New chapter for all my readers (if there are any)! At the end of this one, some new characters make their debut appearance! Hope you enjoy. :D
__
Kyon could feel an unfamiliar darkness overwhelming him as he and Haruhi both proceeded to go down the top hatch leading into the interior of the Edelweiss. While he was much more scared than his Brigade Chief, he also couldn't help but feel somewhat excited by the situation before them.
At least we might be somewhat safe in this huge tank...
"This is so cool!" Haruhi said in am overexcited voice as she jumped down the rest of way instead of using the ladder hatch. Already excited out of her wits, and Haruhi marveled at the surprisingly large interior of this tank, while Kyon slowly came down the ladder behind her, envying her attitude of this situation.
"This was my father's pride and joy." Isara replied as she situated herself in the driver's seat, a smile on her face. Though she had been silent most of the time so far, she could already tell that these strangers weren't anything like the Imperials.
"It's certainly been well-designed...despite being a bit dated..." Kyon commented, his eyes scanning the various controls and other mechanical workings of this mammoth device. While this tank was large and imposing, Kyon was beginning to have a strange feeling that all of this reminded him just a bit too much of something from a bygone World War I era. Either way, he didn't feel like questioning the origins of this technology now, and taking a seat against one of the interior support platforms, he let himself relax slightly.
"We need to get back to Bruhl now!" Alicia stated in a worried voice. All this talking was taking everyone's mind out of the situation at hand, and that was the fact that they had been ambushed, and if they didn't act soon, Bruhl could very well be ambushed as well.
"Alright. Let's go, Isara." Welkin said from the gunner seat, his eyes already focusing themselves through the large tank binoculars which enabled him to see the enemy ahead. Isara nodded in the driver seat, and she started up the engine of the Edelweiss. Gripping onto the wheel, Isara put on a more serious face as the treads of the tank began to slowly lurch forward.
Well...I don't think we're getting anywhere anytime soon at this pace...
A loud hum could be heard, and in an instant, the tank's speed increased dramatically, and roared forward, causing both Kyon and Haruhi to almost lose their balance. Alicia felt hope rise in her heart, as just the speed of this tank was impressing her quite a bit.
Never mind...
Kyon held onto a nearby handhold, and tried his best to breathe normally as the tank sped forward, crashing through the wooden garage door before them. They were fully visible in the sunlight, and it was at this point that the Imperials fully became aware of their presence.
"They're going to try and block us off!" Alicia stated from what she could see while standing beside Isara. Welkin was already aiming the main cannon towards the multiple Imperial-class tanks and soldiers situated on the long dirt road ahead.
"Beat them up, Welkin!" Alicia barked back at the gunner, who raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Wouldn't I be blowing them rather than beating them up?" he asked innocently, causing Kyon to just hit himself in the forehead. Haruhi was ignoring the entire situation, more interested in watching Isara drive the tank more than anything else.
There's something about this guy that I find very strange...
"...just blow them up!" Alicia said in annoyance, before turning back to Isara's side. Welkin just felt even more confused, and just went back to gunning.
"...guys are such idiots sometimes..." Alicia quietly mumbled. She heard a voice speak from the other side of Isara.
"Tell me about it."
Haruhi knew exactly how she felt right now.
An explosion of dust and dirt caught everyone's attention almost immediately, signifying that the Imperials were unleashing their tank salvos upon them. Isara swerved the Edelweiss to a sharp right, dodging another tank shell that might have gotten them on their left flank.
In his gunner seat, Welkin let loose one of the Edelweiss's powerful tank shells, causing troops to scatter from the massive blast that the shot created. The powerful rocking sensation that accompanied the shots caused Kyon and Haruhi to both come close to losing their balance, with Haruhi being the one to grab Kyon by the arm and stop him from falling over. Kyon was fearful for his life again, while Haruhi seemed to be treating this more like an amusement park ride more than anything else. As the Imperials continued to fire, the Edelweiss's speed allowed it to avoid all of the shots, and before long, Isara had weaved the monstrous vehicle right through the Imperials that had tried to blockade them, leaving a trail of dirt and dust as the Edelweiss easily bypassed the Imperials.
