Chapter XVIII: Twists and Turns All Smoothed out and Straight
"K-Kyoji?" Domon stuttered as he stared at the man blocking his way. His face was a mixture of joy, anger, and sadness.
"Um, Domon?" Haaz tried to get Domon's attention, but the Neo-Japanese fighter ignored him.
"Kyoji, is that really you?" Domon asked hopefully.
"Domon!" Haaz pulled at Domon's sleeve.
"Not now, you idiot," Domon shook his sleeve free of Haaz's hand.
"But-but-" Haaz was cut off as Domon pushed both of them down to the ground.
"What was that?" Domon asked as a shot from a Gundam zoomed overhead.
"What I was trying to tell you. There five Gundams behind that guy, and.um.THEY'RE STARTING TO ATTACK US!" Haaz yelled the last part and scrambled away, behind a nearby boulder.
Domon quickly got up and looked around him. Kyoji had disappeared. Then his attention was drawn to the five Gundams stationed nearby. They looked familiar.the Grand Gundam, the Raven Gundam, the Walter Gundam, the Death Gundam (no one knew its name, though), and the Grand Master Gundam. But hadn't Mikelo Chariot and the others died? Then who was piloting the Gundams?
"If you submit to the Hell Gundam without a fight, Domon, I can guarantee you no one will get hurt," Domon heard Kyoji say.
"KYOJI!!!" Domon yelled. "I didn't join Master Asia in the thirteenth Gundam fight and I'm not going to join you now!"
"Very well then," Kyoji sighed from his position atop the Hell Gundam. "I'll just have to destroy you then.with the people you love most."
"I highly suggest we get into our Gundams now," Chibodee suggested wisely. Everyone snapped their fingers and eight Gundams appeared. Domon, Brad, Chibodee, George, Argo, Chikori, Sai Sici, and Haaz all jumped into their Gundams.
A screen popped up in front of Domon once he was dressed and inside his Gundam's cockpit. He stared in horror at the picture before him. It was Rain, except she looked like DG-well, in this case HG-cells possessed her. Her pupils were small and there was a sly grin on her face.
Inside the Grand Master Gundam, Rain was silently screaming. What is going on? What's happening? Why am I attacking Domon? I love Domon. What am I doing? HELP! She struggled to free her body from the grasp of the Berserker system, but failed. She-well, her body-attacked Burning Gundam again. Domon!
"Chikori, Sai." Domon shouted and paused, ".Haaz! Try to attack the Hell Gundam, or, or find what's-his-name, Dr. Klements."
The three did as told, but it was hopeless, trying to attack the Hell Gundam. That monstrosity was much more powerful than the Dark Gundam. But it had many more faults, too.
The battle between George and Marie-Louise was rather pathetic. George was one of the world's best Gundam fighters, while Marie-Louise had never entered a Gundam before in her life. Gundam Rose shot Rose Bits at its opponent, and soon Death Gundam had fallen with a crash onto the ground. The impact of the blow sent Marie-Louise rolling out of the cockpit, out of the Gundam. George jumped out of his Gundam and ran to his wife.
"I'm terribly sorry, mademoiselle, if I hurt you, but it was a necessary step I had to take," George apologized as he helped his disordered wife up from the ground.
"That's quite all right, George," Marie-Louise replied good-naturedly. "Thank you, actually. I think that enhanced Berserker system only works when one is inside the Gundam."
George brightened as an idea entered his brain. "Come on, jump into the Gundam," he ordered his wife. She did so obediently. He followed her in. "Domon," George said over the speakers. "I think if we are able to get the girls out of their Gundams, they won't be able to fight us!"
Domon nodded. "Thanks, George, but I think the Berserker system only still has a hold on Bunny and Volta. Rain and Natahsa seem to be coming around," he said as he saw his wife and Natasha struggle to leave their Gundams.
Brad looked around. There! He spotted his traitorous father running towards the gray building nearby. I've got you now, Brad thought venomously and jumped out of his Gundam, too absorbed in the movement of his father to realize that Bunny was still under the control of the Berserker system.
He ran after his father, chasing him around the building. Dr. Klements didn't notice that Brad was following him until it was too late. Brad had his father cornered against the wall of the building.
"So, father," Brad said menacingly. "How does it feel now to be the underdog?" Brad blocked his father's escape.
