Chapter XX: Showdown, Part I-One Last Time
"What's done is done and we can't undo it."
~Boss, from Hamtaro
***
"You know, why don't we just use the organoids to heal our Zoids?" said Bit. Silence followed as everyone stopped arguing with each other over nothing.
"He has a point, unfortunately," said Hitoshi. "But there's also a fault to that point."
"What?" asked Bit crankily.
"Yeah, what?" said Jamie, also curious.
"Our organoids," he continued, "Aren't all that tame, I guess you could say. As in, yeah, so they're ours and they can heal Zoids by fusing with them, but the organoids are already pretty banged up as it is and probably would be too stubborn to listen."
"Which reminds me," mumbled Bit. "That Zoid that attacked us on our way here... Doc said it was being controlled by an organoid?"
The three organoids (Twilight, Kurai, and Trinity) were also in the room. Trinity sweat-dropped and the other two looked at her.
"That brings up the question of WHERE TRINITY WAS WHEN WE NEEDED HER," grumbled Ayumi loudly.
"Ayumi?" said Eira. "I didn't even see you come in. I though Leena was-"
Water dripped from Ayumi's hair as she squeezed it. "He he... yeah, she WAS chasing me." She grinned, daintily adjusting her hooped earrings. "Only, she thinks that I'm still taking refuge in the cockpit of my Zoid... stupid (expletive)."
"AYUMI!!!" shouted Bit, Hitoshi, and Sylvia angrily. "DON'T SWEAR IN FRONT OF THE YOUNGER-"
"Actually, Jamie and I are sixteen now," said Spring. "We can handle it."
"But Eira's only-"
"You wouldn't believe how much those idiots at school swear," muttered Eira. "...I'm used to it." (errr... of course she's gone to school before, but not anymore, I guess... seeing as she's supposed to be gone but wouldn't go away...)
"Well..." muttered Bit, not defeated yet. "That still gives you no right to call Leena a (expletive)."
Ayumi shrugged. "She's not in the room, that's good enough for me."
***
"You're really..." began Neos. He blinked (piku!). "...you know... Kitai?"
"I think so..." mumbled Kylie. She sat down on the bed, wondering how she should explain this.
"Oh, I get it," said Neos. He grinned. "Dang... it's so simple."
"It is?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. It confuses me."
Neos shrugged "You're not confused very easily if you've been in a stasis pod three different times."
"Wow... three...?" muttered Kylie. She was beginning to feel like... Nanase, again. Like she didn't belong anywhere, like she should run off and... and... do something brash. Find Harry or something. Blow up a big Backdraft Whale King... blow SOMETHING up...
Hold up, she wasn't a pyromaniac!!! She was just really, really mad at the world. The worldS. However many there were out there. Kylie tried to calm down. It was useless. It was all just dang USELESS!!!
Err... what was useless, exactly? "What am I doing, anyways?" Kylie asked herself.
"Sitting here, trying to help me cope with my problem?" suggested Neos. "Not that I need any help, mind you."
"Dang it, I..." muttered Kylie. "What am I doing here?!!"
"You were being reunited with your brother (again)?"
"No, no, I mean-why am I...?"
"Because it's raining outside? 'Cause their arguing is getting a little annoying?"
"No!" shouted Kylie, losing patience. "Why am I here, in this time, in this place? Why am I Kylie, and not... Kitai... or... Rukki..."
He shrugged yet again. "Because you disappeared, and we couldn't find either you OR Evelyn."
"I... what?"
***
Kokoro had managed to find what she had been looking for: a kitchen. People needed to eat, so of course there was a kitchen... She stopped rummaging through the cupboards. Yeah, people needed to eat... and she didn't... That is, she COULD eat, but she didn't... need... to...? What? She shrugged. What the heck, it didn't necessarily have to make sense, anyways.
Finally, she found a tin of coffee beans, or whatever they were called. Now all she needed was-
Kokoro dropped the tin. Its contents spilled out. She found herself staring pointlessly at the paper in front of her, lying on the counter. It was a map...
A map of the Ultrasaurus? Its circuits, its weapons, its hangars, its Zoid Core... and an inventory of everything else on it. Zoids, ammunition, and... a shell... for the... Gravity Cannon... only one, though...
Its Core... If they wanted to fix the Ultrasaurus, they'd have to fix its Core. That was why barely anything was working! Duh! Its Core had probably been damaged in the fight with the Deathstinger!
To heck with the coffee, that could wait. This... couldn't.
She looked around. There was a comlink next to the empty, not-cold refrigerator. She activated it.
***
"Mr. Sephiroth..." mumbled Robert.
"Is this about Kokoro?" asked Sephiroth, looking up from working on the main controls. "Because-"
"Kind of. But not this Kokoro," said Robert quietly. "We're brothers, aren't we?" he asked flatly.
"Actually..." Sephiroth paused. "In a way, but... not really. I mean... We're not very much like each other. Maybe our family names are... close.... but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I knew your mom, but..."
A comlink popped up to their side. It was Kokoro. "Is everything alright?" asked Robert, concerned.
"Just peachy," said Kokoro quietly. "I found something... it looks like... a map, of the Ultrasaurus."
"That would help," mumbled Sephiroth. "If we can read it..."
Robert sighed. "I'm not that good with maps... considering that I didn't even get to middle school (technical geniuses shouldn't have to go through the stupidness of middle school)..."
"I can read it," continued Kokoro. "There's a shell to the Gravity Cannon stored in one of the hangars... but-"
Sephiroth, though better known as Adrian, interrupted her. "No worries," he said. "We might as well go make sure it's in good condition, right? If we use it and it blows up in the Cannon then we're all dead."
"Yes," tried Kokoro, "But-"
"Which hangar?" asked Robert. "This thing is so huge, it probably has at least twenty different ones... or ten... or something."
"But we're going to have to fix the Ultrasaurus' Zoid Core," Kokoro finally managed to say. Sheesh... she thought.
"What?!!!!!" they cried.
"But a Zoid Core... is too COMPLICATED... it must be huge! How could we possibly do that with the time that we have left?!!" asked Sephiroth, trying to sort things out. "However much time we DO have until something else happens."
"Kokoro..." began Robert. "I really hope that you don't know... I mean, it might involve... grueling hours of hard work... or... something... less... physical...?"
*What is she doing? thought Taro, watching as the strange girl placed a hand over the controls to the hangar.
She was like him, like his sister, and like all the other children the Backdraft had used to learn more about Zoids and organoids. But, in some way, different from all of them at the same time. As if she didn't really... exist. She was always so distant and alone-perhaps too far from the Backdraft's reach.
Kokoro: mind; heart; soul. Why was she given a name that meant such things?*
"Maybe I do... what would you think if I did? What if it was something drastic, that you wouldn't understand, that even I can't fully understand?"
*And if she wasn't human, then how did she... errm... work? How did she think? How did she understand what others said and felt?
