Mobile Suit G Gundam: Gathering Shadows
A Little Clearer
Domon jumped out of the Corlander before it had even stopped. Thomas, Rhia and Rain soon followed. They saw Chibbody pacing in back of the gate.
"Domon!" Chibbody shouted when he saw the solemn fighter in the red cloak. Domon steeled himself for something horrible, like Chibbody's girls dying. But it was nothing of the sort. Sai and George walked out. The three looked as if they had seen ghosts. Which, Rhia mused, they probably have. No one but Rhia, Thomas Rain and Domon knew that Schwartz was alive, but there was always the chance.
"What's wrong with you guys? Why do you look so.why do you look like you've seen ghosts?" Domon asked.
"We did." George said. His voice sounded weak. Something in Domon snapped and a look of realization crossed his face.
"You saw Schwartz, didn't you? Which one got disqualified?" Domon asked curtly. Sai, George and Chibbody looked at Domon in genuine surprise. This was not how they thought he would take it.
"No-no one." Chibbody stuttered. "But our crews sure have a heck of a lot of work to do."
"Rain too." Sighed Domon. The Neo-American searched Domon's face, which was devoid of most emotions as usual.
"You saw him already didn't you?" Sai Sici asked. Domon nodded. George shook his head.
"He acted like.like he didn't know us."
Rhia elbowed Thomas in the gut, willing him to say something. He looked at Rhia reproachfully, but did as told.
"That's because he didn't." Thomas said, still rubbing his stomach. The Alliance turned to face him.
"What do you know, squirt?" Chibbody asked, some of his devil-may-care attitude returning.
"Most likely more than you'll ever." Thomas retorted. Rhia hit him I the back of the head, then turned to Chibbody and the rest.
"This is Thomas, Ace of Diamonds." Rhia said. Thomas looked at her reproachfully again, but didn't dare say anything. Even though he had a slight height advantage on her, he didn't want to be at the loosing end of the fight if he did happen to say anything.
"The Ace of Diamonds?" George asked. Thomas nodded. Domon grinned sheepishly.
"I guess I forgot him. He's got spunk. I guess you could call Thomas my new protégé." Domon said. Thomas looked at Domon wide-eyed. That was the first complement he had ever gotten from the legendary King of Hearts.
"You-you-you're gonna train me?" he asked, half afraid of the answer.
"Only in the fine art of sword-fighting." Domon said. He smiled slyly at George. "I guess that would make it three people who can unarm you."
George held his hands up in defeat and mock despair. "Oui, monsieur, that it would." (means: yes, sir)
"When-when can we start?" Thomas asked.
"Today, I guess. Have you ever held a sword?" Domon asked. Thomas shook his head. "George, can you help out?"
"Of course, mon ami." George answered. He dipped his head in acknowledgement, and left, his conscious left little better than before Domon arrived. They all felt the same. Though their moods had lightened, they wondered what or who could possibly be cruel enough to set brother against brother.
Unless. Sai mentally shook his head, now relieved that Schwartz wasn't a ghost, but worried for his "Bro." He sincerely hoped that this didn't look as he thought it did. Argo arrived soon after, and they went into the Neo- American embassy, into one of the few rooms that hadn't been crammed with stuff. Domon and Thomas left to start training. Domon muttered that he didn't know how he'd do this, seeing as how it was during the tournament and all, but still went outside. The rest of the Alliance talked among themselves.
Rhia was the first to voice what was on everyone's mind. "There has got to be some connection with the Dark Gundam. Why else, from what I've heard, would Schwartz be here?"
"This may be very, very bad." Chibbody said, unusually serious. Rhia couldn't help but giggle. Seriousness didn't look good on the Neo- American's face.
"What?" Sai asked.
"Ch-Chibbody." She managed, she started to laugh. Everyone looked at her like she was crazy. "He-looks so-funny-when he's-serious!"
Then Sai started to giggle. "You know, you're right."
"I agree, mademoiselle." George agreed, starting to chuckle. A grin even quirked the corners of Argo's frowning features. Chibbody looked at them all.
"You're all nuts!" he said.
"Look-look who talking, Bro." Sai stuttered. Chibbody stood up indignantly. Even when angry, Chibbody looked hilarious.
"I'm not a nutcase, pardon me." He said. Rhia burst into peals of laughter. "Really," he muttered darkly, leaving the room. Finally, Rhia and Sai started to settle down. Rhia couldn't help but notice that even though Sai was 28 years older than her, he was only two feet taller. George had already left to help out Domon with Thomas's training, and Argo had left even before George for some reason of his own. Before Sai got out of the door, however, Rhia thought of something.
