Chapter 13- Alone Again
The next morning, Sven stirred in his sleep to find that the shuttle was landing. "Where am I?" Drowsy eyes drifted around until he noticed how familiar this new port was. He was home, back in the Swedish Colony. He couldn't believe he had made it all the way there. Sighing headily and slinging his small backpack over one shoulder, he got ready to get off.
But once he had made it into the port, there was someone waiting for him, someone he hadn't expected to see. His tired eyes widened. "Garth?"
A taller young man came walking up to him, a big smile on his face. "Hey Sven! Glad to see you!"
Sven smiled. "How did you know I was coming, Brother?"
"The government called the house last night." Garth replied, taking his bag for him.
The youth blinked. 'How did they find out so soon?'
"Sven!"
"Big Bro!"
Two boys came running up to the men through the busy crowds. Sven's smile broadened. "Hey David! Hi Erik!"
They gave him a big bear hug before looking past him towards the ramp. "Where's Allenby? Where is she, Brother?"
Garth nodded. "Yes, your last letter got me interested too. We want to meet this girl."
Sven looked down at his feet and sighed. "She's still in the Gundam Fight. I.was fired."
"WHAT?"
Garth led them all to the port's bar and there, Sven told his story.
His older brother frowned. "It sounds like a misunderstanding to me."
"There was no point in trying to talk to her about it," Sven explained sadly. "She was so upset, I don't think she would have believed me."
"You don't 'think' she would have." David emphasized. "Maybe you should talk to her now!"
"Yeah! Tell her that it wasn't you who did it!" Erik urged.
Sven looked to his older brother for guidance. Garth shrugged. "There's another flight that's about to take off for Earth."
Sven glanced up to see the passengers assembling at the boarding ramp. Taking a deep breath, he looked towards his brothers once again.
........
Back in Neo Hong Kong, the day of the championship was about to begin. The boathouse was a hectic place to be as breakfast was handed out and preparations for departure were being done.
Domon strapped his cape on. "Rain, where is Allenby? It's almost time to go!"
"I'll go get her." His wife answered, leaving the table. "She was still in her room last I checked."
Hoi and Min watched her go before looking at each other. "Man, falling in love isn't a very happy thing, is it?" Hoi asked his sister.
Allenby was sitting on her bed, resting her arms on her legs. A knock at her door brought up her head. "Who is it?" she asked dryly.
Rain opened the door and came inside. "Allenby, departure for Lantao Island is in ten minutes."
"I'm not going."
The Japanese woman gasped. "What are you talking about?"
Allenby stood up and began to pace the room. "I've had it with the Gundam Fight. It's another disaster, just like the last one!" She stopped and looked down at her hands. "Besides," she added softly. "I don't think I can fight anymore."
"Allenby, you can't let this bother you forever." Rain told her. "Probably the best thing for you to do now is to get out there and try your best to win. That was your goal, wasn't it?"
"That was the goal I had after I met." she paused. "My first goal, above all else, was to find myself again!"
Rain suddenly understood. Allenby had been living with the thought that she had been rejected by Domon, that Rain had been chosen over her. There was no real other reason for her to fight again, save when she had been paired up with Sven Johnsone.
Tears hit the wooden floor as Allenby began to cry again. "Allenby." Rain came over and gave her a hug, trying to provide some sort of comfort.
"I loved him, Rain." she hissed. "And I blamed him for hurting me! How could I? What have I done?"
"It will be okay, Allenby." Rain assured her. "Things will turn out alright in the end. I promise you that." She pulled back and placed her hands on Allenby's shoulders, forcing her to look at her. "But for now, the best thing you can do is get in Noble Gundam and go fight in the Battle Royale."
Allenby stared at her questioningly. Was she right? Could she trust that promise?
Slowly, she smirked. "Okay Rain. I'll go."
.........
The gundams of the Shuffle Alliance gathered on the ring floor where they would leave for Lantao Island.
Chibodee glanced around. "Yo Domon! Where's Noble Gundam?"
"I was going to ask the same thing." George said. "Isn't Allenby coming?"
"Yeah! There she is!" Sai Saici pointed towards the city.
Out from the buildings, shining proudly in the sun was Noble Gundam. Allenby took a deep breath before flying to meet them all. "Hi guys!"
Domon smiled. "Good to see you, Allenby,"
Once all six had gathered together, the gundams blasted off, ready for the biggest challenge of a year's battling.