Did she... have a Zoid Core?!!*
He was silent for a moment, but finally answered. "...I guess... I'd have to trust you." That's what relationships were built on, right? Trust? You needed it if you wanted to get anywhere.
"Do you trust me?"
"... I could try..."
Sephiroth watched, perplexed. Lori would have said that the two had "chemistry;" but though he wasn't sure what that meant, it was still fine with him. Kokoro wasn't really alive... so what? He didn't care and he was sure that Robert didn't, either. At least, not anymore.
He slipped out the door behind them and out into the hall, slowly sliding down to the floor in a few moments. Which was worse... thinking or feeling? Thinking that you had deceived her, and the rest of them, or just... knowing that you had because you could feel it, no matter how much you knew that this was what you had to do?!! No matter how much you knew that this is wrong, but you have no choice?
No matter how long it had been since you started this lie, and no matter how many people believed it was the truth, you would have to keep going, no matter how much it hurt you and how much it would hurt the others when they found out.
It wouldn't be long before the Ultrasaurus was fixed, and after that, after the many battles that would follow, he would finally get his chance to tell them what he knew and why he hadn't mentioned it before. The question was: in the end, would he tell them or not?
Eventually Sylvia would want to know how, exactly, they had survived trying to stop Eira and why he had gone along with it at once without being chided in the least bit. She hadn't even wanted him to come, but he still had. So what had happened? If they had entered Shadow mode right before the explosion, then why had the Zaber Fang been destroyed? It hadn't even been equipped with Shadow mode! And why hadn't they needed to use that device thing that neutralized the Shadows and return to normal if it had been?
Why did Sephiroth have the Gul Tiger when it was permanently fused with her own organoid?
*Strange. You don't really care, and yet it seems to be hurting you?*
"Evelyn; please go away." He cringed. So Evelyn knew. These days, it seemed that she knew too much. Everyone knew too much. It wasn't her fault; that was just the way Evelyn was. It was sort of her job at the moment. But he still hated it.
"Sephiroth," began Evelyn, this time out loud as she approached him from down the hall, "How many more people will you kill just to keep it a secret?"
Sephiroth pulled himself up. "You know that I have to. For Zi's sake, right? To stop him?"
The young girl nodded, looking up at him. "Yeah, for Zi... but still..."
"What are you trying to say?"
"What if it got so huge of a problem that you would have to kill your friends just to save Zi?"
Sephiroth stared at the little girl. Why the heck was she asking this? Of course he would never kill his friends! Why? "Evelyn... You know, I don't really have any friends."
She hardly looked convinced, turning her head away for him. "Now you don't have any friends? So why did you try to save Leena and Bit from Eira's Zoid; and why are you trying to fix the Ultrasaurus now?"
"They're Chosen, Evelyn! I couldn't let them die without a fight, before they even knew about their fates! I don't want Zi to be destroyed!"
"And why not?" Evelyn seemed to smile, seeing that she was beginning to get her point across.
"Because... I guess... If Zi goes, then I go too, right?"
"So why don't you just go back to Earth?"
"Don't tempt me," he joked. "I didn't originally come from there! I lived here, on Zi. And besides, Earth is just as barren as this place or even more so. All its natural resources are used up."
"You know that second part's not true, Mr. Sephiroth."
"If you know my name, then why do you keep calling me that?"
She grinned, disappearing once again. *Well... I can't let you die without a fight, can I?*
*I'm not gonna die, not quite yet. I won't give up without a fight.*
***
Leena glared up at the green Liger Zero X. Ooh! How she hated its guts! Well, she actually hated Ayumi's guts more, of course, but she was in it. The girl smiled to herself. She wouldn't be able to hold out in that stuffy thing forever! HAHAHA!!!
Leena was getting a little bit too wet. She didn't really like that. It was making her want to go inside, but if she did, then Ayumi would get away!
"You're... waiting for someone?"
"Eep!" cried Leena, surprised as she whirled around to see who it was.
That girl again...
"Are you waiting for someone?" repeated Evelyn, cocking her head and staring at Leena.
"Who on Zi are you?" asked Leena, not bothering to answer the question quite yet. "And what were you doing back there, you know, with Robert and-" She stopped, realizing her mistake. "Wait, no, don't answer that. I'm waiting for Ayumi to come out of the cockpit of her Zoid."
"Ayuimi? Ayumi's not in that Zoid."
"What?" asked Leena, perplexed. "Dang... it's so dark. I can't tell. Where's the ZBC been, anyways..." she thought out loud.
"They're coming, but they can't find you right away because of all this rain. You're friend, Brad, never sent the coordinates... he must have forgotten..."
"How do you know all this?"
"I just do. I'm me; that's what happens... I just know."
Leena turned back to look at the Zoid. "Well, then... Can you tell me, is something wrong with Bit and his sister?"
"...sister? What sister?"
"What sister?!!" cried Leena. "Kylie! Kylie Maria Cloud! ...Right? I mean, who else could I be talking about...?"
"Kitai, maybe, but she's not related to the honorable Cloud family."
"Do you mean to tell me that-I don't know anyone named Kitai. Neither does Bit. But Harry... He was saying something about a girl named Kitai over the comlink..." Leena watched the small girl, perplexed, as Evelyn grinned and said, "Exactly."
With an increasingly mysterious smile, Evelyn winked and waved goodbye.
"Wait!" shouted Leena. "I-what am I supposed to tell Bit? Nothing? I can't let him hold on to false hopes and dreams!!!"
"You let Harry." With that she disappeared into the dark night. Leena couldn't tell whether she had just disappeared, or if she had simply made it LOOK that way. The rain was pouring down hard; it was impossible to tell. She turned back to the Liger Zero X and sighed. These days were so rushed... she could never find herself understanding things, or believing the things she actually understood.
What was with this Evelyn kid? Did she have any parents, or what? What was she trying to do, anyways? Teach Leena a lesson? She certainly didn't need any more lessons... She'd learned a lot in the past few years, more than she had originally intended. So why did she have to keep learning even more?
***
(this is where we left off after the six pages;)
*"Yoko!" shouted Lori Flyheight from her blue Shield Liger. "What the heck were you doing? You knew that Zoid was dangerous...!"
Yoko glared, still inside the Orudios. "Yeah..." he mumbled, looking away. All he wanted to do now was go home and find out what really happened to their parents all those years ago.
"Kitai, Neos-" continued Lori. "Zoids Eve... What do I do?!! I mean, I... he's stuck inside the dang Zoid's cockpit! What the heck am I supposed to do about it? I know I have to get my little brother out, only... how?!!"
Kitai raised an eyebrow. Lori didn't swear very often, even with the more... soft words, only when she was really frustrated. But she was right. The Orudios wasn't doing anything, Yoko was just... stuck. If they fired they'd make the organoid mad, and it'd probably do something drastic. But in the mean time, what WERE they supposed to do? She hadn't really thought about that yet. It had just seemed that being stuck in someone else's Zoid wasn't very safe.
