Author's note: Finally! Another chapter written! I'm afraid I had a little case of writer's block with this chapter, but I've successfully managed to defeat it. Enjoy! Oh, and I'll try to throw in a little Raven and Riese! ^.^
Dragonflame by Shelly
CHAPTER THREE
That evening, Tania was surprised when Karl invited the Guardian Force to dinner, extending the invitation to Irvine as well and causing her to wonder what he was up to. The time they shared was spent sharing memories of the past, particularly Van, Fiona, and Irvine since they had known each other for so long. They expressed their wish that Moonbay was there as she had helped them get out of many a tight situation, and one that particularly stood out in their minds was the time after Van had first fought Raven. Van had been incredibly stubborn in his resolve to confront Raven again, and Moonbay had gotten Fiona and Zeke to tempt him to give in with a drumstick from a chicken. Van commented that he still didn't know what the ropes had been for, causing Fiona to blush furiously as she and Moonbay were going to try and tie him up once he fell asleep so he wouldn't get himself killed in a battle with Raven.
Tania's own memories wandered as she recalled her encounters with Raven, a boy that Prozen had taken under his wing when he was young. She had encountered him a few times and had even fought him once as a training exercise, the result being she was the winner as she was older and had received more training. He had not liked losing to her, and he had trained even harder from then on so she could only guess at how he felt after losing to Van the last time they had fought.
Soon Karl revealed that he had another reason for calling them together. "I have here a list of names that we have managed to get from Tragar, names of those that remain loyal to Prozen and seek to disrupt the peace between the Empire and the Republic. But before we address that, we must first transfer Tragar back to the Empire so he can be held accountable for his treasonous actions. I have requested that you all undertake this mission, and that of weeding out those who appear on this list. I must warn you that by no means do I trust the information that he has given us, so I urge you to use caution when conducting your investigation."
"When do we leave?" Van asked.
"Tomorrow," he replied, expecting protests because of the lack of advance notification but receiving none. "I apologize for the suddenness of it all, but we are still unsure if there are those here waiting for an ideal time to mount an attack. If we move out as soon as possible then it will leave the enemy little time to gather their forces. As of now, your zoids are being prepared for tomorrow's departure so I suggest you all do the same. Get some rest and I will see you tomorrow."
Tania wished each of them a good evening as they left, closing the door behind the last one and locking it, turning to see Karl gazing at her with an anguished expression on his handsome face. "What is it?" she asked as she crossed the distance between them.
He placed his hands on either side of her neck, his thumbs caressing her cheeks tenderly. "Tania, I wish that you didn't have to come with us as I do not wish to put you in harm's way. But I cannot leave you here either, so I have no choice but to have you come along."
"Karl, you cannot ask me not to at least help during our journey," she argued.
"Tania, I came so close to losing you before, I do not want that to happen again if I can avoid it," he insisted. "I love you, and I need you so much."
She gazed into his eyes, letting him see how much she loved him. "I love you, too. But if we are attacked you know I will have no choice but to defend myself."
He smiled. "I know. Which is why I ask you to please be careful, especially if I am not available to help you."
She smiled in return and touched her hand to his cheek. "You know I will," she replied, sighing when he drew her into his arms.
Soon after Van left the suite, he noticed that Fiona seemed a little distant like she was worried about something which in turn caused him to be concerned about her. Ever since he and Tania had escaped from the tunnel collapse, he had begun to look at his relationship with Fiona in a different light and had begun to see her as possibly more than a friend. The only thing was he knew how Thomas felt about her and felt guilty about thinking of taking his relationship with her in a different direction.
He lagged behind until he came near her and matched his stride with hers. "Everything all right, Fiona?"
Fiona looked up in surprise, almost melting when she looked into his dark eyes and trying to make sense of emotions that ran through her that were unfamiliar and not entirely unpleasant. But she looked away as she was unsure what to do about them. "Everything's fine, Van," she replied.
"Fiona, I know you're worried about something, I can see it. Talk to me. Maybe I can help," he offered.
