Zoids Fuzors: Faerie's Beginning
Chapter VII: A New Friend
We immediately became famous. A team called Mach Storm was on the news almost as much as we were. Jenna thought the guy with the Liger Zero, R.D. was "cute". She wouldn't stop talking about him.
"- so dreamy, don't you think?" she was asking. Without giving me time to respond, she sighed, "And his Liger Zero is so powerful! He'd be perfect…"
"Are you done daydreaming, or are we going to have to go to practice without you?" Flame snapped.
'Yeah, I want some practice! Need some battle experience! Let's go to practice!' Hope chanted. She sounded more like an overexcited border collie than a horse-like Zoid. I shook my head, holding in silent laughter.
"Oh, alright. I'll daydream after practice," Jenna pouted. She leaned up against a Command Wolf (our base was Dad's Zoid garage). She turned to me. "But, you do agree, his is cute, right?"
"Yes, but he's not my type," I admitted.
"Ooo. You've found someone you like? Who? Tell me, tell me!" Jenna pleaded, acting more like a six-year-old rather than a sixteen-year-old.
"Later," I evaded, blushing. I'd said too much.
"Let's go to practice," Flame mumbled, sulking for some reason. We got into our Zoids and headed for the training grounds. As we got closer, I felt more and more excited. R.D. of Mach Storm trained there, and, from what I had heard, he was a worthy opponent. I needed someone worthy to train against.
-*~*-*~*-
"What!?" I shrieked when we got there. "You're tellin' me that we don't battle Zoid teams?"
"Yes," the employee repeated. "You battle the wild Zoids in the area. Though you're not prohibited from battling Zoid teams. They'll need to accept, but it's just practice anyway."
I sighed. "Fine. Let's go practice, guys," I moped. We got into our Zoids and began looking for wild Zoids to battle. We separated after awhile to broaden our search. I turned a corner and gasped. Two Fuzor Zoids were battling each other.
"Whoa!" I breathed.
'They are the Buster Furer, a Fuzor of the Berserk Furer and the Buster Eagle, and the Liger Zero Phoenix, a Fuzor of the Liger Zero and Fire Phoenix,' Hope told me. 'R.D. is in the Liger.'
The Liger Zero Phoenix used its Laser Claw Strike Attack, but the Buster Furer used an Energy Shield to stop it. It then used its Particle Beam Cannons, hitting the Liger.
"We gotta help him!" I cried. Hope brought us out of our hiding place. I knew that whoever was in the Buster Furer was up to no good. I could see they wanted to destroy the Liger Zero Phoenix… and R.D.
The Liger Zero Phoenix shakily got to its feet. The Buster Furer began charging up its Particle Beam Cannons again.
"HIIYAA!" I shouted, making Hope ram into the Buster Furer from the side at top speed. The pilots came onscreen.
"So, you like to play games, huh?" laughed a brown-haired young man. I clenched my teeth.
"No games," I growled. "I won't let you hurt him. I won't let you hurt ANYONE, for that matter. I'll stop you right now."
"NO!" shouted R.D., coming onscreen. "No. This is my fight. I want to finish it."
"If I hadn't come along and saved your sorry tail, there wouldn't be a fight right now!" I roared. "You should thank me for helping you!"
I felt something hit the side of the Palomino Hope. I straightened her out and saw the Buster Furer charging up for another Particle Beam Cannon. I looked at R.D.
"We can work together and beat them, or I can walk off and leave you to your little feud and let your Zoid be destroyed," I said icily. R.D. nodded.
"Let's do this!" he declared. His Liger roared. Hope whinnied and reared. When her hooves came down again, they sent a shockwave straight at the Buster Furer. It took to the air before the wave could hit much to my disappointment. The Liger roared again.
"Laser Claw Strike Attack!" R.D. shouted as his Liger took to the air again. His attack sliced off one of the spinning "eggbeaters" as I liked to call them, preventing any further Energy Shields or Particle Beam Cannons.
"We'll get you next time, R.D.!" declared the man. "And you too, whoever you are!" he declared at me. The Zoid fled. The Liger Zero Phoenix landed and defused. A Fire Phoenix flew away.
"Thanks for your help," R.D. said. "But I really didn't need it. That was a fight between them and me."
"Hmph!" I huffed. "I thought you were a worthy opponent, but I guess not. Not with an attitude like that at least."
R.D. looked shocked. I turned around. "I thought R.D. was supposed to be a great Zoid battler," I snapped. "True Zoids warriors don't have that kind of an attitude. They accept help when they need it. A lesson I learned the hard way…"
"For the first part of what you said, I want to say this: I'm sorry. And for the part of learning to accept help when you need it the hard way… I hope you don't mind me asking: How do you mean you 'learned the hard way'?" R.D. wondered. I sighed.
