Kudos to AnimeAmber and Cherub Chick for their reviews…they make me glad..…………And now…….for the story……..
Sshwtang!Shtttang!
Sshwtang!
Shhtaangg!
Sshwtang!
Shtttang!
Sshwtang!
Shhtaangg!
The Helcat padded along on the hard, rocky ground, its mechanical paws making metallic sounds when connecting with the stone. The little Zoid had slowed from its swift pace over the rough turf nearly an hour ago and was now treading at a comfortable speed up a sloping trail.
"………..,"
Larka sat in thought at the controls of the Panther, mulling the events of the night over in her mind. She had been put in a bit of a predicament, but she realized now that she'd be better off on her own. That way, no one else would end up like Guss……..
Brummmmlll-booooo-oooooom……The teen looked up at the rumbling, and the Helcat stopped its trekking.
Monstrous thunderclouds hung heavily over the peaks of a nearby group of mountains, 'smothering' that part of the starry sky and hiding it from view. Occasionally lightening raced throughout it, lighting up the atmosphere.
"Wwwrrrrrrrrrrrr…….," growled Hel, as it swished its tail back and forth, 'staring'.
Larka paused to watch the approach of the boiling clouds. Outside of the cockpit, the pressure was starting to drop and one could practically feel that the air was charging with ions. It looked like they were in for some rain……..…
In the small valley below Larka's present location……..
"……………," Shadow silently glared at the coming storm, trotting after the tail of the Geno Breaker.
The giant Zoid was thudding across the soft valley grass, following what was left of the faint tracks of the Helcat. As they reached the foot of a nearby mountain, they all but lost them, the ground being too hard for much of an imprint to have been made.
Raven 'reined in' the big T-rex, his eyes scanning the rocks before him for any sign of the smaller Zoid.
…..No luck.
"Now what?" the dark warrior sighed in frustration.
Splap!
A raindrop splattered on the cockpit's windshield.
He looked up at it and blinked.
Suddenly, a particularly loud thunder-clap boomed over head, and as if on cue…….the bottom of the storm fell out……..
Outside, Shadow sweatdropped as the rain started to pour down on his draconian face.
"Awrrrrggghhh…….,"
Shaking himself, the Organoid scrambled to get under a nearby conifer, growling in annoyance.
In several minutes, the entirety of the surrounding landscape was soaked from the deluge.
"RrrrRRwwwwWWrrrrrmmmm…."
The Geno Breaker rumbled impatiently along with the thunder, its eyes seemingly aglow up whenever lightning streaked across the night sky.
"……..,"
Raven silently cursed his bad fortune. This heavy rain would completely wash away any tracks that he could have found.
And then…….a rock bounced off the Zoids head.
"……?"
He looked out at the dark, rainy landscape, glancing up at the mountainside. As he did, more rocks clattered down the rocky sloped and dropped down on his Zoid.
He narrowed his eyes. What inthe bluehell was doing that?
He reached over to his console and brought the source of the disturbance up on screen.
And what he saw…….made him smile victoriously…..
High up, a black Helcat was slowly making its way up a steep and muddying trail, its claws scrabbling in the softened soil. And thusly……kicking up a lot of gravel.
More rocks clanked off the Geno Breaker as if to emphasize the point.
Raven's smile faded though when he thought about something important. How in Eve's name did it get up there?
As he pondered this, a path off too his left caught the attention of the dark pilot.
"………"
…And….he grinned…….
Back in Ice-gale……….
Van leaned against a wall in Jafson's Place, looking out a nearby window as the rain poured down. After getting over the initial surprise of the murderous little Helcat and the swift arrival/departure of Raven, the Guardian Force, plus one, had rounded up the surviving members of the Blood Reaper gang. Van and Thomas then began an interrogation of the mercs. And what they had learned had not been comforting…………
Earlier that night………….
Van stood across from the two 'prisoners', his arms folded. Talia and Reaver sat cross-legged on the ground, in front of the smoking remains of Guss' cabin. Their hands were tied behind them with some rope, serving as makeshift handcuffs.
Talia was staring blankly at a little pebble near her feet, 'looking' at it but not really seeing it.
Completely spaced out.
Reaver on the other hand was fidgeting and sweating, the right corner of his mouth twitching nervously.…….
"……,"
"………,
"……..Who hired you?" The two looked up at the sound of Van's voice.
"………,"
"…….,"
"…Well?"
"…….Why should we tell you?"
"…….Because-"
"Because," interrupted Tom, "If you cooperate with us we'll let you off easy. In fact, we'll let you go."
"Whuh? We will?" asked Van, turning to the Lt. Shubaltz.
Tom looked at Van and then pulled him away from the prisoners to have a conversation without their hearing, and began to explain.