"Just what kind of machine is that..." one of the Imperial officers said as he put down his binoculars. By this time, the Edelweiss was far in the distance, having outmatched them in both speed and power. His soldiers were already regrouping, and to avoid looking afraid, he barked down to them as loud as he could.
"Get back in formation! Onward towards the town!"
–
It wasn't too long of a ride back to Bruhl, but Kyon was just glad to be out of that life or death situation . He had been sweating slightly, but most of his worry had subsided by now, and he felt actually relaxed for once.
"Once we get back to Bruhl, we need to be ready for the Imperial advance. They're probably already chasing after us now." Alicia said to everyone else, as she checked the ammunition in her rifle. She had enough, but she still couldn't help but be worried anyway. There could very well be many more Imperials than just the ones they had seen.
"Why are we even here? Not to mention I still don't even get where here is!" Kyon said out of annoyance. He didn't want to be part of this war, and the fact that Haruhi could very well be the one who threw him into it along with her was just pissing him off even more. He could feel a headache coming on.
"You're...really not from here, are you?" Welkin asked, rubbing his chin in curiosity. Kyon gave him a sort of surprised look.
What was your first hint!?!
"None of that matters anyway! This place is way more exciting than North High anyway. I think we should stay with these people, Kyon." Haruhi announced, and Kyon could tell her good mood was overflowing now. She had gotten her wish.
Despite all the confusion behind this, Kyon was beginning to figure part of this problem out. Haruhi's statement had taken them somewhere else; somewhere he or she had never even heard of. He knew full well that Haruhi wasn't taking this seriously, and she could very well think it was all a just a dream or a big game. At the same time, he knew that he just couldn't tell her that her god-like powers where the cause of them being here. He was caught in a situation where his actions could compromise the very universe.
Kyon sighed deeply, and wished he could get some rest already. Welkin wondered just what he was worrying about, while Haruhi didn't seem to care much either way. Her mind was more focused on this strange new world, and just how different it was from her boring old one.
"Where are you two from?" Alicia asked, suddenly becoming curious herself. Haruhi's style of dress might have signified her as a member of the Gallian Navy, but from what Alicia could tell, she probably didn't even know what that was.
"It's a boring place. You wouldn't want to hear about." Haruhi replied, without any enthusiasm in her voice. She almost didn't want to talk to this Alicia girl anyway. Her ability to take charge was beginning to bug Haruhi a bit.
"So how is he related to you then? Are you two together or something?" Alicia asked, sounding innocent despite the fact that she wanted to purposely tick Haruhi off for not telling her anything.
In an instant, Haruhi's face went red, and she turned around, pointing an accusing finger at Alicia.
"He's just a lowly Brigade Member! Nothing more!"
Alicia smiled slightly. Maybe this girl had a weak point after all.
"Whatever you say, Brigade Chief." she replied jokingly. Kyon shook his head back and forth, while Welkin once again seemed to be out of the loop, confused as why Haruhi had gotten so worked up over such a small comment.
Meanwhile, Isara had brought the Edelweiss to a stop, right near a large shed near the outskirts of Bruhl. People were already beginning to come out to see this new vehicle that had stopped by their town, and as Alicia was heading for the top hatch, Isara's eyes widened in worry when she could see men coming towards them, weapons in hand. One of them was specifically holding a rocket propelled grenade launcher, and he was pointing it towards the Edelweiss.
Alicia managed to get out of the hatch at the perfect moment, and as she made sure to wave as quickly as she could, shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Wait! We're not Imperials! Don't fire!"
Recognizing Alicia instantly, the men had already begun lowering their weapons, and Alicia smiled in relief as she looked down towards Welkin and the others, knowing that they were safe for the time being.
