Another Place - Another Time
Chapter 1
The Wind, The Clouds, The Adventure

Zoids isn't mine. There. It's a disclaimer.

He raced through the forest, green eyes sparkling with excitement. He clutched tightly at the metal frames in his arms, reaching to catch a stray bolt as it fell from his hand. As he reached the edge of the forest, he slowed to a trot and readjusted the load in his arms. Today was a good day. There ahead was his workshop. He dumped his load onto the floor of the workshop, and only then noticed the leaves caught in his blonde hair. Laughing, he brushed them out, then took off into the forest again. A zoid battle was taking place, and it was a good one. Already, a Dibison had gone down. His first load of parts had come from the fallen zoid. A blacksmith by trade, he often scavenged along old zoid battle sites to find zoid parts. The zoid parts were then cleaned and used to build the many orders that came into his workshop every day. He reached the edge of the clearing and saw the battle still raging. The blue Command Wolf had also been injured. He smiled. Today was a really good day. He drew his cloak around him and in an instant he had blended with his surroundings. His cloak of invisibility had often provided him with the stealth required to sneak into a zoid battle.

Leena leapt out of her Dibison, angry. She kicked the dirt. It wasn't fair. Why did she always have to go down first. "I hardly got in any good shots," she muttered to herself. She looked up to see her brother's Shield Liger charging from one end of the battlefield to the other. As it turned towards her, it jolted, as if it had tripped over something. She gasped. "Leon!" she cried. As she leapt over the cockpit of her Dibison, she called again "Leon! Are you okay?"

Bit felt the wind knocked out of him. He had been so busy collecting parts that he hadn't seen the Shield Liger running towards him. He hit the ground with a groan, and the hood of his cloak fell onto his shoulders, revealing his head. The rest of his body ached from the fall, but remained covered by the cloak.

As Leena ran towards her brother's fallen zoid, she saw a patch of dust fly up from the ground. Suddenly, a head appeared floating out of nowhere. She faltered for a second, then screamed. The head turned towards her with shock it its sea green eyes. She continued screaming as the head seemed to float towards her.

Bit wasn't quite sure what she was doing. This pink-haired girl was screaming in fright as if she had seen a ghost. Being the chivalrous guy he was, he had gone towards her in an attempt to comfort her, but the lady seemed to grow even more afraid. He mustered a smile, and said "Hi!" She grabbed a crowbar from the ground and hit him.

"I can't believe Leena actually knocked that guy out," said Jamie as he lifted a pot of boiling water from the fire.
"I can," said Brad. He leaned back into his chair and put his hands behind his head. "That's just how she is."
Jamie sighed. "I wonder who that guy is, anyway. He doesn't look like a warrior."
"Probably some knave trying to become a Zoid Knight," said Brad. "Too bad he doesn't even know to stay off the battlefield."
"Maybe," said Jamie. "But he was wearing a cloak of invisibility. Those things are very rare. Maybe Leena knocked out a sorcerer."
Brad opened one eye for a moment, the closed it. "Not a chance. A sorcerer. wouldn't get hurt by an attack like that. Like I said, he's probably a knave." Brad sat up and looked out the window. The sun had begun to set and the sky lit up with red. He stood. "I'll be back."
"Where are you going?" asked Jamie.
"It's none of your business, but I have a meeting with the Lady Naomi."
Jamie turned back to the pot of boiling water. He had already dumped a liberal amount of vegetables into it. As he sprinkled more onions over the hot water, he said, "Okay. But come back soon. Lord Toros has called another meeting for tonight."

"Oh man...it feels like someone beat my head with a crowbar a couple thousand times," groaned Bit as he blinked his eyes. He had seen nothing but darkness for the past few hours. His head began to clear, and he struggled to sit up. As the room around him came into focus, he realized that he was chained to a wall.
"Maybe because someone did." Bit turned his head as best he could to see a young man standing beside him. He had brown hair, and his right arm was bound in a bandage. The man sat beside him. "You gave my sister quite a scare," he said with a laugh.
"HE DID NOT!!!" yelled Leena. Bit turned to see her standing beside him. "I was just a little surprised, that's all."
"Oh yeah?" asked Bit. "So why did you hit me on the head? You're a lady. You're not even supposed to be in Zoid battles."
Leena glared at him. "Oh you men. I can fight as well as any of you. And for your information, I hit you because you were stealing parts from my Dibison!"
"It's not like you were going to do anything with them," retorted Bit. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to go now."
"You're not going anywhere," said Leena. "I've got you, you little thief. You're going to the gallows!"
"The GALLOWS!? Why? You cant kill me just for taking a few parts." cried Bit.
Leena grinned. "Oh? I'm sure Prince Harry will agree that you deserve death."
Leon chuckled. "Leena, maybe you should rethink this."
Leena shook her head. "No way. No one gets away with stealing from me, then scaring me half to death."
Bit grinned. "So I did scare you." Leena lifted a crowbar over his head. "Hey wait!" yelled Bit. Leena stopped for a second and stared into his sincere green eyes. They flashed a mischievous smile as he asked, "So if I'm gonna die, how about a final meal?" The crowbar descended with amazing accuracy.