"Yeah….Do you want to haul them all the way back to HQ?"
"Not really, but we can't just up and let them go, they helped kill a man, not to mention all the other charges against them: terrorizing, possible kidnapping--"
"I know all that, and I don't like it any more than you, Van, but what other choice do we have?"
"………..,"
"I'd personally like to investigate, see what the heck's been happening around here. I mean, something's got to be going down…..,"
"Mmhmmm, you do gotta point. I don't think these events have been just random chaos, they've go to be connected," Van agreed, "The disappearances, the mercenaries, Raven's search, even the, um, the flashings. Not to mention that girl we saw earlier….I've got a hunch that she plays a big part in all of this craziness…"
"Whaddya mean?"
"….I think…..I think its like Sikes said: she was piloting that black Helcat…."
Tom ground his boot into the mountain soil, thoughtful. 'It would make sense….'
"……….,"
"……….,"
"So…..We interrogate the mercs, see what we can get outta them, and then go from there?"
"….Sounds good to me," replied Tom, as the pilots turned to Reaver and Talia.
"Ok you two, same question as before, 'Who sent you?'" asked Van, putting on his best 'ruthless interrogator face'.
The two 'prisoners', glanced at each other before Reaver nodded and said, "He said his name was Damien."
The Reaver then began to explain, with some help from Talia, saying how Damien had hired them, as well as their boss and Nave. He had wanted them to find some kind of weird stone, some sort of obelisk; he'd said that they would 'know it when they found it'.
"So….what exactly does this thing look like?" asked Gordo, glaring suspiciously at the man before him.
"It'd be rather difficult to describe it to you, but let's just say that you'll know it when you see it….," smirked Damien.
Before him stood the Blood Reaper mercenary gang, their Zoids visible behind them.
Talia then spoke, wary.
"And what do we get in return for this wild goose-chase?"
"Hehehe, hell yeah! You'd better have some serious dough on you buddy if we're gonna be doin' half of you're crazy lil' treasure hunt!"
"'Nave' isn't it?" asked Damien as he looked at the previous speaker. Nave grinned in response to the query.
"Damn straight!"
"Well then 'Nave', just name your price. My master would be glad to compensate."
Nave's grin doubled in size, his eyes lighting up greedily. $Ch-CHING$
"Money is good, but how do we know we can trust you?" asked Gordo.
"Why, I give you my word," said Damien, his green irises sparkling.
"Hrrmph," said Talia, crossing her arms. She didn't like this guy…
"……….," Reaver said nothing.
"Sounds bitchin' good to me! When do we start!" crowed Nave.
"Right now," said the stranger, smiling.
Gordo nodded thoughtfully, but held his mammoth hand out to darker haired man.
"We shake on it," growled the big mercenary.
"But of course," said Damien, shaking the big 'paw'.
And none of the mercs ever noticed the sly, dark smirk growing on his lips.
"Part of our 'job' had been to make sure that none of the locals got in our way, to ensure that we found the obelisk first. This involved the, uh, terrorizin' that we had to do sometimes…..,"
"But whenever that wasn't enough, Damien would send some of his men," spat Talia.
"Are these the guys who have been abducting people," asked Tom.
"……..,"
"…..Yes,"
"What do you mean them? We've got this under control! We don't need their help right now!" said Gordo, looking at the man on screen.
Damien's shiny green eyes looked back at him.
"I mean exactly what I said, Gordo. My master is growing impatient with your team's slow progress--"
"Slow? Damn it, we're working with info that you gave us, which wasn't much to begin with! We're going as fast as we fucking can!"
"There's no need to shoot the messenger, Gordo," said Damien, a slight hint of menace in his voice. "But as I was saying, Sargon grows impatient, which is saying something for he is a very patient man. The villagers aren't staying in their little homes as much as they should, and whether you are willing to admit it or not, its dampening your progress. They need….a reminder. It's been a awhile since they've taken any of them anyways. My master has been needing some fresh servants ……,"
"But-" began the gruff pilot.
"Don't worry……..their very effective in what they do. Just one 'abduction' should keep the silly people cowering in their homes for weeks. But I suggest you and your team stay clear of them,"
"Why? Are they dangerous or something?"
"Heheheheheh, oh yes, very. In fact, they're criminally insane. But like I said, don't worry…….they won't harm you if don't get in their way……,"
"I still don't like the sound of these guys………do they got something they call themselves or…..,"
"…..Yes, actually, they do. They're name in the…..well, the other language is just too hard to pronounce. But in our language they are known as the Roran'ty,"
"The….R-Roran'ty?" asked Fiona. She and Sikes had joined the sides of the Thomas and Van, having been bored hanging around the Liger.
"Yeah, that's what Gordo told us. Eve knows where the poor bastard is now….. Why? Have you heard of that before?" asked Talia.