"Hey, Sai."
"Yeah, Sis?" Sai asked, looking back at Rhia.
"Domon told us how he got his crest, but not how you got yours."
"Oh." Sai Sici sat down again. "Guess it's up to me then. It started out harmlessly enough. The Undefeated of the East challenged me to a Gundam fight in Shinjuku. Of course I accepted. But then the oddest thing happened. First, Keoi and Zuisen disappeared. But, I'm afraid to say none of us really escaped."
"What do you mean?" Rhia asked. Sai was unusually tense.
"George and Chibbody were already there and under his control. But before the fight actually got underway, Master Asia asked me to join him. If I knew what was in store for me, I would have resisted, but it was sort of hypnotical. Next I know, I have power. Way more power than I had ever had in my life. And probably ever will." Sai said and sighed ruefully. "Don't get me wrong, I was happy when I was freed, but.oh, it was just so much power! And then Domon was lured into the same trap. When he figured out that we were with the Dark Gundam.he sort of lost it. Especially when he learned that Master Asia was also being controlled by the damn thing. By that time, Argo had joined us, by the way. When he asked what had happened to our dreams, I am shamed to say that we really didn't care anymore. The Dark Gundam can do that to you."
"So then what happened?"
"The Dark Gundam cells kept spreading. I must admit, I loved all of the power they gave me. If it weren't evil, I still would. Fortunately, the old Shuffle Alliance appeared in time to give us a crash course in power. Man, they had it all! But, then again, their Gundams definitely needed to get with the century. But back to the story. They had the power, the moves, everything. They outmatched us at every level. That is, until they DG cells spread dangerously close to our brains. Then, they did the most amazing thing. They gave their lives so we could be rid of the cells forever, and have the power to fight them next time we encounter them."
"So, you guys didn't exactly have it easy either."
"Nope. But I can only imagine how it felt for Bro. Have your brother the cause of the whole thing, and all."
"Tell me more about the DG cells."
"Why?"
Rhia sighed. "Sai, look at it this way. I know that those with a Shuffle crest can't be.possessed, but if what is happening now will lead up to what I think it will lead up to, then I need all of the info I can get."
"Okay then. The cells make you stronger, and enable your Gundam to have the three abilities of the Dark Gundam: self-recovery, self-multiplication and.gee, I'm not really sure what the third is. Anyway, they also give the possessed power. A way bigger power boost than the Berserker system ever gave Allenby." Sai said. Thinking back to her own experiences, Rhia wasn't quite sure she believed that. "And hatred of the Alliance. Just because Domon had a crest, all of us had wanted him dead. But then again, we weren't really us, either."
"Thanks for the info." Rhia said. Sai did a two-fingered salute and walked out, slightly troubled, but jovial none the less. Rhia still sat in her seat, contemplating what she had just been told. She sat for hours, until she finally fell asleep, unaware of the crest shining on her skin.
"Sai Sici, be careful." Two monks said.
"Will do!" Sai said in his Dragon Gundam. He turned on his boosters and flew to the fight spot, and not a minute too soon. A black and green Gundam landed opposite.
"For a moment I thought it would be a no-show." The pilot said. Sai shivered to think of what would have happened. Then he took a second look at the Gundam in front of him.
"Schwartz?"
"Yes." Schwartz replied icily.
"Why are you doing this? Do you know how much this is hurting Domon?" Sai said. Something in the Shadow Gundam clicked and Schwartz felt an agonizing pain for a second, then blacked out.
"Schwartz is no longer with us." Said a voice coming from the Shadow Gundam. "I am the Ultimate Dark Gundam."
Rhia woke due to the intense pain the back of her palm. Not only was it burning like hell, but it was also glowing, making the dark room a dark red- -like blood, Rhia observed. Then she though of the seriousness of her dream. The Ultimate Dark Gundam. This had to be important. Otherwise, why would she have had a dream about it? But the name.Ultimate Dark Gundam. It must be another form of the Dark Gundam. That meant trouble, really big trouble. Rhia went in search of George, hoping to learn a bit more about the Dark Gundam.
---
not quite sure what the name of this chap should be. Hopefully the one I chose will be good enough. Anyway, hope I didn't cut it off too soon. Mostly junk, but the dream, as you will later see, it very important.