Neos grinned, just a little bit. It served Yoko right, messing around in his Zoid! HA! So there!
Normally calm Lori saw this out of the corner of her eye and glared at him. Neos stepped back hurriedly. "Maybe we should find the others?" he suggested nervously.
She shook her head. "That wouldn't work. They still don't trust Zoids, or Zoidians, or anything. This would just make them have an even better reason to hate them, right?"
"No, I mean other Zoidians."
"Even worse, they'll think humans are idiots."
"They already do..."
"Hey!" shouted Lori.
Yoko sighed. At this rate he'd be in there for the rest of his life, or at least until the organoid got bored.
"Rrr."
"Evelyn?" asked Yoko quietly. He smiled. Of course it would be Evelyn, Evelyn with her little golden organoid. Well, it was just as big as the rest of them, but compared to the Zoid he was in, Rukki was very small.
"I think I need to calm down a bit," said Lori, trying to not hyperventilate. "Hai... I don't think we've met... Evelyn, is it?" she asked.
"..." The little girl who now stood by Neos and Kitai (who both backed up in surprise) didn't respond at first. She stared up at the winged Zoid. "...what happened...?" she said softly.
Yoko smiled (?).
The golden organoid turned its head to look back at Kitai. She smiled nervously and gave a little wave. It turned back to its master..
"I don't think this is going to go over very well with Kaiser," mumbled Neos.
"Kaiser?" asked Kitai.
"Oh, he he, nothing!" He sweat-dropped.
This caught Evelyn's attention. "Kaiser...?" she asked. "...you mean..."
Their conversation was cut short as the Orudios finally stirred. "...Rukki...?" mumbled Evelyn. "...help Lori..."
She looked quizzical for a moment, but obeyed at last, fusing with the Shield Liger.
"What are you doing?" asked Yoko. "Are you... gonna fight this thing? It hasn't even fired! How do you know that it's even going to hurt anyone, much less me?"
"I do. I... just... do..."
Neos and Kitai stared. "Dang," said Neos. "Just don't total it! Please! Mai'll KILL me if she finds out I've wrecked another Zoid-! Oh, yeah." He grinned again. "I forgot, didn't I?"
"Err..." began Kitai. "Now would be the time that the poor, defenseless young children move out of the way before a fight starts."
"...maybe..." said Evelyn. "...goodbye, then..."
"Evelyn!" shouted Yoko. "You don't need to do anything. Just leave it to Lori!"
"Yoko, you are SO going to get it when I'm through with this thing..." said Lori angrily.
"Okay! Okay! DON'T leave it to Lori!!!! Please already!!!"
Lori smiled, cocking her head. "Aww... is li'l Yoko scared that his big sissy's gonna do something DRASTIC?!! Well, GOOD!!! 'Cause I'm fed up with the way you've been acting the past few years! Think you're the only one who got hurt when Mom 'n' Dad's ship disappeared?!!"*
"I didn't..." Yoko cringed, staring out at the sea from just outside the Sandstorm Unit's hangar. "What happened to you that day?" he asked quietly. He'd never seen Lori like that before. It had been so strange...
But then again, if it had never happened, this wouldn't have. He grinned. Sometimes you just had to make sacrifices, no matter how much it hurt, to get something... new. Something indestructible. Something you'd been looking for for as long as you could remember, even if you didn't no why or what it was. Something to end all of your misery, even if it meant you had to end so many other people's lives!
It wouldn't be long now! The Deathstinger-FINALLY! How long it had been.
How much he knew now.
About Zi, about Zoids, about... Evelyn...
Back then he never would have guessed it. Back then he hadn't even known what Zoids Eve was, the thing the Zoidians kept referring to. But there was much more to that statue then even THEY knew. And this was what HE knew.
Along with one other person.
Evelyn didn't even know, as powerful as she was, but still ignorant of what she and the others could do.
And if he could get her to combine her powers with theirs, they'd be invincible!!!
"Zoids Eve-you're crazy. You're not supposed to be evil, so stop it! And stop using my name, too! You're putting it to shame! Do you know how annoying that is, Yoko? Just because you hate Zi this much doesn't mean you need to destroy it. Besides, if you destroy it, you're also destroying her as well..."
***
"Have you seen Sephiroth?" asked Robert, walking down a hallway with Kokoro as she tried to make sense of the map.
"No," she said. "Wasn't he with you? We need him to help fix the..."
They stopped and stared at the girl who was standing in front of them (not again...). She stared back.
"....you don't need him to fix this Zoid..." she said softly. "...Sephiroth's knowledge comes from experience, but yours is simply talent..."
"Oh?" asked Kokoro. "It's you again! That girl from... before!"
Evelyn smiled. "...yes... I see you didn't need my help after all..."
"What are you?" asked Robert.
"...you've already asked that question."
*"I understand now," mumbled Kokoro. "Mr. Altiel. You want me to..."
"Cut the talk and do it."
She nodded. "Right!"
"Kokoro!" shouted Dr. Scott. He knew that she wasn't supposed to resist an order. He had made her that way, after all. But now...
She turned and stared at Dr. Scott, trying to analyze his speech into something she could recognize more easily. "What is it? Why don't you want me to get into the Whale King's controls and... fix it?"
"What?" asked Dr. Scott. "No. That's not his intentions."
Kokoro cocked her head in confusion. "Then what does he want me to do?" she asked quietly.
"You DID install a combat system into her, didn't you?" asked Altiel with a disappointed look.
His brother shrugged, smiling a bit. "Oh, was I supposed to?" he asked cheekily.
"Combat System?" asked Kokoro.
He was bluffing, and very badly. Not a good idea.*
"Combat System?" asked Kokoro, out loud. "What's a Combat System? And why should I have one?"
Robert sweat-dropped. "What?"
"Z-Zoids Eve, now I understand. Everything."
"Koko??!!!"
***
Sephiroth glared at the man in front of him, who turned around hesitantly.
"Oh... it's just you," said Yoko. "I thought..."
"JUST me?" asked Sephiroth. "You're being very stupid, you know that? You know how much you owe me."
"Oh? Were we gambling?"
"It's not as funny as you think. Give up your frikkin Deathstinger before it becomes too much to handle."
"..." Yoko didn't answer. He wasn't trying to be funny, exactly. He just didn't understand Sephiroth's way of thinking. Why should he owe Sephiroth anything?
"Do I have to force you?" asked Sephiroth. "I didn't come all the way over here in record time for nothing."
"Since when did you care what I've been doing?" asked Yoko cautiously.
"You've been calling yourself the Kaiser Kage, right?" asked Sephiroth. "You're killing my good reputation."
Yoko grinned. "Reputation? People don't even know you exist! So why should you have a good reputation?!!"
Sephiroth glared. "You're more ignorant than I had thought."
