Chp.14: A Chance Meeting

Crescent climbed into her Storm Sworder, Emerald following behind her. "I figure we should ride, hmm Emerald?"

She roared in agreement.

"For crying out loud, I mean. You can't get a bath there. Silverwolf always spending too much time in there… I guess he doesn't think that a girl's gotta bathe. Oh, well. There's a lake over there," She said as they flew through the sky.

~~~~~~~~

Crescent stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the lake surrounded by palm trees and rocks. She sunk into the cold water and sighed. "I dunno why people don't like cold baths. I find it relaxing myself," She said to Emerald who roared. "Please keep watch for me, Emerald, my precious." She rubbed Emerald's nose.

Emerald roared assuringly and clanked away.

~~~~~~~~

Thomas sat boredly at the kitchen table. He still had bandages around his head, and his arm had no sleeve since it was bandaged as well.

"Thomas…"

He looked up tiredly at his brother. "I can't go anywhere now that Beek and the Dibison are gone… I'm so bored I could die just to have something to do…."

"Why don't you just borrow a zoid…?" Karl asked.

"Could I? Really?"

"Yeah, but it'll overheat a lot, so you'll have to take it to a cool spot once in a while… There are a few oasis's not to far from here.

"Yeah, okay… the zoid might not be good, but at least it works…" Thomas sighed and followed his brother to get the rental zoid.

~~~~~~~

"Hey, this isn't so bad… I don't really like Guyzaks, but it's okay," Thomas said to himself as the zoid trudged on through the desert. A light came on on the dashboard.

"Overheating, huh… Hang on, we're almost to an oasis," He told the zoid reassuringly.

~~~~~~~

The zoid barely made it to the oasis when it shut down.

"Aw, jeez looks like I'll be here for awhile…" Thomas hopped out of the Guyzak and onto the cool sand. "Oh, well, at least it's nice here… Now where would the water be…?"

He looked around. "Hmmmm… Ah, over at those rocks."

~~~~~~~

Emerald laid in the safety of the trees, asleep. Crescent was taking her time in the pool of water. It didn't bother Emerald though. She was as loyal to her master as she could be. It was her job to protect her, and she'd never go against that.

She purred in her slumber when her senses picked up on something. She opened her orange eyes and rose her head, blending in with the trees. Her eyes narrowed in on the sound of the footsteps, then widened when the person came into view.

~~~~~~~~

"Oh, man am I parched," Thomas said as he stepped ever closer to the pool of cold water.

He swore he heard a growl but ignored it.

Clank. Clank.

He looked around suspiciously. He shook his head as he stepped forward.

Ryar…."

Now he was feeling a bit nervous. He stepped into view of the pool. Bad mistake.

~~~~~~~~

Crescent turned around when she heard footsteps. Thomas stood there wide eyed with shock. Crescent stared back with equal shock.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Crescent screamed out and splashed under the water.

"Oh, man…. What was that?" Thomas stared at where she had gone. "Freaky…."

POW! A bullet soared past his ear.

Crescent stood behind a rock with a gun in her hand.

"Holy sh-" Thomas began.

POW! It barely missed him. Then shots went crazy as Crescent shot every which way Thomas went. It was a good thing she was so freaked out, otherwise Thomas would have been dead on her first shot.

He hit the dirt as a shot flew over his back.

"Wh-what?" Crescent pushed the trigger, but nothing happened. She was out of amo. "Dammit…"

Thomas looked up as she dropped down behind the rock. He laid there watching in shock. "Wh-what just happened?" He whispered.

Emerald clanked over to him. He looked fearfully up at her. She licked him upside the face with her long metal tongue. "Ewwwww…" He thought as the mechanically produced saliva stuck to his face.

Crescent stomped around the rock with her clothes on, except for her gloves and shoes which she carried in her hands. Her hair was dripping. She dropped the stuff down on the ground and glared menacingly at him.

"eh-heh…. Sorry?" Thomas tried.

"You'd better be glad I'm out of bullets…"

"Look, I-I didn't know you were there, see, and I came from the other end so I didn't see your zoid and-"

"You'd better get up. Laying like that can hurt the wounds."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Get up…. Then leave… Get it?"

"I-I can't leave… My zoid overheated."

"Well, then leave me alone…."

"But I-"

"Go away!"

"I-I'm sorry… Did I freak you out?"

"Of course not."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing!"

"C'mon, tell me… I promise I won't tell anyone else…"

"Fine… If it'll get you to shut up…. I----I'm uncomfortable with my body…"

"Huh? B-but you have a beautiful body," He said standing up, smiling shyly, and blushing.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess so, but I don't like it being seen or held by anyone okay…? I'm a very private person…"

"You mean, you don't even want Hiltz to see or hold you?"

"Oh, yeah…. That's where I've seen you before," She looked over at him. "Even if I wanted him to, he doesn't have time… Now leave me alone, fool, before I decide to go get my machine gun out of my Storm Sworder."

"Ah-okay…" Thomas stood there in silence.

"Ryar," Emerald said clanking over to her master. Crescent patted her soothingly.

"Stupid," She said smiling. "I told you to keep watch."

"Ya' know… You shouldn't be afraid of being held or seen… You're really pretty, and if you love someone, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable when they hold you in their arms…. Only when you know something is not right should you feel uncomfortable. You of all people would know what is right, wouldn't you? I mean, if you're really in love with Hiltz…."

"Are you questioning my love for him?"

"I don't have to. Wh-when I first saw you that day… When you talked about him and all… I could see it in your eyes…"

"-and what were you doing looking into my eyes…?"

"I couldn't help it…" He said.

She stood there for a moment trying to contemplate what he had said. She turned around but saw he had gotten up and left.

"I-I didn't even catch his name…. Come, my precious, let's go home," She patted her head and walked off toward her zoid on the other side of the oasis.