"I-I think so…..it sounds so very familiar and yet….a great sense of dread accompanies it…….something very w-wicked……," murmured the Zoidian, wringing her hands.
All eyes now rested on Fiona. Curious.
"Miss Fiona, can you remember when you heard that? It might help us," said Thomas.
"I….I…n-no, I-I can't…..,"
Van gently consoled her, before turning to the mercs.
"Did you ever see one? If you did, a description would do wonders…."
"Naw, sorry," slurred Reaver.
"No, but I believe Nave did before he……" Talia let it hang there.
The Stealth Viper slithered through the early morning fog, its head weaving back and forth amongst the damp conifers.
"Just my luck that I get 'search duty' on a fucked-up morning like this………damn I can't see shit," complained the vulgar pilot.
Suddenly the fog began to clear as the land opened up, revealing a small, rocky valley. As it did, a dark form shot in front of him, causing him to jerk the Viper to a stop.
"The hell!"
A long pause……but then-
Blam!
A body landed upside down on the top of the cockpit, blood seeping from its nose.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!" screamed Nave, nearly wetting himself.
For a long second it just lay there, large eyes blank and unseeing, its body slowly oozing down the front of the windshield.
Until…….it grinned…..
Nave gasped as the man's face contorted into a horrible, bloody smile and then as it's bulbous eyes began to twitch wetly.
It's eyes slowly began to turn and looked directly at the horrified pilot, stopping their twitching, if only temporarily.
"Helloooooooo…….," it cooed through the windshield.
And then, it face contorted into a look of horrible rage as the man began to shriek viciously at the top of its lungs, with sharp, grey teeth bared, only to stop and start laughing like a hyena.
Nave, completely freaked out by the creature's behavior, had the Viper toss the possessed lunatic off, while shouting some incoherent curse.
Sweating, he promptly turned his Zoid around and 'ran' off, his proverbial 'tail between his legs'.
And he never looked back to see the other climb slowly to its feet, blood smeared all over its face. The Roran'ty, for that is what it was, just stood there for a second, before flashing a trade-mark grin and blurring off over the rocks.
Off to do some dark deed for its master………..
"………..,"
"………,"
"……….Creepy…..,"
"You said it……but…what heck are they? Are they human or are they something else? I-I don't get it….,"
"Of course you don't!" shouted Sikes, causing everyone to flinch. "They're insane aliens here for our brain-juices! You're not supposed to understand! We're far too primitive to even begin to--,"
"Sikes….,"
"WE'RE. GONNA. DIE. We're all gonna die! WE ARE DOOMED! DOOOOOMED!"
"Sikes!"
"TOTAL ANNIHILATION, how do you spell it? D-O-O-M-E-D! DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDD!" howled the fanatic. Until…….
Smack!
A delicate fist flew across his cheek, checking his tirade.
Fionapulled her handaway as everyone else stared at her in shock……..including Sikes…..
"Now," she began, "Take a deep breath….,"
Sikes did so, gasping in a huge amount of air.
"Okay, let it out….,"
The fanatic did as he was told.
"Now don't you feel better?" she asked sweetly as the rest of the group sweatdropped.
"Ummmmmmmm, kinda…….,"
"If it gets him to shut-up the hell up, then it's good enough for me," muttered Van, an artery pulsing on his forehead.
Tom elbowed him.
"……Ow……,"
"So, do you plan on telling us why you smoked that poor old man's house?" as the Lt.
"……We were ordered to,"
"By Damien?"
"Yeah….,"
"Well….why?"
"He said something about some girl being a problem and wanted us to, um, to get rid of her….said she would be in the cabin. S-So after Nave blew the place, we saw her run up; she hadn't been in the house at all……..,"
Tom and Van glanced at each other.
So Van had been right; she didhave something to do with the situation……….
But…..what?
Returning to the present……..
"…..A poem. It was in an old poem that I learned when I was a little girl,"
Van looked up from the window to see Fiona looking over his shoulder.
"What?"
"A prophetic poem…….its where I heard that name: Roran'ty."
Interested, Van gave her his whole attention.
"I can't remember much of it…f-for now at least…..but I do know that the Roran'ty are certainly bad news……for all of Zi, not just us. We must be careful, Van. I have a very foreboding feeling about all of this,"
"Don't worry Fiona……Zeke 'n I'll take care of any 'bad news' that comes around," he said goofily.
"Hm-hm-hm….yes I'm sure…..but don't forget about Tom!"
"Uhhhh, y-yeah…..him too," he added, looking rather put off.
Fiona just giggled at him, before taking him by the arm and tugging him after her.
"Come! We must talk to the civilians,"
Van groaned as he was towed after the petite Zoidian.
It seemed that the night was not over yet……
Amidst the rain and rocks…….