The next morning, Sven stirred in his sleep to find that the shuttle was landing. "Where am I?" Drowsy eyes drifted around until he noticed how familiar this new port was. He was home, back in the Swedish Colony. He couldn't believe he had made it all the way there. Sighing headily and slinging his small backpack over one shoulder, he got ready to get off.
But once he had made it into the port, there was someone waiting for him, someone he hadn't expected to see. His tired eyes widened. "Garth?"
A taller young man came walking up to him, a big smile on his face. "Hey Sven! Glad to see you!"
Sven smiled. "How did you know I was coming, Brother?"
"The government called the house last night." Garth replied, taking his bag for him.
The youth blinked. 'How did they find out so soon?'
"Sven!"
"Big Bro!"
Two boys came running up to the men through the busy crowds. Sven's smile broadened. "Hey David! Hi Erik!"
They gave him a big bear hug before looking past him towards the ramp. "Where's Allenby? Where is she, Brother?"
Garth nodded. "Yes, your last letter got me interested too. We want to meet this girl."
Sven looked down at his feet and sighed. "She's still in the Gundam Fight. I.was fired."
"WHAT?"
Garth led them all to the port's bar and there, Sven told his story.
His older brother frowned. "It sounds like a misunderstanding to me."
"There was no point in trying to talk to her about it," Sven explained sadly. "She was so upset, I don't think she would have believed me."
"You don't 'think' she would have." David emphasized. "Maybe you should talk to her now!"
"Yeah! Tell her that it wasn't you who did it!" Erik urged.
Sven looked to his older brother for guidance. Garth shrugged. "There's another flight that's about to take off for Earth."
Sven glanced up to see the passengers assembling at the boarding ramp. Taking a deep breath, he looked towards his brothers once again.
........
Back in Neo Hong Kong, the day of the championship was about to begin. The boathouse was a hectic place to be as breakfast was handed out and preparations for departure were being done.
Domon strapped his cape on. "Rain, where is Allenby? It's almost time to go!"
"I'll go get her." His wife answered, leaving the table. "She was still in her room last I checked."
Hoi and Min watched her go before looking at each other. "Man, falling in love isn't a very happy thing, is it?" Hoi asked his sister.
Allenby was sitting on her bed, resting her arms on her legs. A knock at her door brought up her head. "Who is it?" she asked dryly.
Rain opened the door and came inside. "Allenby, departure for Lantao Island is in ten minutes."
"I'm not going."
The Japanese woman gasped. "What are you talking about?"
Allenby stood up and began to pace the room. "I've had it with the Gundam Fight. It's another disaster, just like the last one!" She stopped and looked down at her hands. "Besides," she added softly. "I don't think I can fight anymore."
"Allenby, you can't let this bother you forever." Rain told her. "Probably the best thing for you to do now is to get out there and try your best to win. That was your goal, wasn't it?"
"That was the goal I had after I met." she paused. "My first goal, above all else, was to find myself again!"
Rain suddenly understood. Allenby had been living with the thought that she had been rejected by Domon, that Rain had been chosen over her. There was no real other reason for her to fight again, save when she had been paired up with Sven Johnsone.
Tears hit the wooden floor as Allenby began to cry again. "Allenby." Rain came over and gave her a hug, trying to provide some sort of comfort.
"I loved him, Rain." she hissed. "And I blamed him for hurting me! How could I? What have I done?"
"It will be okay, Allenby." Rain assured her. "Things will turn out alright in the end. I promise you that." She pulled back and placed her hands on Allenby's shoulders, forcing her to look at her. "But for now, the best thing you can do is get in Noble Gundam and go fight in the Battle Royale."
Allenby stared at her questioningly. Was she right? Could she trust that promise?
Slowly, she smirked. "Okay Rain. I'll go."
.........
The gundams of the Shuffle Alliance gathered on the ring floor where they would leave for Lantao Island.
Chibodee glanced around. "Yo Domon! Where's Noble Gundam?"
"I was going to ask the same thing." George said. "Isn't Allenby coming?"
"Yeah! There she is!" Sai Saici pointed towards the city.
Out from the buildings, shining proudly in the sun was Noble Gundam. Allenby took a deep breath before flying to meet them all. "Hi guys!"
Domon smiled. "Good to see you, Allenby,"
Once all six had gathered together, the gundams blasted off, ready for the biggest challenge of a year's battling.
