Promises and Misunderstandings

"I hope your team fairs better than it did against the Crogs" began President McMullen, who wasn't pleased one bit with Don's update "A second loss would put us in a very difficult situation.

Don nodded "I'm absolutely confident our new strategy will pull us through" the president nodded, but didn't seem as sure before sitting back.

"The Ultimate Prize must not fall into the wrong hands, Don Wei" though he was just a hologram, Don knew all too well of what was going on.

"You've made that very clear, Mr. President, we will win this race at all costs!"

Upon the beach near the village, Molly walked across the wet sand while Teto slept on her shoulder; while she appeared at peace her mind was in chaos.

She recalled yesterday's events; of how they had almost won but had just played right into the Crog's little game. Standing upon a rock looking out to sea, she closed her eyes and held her arms up to allow the wind to blow through her, hoping it would clear her mind.

But she was stuck by the memory of the Arrow II slashed in half, almost killing her and Jordan, falling to her knees Teto woke up and tried to calm her down. She slowly opened her eyes and came to look at her reflection in the clear water, she soon saw the image of her, and Crow laughing together she frowned at the image.

"Get it together Molly, you can't return to that time…no matter how much you wish."

She brushed the image away, and came to see her reflection again before standing up and turning away. Teto drove down to one of her pouches, and began looking through it.

"Teto what are you up too?" she grabbed him, noticing that he had the two finished arm bracelets in his mouth.

"You're saying I should give them to the guys' right?"

He mewed and hopped onto her shoulder; she took both bracelets in her hands and looked at them.

Aikka's was made of brown leather that had leaves and vines of green, blue, and white around it; it also had the Nourasian symbol on it as well. Jordan's was made of black leather that had the same pattern as his clothes "I guess I could give them their gifts…" Teto mewed and she smiled.

She walked up the stone stairs that led out on the long grass fields just outside of the city, following the path she picked up her head and noticed a familiar figure sitting upon a hill facing the sea.

"Prince Aikka?" she whispered, watching him before quietly floating towards him.

He didn't seem to notice her, as he was in deep mediation with his bow and an arrow in front of him. Suddenly, he stood up and picked his bow and began chanting "Un Seki Nurama tera Ubara!" his arrow glowed blue and a gust of wind began going inside the arrow, soon he let it fly towards the rock formation.

She giggled and he turned towards her, though he was surprised his face soon grew cold and distant "That was quite the shot, your aim hasn't fail you once in any of your races" she said floating towards him.

"My next adversary is you" his words caught her off guard, and she simply floated there with the bracelet hidden in her hand.

He soon turned away from her and began walking away "Ah, Prince Aikka!" she tried to follow him, but the sound of waves made her look out towards the rock formation. His arrow had split the tall formation in half "Amazing as ever…" she whispered before running off after the prince.

She soon found Aikka just outside the town, she called out to him "Prince, wait! We were bound to race each other sooner or later!"

"I have received orders from the Nourasian Court" he stopped and turned around to look at her, a pain expression on his face "In fact, direct orders from my father, after the start of the race I am to—" he closed his eyes and looked away from her "Eliminate you."

Teto picked up his ears, and bared his fangs "It's against the rules" she whispered softly, trying to see if he was joking.

"The rules forbid me to intently take your life, short of that I am free to use any means at my disposal to stop you" his words cut through her like a knife.

"So I am to be a target" she floated closer to him "G'dar, my mount, was hurt during the last race, we can no long take any chances against your laser cannons."

Molly looked down "I was looking forward to our race, at least with you I didn't expect a battle" Teto mewed sadly.

"This is not the way of the Nourasian Knights; we have always been a peaceful people, I am truly sorry" he bowed to her and began turning away.

Molly wouldn't leave it at that "You expect me to leave things the way they are now?" she yelled, he stopped and looked back at her "Pardon me?" he was confused.

"If you're so worried about the Arrow II's cannons, we could have a clean race" this seemed to get his attention.

"A clean race?"

She nodded and floated over to him "Yeah, no weapons, a race for speed" she gave a smirk "Unless you're afraid to find out which one of us is the best pilot."

He grunted, but she didn't let her smirk go and soon he smiled and began laughing "You speak like a true Nourasian!" she smiled and Teto mewed "I like your offer, though I may risk banishment from my court…"

"Well if it comes to that, you can do your time on Oban" she laughed and he smiled.

"If you can convince the Earth Team to hold it fire, then I promise not to use my arrows" Molly smiled "Well then Prince, prepare to lose with honor!"

"I am always prepared to lose with honor!" he said proudly, they light placed their fists together to seal the promise.

"If you happen to win" he blinked at her "I have something I'll give you, but if you lose you have to wait until we get to Oban."

"How are you so sure that I'll be going to Oban?" he asked, arching his brow at her; she winked and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before flying off "Because I know you'll do your best to get there!"

As he watched her go, a sharp pain stuck his arm "Not again…could that voice have been telling the truth?" the thorn tattoo had grown darker, and was slowly sapping his strength away.

"Perhaps I should've told her…" he whispered.

As the Earth Team helped fix up the Arrow II for her race, Jordan looked outside and noticed Molly flying in, he gave her a grin "You'll never guess who we're racing against today, Molly."

"Prince Aikka" she said floating by, he looked surprised "Well yeah, but how did you know?"

"I've just made a deal with the prince, no weapons allowed" this shocked him.

"What?" he said, trying to see if she was joking.

