Crisis Wind
NOTES: *wails pitifully* They stopped OLS!!!
*sniff* Stupid 'Big O'...
DISCLAIMER: Outlaw Star doesn't belong to me,
but Gene Starwind belongs to me! Okay, okay, so he doesn't! But he should!
- Otaku-chan\Kusanagi no Koibito (REALLY LONG EXTRA
AN: Gee, I switch "koibito's" a lot, ne? I remember when I was
"Crono no Koibito" (from Chrono Trigger), "Duo no Koibito"
(from Gundam Wing - Duo's the only reason I ever watched it in the first
place), and before I heard of Blue Seed (that's where Kusanagi comes from), it
was "Eiji no Koibito" (from "Battle Arena Toshinden".). I
seem to *like* ecchi men a lot, don't I?)
Lost
in space, many things, once useful, become debris. Very few of these are found,
more often clunking against a spaceship, hampering the crew's process, or
drifting into the gravity well of a star.
However,
is it possible to lose something as large as a spaceship itself? Apparently so.
Where are the Hellfire and the Shangri-la? Why do they hide in the bleak region
known as space?
Episode 7: Renegade Ships
Melfina
continued glaring at Gene. It was hard to do so, after being in love with him,
but still, she found it easy to hate him for kissing another girl. Maybe she
had been a bit too overprotective of him, loving him as much as she did. Even
so, Gene had no right to kiss another girl, after he had admitted that he loved
her!
"Mel,
I-" Melfina cut him off abruptly by turning away and stalking off. Harry
tagged along behind her, like a puppy on a leash.
"God,
what am I gonna do? Freakin' Aisha... she started all this! She's always making
a mess of things!" He mused a moment, then added disgustedly, "And
she's always leaving me behind to clean it up."
***
"Aria,
your name is Aria," repeated Jessica, sitting beside her cousin.
"And
your name is Jessica. Am I correct?" Jessica nodded, and Aria, seeing the
affirmative reply, blinked at the sight of this familiar girl. "I... I
seem to have a faint recollection of you..."
"Yes.
I know you. But you should rest for now. I'll see you soon. Hopefully, within the
week." Aria nodded weakly as the nurse bustled in, shoving Jess out.
"Something
about her..." murmured Aria feverishly. The nurse shook her head, placing
a finger to her lips, and chided, "Hush now. A little R & R will do
you good." A faint smile lit Aria's lips.
"Good...
there was a time when I was 'good'... I think."
***
"Rrr...
I CAN'T STAND THIS ANYMORE!" screamed Gene, banging his fist on the
crudely made wooden table in front of him. "There's nothing to do!"
He began to put up fingers on his hand as he spoke. "Jim's constantly out.
Mel doesn't even wanna look at me. Harry worships the ground she walks on, so I
can't duel. Aisha won't hang around me because of the whole mess she created.
Suzuka's wandering around as usual. Crystal spends her time hanging out with
Swanzo, working on the Outlaw Star. Jess is almost always at the hospital and
she's also shoving me away. Even Gilliam's too sick to be with me! Godammit,
what's there to do?!"
"You
know, if you've stopped ranting, maybe you can come along with us,"
offered Crystal coolly, dragging Jessica along with her. The younger sibling
was struggling to get out of her sister's clutches. Apparently, the girl didn't
exactly enjoy being in Gene's company - not after their little sentimental
session on Hellespont. Gene looked up, noting that Jessica was deliberately
averting her eyes, and snorted, his usual sarcastic response.
"Where?"
"Because
Aria's amnesiatic state won't let her do much of anything at the moment, we
have to find the Hellfire and bring it to Blue Heaven. And since Harry doesn't
exactly have a ship-"
"One
which he can't share personally with Mel," muttered Gene sullenly.
"With
his brother dead and buried, it's pretty much our responsibility to locate the
Shangri-La," finished Crystal. Jessica still gazed at the bare walls,
finding interest in the occasional blue specks (the white wallpaper was dotted
lightly with bits of blue on the left wall) that graced the wall Gene faced.
