My Morphine

Ch. 4. It's your turn …

"Gump: You willful sprite! How dare you keep such secrets!

Oona: They are mine to keep! I'll do what you ask, if you kiss me, Jack …

Jack: No, I can't! No, this is just more Faery Glamour. Human hearts, don't work that way…

Oona: What care I for human hearts; soft and spirituous as porridge!

A Faery's heart beats fierce and free!"

~Legend.

When they had commandeered enough money the four crammed into a single hotel room. Thomas lay on the floor, reading more of Fiona's logs on his laptop.

"Log 00155:

Raven, Meara, and Reese attacked, but there's more!

Well, we all had a meeting about it. It went something like this:

(I plan to write this script form so it's easier to understand)

Hermann: Now, to address the events of yesterday's battle.

Lt. Flyheight, will you please tell us what happened?

Van: Well, at approximately 6 o'clock they made their move.

Their Zoids were The Geno-Breaker, and Shadow, a Geno-Saurer, a Gunsniper--similar to the one Ambient fused into and another unconfirmed Zoid.

We fought fiercely and I gained the upper hand. Reese was fighting the Lightning Saix and Meara took out the entire

Gunsniper Unit.

I was about to defeat the Geno-Breaker when out of no where I'm hit.

My First thought was the sniper, but I then realized she hadn't the firepower.

I noticed briefly the Zoid.

I'm sorry to say that I believe that Lieutenant Schubaltz has Betrayed us.

O'Connell: That's absurd!

Van: I hate to say it, I do, but the attack I heard was "Megalomax".

Me: That's the DiBison's attack!

Irvine: I'm sorry to agree, but all the facts lead to it.

Me: What do we tell Colonel Schubaltz?

--everybody froze--

O'Connell: What else can we, bar the truth.

--

So we had to tell him. It was heartbreaking to watch his generally emotionless face become so full.

He's crestfallen.

I truly hope it's not Thomas if for nothing but Colonel Schubaltz' sake.

End Log 00155"

Thomas froze, pulling his knees up to his chest. His guilt hit him like a brick wall going Mach 3. He pulled his notebook close and began to write the letter Raven said he could write to Karl.

"Dear Karl.

I wanted to let you know that I am okay.

I also want to tell some truth.

I know that you probably have some ideas floating around in your head, but …

I wasn't kidnapped, or forced or blackmailed to join up with them.

It may be hard to hear this, but I came willingly.

Meara, Reese, and definitely Raven are really not bad people at all.

To tell the truth I think I like it better here than I did back at the base.

They treat me well and care for me lots, not my achievements or anything.

There are also a few things that I'm just not ready to tell you…

But…

Fiona…Elise Lynette means almost nothing now.

I think that I could say I hate her…or maybe Van.

I hate him, most definitely.

He stole her, tricked and backstabbed me,

I could never trust him again.

I promise you that what we, and I mean Meara, Reese, Raven and I,

Do not mean any harm. We just want justice.

And justice means Van out of the picture.

I'm sorry if hearing any of this hurts you, Karl, but

It's the path I've chosen.

I'm sorry, but I promise

I'll always be your little brother.

Please try not to worry for me,

With much love,

Thomas Richard Schubaltz.."

His hands trembled, making his writing sloppy, tears made their way down his cheeks. Never once had he considered that joining Raven would make him leave his family. He felt calming arms enclose him and draw him into a warm embrace.

Raven sat outside with Thomas in the brisk night air. The blonde smiled and traced shapes and designs on his marred palm and places tiny, light kisses. The casual contact the two shared now, did a mix of frightening and pleasing Raven. It pleased him because as the days went he grew to cherish the little things between them. It frightened him because his heart was fragile and believed that Thomas took him for no more than a plaything.

"You know, we've both been hurt by Van…" he said softly to him.