The black Helcat slipped and slid over the muddied earth as it clambered down a steep slope. Below it, whenever lightening happened to grace the sky, one could see the dim outline of a crescent-like ravine, graced with the silvery thread of a river that snaked its way through the pine-spattered valley.
Larka looked out over the cliff side which she was piloting the Helcat past. That was a really steep drop…….
"………..,"
"ROOO-WWWAAAUUUUUWWWWWRRRRRRGGHHHH!"
She jumped at the sudden proclamation from the little Zoid, as Hel spun around on its hind legs to face something behind it.
Lightening illuminated an enormous figure higher up on the mountain, shadowy and ominous .
The larger figure rumbled in response to Hel's cry, jumping and landing a good many meters in front of the Panther……
And before them stood the Geno Breaker, its red armor glistening and wet from the continuing rain, its eyes glowing from the never ceasing flashes of lightening.
Raven sat at the controls, his previous smile having been replaced by a look of mild determination. Now that he had found the Helcat, he wasn't exactly sure as to how to approach it……mainly because he wasn't sure what it's pilot had to do with Ryss. Being that he had always been a 'kick ass first, ask questions later' kind of guy, he decided to go with his gut. Kick ass first…..
The larger Zoid snapped its jaws and snarled, trying to intimidate the little Panther as it started to stomp forward. That didn't exactly go as Raven had hoped however, for Hel promptly activated its cloaking device.
"……Shit,"
Larka sweated as she tried to think of what to do. That was one big-ass Zoid…..how was she supposed to fight it?
Suddenly she noticed the weapons system had come online, seemingly all on its lonesome.
Anti-Zoid 30mm: LOADED – Operational
Anti-Zoid 3 Barreled Shock Cannon: Clear – Un-operational
SS Missile Pod: LOADED – Operational
And the list went on…..
"…..,'
She pressed forward on the steering mecha, while giving the commands to fire the 30mm.
Kra-kow!
Hel fired away, the projectiles hitting the larger Zoid in the noggin, while the stealthy little Panther pulled about behind the T-rex, preparing for another sneak attack.
"Hmm. Is that the best you've got?" smirked Raven as his Zoid shook, turning about to face where the shots had come from.
KR-Krakowww!
Suddenly, two more shots slammed into him from…….behind? This little Zoid was starting to get annoying……
Then, he realized that this stupid rain was good for something. For as it poured, he knew that steam would start to rise from the Zoids, as their cores grew hot from battle.
"….Where are you?….," he murmured to himself, looking over the soggy landscape.
At first……there was nothing….
……But then……..
Rising steam caught his eye, coming up about 50 meters south from the Geno Breaker's current position.
"Heh, gotcha."
Sshwwiiii-POWwwwww!
B-Booooommmm!
Hel was literally knocked off its paws, flying through the air a good twenty meters. When the poor little Panther landed, it skidded for another forty, scraping over the rough granite……….
Skrrrrrrrcccccckk-kkkk-kkk-kkk-kkkkeeeeeekk!
…….Before groaning to a metallic stop.
"….Nnnngh," moaned the teen, rubbing her throbbing forehead. That…..had not been fun.
The rumble of rocket boosters filled the air as the T-rex landed near Hel's head, shaking the ground.
Larka did some quick thinking. If she continued to 'fight' this guy, she'd either go for another ride,…..or worse. Plus, she still didn't really know what she was doing……..and it seemed that her combat system was all froze up. It said so in big bold letters on the screen. Now she was no coward, but she wasn't stupid either. And this was one of those times when its best to avoid confrontation………..especially since that Zoid was at least three times Hel's size…….
"………..,"
And then, as if on pure intuition, Hel jumped lithely to its paws and activated its cloaking. It was time to get the hell outta Dodge……
"How are you still standing," growled Raven in frustration. That particle blast had been very low charged, but still! A simple Helcat shouldn't be jumping about after that! It was impossible!
Larka finally heard the other pilot's irritated voice crackle over the intercom, male from the sounds of it. She just smirked, saluted sarcastically, and took off down the mountainside.
Raven watched as lil' Panther footprints appeared in the mud, trailing down the slope.
"Oh no you don't."
He kicked the Geno Breaker into gear and took off after them.
VRRmmmmMMM-WOOOSHHHHHHH!
It's boosters flared to life as it rushed after the Helcat, eyes flashing eerily.
Larka gritted her teeth and concentrated, dodging this way and that as the Geno Breaker blindly shot miscellaneous projectiles at the steaming form of the Helcat. This guy just didn't know when to quit!
As they progressed, the land became even more muddy and rocky, making it nearly impossible to navigate. And let's not forget about that rain……….