_
TIME: 4:15 PM
LOCATION: BRUHL, GALLIA
"Hmm...they're really pushing to take us, aren't they?"
Alicia had already described the current situation to the highest ranking person in charge at the moment, which was Merkel Susstin. Merkel was a bearded, loud man who seemed to enjoy the taste of battle a little too much, at least from Alicia's perspective. Their original commander, Larkin, had taken the liberty of helping to evacuate the rest of the civilians from Bruhl, so command of the rest of the Militia forces had been left to Merkel. Though Merkel trusted Alicia's word, he was instantly skeptical of Welkin, his Darcsen sister, and these two strangers who seemed to know absolutely nothing about Gallia or its conflict with the Empire.
"So you don't have any combat experience, and these two don't even know how to use a gun correctly?" Merkel asked, and despite being a little embarrassed, Welkin nodded. His sister was already worried, mostly because she knew that this man was wary of her purely because he could tell she was a Darcsen.
"They'll fight alongside us if they have to! I'm not letting the Imperials take this town from us!" Alicia stated with courage, and this only worried Kyon even more than he already was.
Does she want us to die too? At this rate, she and Haruhi could be best friends already...
"I'll fight! I'll do it for the glory of the SOS Brigade!" Haruhi also stated with equal vigor. She gave Alicia a fiery look, and it was clear that she wouldn't just let this girl take the spotlight already. Kyon once again put a hand on Haruhi's shoulder, and spoke as calmly as he could.
"This is a war, Haruhi. This is not some sort of game. Do you really want to get us killed, when we don't even know how we ended up here in the first place?"
Haruhi turned once again, and glared at Kyon with a discontented expression.
"Don't be such a coward. They obviously need our help."
Kyon just sighed again.
She's not even on this planet.
"I think we'll make due without it. I suggest the rest of you retreat with civilians. The Militia will take care of things from here." Merkel said point-blank, which only seemed to infuriate Haruhi. Kyon put his hand on her shoulder again, and that was enough to stop her from socking him in the face. Even still, Alicia was beginning to feel useless, and Isara just got more worried when she overheard the Militia men saying they were planning on using their only two tanks against the Imperials.
"Wait! We can help you with the Edelweiss!" Welkin protested, but Merkel was practically ignoring him now. He was inspecting one of the old tanks in the shed, and watching as his men performed last minute matienence on it.
"I don't need a novice going into battle and getting himself killed, and I certainly don't need a Darcen's help. We'll take care of things from here. Like I said, you should consider retreating with the rest of the civilians."
"Sussin-san!"
The two boys from before, Jean and Miguro, ran to the front of the shed, their faces looking worried.
"The Imperials! They're here!"
Merkel smiled to himself, and he motioned to his troops to board the two tanks. The time had come to show these Imperials just what they were made of.
Meanwhile, Isara watched sadly as the tanks rolled out, because she knew that they weren't in any condition to fight. In fact, they would power down soon enough, and that would just make the Militia soldiers driving them sitting ducks.
_
"I can't believe they won't even let us fight!" Haruhi complained, as she watched wounded soldiers being carried in by the efforts of Alicia and a blond-haired girl named Susie. Haruhi was effectively pissed that she hadn't gotten a taste of battle yet, while Kyon was actually more relieved that they weren't being forced to fight right now.
"They'll take care of them. Don't worry about it." Alicia said halfheartedly, as she watched Susie stop the bleeding on one soldier's hurt leg. Welkin could tell by the sound of her voice that something was wrong, and by this time, he realized that with such a small amount of soldiers, the Militia didn't stand much of a chance. Isara hadn't said much since they had rolled out, but she also knew that with those tanks in such bad condition, their chances of winning were slim to none.
And how long will it be till they get to us....