"Uh huh…"

"Thomas…I…." His amethyst eyes drifted away as he took his hand and placed it over his heat, seeking the words. He felt him shake slightly then gently pull his hand back, turning away, his cheeks red..

Raven stood, hurt, his voice catching in his throat, then he turned and left.

Raven knelt alone before Hiltz in the lair of the Dark Kaiser.

"Well, Raven, how are you. Has that vile thing betrayed us yet?"

"Why are you so cynical? He won't." He said callously.

"And why do you defend him so much?" Hiltz countered.

Raven's mouth opened then closed, and the Red haired man narrowed his black eyes.

"It's happening again, Raven…you're losing your edge."

"I am not, you're just crazy."

"Hn. I don't know what Prozen sees in you." He kept his mouth shut. "And you do not deny it."

"I only wish to please you. I do not wish to be on your bad side, Hiltz."

"You've always been on my 'bad side'!" He growled, grabbing a fistful of Raven's black hair. "Impudent fool." He sneered.

"I apologize, then." He kept his eyes angled downward.

"You…you disgust me. Once, once you reigned over the battlefield, but now, now you've grown soft. You have fallen, a casualty of your own emotion, Raven."

"Do you mean Thomas? Well is that's what it takes for me to be happy, then--" Hiltz tightened his grip.

"But it didn't start there, did it, Raven? Love. Love is your downfall-- for other than hate, sadness and rage, it is the only emotion you let yourself fall victim to. So, where did it start, your parents? You loved them, didn't you?" The other nodded slowly. "And what did they do? They died, they wouldn't will themselves to live for you. Your wretched mother knew what was happening, she could have saved the both of you, but no, Lorelei was a weakling from the day she took her first breath of our era's air!…Falling in love with your father, HAH! Really…love…when did it happen next, with whom? Ah, yes…" Raven kept his eyes down still, his face burning in shame. "How pitiful you are, because Van Flyheight, the enemy, your rival, showed you kindness, mercy, compassion--if you could really call it any of those things. You fell in love with him, didn't you, Raven?"

"N-no…"

His hold on his hair tightened painfully. "Don't lie to me, Raven."

Reluctantly, he nodded reprehensibly.

"And what did he do to you? He took you, used you like an old plaything for when he grew bored of that revolting excuse for a Zoidian, Elise Lynette! He killed you, Raven, he murdered your very soul and broke your heart." Hiltz hissed.

"It…I…he…" Words for once eluded him.

"And you would think that you would have learned your lesson. You're just a sucker for a cute face and a nice body. What makes you think that Thomas is any different?!"

"Because he is!" Raven cried out, tearing himself free.

"Are you sure of that, Raven? He has hurt you once already, do you think that he will not do it again?! What makes you think that he is any different, Raven!?"

The dark haired teen sharply turned, trying to push Hiltz's words from his head.

"Hnh." Hiltz gave a victorious grin. "You see, Raven, you belong to us. There is no escape. Remember that."

——— † ———

Van tossed and turned, lazily, sleep evading him. He sat up and let out a groan, rubbing his eyes and looking to the clock. It flashed 2:13 am.

//Van …//

"Huh?" He glanced around quickly to see nothing in the darkened room. "Who's there?"

// Van …//

"Fiona? Is that you?"

// Van …//

Nervously, trying to ignore the twisting sting of his intuition in his stomach as he flicked on the light.

// Van …//

He pinched his eyebrows together in confusion, seeing a petite black cat sitting on it's haunches in the doorway.

//Van …Come to me…Follow me…Van …//

His curiosity made him dress and follow the midnight feline through several hallways till they reached a dark, open room.

"Wha…" The Guardian Force Lieutenant trailed off watching the kitten stop, turn and display what looked like a grin. He watched, mouth agape, as the sleek, black body grow and elongate, forming a familiar young woman.

"Guess who?" cooed the lilting female voice.

—————

Fiona awoke with a start, breathing quickly.