"So many years wasted on trying to help Zi, and now your help has been made worthless?" taunted Yoko.
"There are people who care about me, whether they know the real me or not," mumbled Sephiroth. "I'm not going to let you change that."
"Oh, really..."
"Oh, Yoko!" called a musical voice. He sighed. "Zoids Eve, not her AGAIN..."
Sephiroth tried to suppress a grin. "Ha. What a pathetic life you lead, Mr. Flyheight. If Van knew you were related to him he'd probably have committed hari-kari instead of falling to Neos' anger."
"What a shame he didn't..." mumbled Yoko.
"Yoko? Who's this?" asked Sayo sweetly. "I don't think we've met before," she added quietly, studying this newcomer.
"You see my point..." mumbled Yoko.
"Sucks to be you," laughed Sephiroth.
"What?!!" asked Sayo angrily. "Are you trying to give me a hint or something?!!"
"Err, no!" said Sephiroth hurriedly, drawing back. "It's just... Yoko's third most ultimate goal is to kill all ten Chosen!"
"Huh?"
"And you're a Chosen, but you like him, so he finds it hard to kill you no matter how much he loathes you already!"
"What?" asked Sayo with a strange look on her face. "Loathes me?"
"Oh, he's just joking..." mumbled Yoko. "Zoids Eve..."
"And of course, he can't love you back because he's already in love," said Sephiroth, enjoying this. He didn't really think that Sayo would be all that hurt. Emotionally. Yoko would be the one who was going to get hurt in the end. Physically.
"With who...?"
"Zoids Eve."
"Stop saying hat and tell me, with who...?"
"You heard me. Zoids Eve."
"He's in love with... a statue?" asked Sayo quietly. "What?"
"You WILL regret this, Sephiroth," said Yoko angrily. "I'm not in love with Eve anymore, or I wouldn't be trying to destroy it!!!"
"Oh... so now she's an it?" asked Sephiroth. Sweet, sweet revenge.
"In love with a STATUE?!!" repeated Sayo.
"It's more than just a stupid statue..." muttered Yoko. "Zoids Eve is much more than that."
"Considering that you just made that girl incredibly mad at you, now would be a good time for you to hand over the Deathstinger and quietly disappear," suggested Sephiroth. "Just like you did way back when."
"I really, really hate you."
**How many more people have to die before you'll give up?*
"Ungh..." groaned Sephiroth Adrian Donovan, trying to get up. He was surprised to see the girl extend her hand, but refused to take it, pulling himself up. *As many as it takes. I'm not giving up now, not when I'm this close.*
*....perhaps you should rethink your life...*
*Who are you to tell me what to do?!!*
*I've always said that I'm... just... me... Nothing more, nothing less.*
*So I've heard.*
He squinted at her. Somehow, no matter how long it had been, she kept showing up. She always looked the same. Not just her age, but those eyes were so empty, so lonely, as if part of her was missing. He had a small idea what that was from his previous experiences with her, but there was still one question on his mind. Answering this question could end their suffering, once and for all. At last the Zoidians could find their true purposes in life!!! "Are you..." he began, out loud for once. He didn't need to, most of the time, but some things were better said using the Zoidians' method. "Are you... Zoids... Eve...?"
"..." It took her a moment to answer. "I told you, I'm ME, and that's all. Zoids Eve is a statue."
"But are you PART of Zoids Eve?"
Evelyn looked away, not answering. It went unsaid. They both knew the answer to that one. Words weren't necessary. Neither were thoughts.*
"But you're right..." continued Adrian, now staring back at Sayo. "Zoids Eve IS more than just a statue. It's an... entity. At the moment most of its power is stored within the statue, but the real Zoids Eve represents both Zoidian and Zoid and organoid and humans..."
"What?" asked Sayo, with a blank look on her face. "I don't follow."
Neither paid her any mind. "I guess we should sort this out," suggested Yoko, "Once and for all, right?"
"Right... once and for all. One last time. I WILL prove that you're not the real Kaiser, Yoko! And you know it! I'm gonna bring honor back to that name!"
Yoko glared. "Oh, like I've dishonored the dang alias... More like I made it more powerful. Right, then! Name the time and place an' I'm there!"
Sayo gaped at them.
"Wait..." began Sephiroth.
"What, backing down ALREADY?"
"For one, this is an official-like duel, so if we're going to do it traditionally we need seconds, right? And two-is this going to be with Zoids... or not?"
"Not," mumbled Yoko. "You shouldn't rely on those robots to do everything for you. As Shadows, so whoever loses will have to live with defeat forever. And no manmade weapons."
Adrian nodded. Oh, this would be good...
***
(........................................................
Yes, this was planned.... part of it.......................)
"Tea?"
Cid Marron was leaning against a wall of the Champ team base when Mary approached him with a tray. He moaned in annoyance, but accepted after some chiding. Just his luck. How long had it been? He was beginning to lose track of time and space.
What difference would it make? He'd probably be stuck here forever, at least. Forever was a very long time... Maybe he could find some quick, painless way to rid himself of the hyperactive rich chick.
Chick. That was true. She would probably be a lot more attractive if she wasn't so annoying, if you forget about that horrible sunhat and the fluffy dress. Ack!!! Enough with this!!!!!!!
He shrugged. There must be something to do here, something to get his mind off of Mary's innocent charm that wasn't quite charming to many.
He began to think. What was something that Mary had always really, really wanted? The one thing she had never been able to get?
Cid sipped the tea carefully. Perhaps she wasn't quite so innocent. Maybe she slipped some arsenic in it. He smiled. That'd be the day! He wouldn't have to put up with this anymore! Wait, what am I thinking? he thought. I must be going crazy after all these years with the Backdraft!!! Hey, this tea is actually kind of good....
He shook his head. NO! There was no way that he was going to give in to her horrible method of torture! NEVER!!! By the Liger Zero, he would NOT!
Wait... Liger Zero?
That was it!!! That was the answer!!!!!! Now....
"Mr. Cid?" asked Mary quietly, looking at him strangely. "Are you okay? You haven't tried to get out for at least an hour."
Well, that's an improvement... he thought. "Do you remember the Liger Zero?" Cid asked.
He smiled at the surprised look on her face.
***
Errrmmmm..... yup. Duels are fun.
Yup. Zoids Eve isn't just a statue (cringe. that was planned a long long time ago, but it was a little bit different).
Oh, and yup... you guessed it... Kaiser was planned too, only, that was also a little bit different.
Not much else to say, but did I mention anything about Pita-ten? I don't think I did! Huh!!! Pita-ten is AWESOME!!!!! It's soooo kawaii!!! I can't get enough of it!!!
Actually, it's a manga by the character designer of Digi Chart, Koge Donbo. Zoids Eve, I love it so much... but it's not available in the US in English, and I don't know Japanese (wah!!!) so I read it online at studiorobb.com... Actually, I think I have mentioned this before, but I have a bad memory, so...