Raven sweated slightly. If he wasn't careful, he could lose control of the Geno Breaker at this speed, and it was hard enough to pilot in these circumstances. The dark shadow of a pine greeted his vision and the T-rex nicked it, shattering it into a million splinters in a heartbeat……….
K-Ccracck!
He grimaced, but continued to focus on the invisible Zoid ahead of him.
…….And it was then that Raven noticed something.
The Helcat's left paw…….
It was sparking……..
Really badly………..
Hel's paw, which had been hurt when the Geno Breaker had tossed the Panther around, had started sparking more and more as the game of cat and mouse continued. By the time Raven had noticed this, the poor Zoid was actually limp/running down the slippery slope, in the rain, all the while avoiding such things as boulders and trees and even a moose or two………..
Needless to say, it wasn't gonna last much longer.
……..And…..it didn't……
Hel's leg finally gave out, and sent both pilot and Panther tumbling the rest of the way down the mountain………………….
Up above, Raven winced at the sight. He did not envy that pilot right now……
"WWWAAAWWRRRR!"
"……..shit, " said Larka, as she and the little Zoid toppled head first off a cliff, only to roll and crash the rest of their ungraceful way down…..
And down……
And down………..
And down some more……….until-
KrrRRccKKK! K-Crunchhh!
Hel slammed bodily into a ravine side, sparks dancing every which away.
An then……..darkness……
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
"Mmmngh,"
Larka came to, and found herself looking out of the cockpit at where they had crash-landed. Red liquid, obviously blood, trickled down her face. Reaching up, she wiped the blood from a small cut above her eyebrow away. What she didn't realize though, was that as her hand touched the scratch, it glowed a soft neon-blue, and promptly healed over……..as if it were never there……
Dazedly, her dark purple eyes narrowed as she took in her surroundings………..
They were lying haphazardly in a shallow river, the one she had spotted from higher up on the mountain……
Sphhkkk!
Sph-SppKkk!
Spphhhk!
The sound of sparking reached her sensitive ears, causing her to frown. That could not be good.
Rolling her sore neck to the side, she could see the screen flashing red, showing the damage the Helcat had received.
To her surprise, it wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be, though Hel was in no condition for another ass-whooping. Puzzling this, she remembered something Guss and her had talked about, before he'd died………….
"Helcats are quirky little Zoids. Most folks don't think to much of them on their own, cause of their size, but here's something about 'em that makes them so special: Put an 'ordinary Joe' for a pilot in the cockpit, you're gonna get ordinary results. But with the right pilot, they can become some of the toughest and fiercest lil' devils you're ever gonna meet! Sometimes it's taken a whole battalion just to beat a Helcat that's found its right pilot."
"….What do you mean 'right pilot'."
"…...Well you see, there's an old myth, one that goes back for thousands of years, back when the ancient Zoidians were still around. Heck, it was before the Death Saurer had come about. It says something about some kind of 'Super-Zoid' or 'Zoid-god' that dispersed pieces of its 'soul' into the cores of all Zoids. Only, it gave larger portions of its spirit to the Helcats. I don't exactly know why, though. But the story goes, that because of that, all Zoids have something similar to human 'soul-mates', only its more like 'soul-pilots', or somethin' like that. That's where the term 'right pilot' came from. Its very rare for a Zoid to find its right pilot though, nigh impossible, really. "
"……,"
"Heh, I guess what I'm trying to say is, that if a Zoid does found its right pilot, the two become an impeccable team. But when a Helcat finds its right pilot, it can become right near invincible. Size ain't everything ya' know……"
Sphhk!
Spp-sphhk!
Hel's sparking brought her back to reality, causing her to hear something else…….
…..Rocket boosters……
"……….Damn it."
Working the controls, the youth tried to get Hel to its feet, murmuring words of encouragement to the Zoid.
"WRrrrrrrWWmmmm!"
Hel slowly, mechanically managed to stand, mewling and groaning as it did so.
All the while, the sound of boosters grew louder, growing to a roar as the noise echoed off the ravine's steep sides.
"……..,"
Larka sweated as she strained at the controls, urging the Panther to move.
But as the boosters' ruckus reached an all time high, the teen picked something else out of the white-noise……….
Further upstream……..
The rain had swollen the river considerably, enlarging it to ridiculous proportions.
And not just the river…….but all of the streams that lead into it as well……..
…Needless to say, this sudden adage had created a giant wall of water, which was now speeding down its length, taking anything in its way with it……
….Trees…..
….Mud…
….Rocks…..
…..And everything else….
….And now….back to the action…
"….The heck is that?" asked Raven out loud, as he looked down into the ravine.
Was that…..water?
It was hard for the dark pilot to tell, with the rain and all.
But that's what it was…….an enormous wall of the stuff, raging down towards the little Helcat…..