Kyon walked outside of the safety of the shed for a moment, and in the distance, he could see what looked like two very tall, twin windmills. Though he hadn't seen much of the town yet, he figured Bruhl was probably very quiet and peaceful. With all the smoke coming up from buildings now, it certainly hurt his mood and probably the mood of everyone else. As Kyon watched silently, hands in his pockets, a powerful explosion rocked against twin windmills, and Kyon's face became shocked as the windmills began to go aflame. At this moment, Alicia had happened to see why he was outside, and she also got a glimpse of just what was happening to their town in the distance.
"They're...they're destroying everything..." Susie said as she too noticed the smoke and the now burning windmills. She felt dizzy all of a sudden, and she could feel herself fainting from the terrible sight. Haruhi managed to catch her right before she hit the ground, and she felt a strange connection to this girl mostly because she reminded her of Mikuru Asahina quite a bit.
"Alicia-san!" a voice said from a few feet away. Alicia turned, and she could see her two subordinates from before, Jean and Miguro, coming their way. Jean was actually helping his companion walk, as Miguro seemed to be limping from a wound on his leg. Both of them no longer had their rifles.
"He's wounded!" Haruhi exclaimed, suddenly feeling alarmed. Seeing these two kids injured like this was starting to make her opinion on this battle change entirely.
"What happened to the rest of the Militia?" Alicia asked in a worried voice, as a now recuperated Susie helped Miguro to a comfortable spot where she could tend to his leg wound. Jean looked up Alicia with an unsure, almost afraid face, then spoke in a quiet voice.
"The Imperials...they..."
Welkin put a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. He knew nothing else needed to be said.
Nearby, the sound of a small truck coming caught almost everyone's attention. Haruhi was the first to run out and see just who was coming out of it, followed by Alicia, who made sure to bring her rifle for safe measure.
The truck stopped by the old shed where the wounded lay, and a stout, short man walked out of it. He was none other than Commander Larkin, and he looked relatively pleased as Alicia and Haruhi both approached him. Kyon, Welkin and Isara were right behind them, and Larkin waited till they were all gathered around before speaking.
"I don't know who these strangers are, but it seems that the civilian evacuation was successful. You've all done well."
Alicia felt a little better hearing this, as did the others. Nevertheless, Larkin's facial expression changed as he glanced over towards the wounded. He could see that perhaps he had arrived a little late.
"The Regulars have dispatched a battalion to come to our aid. I suggest we take our retreat now and let the Gallian Army take care of the rest of the Imperials."
Kyon suddenly felt his mood rise up.
"That sounds like the best course of action now." Welkin stated, causing both Alicia and Haruhi to raise questioning looks. Kyon merely stood by Welkin, his spirits having been raised.
"I completely agree with Gunther-san!"
Haruhi just gave Kyon another death glare, while Alicia seemed to nearly giggle at Kyon's attitude towards the situation. Nevertheless, Welkin had sense in his words, and retreating was probably the best course of action for them now. Alicia took another look towards Bruhl, and felt saddened by the sight of the still-burning Sister Mills. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, and she swore inside that she would make sure the Imperials paid for their actions. She promised it to herself.
_
"We're retreating in this?" Kyon asked, a little confused that they were back inside the Edelweiss. Alicia was equally confused, and she had thought that Welkin wanted to retreat with the rest of the wounded, and not go forward with this tank instead.
"I figured it would be the best way. We can get out of Bruhl, and possibly injure part of the Imperial force at the same time. That way, it'll be easier for the Regulars to take care of the rest." Welkin replied, and Alicia had to admit that his answer did in fact make a lot of sense. Satisfied with Welkin's idea, she went back to Isara's side. The Edelweiss was already starting up again, and both Haruhi and Kyon both held on tightly to anything they could as the tank began to pick up speed.