Bai-bai...
"What's done is done and we can't undo it."
~Boss, from Hamtaro
***
"You know, why don't we just use the organoids to heal our Zoids?" said Bit. Silence followed as everyone stopped arguing with each other over nothing.
"He has a point, unfortunately," said Hitoshi. "But there's also a fault to that point."
"What?" asked Bit crankily.
"Yeah, what?" said Jamie, also curious.
"Our organoids," he continued, "Aren't all that tame, I guess you could say. As in, yeah, so they're ours and they can heal Zoids by fusing with them, but the organoids are already pretty banged up as it is and probably would be too stubborn to listen."
"Which reminds me," mumbled Bit. "That Zoid that attacked us on our way here... Doc said it was being controlled by an organoid?"
The three organoids (Twilight, Kurai, and Trinity) were also in the room. Trinity sweat-dropped and the other two looked at her.
"That brings up the question of WHERE TRINITY WAS WHEN WE NEEDED HER," grumbled Ayumi loudly.
"Ayumi?" said Eira. "I didn't even see you come in. I though Leena was-"
Water dripped from Ayumi's hair as she squeezed it. "He he... yeah, she WAS chasing me." She grinned, daintily adjusting her hooped earrings. "Only, she thinks that I'm still taking refuge in the cockpit of my Zoid... stupid (expletive)."
"AYUMI!!!" shouted Bit, Hitoshi, and Sylvia angrily. "DON'T SWEAR IN FRONT OF THE YOUNGER-"
"Actually, Jamie and I are sixteen now," said Spring. "We can handle it."
"But Eira's only-"
"You wouldn't believe how much those idiots at school swear," muttered Eira. "...I'm used to it." (errr... of course she's gone to school before, but not anymore, I guess... seeing as she's supposed to be gone but wouldn't go away...)
"Well..." muttered Bit, not defeated yet. "That still gives you no right to call Leena a (expletive)."
Ayumi shrugged. "She's not in the room, that's good enough for me."
***
"You're really..." began Neos. He blinked (piku!). "...you know... Kitai?"
"I think so..." mumbled Kylie. She sat down on the bed, wondering how she should explain this.
"Oh, I get it," said Neos. He grinned. "Dang... it's so simple."
"It is?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. It confuses me."
Neos shrugged "You're not confused very easily if you've been in a stasis pod three different times."
"Wow... three...?" muttered Kylie. She was beginning to feel like... Nanase, again. Like she didn't belong anywhere, like she should run off and... and... do something brash. Find Harry or something. Blow up a big Backdraft Whale King... blow SOMETHING up...
Hold up, she wasn't a pyromaniac!!! She was just really, really mad at the world. The worldS. However many there were out there. Kylie tried to calm down. It was useless. It was all just dang USELESS!!!
Err... what was useless, exactly? "What am I doing, anyways?" Kylie asked herself.
"Sitting here, trying to help me cope with my problem?" suggested Neos. "Not that I need any help, mind you."
"Dang it, I..." muttered Kylie. "What am I doing here?!!"
"You were being reunited with your brother (again)?"
"No, no, I mean-why am I...?"
"Because it's raining outside? 'Cause their arguing is getting a little annoying?"
"No!" shouted Kylie, losing patience. "Why am I here, in this time, in this place? Why am I Kylie, and not... Kitai... or... Rukki..."
He shrugged yet again. "Because you disappeared, and we couldn't find either you OR Evelyn."
"I... what?"
***
Kokoro had managed to find what she had been looking for: a kitchen. People needed to eat, so of course there was a kitchen... She stopped rummaging through the cupboards. Yeah, people needed to eat... and she didn't... That is, she COULD eat, but she didn't... need... to...? What? She shrugged. What the heck, it didn't necessarily have to make sense, anyways.
Finally, she found a tin of coffee beans, or whatever they were called. Now all she needed was-
Kokoro dropped the tin. Its contents spilled out. She found herself staring pointlessly at the paper in front of her, lying on the counter. It was a map...
A map of the Ultrasaurus? Its circuits, its weapons, its hangars, its Zoid Core... and an inventory of everything else on it. Zoids, ammunition, and... a shell... for the... Gravity Cannon... only one, though...
Its Core... If they wanted to fix the Ultrasaurus, they'd have to fix its Core. That was why barely anything was working! Duh! Its Core had probably been damaged in the fight with the Deathstinger!
To heck with the coffee, that could wait. This... couldn't.
She looked around. There was a comlink next to the empty, not-cold refrigerator. She activated it.
***
"Mr. Sephiroth..." mumbled Robert.
"Is this about Kokoro?" asked Sephiroth, looking up from working on the main controls. "Because-"
"Kind of. But not this Kokoro," said Robert quietly. "We're brothers, aren't we?" he asked flatly.
"Actually..." Sephiroth paused. "In a way, but... not really. I mean... We're not very much like each other. Maybe our family names are... close.... but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I knew your mom, but..."
A comlink popped up to their side. It was Kokoro. "Is everything alright?" asked Robert, concerned.
"Just peachy," said Kokoro quietly. "I found something... it looks like... a map, of the Ultrasaurus."
"That would help," mumbled Sephiroth. "If we can read it..."
Robert sighed. "I'm not that good with maps... considering that I didn't even get to middle school (technical geniuses shouldn't have to go through the stupidness of middle school)..."
"I can read it," continued Kokoro. "There's a shell to the Gravity Cannon stored in one of the hangars... but-"
Sephiroth, though better known as Adrian, interrupted her. "No worries," he said. "We might as well go make sure it's in good condition, right? If we use it and it blows up in the Cannon then we're all dead."
"Yes," tried Kokoro, "But-"
"Which hangar?" asked Robert. "This thing is so huge, it probably has at least twenty different ones... or ten... or something."
"But we're going to have to fix the Ultrasaurus' Zoid Core," Kokoro finally managed to say. Sheesh... she thought.
"What?!!!!!" they cried.
"But a Zoid Core... is too COMPLICATED... it must be huge! How could we possibly do that with the time that we have left?!!" asked Sephiroth, trying to sort things out. "However much time we DO have until something else happens."
"Kokoro..." began Robert. "I really hope that you don't know... I mean, it might involve... grueling hours of hard work... or... something... less... physical...?"
*What is she doing? thought Taro, watching as the strange girl placed a hand over the controls to the hangar.
She was like him, like his sister, and like all the other children the Backdraft had used to learn more about Zoids and organoids. But, in some way, different from all of them at the same time. As if she didn't really... exist. She was always so distant and alone-perhaps too far from the Backdraft's reach.
Kokoro: mind; heart; soul. Why was she given a name that meant such things?*
"Maybe I do... what would you think if I did? What if it was something drastic, that you wouldn't understand, that even I can't fully understand?"
*And if she wasn't human, then how did she... errm... work? How did she think? How did she understand what others said and felt?