"…..Oh shit!" he cursed, immediately heading the Geno Breaker down the trail towards the river, followed by Shadow.
If that pilot died then he'd probably never find out what happened to Ryss...
Down in the ravine…..
The teen glanced out the cockpit to her right towards the extra noise,……and quickly did a double-take, sweatdropping.
WOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!
The tidal wave loomed into view, dragging pines and boulders in its wake. The water was going faster and faster, feeding on the tributaries and streams.
"……!"
….Today was just not her day………
Larka wasted no more time, pushing down on the throttle and urging Hel into a run, ignoring its limp. The water wall was brought up on screen, growing bigger and bigger as it sped towards them.
…….But something else was blinking on the screen, above the picture of the watery chaos…..
Rocket Boosters
"……,"
That would work.
She gave the command, and the boosters came to life, burning bright.
The Helcat shot forward, ahead of the water.
…..And ran………
Up above……
The Geno Breakers eyes illuminated the darkness as the lightening kept on flashing, ignoring the downpour around it, intent on the wave that threatened to swallow the fleeing Helcat.
"……,"
Raven continued to watch, his knuckles white around the throttle. His face betrayed no emotion, his façade calm and cool. However, he was anything but. If that pilot didn't make it………he was back to where he had started. With no leads. No answers………
Nothing.
…..But all he could do was wait.
He had stopped about halfway down the trail, realizing that he would never reach the river in time……and if he did, then what?
And so…….he watched.
"Rrrrrrrwwwrrrrrmmm," growled Shadow, standing alongside the enormous T-rex.
He occasionally swished his black tail, water spraying off it as he did. He knew that the information that that person may have was important to his partner. But even an Organoid has his limits……….
……He couldn't stop a tidal wave…..
He could only wait.
…….And together, they watched…...
Water, water everywhere………
WSH-WOOOSSSHHHHH!
The little Panther continued to run ahead of the water, passing a Helcats 190km limit.
Ahead of them, a steaming mist rose up and encircled the area, curling around Hel's feet before being dispersed by the wave behind it.
Suddenly, from what she could see, it looked like the river stopped in mid air, the mist billowing up from the drop-off. That could only mean one thing……….
……A god damn waterfall……
It seemed that god hated her………
"……,"
Larka's eyes grew determined as she pushed Hel faster, away from the angry water behind her, and yet straight towards a pit of the stuff.
If one looked at the sight from above, you could see how utterly strange this particular waterfall really was. It was, quite literally, a pit. The waterfall fell into an underground cavern, feeding the hidden river within it. The hole made a huge circle, easily seven hundred feet in diameter in some places, while in others only three hundred. On one side was the falls, and directly across from it, a ledge that led out of the ravine and back into the mountain range. The space between these points was, at least, four hundred fifty.
As the youth neared the drop-off, she gunned the thrusters, and Hel took a running leap…….over the abyss…….
……And time stood still……
The wall of water rushed over the edge behind them, roaring into the bottomless hole, tree trunks, boulders and other debris going with it…..
Hel was propelled for a long way, parting the mist with its flying form, but it was quite clear that the small Zoid had no chance of making it……..it was just too far…..
But then…..unbeknownst to its teen pilot, something occurred. She, quite unintentionally, channeled her own, strange powers through the Zoid.
Deep-violet, flaming energy engulfed Hel as it literally shot forward the rest of the way, crashing down in a heap on the ledge.
Wh-WHUMPP!
……And time resumed……
Breathing, Larka looks back at the dark water rushing into the depths…….
"…….,"
…….And sighed in relief…..
Wearily, she piloted the Helcat to its feet, and limped them both away from the dark abyss behind them…………..
………Heading out into the mountains………
Back on the cliffs…….
Raven saw the black Zoid climb to its feet and walk away, trekking up and out into the mountain slopes.
Smirking and shaking his head, he made to follow……
But was prevented………
Above and in front of him, on a rock face, seven, blinking, blue scarab-like bugs detonate, crumbling the granite into boulders……
B-BOOM!
BOOOM!
B-B-BOOOOM!
BOOOMMM!
"Hmm?" he looked up and saw the enormous avalanche of stone raining down in front of him, blocking his path.
He frowns at this new obstacle. How in Eve's name?
Panning up…….
Crouching on one knee, above the enormous red Zoid, Ryss smiled painfully…
"…..Sorry, Raven. But you can't be holding her up just yet."
She turned to Specula, soaked blue hair fluttering.
It was time……….
Back in yon village…….
Tom finished talking, taking in the grave silence of the villagers.
He and the rest of the Guardian Force had just told them of the things that had transpired. Of Damien, the Blood Reapers,…..the Roran'ty. Even the black Helcat.
"…..So, yer sayin' that….that Ah'll neva' see my lil' girl again?" asked a grievous father.