"I used to be as arrogant as you. Actually, I was probably even more arrogant. I misnamed it 'pride'. But true pride comes from the strength to help yourself, even if that includes accepting help from others, whether it's from friends, family, or complete strangers." I turned to face him again. "I used to refuse help from anyone. Yet, I still fought to help others, even if I could barely help myself. At one point, I was working four different jobs to support about twenty animals and myself, and still pay all the bills. Things were getting ridiculous, so I decided to finally drop the attitude and accept some help for a change. However, by that time, barely any help was left. The people who wanted to help had given up."
"I'm sorry," R.D. apologized for no reason. I smiled.
"S'okay. I know it's not your fault," I assured him. "We just met, so it couldn't be your fault. It was mine for being so arrogant. Now, how about I introduce you to some of my friends. One of them really wants to meet you." I took a few steps away. "Come on."
R.D. began following uncertainly. We got to the rented base, but no one was there. I shook my head.
"They must still be training," I told him, getting out of Hope. R.D. followed suit with his Liger. I went inside the base, R.D. following.
"I'm hungry, you?" I asked.
"Famished," R.D. replied. I raided the fridge, taking out deli sandwiches, sodas, and cake. I set five places at the table.
"We should wait for everyone to come back," I suggested.
"Fine by me," R.D. said. "So, what's your name?"
"Faerie Pegs," I replied. R.D. stared at me. "What?"
"You're Faerie Pegs!?" he exclaimed. I nodded. "You're part of the Legendary Warriors!"
"Yeah, what's the big deal?" I wondered. R.D. seemed to be trying to find the right words.
"It's just… You guys are amazing! I've never seen a team work so fluently together, so coordinated. You make this stuff look easy, I'm telling you!" R.D. looked around. "You guys seem to be very frugal with your prize money." He looked at me again. "I know you and that team member, Ash, a.k.a. 'Flame' Rapter, aren't using your full potential. In fact, Ash seems to be holding back a lot." R.D. looked at me harder. "I know you've got more in you. I can see you holding back in your fights. You're one of the best."
"You're pretty good yourself," I said. "I've seen some of your fights too, and you seem to be a tough opponent. I'm not sure I'd be able to beat you with my skill level. At least, not yet."
The door swung open and Jenna, Flame, and Dad came in. Flame saw R.D., avoided my eyes, and shut himself in his room.
"What was that all about? Are you and him fighting?" R.D. questioned.
"No… I don't know why he's acting like this," I admitted. Jenna slowly walked up to us as if she couldn't believe her eyes.
"Are you R.D. of Mach Storm?" she asked nervously.
"Yep, that's me!" R.D. declared. Jenna looked at me. Tears were forming in her eyes.
"Looks like he was your type after all," she almost cried. R.D. looked confused. I rolled my eyes.
"Alright, I'll tell you who I like!" I yelled. Jenna looked at me without the tears. "I like Flame, okay?"
"Then why -?"
"I brought R.D. here so you could meet him," I growled. Jenna seemed to glow with joy. I turned to R.D. "Don't let Jenna bug you too much, she's a spoiled sixteen-year-old." R.D. nodded while Jenna glared at me. I went to Flame's door and knocked.
"Who is it?" growled Flame.
"Faerie," I replied. I heard Flame stomping up to the door. He opened it a crack.
"What do you want?" he snapped.
"T o talk to you," I said through clenched teeth.
"Well, maybe I don't want to talk to you," he huffed. He tried to slam the door in my face, but I flung it wide open before it could lock. I glared at Flame.
"What's gotten into you?" I demanded. Flame looked down at the ground, his anger seeming to melt.
"Why are you going out with him, after all we've been through?" he questioned. I laughed. "What?"
"Sorry, sorry," I giggled. "It's just – just that… you think I'm going out with R.D.? I just met the guy! I only brought him here for Jenna to meet him, silly. You know how it's one of her wishes."
"Sorry. I guess I shouldn't have jumped the gun like that," Flame admitted. "I just got jealous, that's all."
"Well, we'll just have to work on that, won't we?" I teased. I kissed him on the cheek and ran to the table to eat lunch.
-*~*^*~*-
R.D. agreed to spar with me the next day. Jenna kept telling me how lucky I was. I guess she wanted to spar with R.D. too.
The next day, I went to the designated spot R.D. had chosen for us to spar in. He wasn't there yet, but I didn't let my guard down, in case he came in and started immediately. I heard a Zoid walking up behind me. R.D. came onscreen.
"Ready?" he asked. I turned around to face him. He was a fair fighter, giving me the chance to get ready.
"Ready," I replied.
"Laser Claw Strike Attack!" R.D. shouted, making Liger run up to me. I had Hope dodge just as he leapt. The attack broke a giant boulder.
I began running. R.D. chased me, but hope was too fast for him. When I was a good distance away, I turned around and used my long-range cannon. R.D. dodged my attack.
We continued attacking and dodging each other's attacks for a while, never once being hit. It was a stalemate.
"Hey, R.D.!" I called, stopping. R.D. stopped too.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"Let's call it quits. We're too even of a match," I told him. R.D. nodded.
"Sounds like a plan," he said. "I guess I'll see you around!"
"Maybe in an official Zoid battle," I joked. R.D. laughed. "Bye!"
"Bye!"