~*DarkDragon*~
A Little Clearer
Domon jumped out of the Corlander before it had even stopped. Thomas, Rhia and Rain soon followed. They saw Chibbody pacing in back of the gate.
"Domon!" Chibbody shouted when he saw the solemn fighter in the red cloak. Domon steeled himself for something horrible, like Chibbody's girls dying. But it was nothing of the sort. Sai and George walked out. The three looked as if they had seen ghosts. Which, Rhia mused, they probably have. No one but Rhia, Thomas Rain and Domon knew that Schwartz was alive, but there was always the chance.
"What's wrong with you guys? Why do you look so.why do you look like you've seen ghosts?" Domon asked.
"We did." George said. His voice sounded weak. Something in Domon snapped and a look of realization crossed his face.
"You saw Schwartz, didn't you? Which one got disqualified?" Domon asked curtly. Sai, George and Chibbody looked at Domon in genuine surprise. This was not how they thought he would take it.
"No-no one." Chibbody stuttered. "But our crews sure have a heck of a lot of work to do."
"Rain too." Sighed Domon. The Neo-American searched Domon's face, which was devoid of most emotions as usual.
"You saw him already didn't you?" Sai Sici asked. Domon nodded. George shook his head.
"He acted like.like he didn't know us."
Rhia elbowed Thomas in the gut, willing him to say something. He looked at Rhia reproachfully, but did as told.
"That's because he didn't." Thomas said, still rubbing his stomach. The Alliance turned to face him.
"What do you know, squirt?" Chibbody asked, some of his devil-may-care attitude returning.
"Most likely more than you'll ever." Thomas retorted. Rhia hit him I the back of the head, then turned to Chibbody and the rest.
"This is Thomas, Ace of Diamonds." Rhia said. Thomas looked at her reproachfully again, but didn't dare say anything. Even though he had a slight height advantage on her, he didn't want to be at the loosing end of the fight if he did happen to say anything.
"The Ace of Diamonds?" George asked. Thomas nodded. Domon grinned sheepishly.
"I guess I forgot him. He's got spunk. I guess you could call Thomas my new protégé." Domon said. Thomas looked at Domon wide-eyed. That was the first complement he had ever gotten from the legendary King of Hearts.
"You-you-you're gonna train me?" he asked, half afraid of the answer.
"Only in the fine art of sword-fighting." Domon said. He smiled slyly at George. "I guess that would make it three people who can unarm you."
George held his hands up in defeat and mock despair. "Oui, monsieur, that it would." (means: yes, sir)
"When-when can we start?" Thomas asked.
"Today, I guess. Have you ever held a sword?" Domon asked. Thomas shook his head. "George, can you help out?"
"Of course, mon ami." George answered. He dipped his head in acknowledgement, and left, his conscious left little better than before Domon arrived. They all felt the same. Though their moods had lightened, they wondered what or who could possibly be cruel enough to set brother against brother.
Unless. Sai mentally shook his head, now relieved that Schwartz wasn't a ghost, but worried for his "Bro." He sincerely hoped that this didn't look as he thought it did. Argo arrived soon after, and they went into the Neo- American embassy, into one of the few rooms that hadn't been crammed with stuff. Domon and Thomas left to start training. Domon muttered that he didn't know how he'd do this, seeing as how it was during the tournament and all, but still went outside. The rest of the Alliance talked among themselves.
Rhia was the first to voice what was on everyone's mind. "There has got to be some connection with the Dark Gundam. Why else, from what I've heard, would Schwartz be here?"
"This may be very, very bad." Chibbody said, unusually serious. Rhia couldn't help but giggle. Seriousness didn't look good on the Neo- American's face.
"What?" Sai asked.
"Ch-Chibbody." She managed, she started to laugh. Everyone looked at her like she was crazy. "He-looks so-funny-when he's-serious!"
Then Sai started to giggle. "You know, you're right."
"I agree, mademoiselle." George agreed, starting to chuckle. A grin even quirked the corners of Argo's frowning features. Chibbody looked at them all.
"You're all nuts!" he said.
"Look-look who talking, Bro." Sai stuttered. Chibbody stood up indignantly. Even when angry, Chibbody looked hilarious.
"I'm not a nutcase, pardon me." He said. Rhia burst into peals of laughter. "Really," he muttered darkly, leaving the room. Finally, Rhia and Sai started to settle down. Rhia couldn't help but notice that even though Sai was 28 years older than her, he was only two feet taller. George had already left to help out Domon with Thomas's training, and Argo had left even before George for some reason of his own. Before Sai got out of the door, however, Rhia thought of something.