"Our goal is to just make it past what's left of the Imperials. Once we do that, we can meet up with the rest of the evacuated and wounded." Welkin stated, as he could already see that Imperial-class tanks ahead as they approached Central Bruhl. The Edelweiss's monstrous treads made crushing noises against the paved road, and its approach was certainly loud enough to alert all the Imperial soldiers ahead.
"It's the tank from before! All units, fire!" an Imperial officer commanded, and the battalion of tanks opened fire at the approaching Edelweiss. Isara's maneuvers made them miss most of their shots, and the one shell that did hit the front of the Edelweiss's plating literally bounced off it and ricocheted into a building roof behind it. The officer nearly dropped his binoculars at the sight, but regained his composure and shouted more commands to his troops.
"We've got more firepower than them! Keep firing!"
As if giving a vicious reply to his command, a destructive shell from the Edelweiss's cannon crashed into one of his tanks nearby, blowing metal apart and causing troops to scatter. Isara was already swerving the Edelweiss around to dodge yet another tank shell, while Welkin was aiming his sights to unleash another shot on one of the enemy units. Alicia was a little bit awe at how effective of a team Isara and Welkin were, and Haruhi remained excited as ever while Kyon worried over how long their armor would last.
"Go towards the center, Isara! Another shot should scatter them and allow for an opening!" Welkin exclaimed, and the sound of another roaring shell followed. Isara held onto the wheel tightly, and the tank rocked slightly as another enemy tank shell bounced right off it's plating. The Edelweiss unleashed another powerful shot on the enemy ahead, causing troops to run towards opposite sides, their ranks having been broken in the confusion.
"There's the opening!" Alicia exclaimed, pointing towards the sudden gap that had been created in the middle of the Imperial Battalion. The engine responded quickly to Isara's expert driving, and the Edelweiss seemed to speed up even faster as it roared right through the opportunity before it. Kyon held on for dear life, while Haruhi's heart was just beating faster from all the excitement around her.
With a final surge of speed, the Edelweiss sped right past the Imperial forces, leaving many confused and frightened by its ferocity and its unnatural speed. By this point, the officer in command was in awe.
"Sir! The Gallian Army is descending on us!"
The officer looked down at his subordinate, and held back his now growing anger. He threw his pair of binoculars on the ground in defeat.
"Damn it! All units...retreat!"
_
Alicia took in a deep breath of fresh air as she finally got to leave the interior of the Edelweiss. They were surrounded by members of the Gallian Army now and Bruhl refugees alike, and they'd managed to make it out of Bruhl without losing anyone.
"Once again, the SOS Brigade triumphs!" Haruhi exclaimed valiantly as she came out of the top hatch right after Alicia. It was getting close to sunset now, and despite the large number of soldiers and wounded, it was oddly quiet. Alicia had other things on her mind, and as Welkin exited the Edelweiss, he could see her walking off by herself. He wondered just what she was thinking.
I'm just glad we're alive...
Kyon felt like most of this excursion had been one conflict after another, and he was glad that they had a moment's rest for once. Stepping down from the top of the tank, he looked for Haruhi, only to find that she had wandered off. He sighed, and hoped she wouldn't get lost among all these people. They still didn't know much about this strange world.
"Damn...where did she go?" Kyon said in annoyance. He would rather Haruhi didn't wander off like this.
"Your friend Haruhi? I think she followed Alicia." Welkin replied, pointing to where the two of them had gone. From where they were next to the Edelweiss, they could both see Haruhi and Alicia by a very tall tree, and they seemed to be overlooking Bruhl. Kyon wondered why Welkin had just called her Haruhi instead of Suzumiya-san, but he ignored that minuscule fact and figured he'd rather find out what was up with his Brigade Chief.
__
"I never thought it would all happen so fast."
Haruhi was leaning against a tree, listening to Alicia speak as the two of them overlooked what was left of Bruhl. Though Haruhi still didn't like this girl that much, even she had to admit that something like this must be pretty emotional for her. Alicia was relatively quiet in her speaking, and she spent a few minutes just gazing at a tiny, Lion's Paw flower in her hand.