"Please, Brad," Dr. Klements begged. "You don't want to hurt me, do you?"
"I want to see you dead more than anything else in the world," Brad reassured his father.
Dr. Klements gulped. "He he. Why don't we just forget the first twenty-four years of your life and start all over again?" he suggested.
"I don't think so," Brad replied. He wrapped his hands around his father's neck and started choking the old man. Dr. Klements tried to say something, but was killed first. "Thanks father," Brad said as he let the corpse drop to the ground. "Thanks for letting me use you for my own enjoyment." Brad wiped his hands and started back towards the ongoing battle.
"Bunny!" George, Marie-Louise, and Brad screamed together as they saw Bunny fly from the Raven Gundam and hit the ground with a smash.
The next two things happened simultaneously. Volta was completely taken over by the Berserker system (she had doubts about Chibodee's love for her, unlike any of the others) and jumped from the Walter Gundam onto the Hell Gundam, where Kyoji was. Hatred for Chibodee filled her heart. Bunny's crest started glowing as brightly as a star, and suddenly there was an explosion as a swirl of bright light hit the Hell Gundam.
Dust and smoke blew everywhere as the others watched in silence to see if the Hell Gundam was still alive. Once the smoke cleared, they saw the Hell Gundam and a large crevice in the ground, which Bunny had fallen into.
Chibodee peered at the Hell Gundam, shading his eyes from the sun. He saw the slim form of Volta tangled in wires and ropes, looking uncannily similar to Rain when she had been the life source of the Dark Gundam. "Oh, god," he whispered in horror.
Brad had run up to the edge of the small canyon. He looked down. Bunny! Where was she? What had happened to her? But the Neo-American didn't have time to ponder the loss of Bunny. He was brought back to the present as he heard Chibodee speaking to the Hell Gundam.
"Volt, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Chibodee shouted at the new life source for the Hell Gundam.
"Get away!" Volta replied through the Hell Gundam. Her voice had a metallic ring to it. The Hell Gundam started attacking Gundam Maxter.
"Try to break outta that thing!" Chibodee ordered.
"Like you'd care if I did! How could anyone be better than your precious Bunny?" the Hell Gundam replied scornfully.
Chibodee just stood, stunned, trying to figure out exactly how Volta had known about Bunny.
"Chibodee, you might want to try to get her out of the Hell Gundam," Domon suggested.
"Tell her how you really fell," Rain put in.
Chibodee sighed. "But that's a special Domon thing. I'm not good at these pathetic speeches," Chibodee said.
"Would you prefer the world to be ruled by some thing that want to kill all humans?" Domon asked.
"JUST DO IT!" Everyone screamed at Chibodee.
"Would you like me to put you out of your misery now, Chibodee?" Volta asked through the Hell Gundam. "I could just attack you and then you'd be able to spend the rest of eternity with that miserable rabbit."
Chibodee breathed in deeply. Here goes nothing. "No, Volta! You don't understand!" Chibodee yelled. The Hell Gundam continued its assault. "Volta.back then.I was devastated! Bunny and I were about to get married, and then.she was killed. I thought I would never love again. I.I was afraid to get hurt again. But then I met you! Volta, you changed my life! I was happy with you.You don't know how much you mean to me!"
Everyone watched silently. Domon and Rain were remembering their own trials.
"I.I know I never got to tell you this, Volt, but.You see I.this is sorta hard for me to say, but, I.Oh, god! Volta Lao, I love you!"
Domon covered a small grin as he watched. "He's pretty pathetic too. And I thought I was the only one who could be that sappy," he whispered. Rain just smiled knowingly and kept watching.
The attacks stopped. So he did love her.Volta struggled to get free of the Hell Gundam. But it was hopeless. She'd been pulled in too far to get out that easily. She had to stop this thing. And there was only one thing to do.
There was a blast of blinding light as the Hell Gundam self-destructed. Light pierced through all different parts of the evil Gundam. Everyone watched in horror. Finally, the smoke cleared away. All that remained of the Hell Gundam was a large pile of rubble.
Chibodee and Domon were the first to jump out of their Gundams and run forward. Domon got there first and started digging frantically through the ruins of the Hell Gundam, trying to find the body of Kyoji. Chibodee joined him seconds later, searching for Volta. I swear, I'm going to show that girl how to really curse, Chibodee promised himself as he searched desperately.