Gene, on the other hand, suddenly found himself wanting to be extremely neat,
smoothing out barely-visible lumps in the bedspread. Crystal sighed unhappily.
"Look,
you two. Just stop this stupid act of yours! I get the point that you like each
other, so just make up!"
"I
do NOT!" retorted Jessica and Gene simultaneously. She stuck out her
tongue at him, while he made faces at her, waggling his fingers.
"Jerk!"
"Moron!"
"Idiot!"
"Thick-headed
brat!"
"At
least I'm smarter than you'll ever be!"
"Yeah,
right. Get a life!"
"Try
taking your own advice!" Crystal sighed again, slumping in the armchair
she sat in. Why didn't things ever turn out right around them?
***
(Commercial Break)
AN:
Okay, I should've done this a loooong time ago. But, anyway... I'd like to
dedicate this fic to "Rampant^_^", for being such an avid supporter
of this fic. She was right there from the start, and yes, this entire series is
dedicated to her. And to "ShadowCell", wow, I never realized that
people actually read my Author's Notes at the beginning!
As for all you other great fans of
this fic, I'd like to thank you too! I'm assuming you all read the warning in
the summary, so thank you for being so kind as to grace this fic by reading it,
especially you, Urs-chan! (tho I'd appreciate it if you'd actually review it
sometime using FF.net's system instead of just telling me on the guild board...
-_-;)
Sadly, my interest in Outlaw Star is
beginning to wane. First, put the blame on the big people at Cartoon Network
for taking away Outlaw Star. Then, blame it on the people at ADV for dubbing
Blue Seed, they did such a great job on it! (I'm typing this at 3:13 AM, April
8. No, I'm not kidding, I just finished watching Blue Seed. ('Jeez! Oh Man!
Sakura's Not Good Enough?!' was soooo sad! *sniff* But it was funny at the
end.) I think I'll watch it again this Tuesday/Wednesday as well.) But no, I'm
not giving up this fic yet! I love it too much. Besides... Jess was based on
me, plus it's my real name as well. (Oh great, did I just type that?! Forget,
it was a LIE!!! Seriously!!!)
(End Commercial Break)
***
"Remind
me again why we're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere?" moaned Gene,
leaning against a rock. Harsh winds blew sands that scratched his cheek, and
the sharp jutting edges of the rock made it hard to relax without feeling pain
of some sort.
Jessica
wrenched her mouth shut as she waited for the gusts to pass, then climbed up
the rocky path. A single murderous glare at Gene was enough to remind the
taller man that he did *not* want to annoy this girl in her current mood.
"Fine.
Forget I said anything," he grumbled, and reluctantly followed.
Occasionally, he slipped, losing his grip on the rocks due to his sweaty hands,
which were becoming callused and worn from climbing numerous cliffs and paths
with little rest. Once, he wasn't able to grab a handhold, and resorted to
grabbing Jessica by the ankle. This, in turn, caused the girl to let go in
surprise before she drew a little dagger from her belt and stabbed it into a
softer patch of dirt on a tiny ledge. She gave Gene the same glare once more
before she spoke.
"You're
lucky I always carry this around with me. What would've happened if I had been
carrying a gun instead?"
"Um...
we would've died?" Jessica allowed herself a small chuckle at Gene's
answer before she began to wordlessly scale the cliff once more.
"Catch
this, lazybones," ordered Jessica, tossing a thick rope down to Gene once
securing a firm handhold. He caught it instinctively and started to climb the
cliff as well, tying the rope about his waist first.
"Hey,
you two lovebirds! Done making up yet?" called Crystal from the top.
Jessica growled as she dragged herself onto the top of the cliff and lay,
panting, next to Crystal. When she had finally regained her breath, she shot a
dark look at Crystal and muttered, "Shut up about it already."
Crystal
grinned, crouching down. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. It's just that the two of
you look so *cute* together."
