orb above the pyramid as Canaletto fought all of them off. When the last one was gone, Canaletto went for it to become Avatar, but…" She suddenly stopped; this was the part that always wrenched her heart, knowing her partner took the prize that was never meant for him. Aikka looked intently at her, showing her kind blue eyes if she so chose to look at them.
"Jordan somehow managed to climb to a ledge above the pyramid, and he told me…" She suddenly looked at Aikka, finding him motionless, as if he'd been set in 'pause' for a moment. "He said that he loved me, and then…he jumped."
Aikka let out the breath that he'd been holding for the past few moments. It hurt him to see Eva's face with such sadness in it. He placed a soft hand on her shoulder, leading her to look at him again.
"I'm sorry," Aikka told her softly. "I wish I could have been of more use to you both back then, things might have ended up differently…" Eva shook her head lightly, almost recoiling from the regret that she clearly heard in his voice.
"Don't be, it's not your fault." She said, standing up, and rubbing her arms as if she were cold. Aikka stared up at her now, wondering guiltily if maybe he should have never delved into the subject at all.
"I don't think it would have worked out either way, whatever happened," she told him quietly, looking off. Aikka's look then turned to one of confusion.
"What do you mean?" he asked her, taking to his feet himself.
"Jordan said he loved me, but…I don't think I ever felt that way towards him." Eva explained, finding the carpeted ground suddenly interesting. "I knew he was trying to make moves on me throughout the race, but I didn't acknowledge it…I pretended to be oblivious. It started out more as a way to keep him away, really, I had bigger things to deal with, considering my father was just starting to catch on about who I was…I really just focused mainly on that and the races."
"Besides, I'd always seen him as my partner, or even a brother, but not really anything more. So that's how it was, he chased me, but I raced and avoided him. Then, when it came down to him taking the prize instead of me, I just felt bad for kind of leading him on, I suppose…That he loved me that much but I couldn't return the feeling." Eva told the prince regretfully. "Either way, I think I'd have just ended up breaking his heart."
She scuffed at the carpet with the sole of her sneaker now, and Aikka could only watch over her sadly. He sensed there also was a little more about the subject that was bothering her, however. He decided that he shouldn't intrude any more though, and designated himself to look over to the vast window that served as the side wall of the room.
Eva stared at the carpet, and sighed. There really was another thing tugging at her own mind about the whole subject of love, and she had heard somewhere that the only way to let someone know about your feelings was to voice them. She agreed fully with that philosophy, but it still left her beyond nervous to even think of herself admitting this one thing out loud. For a short while, the only sound was the steady roll of thunder from outside.
"Aside from all that, there was someone else," Eva stated as nervous as her voice was quiet.
Blue eyes turned to look sideways at her, and found her in a timid posture, hands jammed in her pockets, eyes still focused on the floor below. Had the lighting been better, he may have noticed the faint pink starting to show up on her face again.
"There was someone else that I barely stopped thinking about…But I didn't think he'd ever return the feeling. In fact, I thought he saw me as not much more than target practice, at times…"
Aikka finally turned fully towards her now, his crystal eyes wide, his breath catching in his throat again. He could have sworn he felt his heart miss a few beats. Several emotions were running through his head right now, disbelief being one of the more dominant. Despite his active thoughts and emotions, it seemed his voice had run off. Had she really said what he thought she said?
Eva, meanwhile, didn't take the liberty of finding his reaction, and turned for the stair way, hiding her blush from the prince.
"I'm gonna go get my stuff…Dad's probably waiting." And she did just that, leaving Aikka paralyzed in the middle of her living room.
Aikka's breath finally left him roughly, and he reached a hand out, as if he could stop her from across the room. He watched, silently trying to find words as her last foot ascended out of sight and around the corner of the stairway landing.
"Molly," he finally murmured to no one, his fist clenching at his side, his ears drooping slightly to exhibit the regret that had never left him since the race. "I never saw you as target practice…"
Looking up again, he suddenly started in the direction of the stairs. He couldn't let her think even for a second that he thought that! A flash of brilliant white light from the window behind him, however, called him back, along with a particularly nasty grumble of thunder. Looking towards the window, he saw the sky, a deep, ominous grey. Crystal eyes narrowed at the sight, as he proceeded over to the glass.
Rain speckled the glass from the other side, but Aikka didn't care to notice. He was more concerned about the clouds. That foreboding feeling had come back full force, he knew something was wrong, there was something more to this weather. Shouldering his bow, he used both of his hands in a formation of Nourasian magic.