Brad's attention was drawn back to the edge of the crevice where Bunny had fallen. He stared at it, wistfully hoping that she would miraculously appear. As if in answer to his prayer, a very dirty, very tousled princess of Neo-France climbed over the edge of the minute canyon.
"Bunny!" George shouted as she saw his daughter emerge from out of nowhere. And, like before, Bunny ran right past George, towards Brad. At the precise moment before she was about to fall into Brad's arms, George called back to her, "BUNNY! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" Bunny sighed, ran back to her father, politely hugged him, ran back to Brad, and melted into his arms.
"What did Domon do to you?" George asked Bunny under his breath, so no one would hear. He looked at Brad and Bunny, who were sharing a rather passionate kiss. "Why did the princess of Neo-France have to fall for a homeless man from Neo-America?"
George turned back to the pile of rubble, where everyone else was searching for Kyoji and Volta. George walked over and started digging, too. Soon, Kyoji was found. Rain, Domon, and almost everyone else pulled Kyoji away from the remains of the Hell Gundam and started tending to his wounds. Chibodee, Haaz, and Bunny remained, searching for Volta.
Chibodee heard a slight groan come from beneath him. "Over here!" he shouted to Haaz and Bunny. The three started to dig frantically. They eventually uncovered the body of Volta. Chibodeee picked her up and rocked back and forth. "Come on, Volt," he prayed and held her tightly to him.
"OOOWWW!" Chibodee heard Volta scream out in pain. "Stop holding me so tightly you little." Volta started describing Chibodee very colorfully. Chibodee just smiled down at Volta as she cursed. Evidentially, she was fine. ".Why are you smiling?" Volta asked as she looked up at Chibodee's face. "I'm insulting you! You should be cringing in fear, or awe, or something like that. Stopit!" she slapped Chibodee across the cheek. Yep, Volta was definitely okay.
"Ow," Chibodee said and held his hand to his cheek, keeping the other one around Volta.
"Chibodee Crockett!" Volta said in her sternest tone. "I-" Volta never finished the sentence; she was cut off by Chibodee's mouth. Volta was stunned. He had never kissed her that passionately before. She kissed him back, equally passionate. I'll never let him go, Volta thought. Never.
As they broke, Chibodee smiled. "Now you can't accuse me of not being romantic. Do you know how hard it is to make a pathetic speech in front of people who will tease you about it for the rest of your life? Ow! What'd I- " This time Volta cut him off with her mouth. "-do?" Chibodee finish the sentence breathlessly.
* * *
"Girls," Chibodee said to Janet, Shirley, and Cath the next day as they all sat in a hotel room. (The girls had flown over from Neo-America as soon as they heard about the defeat of the Hell Gundam.) "I'd like you to meet my fiancée, Volta Lao."
"Hi!" the three remaining crew-members said together.
Volta nodded and then turned to Chibodee. She hit him on the head. "What do you mean, 'fiancée?' " she asked. "You never proposed!"
"I didn't?" Chibodee asked and scratched his fluffy blue hair. He started counting on his fingers. "Oh my god! You're right. He, he," he apologized.
Volta stared at him for a moment or two and then started cursing in Italain. Janet, Shirley, and Cath stared in admiration at Volta. "Wow, I wish I could do that," Shirley said.
The fighter from Neo-Nepal paused for a moment. "Ya know, Chib, that's not such a bad idea," she finally admitted.
"What?" Chibodee asked, puzzled.
"Getting married, you idiot! Sometimes I wish I had fallen in love with someone who actually had a brain!"
* * *
Slowly, Kyoji opened his eyes. What a horrible dream.
"Kyoji! You're awake!" Rain said. Kyoji looked at her. "Hey, everyone! Kyoji woke up!"
Sixteen people rushed in. Domon ran up to his brother and, forgetting everything, hugged his tight.
"Ow, Domon! Let go! Oooooh!" Kyoji said.
"Guess who won the Gundam fight, Kyoji? I did!" Domon said to his brother.
"Men are so babyish! Domon, get off of him this instant! Just because he's awake doesn't mean his ribs are healed!"