"….We…We don't-" began Tom, but was cut off. Yet again.
"We are doing every thing we can, sir. I promise. But we'll need more time to investigate……and not necessarily around here." said Van, ignoring Tom's glare.
"There's no need for yor fancy words, Mr. Flyheight. So tell it ta meh straight: how likely is it that you'll be able ta restore our loved ones?" asked another.
Van sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair.
"…..It is v-very possible that they could already be dead."
Moans and sounds of weeping women came from the villagers, pricking at the pilot's heart.
"But we don't know that for sure. And we have a lead. It's a small one, but still, it's a start," said Tom.
The villagers seemed to quiet at this, daring to have hope, if only a little.
Van glanced questioningly at the Lt., who then mouthed the word 'Roran'ty'.
Van nodded, understanding.
If they could return to the base, they could run a search for information on that name, and perhaps learn more about what they were up against.
Looked like they'd be heading back to HQ………..
30 minutes later………..
"-and remember, if you get to be present during an autopsy to TAPE it and send it to me-"
"Bye Sikes," droned Van, walking past the fanatic.
"-but have lots's ofwater around cause if it wakes up then you can kill it! They don't like water-"
"See ya!" called Tom.
"Graawwwrrrgh," Zeke growled, trotting past Sikes and heading towards the Liger.
"-and always keep foil handy! Their brainwaves can't penetrate it!"
Even amidst the pouring rain, the chubby man was yelling last minute advice on how to protect themselves against the 'aliens' that they would surely face in their adventures. He looked rather comical standing it the downpour, his shaggy mane of hair drenched and clinging to his face. But he wasn't the only one out in the weather……..
Nearly the entire village was there to see the group off, mainly out of gratitude for their eliminating their mercenary problem. Gawn could be seen standing in the crowd, yelling for them to beat the 'ever-living shit' out of the Roran'ty when they found them. Torick Mallo shouted encouragement along with other things, waving. And if one looked closely enough, you could see Cally and Ethan, jumping about in excitement and giggling their little heads off.
And the Guardian Force departed, in search of answers……..never suspecting that these events were setting something long foretold into action………….
Somewhere near a certain hemlock……
Hel pads along, its leg sparking occasionally.
"….,"
With tired violet eyes, Larka searches for the road, hoping to find a way back to Guss's hangar. She had turned the Panther around about forty minutes before, realizing that they wouldn't get far with its damaged leg. She'd planned to try and patch it up at the hangar before heading out again, not daring to stay in one place for too long.
With the past occurrences of the night, she realized that somebody was on her case about something, either wanting her captured……or dead. It didn't take a genius to figure that out…….
But as the land sloped up once again, Hel stopped, growling in its metallic voice…
"Wrrrrrrrrraaawwwrrr."
…..And turned to the side, all on its own…
"…Huh?" Larka tugged at the controls, only to find them locked.
The Helcat began to trot in a determined manner towards a clearing, baffling the pilot with its behavior.
"H-hey! The hell are you doin'? 'Up' is that way!" she growled, trying regain control of the independent little Zoid as she pulled at the steering mecha.
Needless to say, Hel ignored her, heading through the rainy forest to a familiar glow…….
And as the trees cleared, the youth stopped struggling with the 'reins' and stared at the Obelisk, which began to literally pulse with color as they neared it……
Hel growled a final time, before opening its cockpit, sending droplets of water everywhere.
Taking that as a bit of a hint, the teen dropped out, sword sheathed at her side as she landed easily on the wet ground. Above them, in the sky, lightening continued to flash and glow, thunderous all the while. But you could barely see it through the close nit branches of the trees over head.
"….,"
Without really even considering it, the teen walked forward, mesmerized by the sight. But as she reached her fingers out to touch it, a woman's voice spoke above her.
"You know, if you touch that, things are going to change around here."
Larka jerked up, senses immediately honing in on the presence.
And there was Ryss, seated comfortably on a large branch above her.
Larka's hand inched toward her crimson blade, purple eyes narrow as she glared at the blue hared lady.
"Relax," she grinned, swinging her dangling legs. "I don't bite."
"….Who are you?"
"My name's not all that important, so just consider me as a…helper of sorts. Here to send you on your way."
"…..?"
Ryss gestured to the glowing rock, which was practically on fire with color. Still smiling, she continued.
"Do you know what that is?"
Larka shook her head, not taking her eyes off of the stone.
"Well, I suppose the pretty rock is not what really matters actually. Its what's underneath that counts."
Nonchalantly, the blue vixen leapt to the ground, landing gracefully. She girl-stepped forward until she reached the Obelisk, running a hand down its smooth surface.