"This
from the girl who warned me not to get involved with love." Crystal stared
at her sibling, blinked, and then clamped her mouth shut, scowling at her
sister's remark.
"I
think I see the Hellfire," remarked Jessica in a more optimistic tone.
"Where?"
"Oh,
just look behind you." Crystal gazed, slack-jawed, at the magnificent
ship. She had never seen it close up. The first time she had seen it was right
before Aria had challenged Jessica. Only the half-Myrian had known what it
truly looked like. A glance at the outside showed that it was small and sleek,
painted a dull red with yellow and black markings.
"So
what? It's a beautiful ship and all, but it can't compare to the Outlaw
Star," commented Gene. He, too, stared at the ship, but with a look of
boredom, as if he had seen much more beautiful ships than the Hellfire. Crystal
couldn't believe this man. Surely he had seen plenty of ships in his travels
and in the Great Space Race, but so had she. And none were as graceful-looking
as this one. The Hellfire naturally stood out from its surroundings, the smooth
lines contrasting with the sharp points of the rocks surrounding it.
"Keep
your mouth shut for once in your life, Gene. What you're looking at is one of
the finest examples of Myrian technology. You don't even know what it looks
like on the inside," snapped the half-Myrian, nearly snarling at him.
"Probably
pretty cramped, judging by the outside."
"You're
in for a surprise," replied Jess. She strode up to the ship, feeling the
hull, searching for a panel. She found it to the right of the door. Lifting the
flap up, the shape of an elegant hand was seen. As Jessica pressed her palm to
it, the handprint glowed while a hidden door slid open. Inside, the stars
caused the polished metal to gleam brightly, nearly blinding them all.
"Simple
chrome. Something many ship designers never use in their designs. But it makes
it look so elegant. I'm impressed." Crystal placed a hand on the walls,
admiring their glow in the dimming light.
"You
haven't seen the complete interior yet." Jessica's voice was not without
awe, though she herself had once been on board this ship.
"Waitaminit,
you mean, there's more?" exclaimed Gene.
"Yes,
silly. Are you deaf or something? What did I tell you outside?" The younger
Oberon raised a makeshift paper fan and whacked Gene on the head with it.
***
"This
is... just lovely. It gives you such a feeling of tranquility," breathed
Crystal. She had praised every room on board the Hellfire for the beauty it
possessed. And in the Captain's quarters, a gasp of awe was aroused in even
Gene. The walls were covered with an image of a forest background, and a tiny
waterfall trickled in one corner. The bed blended into its surroundings, and
even the lights in this room were made to represent the sun. Looking about the
room, one got the feeling that Myrians loved nature, that the reason they had
warriors and assassins (such as Aria) were only to help preserve such natural
wonders.
"I
take back whatever I said, this ain't half bad. The Myrians definitely have
good style," remarked Gene, dropping onto the bed. Like all the other
furniture on board, it was built-in, and thus there was no fear of it moving
with the ship.
"Yes.
Mother always did have good taste, or so Father always said," whispered
Jessica. Her voice was getting choked up, as if every minute on board this ship
was stabbing her with painful memories. She fiddled about with her shirt, then
went out. The room fell into silence.
A
few minutes later, the silence was broken as the humming of engines echoed
throughout the ship. Crystal ran out and nearly tripped onto the ground as the
ship rose into the air.
"Jess!"
"What
are you doing?!" The half-Myrian gave a rueful laugh as she looked over
her shoulder at the stunned faces of Crystal and Gene.
"Isn't
it obvious? Part one of our mission's been completed, so I'm bringing the
Hellfire back to the Crisis Wind. There, Crys, I want you to take over the
controls," ordered Jessica, then she added, "Besides, you wouldn't know
how to fly this baby anyways." The Hellfire shot forward, drifting just
out of reach up the jagged points that threatened to mar its gleaming surface.
Gene had to admit, however reluctantly, that the Hellfire was a good ship. It
wasn't as fast as the Outlaw Star, nor was it as maneuverable as the Shangri-La
(wherever that was), but it was in a class of its own.