Domon reluctantly pulled away from Kyoji.
"We thought that after the Hell Gundam self-destructed, you'd never live," Bunny said. Kyoji tuned to look at her. Hell Gundam. Then. It wasn't a dream.
"Thanks to Rain's knowledge as a doctor though, we were able to keep you alive," Brad added. He had become much more social as the time had passed.
"And you woke up just in time to go to our wedding!" Volta exclaimed.
"Double wedding, remember? You can't forget Brad and Bunny," Chibodee corrected his young fiancée.
" 'Double wedding'?" Brad repeated. He turned to Bunny. "You never told me it would be a double wedding!"
"Thanks for spilling the surprise, Chib!" Volta said. She rounded on her soon-to-be-husband. "We told you not to tell anyone, you little." As commonly said, Volta started to describe Chibodee very colorfully.
"He he. Whoops," Chibodee muttered. Kyoji looked at them all, then turned to his younger brother.
"It's good to see you all happy."
"I'm just glad you're alive."
Kyoji smiled and scanned the room. He caught sight of Bersek. "What's he doing here? Isn't he supposed to be dead or something?" Kyoji pointed a finger at Bersek.
"Well, we locked him in a closet, but somehow he escaped. He arrived just after all the dirty work had been done," Domon explained.
"I see."
George sighed and silently watched Brad and Bunny as they sneaked out of the room.
In the room next door, Brad looked at Bunny, raising one eyebrow.
"Double wedding, huh?" he asked and leaned against the wall. "Oh well."
"Yah, oh well," Bunny echoed.
Brad pulled Bunny close to him. They kissed. And it sure wouldn't be the last time.
~ The End ~
Hunky-dory, people! (In case you were wondering, that means, "okay".) It's done! Complete! Finished. Eighteen torturous chapters of "what if sprees" and suitcase problems. And now it's all over! Hallelujah! I want to thank my co-author, Krista (DarkDragon) for writing all but two of my romance scenes, as well as Chibodee's pathetic speech. (Read her stuff. It's good.) If I get enough reviews, I might write a sequel. Please, I'm begging you, please review my story! Please. But anyway, thanks for reading this piece of junk. ~* ShadowTide *~
"K-Kyoji?" Domon stuttered as he stared at the man blocking his way. His face was a mixture of joy, anger, and sadness.
"Um, Domon?" Haaz tried to get Domon's attention, but the Neo-Japanese fighter ignored him.
"Kyoji, is that really you?" Domon asked hopefully.
"Domon!" Haaz pulled at Domon's sleeve.
"Not now, you idiot," Domon shook his sleeve free of Haaz's hand.
"But-but-" Haaz was cut off as Domon pushed both of them down to the ground.
"What was that?" Domon asked as a shot from a Gundam zoomed overhead.
"What I was trying to tell you. There five Gundams behind that guy, and.um.THEY'RE STARTING TO ATTACK US!" Haaz yelled the last part and scrambled away, behind a nearby boulder.
Domon quickly got up and looked around him. Kyoji had disappeared. Then his attention was drawn to the five Gundams stationed nearby. They looked familiar.the Grand Gundam, the Raven Gundam, the Walter Gundam, the Death Gundam (no one knew its name, though), and the Grand Master Gundam. But hadn't Mikelo Chariot and the others died? Then who was piloting the Gundams?
"If you submit to the Hell Gundam without a fight, Domon, I can guarantee you no one will get hurt," Domon heard Kyoji say.
"KYOJI!!!" Domon yelled. "I didn't join Master Asia in the thirteenth Gundam fight and I'm not going to join you now!"
"Very well then," Kyoji sighed from his position atop the Hell Gundam. "I'll just have to destroy you then.with the people you love most."
"I highly suggest we get into our Gundams now," Chibodee suggested wisely. Everyone snapped their fingers and eight Gundams appeared. Domon, Brad, Chibodee, George, Argo, Chikori, Sai Sici, and Haaz all jumped into their Gundams.
A screen popped up in front of Domon once he was dressed and inside his Gundam's cockpit. He stared in horror at the picture before him. It was Rain, except she looked like DG-well, in this case HG-cells possessed her. Her pupils were small and there was a sly grin on her face.