"So what's the news?" she asked, brushing back a strand of her brown hair.
"The Guild of Seven has found the location of the Immortal Zoid. It is hidden underneath the great castle Zibice."
She looked up with interest. "So when is the attack?"
"Not for awhile. We have several obstacles that must be dealt with first." He stood up slowly. "Of course, that's where you come in."
She nodded. "Yes sir. We will do what you command."
A hint of a smile played around his lips, but his cold eyes showed no emotion. "Good. Then we strike the Toros Warriors tomorrow."

"Another win today?"
Brad shook his head. "Not this time, Naomi."
Brad's red-haired partner smiled for a second. "So what happened?" she asked, setting down her drink.
"Interference." Brad replied. "Some crazy knave got hit by Leon's Shield Liger."
Naomi closed her eyes for a second. "Tough break." Brad shrugged and took a drink from his mug. "My father is finally going to let me battle." said Naomi.
Brad lowered his mug and looked at her. "Finally?" Naomi nodded. "Good. Then you can start your own team."
"I was hoping to join the Toros Warriors."
"I don't think so," said Brad. "Lady Leena wouldn't take it too well. After all, you are the better fighter."
Naomi laughed. "Indeed? Well then I guess I'll have to go solo for now."
"Awww...it's nice to see you two little lovebirds getting along," came a sappy voice from the table beside them.
Neither Brad nor Naomi turned to face the person. Naomi took another sip from her drink before saying, "Go away, Mark."
The man stood and walked to the table, placing himself between Naomi and Brad. "C'mon beautiful. Your friend refused me, but maybe you'd like to be my mistress."
Naomi took Brad's hand. "Sorry, I'm taken. Now get out."
"Ooo..." Mark said, mockingly. "And who's this? Your brother?" Mark grabbed Naomi's arm roughly and pulled her to her feet. "C'mon Naomi. My body's a kingdom that needs a queen."
"Argh!" Brad leapt to his feet and slapped his gauntlet across the man's face. "How dare you treat a Lady with so little dignity?"
Mark released Naomi and took a step back. "Okay then, if that's how you want to play it." Mark removed his glove and threw it in Brad's face. "Then I challenge you to a duel for Naomi."
Brad turned away. "Sorry. Not interested."
"No one refuses a challenge to a duel!"
"I do."
"Defend your honor you coward!" yelled Mark. The others in the restaurant were watching the fight with great interest. Brad picked up the glove from the floor and threw it back at Mark.
"I don't need to," he said. "You're below my class anyway."
Mark stood, stunned for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "You won't fight for your Lady?" he sneered. "Some Zoid warrior you are."
"Not a warrior," Brad replied without turning. "I'm a Zoid Knight. I don't need to prove myself to you. You want a fight? Duel Lady Naomi. She's more than a match for you." Tossing a few coins onto the table, he began to walk out the door. "Besides," he added. "You can't have the Lady Naomi anyway. She's already been betrothed..." Brad pushed the door open and stepped into the street. As the door swung shut, he turned his head slightly and added, "...to me."