"Hey, Sai."
"Yeah, Sis?" Sai asked, looking back at Rhia.
"Domon told us how he got his crest, but not how you got yours."
"Oh." Sai Sici sat down again. "Guess it's up to me then. It started out harmlessly enough. The Undefeated of the East challenged me to a Gundam fight in Shinjuku. Of course I accepted. But then the oddest thing happened. First, Keoi and Zuisen disappeared. But, I'm afraid to say none of us really escaped."
"What do you mean?" Rhia asked. Sai was unusually tense.
"George and Chibbody were already there and under his control. But before the fight actually got underway, Master Asia asked me to join him. If I knew what was in store for me, I would have resisted, but it was sort of hypnotical. Next I know, I have power. Way more power than I had ever had in my life. And probably ever will." Sai said and sighed ruefully. "Don't get me wrong, I was happy when I was freed, but.oh, it was just so much power! And then Domon was lured into the same trap. When he figured out that we were with the Dark Gundam.he sort of lost it. Especially when he learned that Master Asia was also being controlled by the damn thing. By that time, Argo had joined us, by the way. When he asked what had happened to our dreams, I am shamed to say that we really didn't care anymore. The Dark Gundam can do that to you."
"So then what happened?"
"The Dark Gundam cells kept spreading. I must admit, I loved all of the power they gave me. If it weren't evil, I still would. Fortunately, the old Shuffle Alliance appeared in time to give us a crash course in power. Man, they had it all! But, then again, their Gundams definitely needed to get with the century. But back to the story. They had the power, the moves, everything. They outmatched us at every level. That is, until they DG cells spread dangerously close to our brains. Then, they did the most amazing thing. They gave their lives so we could be rid of the cells forever, and have the power to fight them next time we encounter them."
"So, you guys didn't exactly have it easy either."
"Nope. But I can only imagine how it felt for Bro. Have your brother the cause of the whole thing, and all."
"Tell me more about the DG cells."
"Why?"
Rhia sighed. "Sai, look at it this way. I know that those with a Shuffle crest can't be.possessed, but if what is happening now will lead up to what I think it will lead up to, then I need all of the info I can get."
"Okay then. The cells make you stronger, and enable your Gundam to have the three abilities of the Dark Gundam: self-recovery, self-multiplication and.gee, I'm not really sure what the third is. Anyway, they also give the possessed power. A way bigger power boost than the Berserker system ever gave Allenby." Sai said. Thinking back to her own experiences, Rhia wasn't quite sure she believed that. "And hatred of the Alliance. Just because Domon had a crest, all of us had wanted him dead. But then again, we weren't really us, either."
"Thanks for the info." Rhia said. Sai did a two-fingered salute and walked out, slightly troubled, but jovial none the less. Rhia still sat in her seat, contemplating what she had just been told. She sat for hours, until she finally fell asleep, unaware of the crest shining on her skin.
"Sai Sici, be careful." Two monks said.
"Will do!" Sai said in his Dragon Gundam. He turned on his boosters and flew to the fight spot, and not a minute too soon. A black and green Gundam landed opposite.
"For a moment I thought it would be a no-show." The pilot said. Sai shivered to think of what would have happened. Then he took a second look at the Gundam in front of him.
"Schwartz?"
"Yes." Schwartz replied icily.
"Why are you doing this? Do you know how much this is hurting Domon?" Sai said. Something in the Shadow Gundam clicked and Schwartz felt an agonizing pain for a second, then blacked out.
"Schwartz is no longer with us." Said a voice coming from the Shadow Gundam. "I am the Ultimate Dark Gundam."
Rhia woke due to the intense pain the back of her palm. Not only was it burning like hell, but it was also glowing, making the dark room a dark red- -like blood, Rhia observed. Then she though of the seriousness of her dream. The Ultimate Dark Gundam. This had to be important. Otherwise, why would she have had a dream about it? But the name.Ultimate Dark Gundam. It must be another form of the Dark Gundam. That meant trouble, really big trouble. Rhia went in search of George, hoping to learn a bit more about the Dark Gundam.
---
not quite sure what the name of this chap should be. Hopefully the one I chose will be good enough. Anyway, hope I didn't cut it off too soon. Mostly junk, but the dream, as you will later see, it very important.
~*DarkDragon*~