Inside the Grand Master Gundam, Rain was silently screaming. What is going on? What's happening? Why am I attacking Domon? I love Domon. What am I doing? HELP! She struggled to free her body from the grasp of the Berserker system, but failed. She-well, her body-attacked Burning Gundam again. Domon!
"Chikori, Sai." Domon shouted and paused, ".Haaz! Try to attack the Hell Gundam, or, or find what's-his-name, Dr. Klements."
The three did as told, but it was hopeless, trying to attack the Hell Gundam. That monstrosity was much more powerful than the Dark Gundam. But it had many more faults, too.
The battle between George and Marie-Louise was rather pathetic. George was one of the world's best Gundam fighters, while Marie-Louise had never entered a Gundam before in her life. Gundam Rose shot Rose Bits at its opponent, and soon Death Gundam had fallen with a crash onto the ground. The impact of the blow sent Marie-Louise rolling out of the cockpit, out of the Gundam. George jumped out of his Gundam and ran to his wife.
"I'm terribly sorry, mademoiselle, if I hurt you, but it was a necessary step I had to take," George apologized as he helped his disordered wife up from the ground.
"That's quite all right, George," Marie-Louise replied good-naturedly. "Thank you, actually. I think that enhanced Berserker system only works when one is inside the Gundam."
George brightened as an idea entered his brain. "Come on, jump into the Gundam," he ordered his wife. She did so obediently. He followed her in. "Domon," George said over the speakers. "I think if we are able to get the girls out of their Gundams, they won't be able to fight us!"
Domon nodded. "Thanks, George, but I think the Berserker system only still has a hold on Bunny and Volta. Rain and Natahsa seem to be coming around," he said as he saw his wife and Natasha struggle to leave their Gundams.
Brad looked around. There! He spotted his traitorous father running towards the gray building nearby. I've got you now, Brad thought venomously and jumped out of his Gundam, too absorbed in the movement of his father to realize that Bunny was still under the control of the Berserker system.
He ran after his father, chasing him around the building. Dr. Klements didn't notice that Brad was following him until it was too late. Brad had his father cornered against the wall of the building.
"So, father," Brad said menacingly. "How does it feel now to be the underdog?" Brad blocked his father's escape.
"Please, Brad," Dr. Klements begged. "You don't want to hurt me, do you?"
"I want to see you dead more than anything else in the world," Brad reassured his father.
Dr. Klements gulped. "He he. Why don't we just forget the first twenty-four years of your life and start all over again?" he suggested.
"I don't think so," Brad replied. He wrapped his hands around his father's neck and started choking the old man. Dr. Klements tried to say something, but was killed first. "Thanks father," Brad said as he let the corpse drop to the ground. "Thanks for letting me use you for my own enjoyment." Brad wiped his hands and started back towards the ongoing battle.
"Bunny!" George, Marie-Louise, and Brad screamed together as they saw Bunny fly from the Raven Gundam and hit the ground with a smash.
The next two things happened simultaneously. Volta was completely taken over by the Berserker system (she had doubts about Chibodee's love for her, unlike any of the others) and jumped from the Walter Gundam onto the Hell Gundam, where Kyoji was. Hatred for Chibodee filled her heart. Bunny's crest started glowing as brightly as a star, and suddenly there was an explosion as a swirl of bright light hit the Hell Gundam.
Dust and smoke blew everywhere as the others watched in silence to see if the Hell Gundam was still alive. Once the smoke cleared, they saw the Hell Gundam and a large crevice in the ground, which Bunny had fallen into.
Chibodee peered at the Hell Gundam, shading his eyes from the sun. He saw the slim form of Volta tangled in wires and ropes, looking uncannily similar to Rain when she had been the life source of the Dark Gundam. "Oh, god," he whispered in horror.
Brad had run up to the edge of the small canyon. He looked down. Bunny! Where was she? What had happened to her? But the Neo-American didn't have time to ponder the loss of Bunny. He was brought back to the present as he heard Chibodee speaking to the Hell Gundam.
"Volt, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Chibodee shouted at the new life source for the Hell Gundam.
"Get away!" Volta replied through the Hell Gundam. Her voice had a metallic ring to it. The Hell Gundam started attacking Gundam Maxter.
"Try to break outta that thing!" Chibodee ordered.