"So what's the deal with that Zoid?" asked Bit. Leena had grudgingly brought him a bowl of stew, and she sat beside him as he ate.
"What, that?" asked Leena. She looked up. "Oh, we call that one the Liger Zero. Some cheap dealer sold it to my dad. He said it came from the Valley of Dreams."
"The Valley of Dreams?" Bit gazed intently at the white liger that towered over him.
"Yeah..." Leena sighed. "Ha. Zoids almost never leave the Valley of Dreams, but father loves spending, and white ligers are rare, so..."
"Are we talking about the Valley of Dreams?" asked Bit. "The legendary valley that can appear and disappear overnight?"
Leena nodded. "The same one. Supposedly the greatest Zoids in all the land are found there. I think it's nothing more than a legend."
"Maybe, but this liger really is something special. I can feel it."
"Sure," Leena said, rolling her eyes. "And I bet you're a great zoid pilot who can win any battle."
With a hint of wistfulness in his voice, Bit replied, "I wish." He turned his gaze from the Liger Zero to Leena. "I've always wanted to be a zoid knight, but I never had enough money to get my own zoid. Maybe now..."
Leena stood abruptly. "I've got a meeting now."

Mark sat at the table, brooding. Women weren't supposed to refuse him like that. He took another swig of his drink. That Zoid Knight...what was his name? It didn't matter. He was gone now. So was Naomi. Mark finished his drink and ordered another. As he waited for the drink to arrive, he leaned back and faced the ceiling. So he couldn't have Naomi. That wasn't a problem. There were plenty of other women, but that knight had been way to cocky. He wanted revenge. A woman seated herself beside Mark. He eyed her. She had short brown hair, and beautiful red lips. "I saw what happened," she said. Mark's drink arrived and he took another gulp. The woman continued, "That Zoid Knight is Sir Brad, a mercenary."
Mark didn't set down his drink. "So?" he asked, staring into his mug. "I'll never see him again."
"Oh? I thought for sure that you'd want to get revenge on him," she said casually. "And I can set you up to battle him tomorrow."
Mark raised his eyes to meet hers. "And why would you do this for me?" he asked warily.
She smiled. "I'm part of the Guild of Seven, and we need the Toros Warriors eliminated. If you do this for us, you'll be paid, and you'll have your revenge."
Marcus took another swig of his drink before nodding. "Okay, I'll do it. Set me up." He took another drink, and failed to notice the evil glint in her eye.

"Okay, warriors," said Toros with his usual vigor. "We have another duel set up for tomorrow."
"Who's it with?" asked Leena. She leaned forward. "Of course we'll beat them anyway."
Toros smiled. "The Dragons Team. I hear they're pretty tough. We're going to have to work hard to beat them, especially since Leon and the Shield Liger can't fight."
Brad shrugged. "So let Jamie fight. It can't be that hard."
Jamie glanced up, worriedly. "I'm not so sure about that. I'm not a Zoid Knight yet. I'm not even a Zoid Warrior. I'm still just a Squire. Besides, we'd still be outnumbered. The Dragons Team has four members, and each pilots a Stealth Viper. They'll be hard to hit from my Pteras."
"What about the Liger Zero?" asked Leon. "Is that an option?"
Toros shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The Liger Zero never listens to anyone."

Bit was surrounded by darkness. Night had fallen, and enveloped him in a blanket of dark. The only light he saw was the slight reflection from the Liger Zero's eyes. They seemed to wink at him...as if it was alive. Bit pulled at the chains that bound him, but they were well crafted. He groaned at the irony. Being the only blacksmith for miles around, they had probably been made by him. He heard a soft growl. Startled, he looked up. In front of him stood the Liger Zero. He stared at it. It was so beautiful. The Liger lowered its head, and in one swift move, severed the chains. Bit stood slowly, letting the chains fall to the ground. The cockpit of the Liger opened, and a soft, low growl came from it. "What?" asked Bit. "You mean..." The Liger growled again. "You want me to pilot?" Bit thought for a second before saying, "Okay. I'd love to!" He leapt into the Liger's cockpit. The cockpit shut and the safety bar lowered. Bit smiled. "Okay Liger, let's see what you can do."