"It's just amazing how quickly it all changed. I was so used to a peaceful life as a baker." Alicia said in a sorrowful tone, and she let the Lion's Paw flower in her hand drift into the wind. Haruhi crossed her arms, and didn't exactly know what to say at first. She cleared her throat, and tried to speak without sounding annoyed.
"You're a baker?"
Alicia smiled a little bit, and turned to face Haruhi.
"Yeah, I was. I still am too. It's just...my priorities are changing now."
"The same could be said for all of us." Welkin said from behind Alicia, with Kyon and Isara by his side. He had overheard some of their conversation. Kyon had too, but he was mostly surprised that these two hadn't killed one another yet.
"The Army said they're abandoning Bruhl..." Susie quietly said from behind Isara. Worry was clear on her face and easily apparent in her voice. Alicia's facial expression became softer for a second, but it quickly changed to one that showed she wasn't all that sad.
"We'll come back here, Susie. I know we will. And when we come back, we'll make it better than it was before." Alicia replied as she gazed at the damaged Sister Mills in the distance. Welkin put a hand on her shoulder, and offered her a friendly smile. She silently thanked him for being concerned, and turned her attention to everyone around her now.
"I was thinking about joining the Regular Army's Militia. Maybe...we can do something to end this war as quickly as possible."
"Why is everyone fighting anyway?" Kyon asked out of curiosity, hoping that a simple question like this would be answered clearly and concisely. He needed at least some sort of sensible answer right now.
Welkin was the one to answer him, his calm voice gathering everyone's attention at once.
"Gallia has some of the largest ragnite deposits in all of Europa. It's a neutral nation, but it has undoubtedly become a war spoil that the Empire wants dearly."
"Ragnite? What's that?" Haruhi said, a bit curious herself. She had a stray grass blade in her mouth, playing around with it like a toothpick as she leaned against the same tree.
"It's a valuable resource used by both the Imperial Alliance and the Federation. A need for more ragnite has managed to cause conflicts in the past, and it seems like the Empire is tired of waiting for more. They figured taking Gallia would be easy." Alicia interjected, and a silence emerged between the group for a few moments. Haruhi already had plans formulating themselves in her mind, while Kyon was thinking about how they would be getting themselves out of this predicament more than anything else.
"But either way, I'm still set on joining the Gallian Militia. If I can help end this war faster, then that's good enough for me." Alicia announced, before walking right past Welkin and Kyon, a super-serious look on her face. Isara almost immediately went to her brother's side, and whispered quietly in his ear.
"What are we going to do now, Onii-san?"
Welkin gave her a small smile, and whispered back to her.
"Don't worry. I've got a good idea of where we're going next."
Meanwhile, Haruhi was next to Kyon again, and she looked a little dissatisfied. Kyon wondered just when their troubles would end already.
"Militia, huh? Sounds like an interesting way to make the Brigade known to all these people! I think we should join up!" she said exclaimed loudly, much to Kyon's surprise.
"What? Have you gone crazy? We're talking about the military here!" Kyon protested, but Haruhi had already roughly grabbed him by the tie, and just glared him with the familiar, adventurous glint in her eyes.
"Exactly! This is a one in a lifetime chance to make the SOS Brigade more famous than ever! And as a member of the Brigade, this is not something you can refuse, Kyon!"
Kyon looked into Haruhi's eyes for a few seconds, searching for any sign that she knew what she was saying. Having given up quickly, he just sighed to himself, and a big smile formed on Haruhi's face. A few feet away, Isara had witnessed the entire thing, and was giggling to herself a little bit. She whispered again in her brother's ear.
"You've met some interesting friends, Onii-san."
_
TIME: 9:10 AM
LOCATION: RANDGRIZ, GALLIA
"What!?! This is some sort of joke! It has to be!"