Did she... have a Zoid Core?!!*
He was silent for a moment, but finally answered. "...I guess... I'd have to trust you." That's what relationships were built on, right? Trust? You needed it if you wanted to get anywhere.
"Do you trust me?"
"... I could try..."
Sephiroth watched, perplexed. Lori would have said that the two had "chemistry;" but though he wasn't sure what that meant, it was still fine with him. Kokoro wasn't really alive... so what? He didn't care and he was sure that Robert didn't, either. At least, not anymore.
He slipped out the door behind them and out into the hall, slowly sliding down to the floor in a few moments. Which was worse... thinking or feeling? Thinking that you had deceived her, and the rest of them, or just... knowing that you had because you could feel it, no matter how much you knew that this was what you had to do?!! No matter how much you knew that this is wrong, but you have no choice?
No matter how long it had been since you started this lie, and no matter how many people believed it was the truth, you would have to keep going, no matter how much it hurt you and how much it would hurt the others when they found out.
It wouldn't be long before the Ultrasaurus was fixed, and after that, after the many battles that would follow, he would finally get his chance to tell them what he knew and why he hadn't mentioned it before. The question was: in the end, would he tell them or not?
Eventually Sylvia would want to know how, exactly, they had survived trying to stop Eira and why he had gone along with it at once without being chided in the least bit. She hadn't even wanted him to come, but he still had. So what had happened? If they had entered Shadow mode right before the explosion, then why had the Zaber Fang been destroyed? It hadn't even been equipped with Shadow mode! And why hadn't they needed to use that device thing that neutralized the Shadows and return to normal if it had been?
Why did Sephiroth have the Gul Tiger when it was permanently fused with her own organoid?
*Strange. You don't really care, and yet it seems to be hurting you?*
"Evelyn; please go away." He cringed. So Evelyn knew. These days, it seemed that she knew too much. Everyone knew too much. It wasn't her fault; that was just the way Evelyn was. It was sort of her job at the moment. But he still hated it.
"Sephiroth," began Evelyn, this time out loud as she approached him from down the hall, "How many more people will you kill just to keep it a secret?"
Sephiroth pulled himself up. "You know that I have to. For Zi's sake, right? To stop him?"
The young girl nodded, looking up at him. "Yeah, for Zi... but still..."
"What are you trying to say?"
"What if it got so huge of a problem that you would have to kill your friends just to save Zi?"
Sephiroth stared at the little girl. Why the heck was she asking this? Of course he would never kill his friends! Why? "Evelyn... You know, I don't really have any friends."
She hardly looked convinced, turning her head away for him. "Now you don't have any friends? So why did you try to save Leena and Bit from Eira's Zoid; and why are you trying to fix the Ultrasaurus now?"
"They're Chosen, Evelyn! I couldn't let them die without a fight, before they even knew about their fates! I don't want Zi to be destroyed!"
"And why not?" Evelyn seemed to smile, seeing that she was beginning to get her point across.
"Because... I guess... If Zi goes, then I go too, right?"
"So why don't you just go back to Earth?"
"Don't tempt me," he joked. "I didn't originally come from there! I lived here, on Zi. And besides, Earth is just as barren as this place or even more so. All its natural resources are used up."
"You know that second part's not true, Mr. Sephiroth."
"If you know my name, then why do you keep calling me that?"
She grinned, disappearing once again. *Well... I can't let you die without a fight, can I?*
*I'm not gonna die, not quite yet. I won't give up without a fight.*
***
Leena glared up at the green Liger Zero X. Ooh! How she hated its guts! Well, she actually hated Ayumi's guts more, of course, but she was in it. The girl smiled to herself. She wouldn't be able to hold out in that stuffy thing forever! HAHAHA!!!
Leena was getting a little bit too wet. She didn't really like that. It was making her want to go inside, but if she did, then Ayumi would get away!
"You're... waiting for someone?"
"Eep!" cried Leena, surprised as she whirled around to see who it was.
That girl again...
"Are you waiting for someone?" repeated Evelyn, cocking her head and staring at Leena.
"Who on Zi are you?" asked Leena, not bothering to answer the question quite yet. "And what were you doing back there, you know, with Robert and-" She stopped, realizing her mistake. "Wait, no, don't answer that. I'm waiting for Ayumi to come out of the cockpit of her Zoid."
"Ayuimi? Ayumi's not in that Zoid."
"What?" asked Leena, perplexed. "Dang... it's so dark. I can't tell. Where's the ZBC been, anyways..." she thought out loud.
"They're coming, but they can't find you right away because of all this rain. You're friend, Brad, never sent the coordinates... he must have forgotten..."
"How do you know all this?"
"I just do. I'm me; that's what happens... I just know."
Leena turned back to look at the Zoid. "Well, then... Can you tell me, is something wrong with Bit and his sister?"
"...sister? What sister?"
"What sister?!!" cried Leena. "Kylie! Kylie Maria Cloud! ...Right? I mean, who else could I be talking about...?"
"Kitai, maybe, but she's not related to the honorable Cloud family."
"Do you mean to tell me that-I don't know anyone named Kitai. Neither does Bit. But Harry... He was saying something about a girl named Kitai over the comlink..." Leena watched the small girl, perplexed, as Evelyn grinned and said, "Exactly."
With an increasingly mysterious smile, Evelyn winked and waved goodbye.
"Wait!" shouted Leena. "I-what am I supposed to tell Bit? Nothing? I can't let him hold on to false hopes and dreams!!!"
"You let Harry." With that she disappeared into the dark night. Leena couldn't tell whether she had just disappeared, or if she had simply made it LOOK that way. The rain was pouring down hard; it was impossible to tell. She turned back to the Liger Zero X and sighed. These days were so rushed... she could never find herself understanding things, or believing the things she actually understood.
What was with this Evelyn kid? Did she have any parents, or what? What was she trying to do, anyways? Teach Leena a lesson? She certainly didn't need any more lessons... She'd learned a lot in the past few years, more than she had originally intended. So why did she have to keep learning even more?
***
(this is where we left off after the six pages;)
*"Yoko!" shouted Lori Flyheight from her blue Shield Liger. "What the heck were you doing? You knew that Zoid was dangerous...!"
Yoko glared, still inside the Orudios. "Yeah..." he mumbled, looking away. All he wanted to do now was go home and find out what really happened to their parents all those years ago.
"Kitai, Neos-" continued Lori. "Zoids Eve... What do I do?!! I mean, I... he's stuck inside the dang Zoid's cockpit! What the heck am I supposed to do about it? I know I have to get my little brother out, only... how?!!"
Kitai raised an eyebrow. Lori didn't swear very often, even with the more... soft words, only when she was really frustrated. But she was right. The Orudios wasn't doing anything, Yoko was just... stuck. If they fired they'd make the organoid mad, and it'd probably do something drastic. But in the mean time, what WERE they supposed to do? She hadn't really thought about that yet. It had just seemed that being stuck in someone else's Zoid wasn't very safe.