"Are you sure you can handle yourself, Jamie?" asked Leon.
"Not really," said Jamie. "But we don't have much of a choice. After you hurt your arm in the fall yesterday, you certainly can't compete today." Jamie was seating in his Pteras Striker, nervously fiddling with the control panel.
"I don't see the problem," Brad said. He was already on the battlefield, seated in the Command Wolf. "We'll win and take their money."
"I don't care," said Leena angrily. "I'm still mad that that peasant took our Liger Zero. Who does he think he is?"
"His name is Bit Cloud," said Leon, "and he's not a peasant. Of course you didn't bother to ask his name so you wouldn't know."
Leena tossed her hair. "Why should I care? What's he go to do with me?"
Leon sighed. "You mean you don't recognize him? I guess you wouldn't. Jamie and I are the only ones who go into the town to order parts for our zoids. He's a blacksmith."
"What?" yelled Leena. "We order parts from him? Why I bet the little maggot has been reselling us our own zoid parts all this time!"
"No need to get angry," said Leon. "After all, he doesn't charge very much."
"Yeah," said Jamie. "And he always cleans and fixes them too. I think it's worth it." Leena didn't respond, but she continued to mumble angrily under her breath. "By the way," said Jamie. "Has anyone noticed that our opponents aren't even here? Neither is the judge."
As he spoke, a dark judge rose from the ground. "What's this?" cried Leon. He stood to get a better view of the judge.
The judge laughed at Leon's outburst before saying, "This duel has been taken over by the Guild of Seven. The Blitz Team versus the Wizards Team. Battle mode 0999. Ready..."
"Wizards Team!? Where are they?" yelled Leena.
"Fight!" The clearing remained silent for a moment. Leena took a wary step backwards in her Dibison.
Suddenly a shot rang across the field, and the Dibison's front leg fell from the zoid. "What's going on?" screamed Leena as she unleashed a barrage of ammo.
"They must have Helcats," said Jamie as he flew over the battlefield. "With advanced stealth capabilities, too. I can't even pick up a single heat signal."
"Then we'll have to do this the hard way," Brad said. He leapt into the center of the field and fired a barrage around the entire field. A Helcat appeared for a second, then blended again with the forest.
"Argh, this is hopeless," complained Leena. She unleashed another attack, nearly hitting Brad's Command Wolf. A great gust of wind went by the Dibison, and the other front leg fell off. "What are we gonna do?"
"Bit to the rescue!" came a voice over the comlink. Leena looked up to see the Liger Zero enter the field.
"You! You little worm, give us back our Zoid."
"Huh, and I thought you'd appreciate my timing," he said. "Let's go Liger!" The Liger leapt into the center of the field beside Brad and stood, poised.
"What do you think you're doing?" asked Brad. His Command Wolf lurched into the air as it took a hit from a Helcat. It fell to the ground.
"I know how to handle this," Bit replied with confidence. He scanned the horizon of the field. "Alright Liger. Get ready to jump...NOW!" The Liger leapt into the air and landed on a Helcat. The stealth shield flickered out, and Brad spun the Command Wolf around. With one shot, he hit the Helcat and the system froze. "Great job Liger!" Bit cried jubilantly. He pushed forward the controls and sent Liger running across the field. The Liger bore down on another cloaked Helcat, freezing it's cloaking device. Jamie swooped down in his Pteras and sent a shot straight through the side of the Helcat.
"Oh yeah!" Bit yelled. "Two down and two to go!" Bit glanced at the screen in front of him. "The last two Helcats are standing back to back over there," he said. "Do you have any attacks Liger?" The screen in front of him lit up. "Hmm...Strike Laser Claw?" He pushed the controls forward. "Let's do it!" The Liger Zero charged across the field and leapt into the air. "Strike Laser Claw!" Bit yelled, as the Liger's glowing claw came down on the last two Helcats.
The Dark Judge stood still for a moment before saying, "Oh alright. The winners are the Tauros Warriors...it isn't fair!" A whale king descended from the sky and the four wounded Helcats were taken in. The Dark Judge disappeared, and the clearing was once again silent.
Leena broke the silence. "Bit Cloud! Give back that Liger this instant!"

"How did you see the Helcats?" asked Jamie. "They have advanced stealth capabilities."
"Not only that," added Leon, "but the Liger Zero isn't equipped with heat sensors anyway."
Bit grinned. "A little somthing I learned when I collected parts from old zoid battles. Even though I was in a cloak of invisiblity, I could be seen if enough dust was stirred up on the ground. The shots you fired were enough to stir up dust from the ground. If you looked real carefully, you would have seen the faint imprints of the Helcats' feet in the ground."

"Well well well," she said as she gazed over the wrecked Helcats. "Looks like we won't have to pay Marcus after all." With a laugh, she spun around, ignoring the unconscious bodies of Marcus and his three companions. She pushed back a strand of her short, brown hair and left. "So those are the Tauros Warriors," she mused. "They may be good, but they wouldn't stand a chance against the War Sharks." With that, her body faded into the shadows

I hope you enjoyed it. The story will really get going in the next chapter, this first chapter just kinda set things up.