Susie was keeping her distance from Alicia, who looked very pissed at the sight of Haruhi Suzumiya in front of her. All three girls were dressed in standard Gallian Military uniforms, and all three were currently in a four-bunk room, located in a large military academy in Gallia's capital city, Randgriz. Having decided to join the Militia, Haruhi had effectively followed Welkin and Isara, forcing Kyon to come along with her. She had become dead-set on joining the Militia, and Kyon had believed that it stemmed from the fact that she probably thought more excitement would be found in battle than anywhere else. Despite his best efforts, Kyon had been unable to convince her that this was all a very bad idea.
Now, Haruhi was standing right in front of Alicia, a victorious expression on her face. Alicia was angry, mostly because she had only now just found out that Haruhi would be one of her bunk-mates. Since they didn't exactly get along too well, this only seemed to be a hindrance in Alicia's eyes. On top of this, Alicia was still unaware that Welkn, Kyon and Isara were also present at this Academy. She was more focused on the terrible thought of actually having to sleep in the same room as Haruhi more than anything else.
"I'm sorry, but the Brigade Chief needs lodging as well. If I'm going to fight for the honor of the SOS Brigade, then I'm going to need somewhere to sleep." Haruhi commented nonchalantly, much to Alicia's displeasure.
"Just what is this stupid "SOS Brigade" you keep blabbering about?" Alicia retorted, as Haruhi's manner of speaking was really getting on her nerves.
"What is the SOS Brigade? I'll tell you just what it is!"
"Our goal is to find as many time travelers, espers and aliens, and have fun with them! If you have a problem with that, then you'll have to submit it in writing to the Brigade Chief, otherwise, I don't want to hear it!" Haruhi replied with the intent of sounding smarter than Alicia. Susie was still afraid to say anything, and Alicia just looked back at Haruhi like she had seven heads. She then smiled, and shook her head back and forth, chuckling to herself.
"We'll see if you're this loud at basic training tomorrow. War isn't all the fun and games you think it is, Haruhi."
Haruhi narrowed her eyes, barking back at Alicia like a vicious dog.
"That's Brigade Chief to you, human!"
"Can you even hear yourself? You sound crazy!"
Listening on the other side of the door, Kyon sighed deeply. He was stuck in this uniform now, having enlisted in something completely against his will. He wondered just why he was following Haruhi like this, and if it might eventually lead to his own demise. He'd been through some crazy stuff in the past, but this was by far the craziest. He moved his ear away from the door, knowing he'd heard enough by now.
"What exactly are you doing?" Welkin asked behind him, which managed to scare Kyon just a little bit and cause him to flinch. Welkin just raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Nothing..."
"Were you eavesdropping?" Welkin asked innocently. Kyon didn't say anything in response, but instead moved away from the door so he didn't look suspicious any longer.
"To be honest, I still don't like any of this..." Kyon then commented, before the door in front of Welkin opened up, revealing none other than a sufficiently angered Alicia. She stopped as she opened the door, and became suddenly surprised that not only was Welkin actually here, and in a uniform, but he was also suspiciously on the other side of her door.
"Wha...What are you doing here? And why are you in front of our door? What did you hear!?!" Alicia exclaimed to Welkin's face, and his mood seemed to drop the moment he realized that he had angered her quite a bit. Behind Welkin, Kyon had already taken his leave, and he figured he would rather find something else to do until they had their first formal meeting as members of the Gallian Militia rather than stay put and feel Alicia's wrath. He sighed, but continued walking even though Alicia's shouting towards a quiet Welkin just got louder and louder.
Sorry, Welkin...but you're on your own. She's a definite equivalent of Haruhi in her own right.
_
Miles away from the capital city of Randgriz, the wilderness lay relatively undisturbed. The sun continued to shine down on the countryside as usual, and there were relatively no sounds save for the music that nature provided. It was quiet, and it was peaceful.