"It will be a clean race for speed and no one will get hurt" she said giving him a smile, Jordan picked at his ear "It's a good thing I've got a book in the turret."

"Out of the question!" yelled Don as he walked down the stairs "We must win this race at all cost, Molly!"

'I knew he would say that' she turned towards Don Wei "With all due respect Mr. Wei, the Arrow II is fast, but not strong in her defense, in order to win—" but Don cut her off.

"Trust the Nourasians? Never!" he yelled "Don't you see they need this victory as much as we do?"

"But Aikka can be trusted!" she growled at him.

He pointed at her "You will neutralizes the prince's mount early in the race, that's an order; the Arrow II has been newly equipped for the job!" Stan gave her a smile, but soon stopped upon seeing the pain in her eyes.

Jordan picked up the new ammo "Trust me, the pleasure will be all mine" he patted the ammo.

Molly looked down "This is exactly what the prince has been ordered to do" this caught Don by surprise "What did you say?"

"We don't want to fight him! His magic arrows are very powerful" she warned, but Jordan only huffed while Stan spoke up "The heavy duty cannons are set Mr. Wei."

"That's a job well done gentlemen, you can go to bed now" both Koji and Stan began walking away while Don turned "If he is as good as you say, then we must strike first" he began to walk away and Jordan came up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Partner, you must really be dreamin if you think your sweet prince will keep his promise" he began walking away from her, until she spoke up "So then it's true, you Earthlings really don't have any chivalry at all."

Both Don and Jordan stopped, but only the gunner turned around and looked at her "What's that suppose to mean?" Molly crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"It means you are too afraid of seeing who's better, you would rather stab your opponent right in the back than facing them head on because you would rather use tricks than your own power" she said in a mocking tone, but her next words wouldn't be forgotten.

"It also says that you have no courage or justice."

Jordan dropped the ammo onto the ground, he tightened his fists "What the heck, humans have chivalry! Our soldiers that have fought against the Crog Armies have both courage and justice in their hearts!"

Molly smirked "Then why you, a soldier yourself, isn't showing that chivalry right now?" he growled at her, but her next words tore him apart "At least the Nourasians can still show their chivalry when racing."

Jordan charged at her, his fist rose, but Molly didn't move as his fist punched her right cheek "Jordan!" yelled Don, who was in shock as well as Stan and Koji who had their mouths open.

The rage inside him soon blew away, and upon seeing what he had done, he leaped back "You d-didn't move…w-why?" he fist was shaking; Molly slowly turned her head and raced him, she touched her red cheek which was beginning to swell.

"I didn't because I wanted to see how you would react, you call yourself a soldier, and yet my words stuck your heart?" Jordan didn't look away from her "It shows that you've still got a long way to go before you can call me partner…but if I see your chivalry in today's race, I may take back what I said."

Don came up next to Jordan, but Molly wasn't done yet "I speak not only to Jordan, but for the rest of the Earth Team!" both Stan and Koji shook.

"If I see chivalry in everyone day, then I will know if this team has even the right to go to Oban…if not then everyone here will see and feel nothing but regret in their hearts, as will I" she turned and began floating away.

"I shall return before we are called to the race, and think about what I've said."

Down by the docks, at the bar where Molly had her fight with Grooor, Rick Thunderbolt had been going around town asking everyone about the pendent with Canaletto's symbol on it since the night with the strange Scrub who he had taken it from.

He sat at the bar and ordered a drink, he looked down at the pendant 'This symbol was painted all over the walls in that alien's house, it was even on him' he thought back to the wide eyed Scrub who had confessed to the planting of the bomb in the Arrow I.

Upon getting his drink he drank a bit 'Kept on talking about some Master of his, called the Timeless One…then he says that he's coming' he remembers taking the pendant and leaving the house, just as he is a yard or two away the house goes up in flames despite the rain that night.

'That flame burned away all my evidence…now I have nothing' he thought as the bar owner brought him another drink.

The others in the bar were looking towards the monitor as the judges spoke "And now it's the Earth Team!" most of the aliens were booing the Earth Team since their race against Alwas "Against Prince Aikka of Nourasia!" some were yelling for the prince to win.

Though Rick could hear them, he paid no attention to the monitor as his mind was elsewhere.

Both G'dar and the Arrow II had readied themselves for the start of the race; Molly looked towards the prince who had a smile on his race as he petted G'dar.

She brought up her monitor, hoping to get through to Jordan once more "Jordan, please listen to me" she begged, he had his eyes on her, but he didn't look too happy "If you hit the prince you'll hurt him, if you miss him then he'll probably hurt us! Is that what you really want?"

He gave her a hard look "I'm just following orders Molly, like you should be" he suddenly regretted those words, but didn't show it.

"We can win this without using weapons, weren't you going to show me your chivalry today?"

"Sorry, but I took the sucker punch in the last race! Crogs won, Earth Team zero!" he folded his arms and leaned back "I'm sticking to the plan."

Molly turned away "That hate inside of you, it will consume your heart someday" she turned off the monitor and looked back towards Aikka "What should I do?" Teto mewed and licked her swollen cheek.

She looked forward and everything seemed to freeze, as a voice entered her ears "…second of an arrow…aliens you thought of as friends will turn their backs…" it was Crow's voice.

Molly closed her eyes, and a single tear fell "Then I won't regret our friendship, for if it should break I won't regret a single moment of being with them" just as they were getting ready to take off, Crow's voice whispered one word.

"Why?"

And she only answered "Because they are my first friends, just as you were my brother" their racers got into position and awaited the start of the race.