"Something's not right!" She jumped from bed and tried to shake Moonbay from her sleep, then gasped to see one of Reese's little bugs attached to the tanned transporter.

The white-blonde Zoidian ran from her room to where she could sense the danger, passing more slumped and hypnotized officers. She ran to the common room just in time to see a black cat turn into a brown haired young woman before Van.

"Guess who?" She cooed in her falsely saccharine voice.

"Meara!" she and Van cried out in unison as low, mocking laughter sounded behind her.

"How nice of you to join us, Elise Lynette…"

She spun around to see Raven, standing in the doorway from whence she came., Reese to his side.

Fiona backed up to her lover, who held her in his strong arms.

"Raven…" Van growled, not quite meeting the other's icy stare. "What are you doing here?"
He laughed again. "You mean to say you couldn't even begin to guess why?" He paced in front of them as They moved back against the far wall.

—————

Thomas waited till Reese had put everyone to sleep and Meara had begun to lure Van, to revisit his room. He creaked open the door and as he'd expected, all his belongings were left untouched. His hand clenched the doorknob as he noticed someone there. The younger Schubaltz barely recognized him-- his semi-long goldenrod hair was messy and unkempt, his uniform wrinkled and his eyes rimmed with red and shadowed by dark rings from lack of sleep, contrasting his pale skin.

"Karl…" He whispered sadly, moving to him curled up on the bed in an almost fetal position, looking serene in his entranced sleep. Clutched in is palm was Thomas' letter, held close to his chest. Thomas' heart ached as he watched over him. He leant over and brushed his silky hair from his closed eyes, placing a gentle kiss at the corner of his parted lips.

"I'm sorry, Karl…I'm so sorry, Brother…." he whispered, kissing him again, lingering a moment, then began throwing some of his possessions into his backpack.

[To be Continued….]

Cliffhanger.

Sorry, I can't write anymore; Santa gave me a stomach Virus. It's just oh so wonderful to be up at 3:05 am puking your brains out. *grumbles* I'm miserable. Anyhow, I'll have up the rest soon I hope.

Happy Holidays (belated)

Review please, and Flamers: GO TO HELL! *grumbles* Not in the fucken mood to deal with all you mean people.

Oh and as you can infer, slight ThomasxKarl, get over it. If you blink you'll miss it.

Oh, and *blushes mildly* Sorry, Colonel Karl L Schubaltz, I guess Meara's powers etc were a bit inspired by your Leon, but she's no Exemplar. ^_^; It was that or make her a Faery. *grins* If it gets infringing I mean it only out of that Leon Aethulwulf (pardon if I spelled that wrong) Rocks! (As does the Colonel's stories!)

- a disgruntled and "under the weather" (we had a blizzard -_-)

Naomi Hun†er

Disc: I own nothing, obviously! The quote up top is from (my favourite) movie "Legend" with Tom Cruise and Mia Sara… It's all fantasy like. Oona is a pwetty Faery, Jack is the 'Hero' and Gump was kinda Oona's owner who thought her to be only a little glowing bauble. In the scene Oona wants a kiss, as payment for leaving the dungeon for the key to save them. Jack gives her a wimpy smooch on the cheek and she gets a little miffed. ("You call that a kiss?") So she uses her Faery Glamour to take the form of his lover-- who was captured when trying to protect the last Unicorn, and then he almost kisses Oona disguised as Lily (the lover) but realizes what's going on. Then the "What care I for Human Hearts? Soft and Spirituous as Porridge! A Faery's heart beats Fierce and Free!" and she flies off sniffling and crying. Then she returns with the key and says to the gloomy crowd that thinks she abandoned them: "You look like mourners at your own funeral!" And I'll stop there. ^//^

-Ps: I feel a lot better; it was a twenty-four hour bug I think. Yay for feeling better. Sorry I didn't post this the 26th

I forgot to go online and was watching "What's up, Tiger Lily?" with my mom.