1 Author's note: It's been about a day since the ending of chapter 7,
Chizeta and Fahren are still trying to negotiate with Eagle, and
doing a good job of stalling him too. Also, a "mecha" is a
robot, it can also be used to describe the Mashin.
2 Chapter 8: The Reflections of the Past
Hikaru stared out the view ports of the NSX, looking at the glowing expanse of road outside. She sighed; it would be ages until Eagle was back from talking with the rulers of the other "countries." Hikaru wasn't sure what these countries of his were, but she didn't want to admit that she had forgotten so much, even to herself. She knew, deep down, that she would eventually have to come to grips with her missing memories, but she had decided to ignore them as long as possible.
Footsteps behind her made her turn, hoping that Eagle had come back already. It wasn't him, just another crew member who looked at her with a mixture of caution and curiosity. Hikaru looked back and he walked on, glancing over his shoulder at her as he went.
I wonder who I was. Everyone besides Eagle looks at me like that. I wonder what I was. How could I make them so cautious? I'm pretty sure I can't be that intimidating when I can't even remember who I am. Why is everyone else so guarded around me except for Eagle?
Finding her thoughts once again turning to Eagle, Hikaru sighed, she didn't understand him. He would look at her almost protectively at times others he would look at her curiously, like she was a puzzle he couldn't figure out. If Eagle was having difficulty figuring her out, she was having twice as many problems with him.
Hikaru waited for a bit longer, lingering, looking out at the road that was becoming more and more like a cage to her. After a few moments she turned and walked the short distance to her room. It was the same small room that she had woken up in. Hikaru wondered why there were no spare clothes for her, right now she had borrowed a uniform from one of the smaller female crew members, her original clothes were being washed, they had been torn and stained but were still good enough to use.
There were other things missing too, there was nothing to show anyone had ever been in that room before she had been there, no personal effects, nothing that could be done without.
A knock on the door interrupted her pondering. She opened it to see Eagle standing outside. She motioned him in and shut the door after he had entered. He sat down on the single chair as she opted for the bed.
"What's the matter?" she was getting good at telling when he was troubled. His face got this closed expression that he never wore at any other time.
"Nothing."
"You're lying," Hikaru was going to get a straight answer out of him this time. "What is it Eagle?"
"Chizeta and Fahren have refused to back off," he sighed, as though this was the worst fate possible. "Which means there will be a battle, which means you'll be wanting to fight."
Hikaru considered his statement. She had no idea what the problem with her fighting was, but if he didn't want her to be involved, then she wouldn't be. In her two days of remembered existence, she had learned that what Eagle said was law and if he said "jump" you would have to jump, and you'd best be quick about it. If he told her not to go then she would have to stay.
"I don't have the ability to fight at the moment. I don't know how to run the FTO or the GTO. Unless I had my own mecha before, there is no way for me to fight." He looked at her thoughtfully, as if he were seeing her again for the first time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She's forgotten that much? I really hope that I can find a way to fix this. I feel partially responsible, after all, if I had kept a proper eye on Geo and Zazu she wouldn't be like this.
But the thought of having to let her go made him pause, he had become rather fond of her in the short time they had known each other.
I really hope that we can sort this out.
Surprised that he was actually considering her as a friend, Eagle jolted his attention back to Hikaru, who was looking wistfully off into space, no doubt wishing for the memories that she no longer had.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hikaru sighed; she was sitting on her bed, alone because Eagle had left her a time ago. He had looked more troubled when he left than he had when he had entered. Feeling unexpectedly tired, she decided against getting up and doing something. Sighing, she lay down on the bed, but just lay there, lost in thought. She spent hours trying to remember something, from what had happened the other day to before that, but nothing worked.
She looked at the small clock on the nightstand that Eagle had taught her how to use. It would be only a few moments before he was to engage the enemies in their battle; he had told her that they had agreed to battle in a few hours before he had left.
Hikaru sat up and left, anxious to at least see the battle, even if there was no way to fight in it. She slipped off her bed and hurried out the door, recalling the way to the command room in her head as she rushed through the halls. Slowing down before the door to the control deck, she opened the doors a crack and squeezed quietly through.