How could he possibly help when he was part of the problem? But he seemed so sincere that she couldn't refuse his generous offer. "I'm worried, Van. About you," she blurted out.
"Me?" he asked, both shocked and touched that she would be concerned about him. "What for?"
"It was our conversation about Raven," she began. "I wonder where he is, and I am worried that one day he will return and try to fight you again."
Van smiled. "I wouldn't worry about that, Fiona. I've grown a lot more confident in my skills as a zoid pilot, so I think that I can handle another fight with him."
She stopped abruptly. "Van, please try not to take this too lightly," she urged. "Don't forget that he has an organoid as well."
He sighed. "I won't. I promise," he replied, brushing his thumb across her cheek, wondering at its softness and amazed that he had not seen before now how truly beautiful she was.
Fiona felt her heart racing within her chest, wondering if it was normal to feel this kind of fear and excitement all at once. "Van," she breathed, her eyes drifting shut when she saw him leaning closer towards her, her breathing stopping as she realized that he was going to kiss her....
"Van! Stop playing around and come on!" Irvine's voice interrupted.
They jumped apart, Fiona with a little disappointment and Van shocked at what had almost happened between them. "Fiona, I'm sorry," he said, fearing that with one moment's weakness he could've compromised their friendship.
Fiona's eyes widened as she tried to clamp down on the hurt that threatened to rise within her. Apparently he didn't feel the same way as she did or he wouldn't have apologized. With a strangled cry, she darted off down the hall to push through Irvine and Thomas on her way back to her room.
The two men gazed after her with questioning looks, both of them turning back down the hall to see Van leaning against the wall with the heel of his hand smacked against his forehead. "What's up with Fiona?" Irvine asked.
"How should I know?" Van shot back, pushing through them as well to seek the solitude of his room to try and forget the hurt that had flashed across her face before she had run off.
Irvine looked at Thomas. "What's with him?" he asked.
Thomas shrugged, wondering what was going on here as well.
*******************
What's your problem,Van? You had no problems kissing another man's woman (Tania), so why was it so hard to kiss Fiona? Next chapter will have Raven in it and finally some action! Thanx for reading and please review!
Dragonflame by Shelly
CHAPTER THREE
That evening, Tania was surprised when Karl invited the Guardian Force to dinner, extending the invitation to Irvine as well and causing her to wonder what he was up to. The time they shared was spent sharing memories of the past, particularly Van, Fiona, and Irvine since they had known each other for so long. They expressed their wish that Moonbay was there as she had helped them get out of many a tight situation, and one that particularly stood out in their minds was the time after Van had first fought Raven. Van had been incredibly stubborn in his resolve to confront Raven again, and Moonbay had gotten Fiona and Zeke to tempt him to give in with a drumstick from a chicken. Van commented that he still didn't know what the ropes had been for, causing Fiona to blush furiously as she and Moonbay were going to try and tie him up once he fell asleep so he wouldn't get himself killed in a battle with Raven.
Tania's own memories wandered as she recalled her encounters with Raven, a boy that Prozen had taken under his wing when he was young. She had encountered him a few times and had even fought him once as a training exercise, the result being she was the winner as she was older and had received more training. He had not liked losing to her, and he had trained even harder from then on so she could only guess at how he felt after losing to Van the last time they had fought.
Soon Karl revealed that he had another reason for calling them together. "I have here a list of names that we have managed to get from Tragar, names of those that remain loyal to Prozen and seek to disrupt the peace between the Empire and the Republic. But before we address that, we must first transfer Tragar back to the Empire so he can be held accountable for his treasonous actions. I have requested that you all undertake this mission, and that of weeding out those who appear on this list. I must warn you that by no means do I trust the information that he has given us, so I urge you to use caution when conducting your investigation."
"When do we leave?" Van asked.
"Tomorrow," he replied, expecting protests because of the lack of advance notification but receiving none. "I apologize for the suddenness of it all, but we are still unsure if there are those here waiting for an ideal time to mount an attack. If we move out as soon as possible then it will leave the enemy little time to gather their forces. As of now, your zoids are being prepared for tomorrow's departure so I suggest you all do the same. Get some rest and I will see you tomorrow."