"Hello!
Hellespont to Gene! Are you awake?!" Gene looked to see Crystal waving her hand in his face.
"Huh?
Oh, hi. Are we there yet?"
"Stupid,"
muttered Jessica from her seat. "Are you blind?"
"Um,
yes?" Another whack from the paper fan.
***
Later,
in space, Gene leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes contentedly, allowing
himself some time to work out his frazzled nerves. With all the tension going
on lately, and Melfina's rejection of him this morning, he needed to relax.
"Incoming
transmission," announced Reiko. A large screen flashed up on the Crisis
Wind's main window (AN: Well, I dunno what else to call it!), revealing a
partially excited Jessica. The excitement soon faded as she noticed Gene's
current state.
"Gene.
Gene! Wake up!" shouted Jessica from the screen. Gene slowly opened his
eyes to see the two annoyed faces of the Oberons.
"Glad
you've decided to grace us with your presence," said Crystal dryly.
"We've got a golden ship out there, and since you're basically the only
one who's ever seen the Shangri-La, you've got to identify it."
"So
how did you hear of the Shangri-La then?"
"Gilliam's
log book. It records all the adventures you've had, and the ones at which it
weren't present were dictated by Jim."
"Should've
known. He probably flaunted his part," grunted Gene. Crystal raised an
amused eyebrow.
"Actually,
no. Instead, he told each one as if you had done most of the work. Though I
can't imagine you doing anything the way you are now. So, will you identify the
ship?" She pointed out a small golden ship, drifting beside an asteroid.
Memories flooded Gene's head as he nodded.
"Yeah.
But what's it doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"
"Maybe
someone's on board, I'll send a transmission," offered Jessica, and the
viewscreen blinked out. A minute later, it was on again, but with Harry's face
on it. A smaller one appeared in the upper left corner.
"What
the-? Harry?! We left you back at Blue Heaven! No way can this be
happening!" exclaimed Gene.
"What
*are* you talking about, Gene Starwind? All I know is that you're gonna
die!" snarled Harry, and the Shangri-La launched its four grappler arms.
"Waitaminit!
What did I do to you?" At this question, Harry let out a long laugh. When
he spoke again, his voice was mocking them.
"Ha!
As if you didn't know! You took away my brother's chances in the Galactic
Leyline. We could've been rich and famous, never worrying about money again!
And you took away Melfina! She belonged to me!"
"B-but
you're back at Blue Heaven with Mel!" stammered Gene.
"I
don't know what you're rambling about, Gene Starwind, but you'll pay for your
crimes. Now die!" The image blinked out as the Shangri-La shot at the
Crisis Wind. Gene launched the grappler arms just in time.
"I
can do this. I can beat Harry!" he muttered darkly to himself, and pushed
the joysticks forward, making the grappler arms meet the two lower ones.
"Déjà vu, that's all this is. A replayed memory." Unfortunately, the
Crisis Wind wasn't a combat ship, so Gene had a harder time operating it. Two
more grappler arms locked in with the Shangri-La's upper pair and a thin gray
loading tube shot into the Shangri-La.
"Gene,
Crystal, get this! There's no one here! Harry's the main computer~!"
Jessica's voice faded off into a groan of pain as she blacked out.
"Jess!"
***
TO BE CONTINUED...
GENE: The action turns away from us as Jim finds
out that Aya isn't all she seems. And without his gun, what'll he do? And when
Melfina gets some unexpected attention, can Harry save her by himself? Next
time, on Crisis Wind... The Trouble With Girls! Heeey... waitaminit... WHAT'S
THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!?!?
AN: Yah, I know many of you will be complaining
about the lack of Jim, Melfina, Aria (does anyone even like her??), Harry,
Suzuka, and Aisha scenes here. That'll be in the next episode, as you should've
read above. I love that last sentence! ^_^ Anyway, this is the longest Crisis
Wind episode I've written to date! I'll
be expecting applause!
- Otaku-chan