"By the spirits, unmask the guised, reveal the wicked," He murmured in his own tongue, his headpiece beginning to glow cerulean, and before his lidded eyes, he searched for the truth.
He could see the cloud, but using his arcane eye to sense the hidden, he saw beyond. He could see, finally, what had been driving him insane all day. There behind that ominous cloud cover that he'd been eyeing suspiciously all day, was the true danger. First he saw three yellow dots, arranged in a triangle…then a flash of yellow blades. His ears were open as well, and they caught the deep voice, the chilling message;
"The target is in sight, I'm going in."
All at once, the Nourasian's blue aura disappeared back into it's headpiece of a host, and his cerulean eyes snapped open.
"Molly!" he hissed, whirling around and sprinting for the stairway.
Eva, meanwhile, was virtually clueless to the danger lurking just above the house, and was just stuffing her school-issued laptop into her back pack. To say nothing of all the distracting thoughts running through her head about what she'd just told the prince. Her face still felt warm to her, and she found herself wondering what the prince was thinking about the hint she'd just dropped.
Satis was on her window sill, but contrastingly avid about his activity; on his hind legs, he was standing on the glass of her window, mewing urgently. He seemed to be pawing at the window when Eva finally noticed him, strapping the bag to her back and looking at the cat with a look of bewilderment.
"What's up with you?" she walked up behind the animal, and looked out the window. As luck would have it, she looked up just in time to see a triangle of yellow dots appear, misted over by the clouds. The girl found herself suddenly frozen as the blades appeared next, even if only for a second…It was a pattern of light that was far too familiar to her…
Aikka dashed up the stairs, taking no less than three at a time, before he came to the upper hallway. He found that there were a few doors aligned in the corridor, and he had no idea which was Eva's room. He saw one towards the end, where the door was open, and overcast light shown through to the darkness of the hall. Deciding that was a good place to start, he pelted down the darkened hall.
"Molly!" He shouted as he slid to a stop just outside the door, finding Eva just in the process of grabbing up her cat and pelting for the door herself. Aikka could see the fear in her scarlet eyes, even from halfway across the room, the desperation that made her run straight for him, for the safety that she trusted him to provide.
"Aikka!!" She cried his name as she dove into his chest while his arms drew her in. For a split second, he just held her there, his lips pressed into her crimson hair, and only the small body of Satis separating them, before the prince noticed the shadow looming into the room from outside.
That shadow only stayed for another fraction of a second before it happened. The sickening sound of metal ripping through the wood structure of the house, the sight of the blade of the Crog's ship invading Eva's bedroom, and coming straight towards the couple and the cat. The feeling of Eva flinching into him at the sound of her house being assaulted had to be the sensation that left the most of an impression on the Nourasian, however horrible the sights and sounds were in the exact same moment.
"Get down!!" Aikka yelled, covering Eva with his arms, one remaining wrapped around her shoulders, his other supporting her red and black head as he flung himself and the girl to the side of the door, hugging her close and restraining her head from hitting the floor in the dive.
The blades of the ship continued to breech the house, and the fact that they weren't yet activated seemed to be the reason why so much damage was being caused to the place. Wood splintered and flew freely, plaster exploded from the wood it had covered, and Aikka felt it all raining down on his back. It was all he could do to attempt to cover Eva completely from the haze of what were once the walls of her house.
He supported himself against the weight of the rubble, but stayed close enough to Eva to feel the round structures of her racing goggles pressing into the top of his chest as the rest of her seemed to cringe beneath him. The cat between them seemed to be quite harassed at the weight of the Nourasian on top of him, judging by the tiny stabs of pain now in Aikka's stomach, but that had to be the least of his problems now.
Holding his princess (and the cat) closer to himself and shielding them both from the barrage of splinters and plaster still spraying the hallway, he prayed to every entity he knew of that this time, he'd be able to protect her.
-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: Oh my goodness, I told you guys there was going to be a change of pace, ne? Oh, and am I mistaken, or is this my first cliffie? Mwaha, I actually spent a little thinking time pondering when around this time I'd cut chapters off, and I came to this conclusion, so yeah. A little action going on, now! And how'd I do on their little discussion and Eva's feelings toward Jordan(and Aikka)? I suppose her little explanation really is my interpretation of Molly's feelings…Just my speculation from watching the show, I suppose. Anyway.
Next chapter, the Crogs are fulfilling Kross's little threat! Or trying to, despite Eva's guardian's protectiveness over her. And just days after the president denies the possibility of an invasion! .:tsk tsk:. How's that foot tastin', McMillan? Anway, how will the gang survive the latest invasion? Will they all get out unscathed? Maybe Aikka has something up his sleeves…