Tania wished each of them a good evening as they left, closing the door behind the last one and locking it, turning to see Karl gazing at her with an anguished expression on his handsome face. "What is it?" she asked as she crossed the distance between them.
He placed his hands on either side of her neck, his thumbs caressing her cheeks tenderly. "Tania, I wish that you didn't have to come with us as I do not wish to put you in harm's way. But I cannot leave you here either, so I have no choice but to have you come along."
"Karl, you cannot ask me not to at least help during our journey," she argued.
"Tania, I came so close to losing you before, I do not want that to happen again if I can avoid it," he insisted. "I love you, and I need you so much."
She gazed into his eyes, letting him see how much she loved him. "I love you, too. But if we are attacked you know I will have no choice but to defend myself."
He smiled. "I know. Which is why I ask you to please be careful, especially if I am not available to help you."
She smiled in return and touched her hand to his cheek. "You know I will," she replied, sighing when he drew her into his arms.
Soon after Van left the suite, he noticed that Fiona seemed a little distant like she was worried about something which in turn caused him to be concerned about her. Ever since he and Tania had escaped from the tunnel collapse, he had begun to look at his relationship with Fiona in a different light and had begun to see her as possibly more than a friend. The only thing was he knew how Thomas felt about her and felt guilty about thinking of taking his relationship with her in a different direction.
He lagged behind until he came near her and matched his stride with hers. "Everything all right, Fiona?"
Fiona looked up in surprise, almost melting when she looked into his dark eyes and trying to make sense of emotions that ran through her that were unfamiliar and not entirely unpleasant. But she looked away as she was unsure what to do about them. "Everything's fine, Van," she replied.
"Fiona, I know you're worried about something, I can see it. Talk to me. Maybe I can help," he offered.
How could he possibly help when he was part of the problem? But he seemed so sincere that she couldn't refuse his generous offer. "I'm worried, Van. About you," she blurted out.
"Me?" he asked, both shocked and touched that she would be concerned about him. "What for?"
"It was our conversation about Raven," she began. "I wonder where he is, and I am worried that one day he will return and try to fight you again."
Van smiled. "I wouldn't worry about that, Fiona. I've grown a lot more confident in my skills as a zoid pilot, so I think that I can handle another fight with him."
She stopped abruptly. "Van, please try not to take this too lightly," she urged. "Don't forget that he has an organoid as well."
He sighed. "I won't. I promise," he replied, brushing his thumb across her cheek, wondering at its softness and amazed that he had not seen before now how truly beautiful she was.
Fiona felt her heart racing within her chest, wondering if it was normal to feel this kind of fear and excitement all at once. "Van," she breathed, her eyes drifting shut when she saw him leaning closer towards her, her breathing stopping as she realized that he was going to kiss her....
"Van! Stop playing around and come on!" Irvine's voice interrupted.
They jumped apart, Fiona with a little disappointment and Van shocked at what had almost happened between them. "Fiona, I'm sorry," he said, fearing that with one moment's weakness he could've compromised their friendship.
Fiona's eyes widened as she tried to clamp down on the hurt that threatened to rise within her. Apparently he didn't feel the same way as she did or he wouldn't have apologized. With a strangled cry, she darted off down the hall to push through Irvine and Thomas on her way back to her room.
The two men gazed after her with questioning looks, both of them turning back down the hall to see Van leaning against the wall with the heel of his hand smacked against his forehead. "What's up with Fiona?" Irvine asked.
"How should I know?" Van shot back, pushing through them as well to seek the solitude of his room to try and forget the hurt that had flashed across her face before she had run off.
Irvine looked at Thomas. "What's with him?" he asked.
Thomas shrugged, wondering what was going on here as well.
*******************
What's your problem,Van? You had no problems kissing another man's woman (Tania), so why was it so hard to kiss Fiona? Next chapter will have Raven in it and finally some action! Thanx for reading and please review!