"This ole thing is a bit of a marker, a landmark, if you will, for what is hidden under all this lovely wet dirt," she tapped the ground with her foot to emphasize. "And you my dark friend, are what it's been waiting for all these years."
"……..What?"
"Hm-hmm-hmm, yes, you wouldn't know anything about that…….or, at least, remember. But to put it as simply as possible, when youtouch this, it will be the beginning of your journey." Ryss spun on her heel to face her. "An ancient evil's forces are awakening in Zi, Larka, old prophecies are coming into fruition. And pretty soon……..the Dark Times will upon Zi once again."
Larka didn't bother asking how she knew her name or what she meant by all that other stuff. This woman didn't seem all that found of giving a straight answer……..so she asked something else.
"What has this got to do with me?"
"Hahaha, more then you'd ever guess. Butyou'll find all thatout eventually. Sothere really is no point in telling you justyet."
"Why do I have the feeling that you aren't going answer any of my questions?" she said, a frustrated look coming over her face.
"Doesn't Life deserve a little mystery?"
"………..,"
"Well I think it does……..makes it interesting."
"You're wasting my time-"
"Ha! Your time? What else have you to do, girl!"
"…….,"
"Besides, don't you want your memory back?"
"……Yes, but…" she trailed off, unable to think of what to say. Of course she wanted her memory back…her past...at least…..she thought she did….some of thememories she'd managed to hang onto after looking into the firehadn't been all that pleasant...
"Consider this your ticket to it then. It won't happen over night, but I can assure you, that this journey will bring a good deal of it back. Don't ask me how I know," she said, putting her hand up to cut off Larka's queries. "I can't tell you that. Yet. But I can tell you that this 'journey' I keep harping on about is what you were born for in the first place! It'ssad really, having the main reason for your existence all planned out for you. Heh, especially since it wasn't planned for you in the first place……,"
"What do you mean? I don't even know you…at least, I don't think I do...but here you are, telling me what my own destiny is! How do I know that this isn't some kinda……," she stopped, mainly because Ryss was gone.
She sighed, exasperated, eyes traveling back to the Obelisk before her.
"…….,"
…….And reached out, her hand touching its shimmering surface.
A quick zap of colorful electricity exchanged between her palm and the stone, and it exploded into a frenzy of shiny, flowing energy, before stopping all together.
The clearing went black, as black as black could get for their was no light, the glow from the frequent flashes of lightening from the storm unable to make its way past the branches.
RUMMMMBBBLLLLEEEE!
The ground started to shake, making Larka step back from the stone.
And then……..
FLAAAAASSSHHHH!
The Obelisk grew brighter than ever before, blinding the youth's sensitive eyes.
But when she opened them again……..it was gone. And in its place a stair case thatled deep into the ground.
Larka looked uncertainly behind her, staring and the murky form of Hel, who, she could tell, was watching this all quite intently.
She looked back at the opening, thinking on how she was gonna regret this, and started down……….
Standing amid the deluge………
"…….Hmmmm."
Ryss stood watching, a strange light to her eyes.
'Didn't you ever think about how you could've returned her memory to her?' asked Specula telepathically, misty blue eyes swirling.
"Yes. Actually I did."
'And you didn't because?'
"Because it's not my place to do so, that's why."
'Feh. You've never had any qualms about stepping out of place, before. In fact, you do so quite often.'
"That's not what I mean, Specula. Larka, or rather 'Angela', must find her memory on her own. Else, she won't actually go on 'the journey' to begin with," said Ryss matter 'o' factly. "She needs a motivation to……walk the path to remembrance...for the prophecy to come true, not have it handed to her on a platter."
'And you are so sure that she is the one, are you? I thought it was supposed to be the third child that was destined to be the bane of Sargon'
"Ah, but that's the real kicker of it now, isn't it? Angela is the third child."
'…….?'
"Trust me. She is the one. The Third."
'sigh…….If you say so. I suppose I'll trust your judgement, Ryss. You normally are accurate about these sorts of things. But I only hope that you are not wrong…..for Zi's sake. ' And with that, the blue Organoid began to tread away, into the dark.
Ryss stood there for a while, staring from a distance at the place where the teen had disappeared into the earth.
" 'And the valiant shall perish, The heroic shall fall, And darkness shall consume, Each one of us all' " softly quoted the Zoidian, eyes agleam with the glow of distant lightening. "So, it has begun……," she murmured……before merging into the darkness as well……
………and the rain came down……
Well…..that took awhile. Sorry for the painfully long delay, but I was grounded from the computer up til about a week ago. So, yeah. Whateva'. Anywhooooo, whaddya think? Too flippin' cliché? Let me know…….Oh! and Happy Holidays an' all that crap! Yes, the time of stressful shopping and financial distress is upon us once again! Oh JOY!
Thank you, Lord, for sarcasm -Jhonen Vasquez