"Like you'd care if I did! How could anyone be better than your precious Bunny?" the Hell Gundam replied scornfully.
Chibodee just stood, stunned, trying to figure out exactly how Volta had known about Bunny.
"Chibodee, you might want to try to get her out of the Hell Gundam," Domon suggested.
"Tell her how you really fell," Rain put in.
Chibodee sighed. "But that's a special Domon thing. I'm not good at these pathetic speeches," Chibodee said.
"Would you prefer the world to be ruled by some thing that want to kill all humans?" Domon asked.
"JUST DO IT!" Everyone screamed at Chibodee.
"Would you like me to put you out of your misery now, Chibodee?" Volta asked through the Hell Gundam. "I could just attack you and then you'd be able to spend the rest of eternity with that miserable rabbit."
Chibodee breathed in deeply. Here goes nothing. "No, Volta! You don't understand!" Chibodee yelled. The Hell Gundam continued its assault. "Volta.back then.I was devastated! Bunny and I were about to get married, and then.she was killed. I thought I would never love again. I.I was afraid to get hurt again. But then I met you! Volta, you changed my life! I was happy with you.You don't know how much you mean to me!"
Everyone watched silently. Domon and Rain were remembering their own trials.
"I.I know I never got to tell you this, Volt, but.You see I.this is sorta hard for me to say, but, I.Oh, god! Volta Lao, I love you!"
Domon covered a small grin as he watched. "He's pretty pathetic too. And I thought I was the only one who could be that sappy," he whispered. Rain just smiled knowingly and kept watching.
The attacks stopped. So he did love her.Volta struggled to get free of the Hell Gundam. But it was hopeless. She'd been pulled in too far to get out that easily. She had to stop this thing. And there was only one thing to do.
There was a blast of blinding light as the Hell Gundam self-destructed. Light pierced through all different parts of the evil Gundam. Everyone watched in horror. Finally, the smoke cleared away. All that remained of the Hell Gundam was a large pile of rubble.
Chibodee and Domon were the first to jump out of their Gundams and run forward. Domon got there first and started digging frantically through the ruins of the Hell Gundam, trying to find the body of Kyoji. Chibodee joined him seconds later, searching for Volta. I swear, I'm going to show that girl how to really curse, Chibodee promised himself as he searched desperately.
Brad's attention was drawn back to the edge of the crevice where Bunny had fallen. He stared at it, wistfully hoping that she would miraculously appear. As if in answer to his prayer, a very dirty, very tousled princess of Neo-France climbed over the edge of the minute canyon.
"Bunny!" George shouted as she saw his daughter emerge from out of nowhere. And, like before, Bunny ran right past George, towards Brad. At the precise moment before she was about to fall into Brad's arms, George called back to her, "BUNNY! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" Bunny sighed, ran back to her father, politely hugged him, ran back to Brad, and melted into his arms.
"What did Domon do to you?" George asked Bunny under his breath, so no one would hear. He looked at Brad and Bunny, who were sharing a rather passionate kiss. "Why did the princess of Neo-France have to fall for a homeless man from Neo-America?"
George turned back to the pile of rubble, where everyone else was searching for Kyoji and Volta. George walked over and started digging, too. Soon, Kyoji was found. Rain, Domon, and almost everyone else pulled Kyoji away from the remains of the Hell Gundam and started tending to his wounds. Chibodee, Haaz, and Bunny remained, searching for Volta.
Chibodee heard a slight groan come from beneath him. "Over here!" he shouted to Haaz and Bunny. The three started to dig frantically. They eventually uncovered the body of Volta. Chibodeee picked her up and rocked back and forth. "Come on, Volt," he prayed and held her tightly to him.
"OOOWWW!" Chibodee heard Volta scream out in pain. "Stop holding me so tightly you little." Volta started describing Chibodee very colorfully. Chibodee just smiled down at Volta as she cursed. Evidentially, she was fine. ".Why are you smiling?" Volta asked as she looked up at Chibodee's face. "I'm insulting you! You should be cringing in fear, or awe, or something like that. Stopit!" she slapped Chibodee across the cheek. Yep, Volta was definitely okay.
"Ow," Chibodee said and held his hand to his cheek, keeping the other one around Volta.