Standing in front of a large viewing screen that displayed what was going on outside the road were Geo and Zazu, Eagle's two friends. Coming up beside them, Hikaru was barely noticed.
The FTO was battling two ships, one a long dragon-like thing, expelled a cloud of fire at him, the other shielded itself from Eagle's attacks. The FTO dodged the flames and they dissipated.
Hikaru looked at the fire, frowning. The dragon and the fire reflected in her eyes as she tried to grasp the memory that flickered tauntingly on the edge of her mind. She lost it and went back to watching the battle.
Eagle's voice crackled in over the radio system, giving out his observations of the enemies. As he and the two ships battled Hikaru noticed two forms hanging on the outskirts of the fight. They were much like the FTO, two mechas that looked so familiar Hikaru almost said something out loud, but she stopped, trying to recall memories that she didn't have.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Geo was watching the girl, trying to see if she recognized the other Knights. When she seemed to be searching for memories, he got rather worried. If she started to remember things in the control room she could damage a lot of people and delicate equipment. Well, Eagle had warned him this might happen, and had told him what to do if it started to.
Quietly telling Eagle what was happening, Geo continued to watch and wait. In a few moments the FTO appeared to take a heavy hit and the screen went blank. Eagle's voice fuzzed over the radio, explaining that the FTO had gotten caught in a blast, but no real damage had been done. The Knight looked almost disappointed as she blinked at he blank screen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hikaru still looked at the blank screen, and, for a second, she thought she saw someone, but maybe it was just a trick of the light. She was about to turn and leave, but she again saw something. Stepping out of the viewing screen was a child. She looked rather unhappy, but she smiled when she saw the confused Hikaru.
Stepping completely onto the metal floor, the girl reached out and placed a hand on Hikaru's shoulder. For a minute, Hikaru thought she was falling, but then all she saw was a flash of rose colored light.
In a few moments the lights cleared and she found herself watching the FTO battle with two other mechas, but instead of being in the control room, she was now above the road. As she watched the three mechas fight, the child again appeared beside her.
2 Chapter 8: The Reflections of the Past
Hikaru stared out the view ports of the NSX, looking at the glowing expanse of road outside. She sighed; it would be ages until Eagle was back from talking with the rulers of the other "countries." Hikaru wasn't sure what these countries of his were, but she didn't want to admit that she had forgotten so much, even to herself. She knew, deep down, that she would eventually have to come to grips with her missing memories, but she had decided to ignore them as long as possible.
Footsteps behind her made her turn, hoping that Eagle had come back already. It wasn't him, just another crew member who looked at her with a mixture of caution and curiosity. Hikaru looked back and he walked on, glancing over his shoulder at her as he went.
I wonder who I was. Everyone besides Eagle looks at me like that. I wonder what I was. How could I make them so cautious? I'm pretty sure I can't be that intimidating when I can't even remember who I am. Why is everyone else so guarded around me except for Eagle?
Finding her thoughts once again turning to Eagle, Hikaru sighed, she didn't understand him. He would look at her almost protectively at times others he would look at her curiously, like she was a puzzle he couldn't figure out. If Eagle was having difficulty figuring her out, she was having twice as many problems with him.
Hikaru waited for a bit longer, lingering, looking out at the road that was becoming more and more like a cage to her. After a few moments she turned and walked the short distance to her room. It was the same small room that she had woken up in. Hikaru wondered why there were no spare clothes for her, right now she had borrowed a uniform from one of the smaller female crew members, her original clothes were being washed, they had been torn and stained but were still good enough to use.
There were other things missing too, there was nothing to show anyone had ever been in that room before she had been there, no personal effects, nothing that could be done without.
A knock on the door interrupted her pondering. She opened it to see Eagle standing outside. She motioned him in and shut the door after he had entered. He sat down on the single chair as she opted for the bed.
"What's the matter?" she was getting good at telling when he was troubled. His face got this closed expression that he never wore at any other time.