Neos grinned, just a little bit. It served Yoko right, messing around in his Zoid! HA! So there!
Normally calm Lori saw this out of the corner of her eye and glared at him. Neos stepped back hurriedly. "Maybe we should find the others?" he suggested nervously.
She shook her head. "That wouldn't work. They still don't trust Zoids, or Zoidians, or anything. This would just make them have an even better reason to hate them, right?"
"No, I mean other Zoidians."
"Even worse, they'll think humans are idiots."
"They already do..."
"Hey!" shouted Lori.
Yoko sighed. At this rate he'd be in there for the rest of his life, or at least until the organoid got bored.
"Rrr."
"Evelyn?" asked Yoko quietly. He smiled. Of course it would be Evelyn, Evelyn with her little golden organoid. Well, it was just as big as the rest of them, but compared to the Zoid he was in, Rukki was very small.
"I think I need to calm down a bit," said Lori, trying to not hyperventilate. "Hai... I don't think we've met... Evelyn, is it?" she asked.
"..." The little girl who now stood by Neos and Kitai (who both backed up in surprise) didn't respond at first. She stared up at the winged Zoid. "...what happened...?" she said softly.
Yoko smiled (?).
The golden organoid turned its head to look back at Kitai. She smiled nervously and gave a little wave. It turned back to its master..
"I don't think this is going to go over very well with Kaiser," mumbled Neos.
"Kaiser?" asked Kitai.
"Oh, he he, nothing!" He sweat-dropped.
This caught Evelyn's attention. "Kaiser...?" she asked. "...you mean..."
Their conversation was cut short as the Orudios finally stirred. "...Rukki...?" mumbled Evelyn. "...help Lori..."
She looked quizzical for a moment, but obeyed at last, fusing with the Shield Liger.
"What are you doing?" asked Yoko. "Are you... gonna fight this thing? It hasn't even fired! How do you know that it's even going to hurt anyone, much less me?"
"I do. I... just... do..."
Neos and Kitai stared. "Dang," said Neos. "Just don't total it! Please! Mai'll KILL me if she finds out I've wrecked another Zoid-! Oh, yeah." He grinned again. "I forgot, didn't I?"
"Err..." began Kitai. "Now would be the time that the poor, defenseless young children move out of the way before a fight starts."
"...maybe..." said Evelyn. "...goodbye, then..."
"Evelyn!" shouted Yoko. "You don't need to do anything. Just leave it to Lori!"
"Yoko, you are SO going to get it when I'm through with this thing..." said Lori angrily.
"Okay! Okay! DON'T leave it to Lori!!!! Please already!!!"
Lori smiled, cocking her head. "Aww... is li'l Yoko scared that his big sissy's gonna do something DRASTIC?!! Well, GOOD!!! 'Cause I'm fed up with the way you've been acting the past few years! Think you're the only one who got hurt when Mom 'n' Dad's ship disappeared?!!"*
"I didn't..." Yoko cringed, staring out at the sea from just outside the Sandstorm Unit's hangar. "What happened to you that day?" he asked quietly. He'd never seen Lori like that before. It had been so strange...
But then again, if it had never happened, this wouldn't have. He grinned. Sometimes you just had to make sacrifices, no matter how much it hurt, to get something... new. Something indestructible. Something you'd been looking for for as long as you could remember, even if you didn't no why or what it was. Something to end all of your misery, even if it meant you had to end so many other people's lives!
It wouldn't be long now! The Deathstinger-FINALLY! How long it had been.
How much he knew now.
About Zi, about Zoids, about... Evelyn...
Back then he never would have guessed it. Back then he hadn't even known what Zoids Eve was, the thing the Zoidians kept referring to. But there was much more to that statue then even THEY knew. And this was what HE knew.
Along with one other person.
Evelyn didn't even know, as powerful as she was, but still ignorant of what she and the others could do.
And if he could get her to combine her powers with theirs, they'd be invincible!!!
"Zoids Eve-you're crazy. You're not supposed to be evil, so stop it! And stop using my name, too! You're putting it to shame! Do you know how annoying that is, Yoko? Just because you hate Zi this much doesn't mean you need to destroy it. Besides, if you destroy it, you're also destroying her as well..."
***
"Have you seen Sephiroth?" asked Robert, walking down a hallway with Kokoro as she tried to make sense of the map.
"No," she said. "Wasn't he with you? We need him to help fix the..."
They stopped and stared at the girl who was standing in front of them (not again...). She stared back.
"....you don't need him to fix this Zoid..." she said softly. "...Sephiroth's knowledge comes from experience, but yours is simply talent..."
"Oh?" asked Kokoro. "It's you again! That girl from... before!"
Evelyn smiled. "...yes... I see you didn't need my help after all..."
"What are you?" asked Robert.
"...you've already asked that question."
*"I understand now," mumbled Kokoro. "Mr. Altiel. You want me to..."
"Cut the talk and do it."
She nodded. "Right!"
"Kokoro!" shouted Dr. Scott. He knew that she wasn't supposed to resist an order. He had made her that way, after all. But now...
She turned and stared at Dr. Scott, trying to analyze his speech into something she could recognize more easily. "What is it? Why don't you want me to get into the Whale King's controls and... fix it?"
"What?" asked Dr. Scott. "No. That's not his intentions."
Kokoro cocked her head in confusion. "Then what does he want me to do?" she asked quietly.
"You DID install a combat system into her, didn't you?" asked Altiel with a disappointed look.
His brother shrugged, smiling a bit. "Oh, was I supposed to?" he asked cheekily.
"Combat System?" asked Kokoro.
He was bluffing, and very badly. Not a good idea.*
"Combat System?" asked Kokoro, out loud. "What's a Combat System? And why should I have one?"
Robert sweat-dropped. "What?"
"Z-Zoids Eve, now I understand. Everything."
"Koko??!!!"
***
Sephiroth glared at the man in front of him, who turned around hesitantly.
"Oh... it's just you," said Yoko. "I thought..."
"JUST me?" asked Sephiroth. "You're being very stupid, you know that? You know how much you owe me."
"Oh? Were we gambling?"
"It's not as funny as you think. Give up your frikkin Deathstinger before it becomes too much to handle."
"..." Yoko didn't answer. He wasn't trying to be funny, exactly. He just didn't understand Sephiroth's way of thinking. Why should he owe Sephiroth anything?
"Do I have to force you?" asked Sephiroth. "I didn't come all the way over here in record time for nothing."
"Since when did you care what I've been doing?" asked Yoko cautiously.
"You've been calling yourself the Kaiser Kage, right?" asked Sephiroth. "You're killing my good reputation."
Yoko grinned. "Reputation? People don't even know you exist! So why should you have a good reputation?!!"
Sephiroth glared. "You're more ignorant than I had thought."
"So many years wasted on trying to help Zi, and now your help has been made worthless?" taunted Yoko.