"Chibodee Crockett!" Volta said in her sternest tone. "I-" Volta never finished the sentence; she was cut off by Chibodee's mouth. Volta was stunned. He had never kissed her that passionately before. She kissed him back, equally passionate. I'll never let him go, Volta thought. Never.
As they broke, Chibodee smiled. "Now you can't accuse me of not being romantic. Do you know how hard it is to make a pathetic speech in front of people who will tease you about it for the rest of your life? Ow! What'd I- " This time Volta cut him off with her mouth. "-do?" Chibodee finish the sentence breathlessly.
* * *
"Girls," Chibodee said to Janet, Shirley, and Cath the next day as they all sat in a hotel room. (The girls had flown over from Neo-America as soon as they heard about the defeat of the Hell Gundam.) "I'd like you to meet my fiancée, Volta Lao."
"Hi!" the three remaining crew-members said together.
Volta nodded and then turned to Chibodee. She hit him on the head. "What do you mean, 'fiancée?' " she asked. "You never proposed!"
"I didn't?" Chibodee asked and scratched his fluffy blue hair. He started counting on his fingers. "Oh my god! You're right. He, he," he apologized.
Volta stared at him for a moment or two and then started cursing in Italain. Janet, Shirley, and Cath stared in admiration at Volta. "Wow, I wish I could do that," Shirley said.
The fighter from Neo-Nepal paused for a moment. "Ya know, Chib, that's not such a bad idea," she finally admitted.
"What?" Chibodee asked, puzzled.
"Getting married, you idiot! Sometimes I wish I had fallen in love with someone who actually had a brain!"
* * *
Slowly, Kyoji opened his eyes. What a horrible dream.
"Kyoji! You're awake!" Rain said. Kyoji looked at her. "Hey, everyone! Kyoji woke up!"
Sixteen people rushed in. Domon ran up to his brother and, forgetting everything, hugged his tight.
"Ow, Domon! Let go! Oooooh!" Kyoji said.
"Guess who won the Gundam fight, Kyoji? I did!" Domon said to his brother.
"Men are so babyish! Domon, get off of him this instant! Just because he's awake doesn't mean his ribs are healed!"
Domon reluctantly pulled away from Kyoji.
"We thought that after the Hell Gundam self-destructed, you'd never live," Bunny said. Kyoji tuned to look at her. Hell Gundam. Then. It wasn't a dream.
"Thanks to Rain's knowledge as a doctor though, we were able to keep you alive," Brad added. He had become much more social as the time had passed.
"And you woke up just in time to go to our wedding!" Volta exclaimed.
"Double wedding, remember? You can't forget Brad and Bunny," Chibodee corrected his young fiancée.
" 'Double wedding'?" Brad repeated. He turned to Bunny. "You never told me it would be a double wedding!"
"Thanks for spilling the surprise, Chib!" Volta said. She rounded on her soon-to-be-husband. "We told you not to tell anyone, you little." As commonly said, Volta started to describe Chibodee very colorfully.
"He he. Whoops," Chibodee muttered. Kyoji looked at them all, then turned to his younger brother.
"It's good to see you all happy."
"I'm just glad you're alive."
Kyoji smiled and scanned the room. He caught sight of Bersek. "What's he doing here? Isn't he supposed to be dead or something?" Kyoji pointed a finger at Bersek.
"Well, we locked him in a closet, but somehow he escaped. He arrived just after all the dirty work had been done," Domon explained.
"I see."
George sighed and silently watched Brad and Bunny as they sneaked out of the room.
In the room next door, Brad looked at Bunny, raising one eyebrow.
"Double wedding, huh?" he asked and leaned against the wall. "Oh well."
"Yah, oh well," Bunny echoed.
Brad pulled Bunny close to him. They kissed. And it sure wouldn't be the last time.
~ The End ~
Hunky-dory, people! (In case you were wondering, that means, "okay".) It's done! Complete! Finished. Eighteen torturous chapters of "what if sprees" and suitcase problems. And now it's all over! Hallelujah! I want to thank my co-author, Krista (DarkDragon) for writing all but two of my romance scenes, as well as Chibodee's pathetic speech. (Read her stuff. It's good.) If I get enough reviews, I might write a sequel. Please, I'm begging you, please review my story! Please. But anyway, thanks for reading this piece of junk. ~* ShadowTide *~