"Nothing."
"You're lying," Hikaru was going to get a straight answer out of him this time. "What is it Eagle?"
"Chizeta and Fahren have refused to back off," he sighed, as though this was the worst fate possible. "Which means there will be a battle, which means you'll be wanting to fight."
Hikaru considered his statement. She had no idea what the problem with her fighting was, but if he didn't want her to be involved, then she wouldn't be. In her two days of remembered existence, she had learned that what Eagle said was law and if he said "jump" you would have to jump, and you'd best be quick about it. If he told her not to go then she would have to stay.
"I don't have the ability to fight at the moment. I don't know how to run the FTO or the GTO. Unless I had my own mecha before, there is no way for me to fight." He looked at her thoughtfully, as if he were seeing her again for the first time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She's forgotten that much? I really hope that I can find a way to fix this. I feel partially responsible, after all, if I had kept a proper eye on Geo and Zazu she wouldn't be like this.
But the thought of having to let her go made him pause, he had become rather fond of her in the short time they had known each other.
I really hope that we can sort this out.
Surprised that he was actually considering her as a friend, Eagle jolted his attention back to Hikaru, who was looking wistfully off into space, no doubt wishing for the memories that she no longer had.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hikaru sighed; she was sitting on her bed, alone because Eagle had left her a time ago. He had looked more troubled when he left than he had when he had entered. Feeling unexpectedly tired, she decided against getting up and doing something. Sighing, she lay down on the bed, but just lay there, lost in thought. She spent hours trying to remember something, from what had happened the other day to before that, but nothing worked.
She looked at the small clock on the nightstand that Eagle had taught her how to use. It would be only a few moments before he was to engage the enemies in their battle; he had told her that they had agreed to battle in a few hours before he had left.
Hikaru sat up and left, anxious to at least see the battle, even if there was no way to fight in it. She slipped off her bed and hurried out the door, recalling the way to the command room in her head as she rushed through the halls. Slowing down before the door to the control deck, she opened the doors a crack and squeezed quietly through.
Standing in front of a large viewing screen that displayed what was going on outside the road were Geo and Zazu, Eagle's two friends. Coming up beside them, Hikaru was barely noticed.
The FTO was battling two ships, one a long dragon-like thing, expelled a cloud of fire at him, the other shielded itself from Eagle's attacks. The FTO dodged the flames and they dissipated.
Hikaru looked at the fire, frowning. The dragon and the fire reflected in her eyes as she tried to grasp the memory that flickered tauntingly on the edge of her mind. She lost it and went back to watching the battle.
Eagle's voice crackled in over the radio system, giving out his observations of the enemies. As he and the two ships battled Hikaru noticed two forms hanging on the outskirts of the fight. They were much like the FTO, two mechas that looked so familiar Hikaru almost said something out loud, but she stopped, trying to recall memories that she didn't have.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Geo was watching the girl, trying to see if she recognized the other Knights. When she seemed to be searching for memories, he got rather worried. If she started to remember things in the control room she could damage a lot of people and delicate equipment. Well, Eagle had warned him this might happen, and had told him what to do if it started to.
Quietly telling Eagle what was happening, Geo continued to watch and wait. In a few moments the FTO appeared to take a heavy hit and the screen went blank. Eagle's voice fuzzed over the radio, explaining that the FTO had gotten caught in a blast, but no real damage had been done. The Knight looked almost disappointed as she blinked at he blank screen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hikaru still looked at the blank screen, and, for a second, she thought she saw someone, but maybe it was just a trick of the light. She was about to turn and leave, but she again saw something. Stepping out of the viewing screen was a child. She looked rather unhappy, but she smiled when she saw the confused Hikaru.
Stepping completely onto the metal floor, the girl reached out and placed a hand on Hikaru's shoulder. For a minute, Hikaru thought she was falling, but then all she saw was a flash of rose colored light.
In a few moments the lights cleared and she found herself watching the FTO battle with two other mechas, but instead of being in the control room, she was now above the road. As she watched the three mechas fight, the child again appeared beside her.