"There are people who care about me, whether they know the real me or not," mumbled Sephiroth. "I'm not going to let you change that."
"Oh, really..."
"Oh, Yoko!" called a musical voice. He sighed. "Zoids Eve, not her AGAIN..."
Sephiroth tried to suppress a grin. "Ha. What a pathetic life you lead, Mr. Flyheight. If Van knew you were related to him he'd probably have committed hari-kari instead of falling to Neos' anger."
"What a shame he didn't..." mumbled Yoko.
"Yoko? Who's this?" asked Sayo sweetly. "I don't think we've met before," she added quietly, studying this newcomer.
"You see my point..." mumbled Yoko.
"Sucks to be you," laughed Sephiroth.
"What?!!" asked Sayo angrily. "Are you trying to give me a hint or something?!!"
"Err, no!" said Sephiroth hurriedly, drawing back. "It's just... Yoko's third most ultimate goal is to kill all ten Chosen!"
"Huh?"
"And you're a Chosen, but you like him, so he finds it hard to kill you no matter how much he loathes you already!"
"What?" asked Sayo with a strange look on her face. "Loathes me?"
"Oh, he's just joking..." mumbled Yoko. "Zoids Eve..."
"And of course, he can't love you back because he's already in love," said Sephiroth, enjoying this. He didn't really think that Sayo would be all that hurt. Emotionally. Yoko would be the one who was going to get hurt in the end. Physically.
"With who...?"
"Zoids Eve."
"Stop saying hat and tell me, with who...?"
"You heard me. Zoids Eve."
"He's in love with... a statue?" asked Sayo quietly. "What?"
"You WILL regret this, Sephiroth," said Yoko angrily. "I'm not in love with Eve anymore, or I wouldn't be trying to destroy it!!!"
"Oh... so now she's an it?" asked Sephiroth. Sweet, sweet revenge.
"In love with a STATUE?!!" repeated Sayo.
"It's more than just a stupid statue..." muttered Yoko. "Zoids Eve is much more than that."
"Considering that you just made that girl incredibly mad at you, now would be a good time for you to hand over the Deathstinger and quietly disappear," suggested Sephiroth. "Just like you did way back when."
"I really, really hate you."
**How many more people have to die before you'll give up?*
"Ungh..." groaned Sephiroth Adrian Donovan, trying to get up. He was surprised to see the girl extend her hand, but refused to take it, pulling himself up. *As many as it takes. I'm not giving up now, not when I'm this close.*
*....perhaps you should rethink your life...*
*Who are you to tell me what to do?!!*
*I've always said that I'm... just... me... Nothing more, nothing less.*
*So I've heard.*
He squinted at her. Somehow, no matter how long it had been, she kept showing up. She always looked the same. Not just her age, but those eyes were so empty, so lonely, as if part of her was missing. He had a small idea what that was from his previous experiences with her, but there was still one question on his mind. Answering this question could end their suffering, once and for all. At last the Zoidians could find their true purposes in life!!! "Are you..." he began, out loud for once. He didn't need to, most of the time, but some things were better said using the Zoidians' method. "Are you... Zoids... Eve...?"
"..." It took her a moment to answer. "I told you, I'm ME, and that's all. Zoids Eve is a statue."
"But are you PART of Zoids Eve?"
Evelyn looked away, not answering. It went unsaid. They both knew the answer to that one. Words weren't necessary. Neither were thoughts.*
"But you're right..." continued Adrian, now staring back at Sayo. "Zoids Eve IS more than just a statue. It's an... entity. At the moment most of its power is stored within the statue, but the real Zoids Eve represents both Zoidian and Zoid and organoid and humans..."
"What?" asked Sayo, with a blank look on her face. "I don't follow."
Neither paid her any mind. "I guess we should sort this out," suggested Yoko, "Once and for all, right?"
"Right... once and for all. One last time. I WILL prove that you're not the real Kaiser, Yoko! And you know it! I'm gonna bring honor back to that name!"
Yoko glared. "Oh, like I've dishonored the dang alias... More like I made it more powerful. Right, then! Name the time and place an' I'm there!"
Sayo gaped at them.
"Wait..." began Sephiroth.
"What, backing down ALREADY?"
"For one, this is an official-like duel, so if we're going to do it traditionally we need seconds, right? And two-is this going to be with Zoids... or not?"
"Not," mumbled Yoko. "You shouldn't rely on those robots to do everything for you. As Shadows, so whoever loses will have to live with defeat forever. And no manmade weapons."
Adrian nodded. Oh, this would be good...
***
(........................................................
Yes, this was planned.... part of it.......................)
"Tea?"
Cid Marron was leaning against a wall of the Champ team base when Mary approached him with a tray. He moaned in annoyance, but accepted after some chiding. Just his luck. How long had it been? He was beginning to lose track of time and space.
What difference would it make? He'd probably be stuck here forever, at least. Forever was a very long time... Maybe he could find some quick, painless way to rid himself of the hyperactive rich chick.
Chick. That was true. She would probably be a lot more attractive if she wasn't so annoying, if you forget about that horrible sunhat and the fluffy dress. Ack!!! Enough with this!!!!!!!
He shrugged. There must be something to do here, something to get his mind off of Mary's innocent charm that wasn't quite charming to many.
He began to think. What was something that Mary had always really, really wanted? The one thing she had never been able to get?
Cid sipped the tea carefully. Perhaps she wasn't quite so innocent. Maybe she slipped some arsenic in it. He smiled. That'd be the day! He wouldn't have to put up with this anymore! Wait, what am I thinking? he thought. I must be going crazy after all these years with the Backdraft!!! Hey, this tea is actually kind of good....
He shook his head. NO! There was no way that he was going to give in to her horrible method of torture! NEVER!!! By the Liger Zero, he would NOT!
Wait... Liger Zero?
That was it!!! That was the answer!!!!!! Now....
"Mr. Cid?" asked Mary quietly, looking at him strangely. "Are you okay? You haven't tried to get out for at least an hour."
Well, that's an improvement... he thought. "Do you remember the Liger Zero?" Cid asked.
He smiled at the surprised look on her face.
***
Errrmmmm..... yup. Duels are fun.
Yup. Zoids Eve isn't just a statue (cringe. that was planned a long long time ago, but it was a little bit different).
Oh, and yup... you guessed it... Kaiser was planned too, only, that was also a little bit different.
Not much else to say, but did I mention anything about Pita-ten? I don't think I did! Huh!!! Pita-ten is AWESOME!!!!! It's soooo kawaii!!! I can't get enough of it!!!
Actually, it's a manga by the character designer of Digi Chart, Koge Donbo. Zoids Eve, I love it so much... but it's not available in the US in English, and I don't know Japanese (wah!!!) so I read it online at studiorobb.com... Actually, I think I have mentioned this before, but I have a bad memory, so...
Bai-bai...