Beneath the tall grass of a vast field, a tiny pig innocently ate some of the shorter grass on the ground as nature provided a gentle breeze above. Unlike most normal pigs, it had wings on its back, but it never actually used them much. The pig continued to happily munch along, enjoying itself until something began to disturb its eating.
It was a ringing noise, and the tiny noise seemed to build up in the pig's big, pink ears as more time continued to pass. Soon, the pig had stopped eating, and it was now squealing in discomfort as the noise became louder and more unbearable. It rubbed its head against the ground, squealing even louder as the noise didn't seem to cease at all.
Finally, the horrible ringing noise stopped. The pig opened its eyes, and looked around , confused. The noise was gone now, and it figured it would continue to eat again in the comfort of nature.
However, a bright blue flash of light caught the pig's attention right before it was about to chomp on more grass. It was as if a giant azure vortex appeared behind the animal, and it subsided in the same second it came, leaving two huge shapes behind. The pig became curious, and moved closer to the new objects that literally had planted themselves in the middle of this field.
They were in essence two massive, robotic humanoids. Both were primarily red, and they looked surprisingly shiny and new. One was a small, almost head-like machine with tiny arms and legs, and the other was a much more massive, fanged robot, with distinct diamond-shaped glasses. Both robots had very little when it came to bodies, but a lot when it came to faces.
Below these two huge robots, were the shapes of three sleeping people, who had yet to be aware of their new surroundings. One was a tall and imposing male who used a discarded cape as a blanket, and sleeping next to him was a much smaller boy, who sported what looked like miner's goggles. All the way to the right slept a red-haired, scantily clad girl, who was holding onto a very long rifle as if it was some sort of stuffed animal. All three continued to sleep soundly, until the curious pig managed to start sniffing the smaller boy, having become interested in these new people.
"...that feels great, Yoko..." Simon moaned in his sleep, not knowing that reality didn't exactly correlate with his secretive dream. He rustled in his sleep, and slowly, the pig's presence began to wake him up.
At first, Simon was only looking up at the sky, and he admired the warmth of the sun, and the comfortable breeze that was coming over him. The pig had backed away by now, preferring to observe this strange person from a distance. Then, rubbing his eyes, Simon sat up, and took a good look at the surrounding countryside. It was very unrecognizable to him, but he yawned indifferently anyway.
It was then that the pig's squeal brought him to reality, and he realized his surroundings were just too different than the one's he'd fallen alseep in. His eyes widened in shock.
"What the?"
"Aniki! Wake up, wake up!" Simon nearly shouted in panic, nudging his sleeping comrade over and over again, until he could feel him stirring. The older male's loud and charasmatic voice seemed to almost reach the heavens.
"SIMON! Why would you wake your brother up so roughly? Kamina-sama needs his rest for a reason!"
The older male, who was none other than Kamina, the self-proclaimed leader of the Dai-Gurren Brigade, seemed to leap awake in a dramatic fashion. His cape went around him majestically, and he put on his transparent, diamond-shaped red glasses on at the same time. A grin was on his face, but it began to disappear as he realized that they were no longer in their former surroundings.
"Something happened to the rest of the world." Simon said with worry in his voice as he pointed to the land around them, and Kamina's jaw seemed to drop at the beautiful countryside that had replaced the blasted wasteland where they had just spent the night.
"Why are you two always so loud..." Yoko said groggily, as she too began to awaken from her slumber. After fully waking up, it only took her seconds to notice the change in surroundings, and her eyes widened in surprise at the new landscape that they had all somehow woken up in.
Kamina was still in awe. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. The beauty of this land was almost too much for him. In but a moment's notice, his grin began to return. He turned back to both Simon and Yoko, and the precious Gurren and Lagann robots behind them. His glasses glinted brightly in the sunlight, and his cape flowed almost perfectly behind him.
"I have figured it all out! We've done it!"
"What have we done, Aniki?" Simon asked, suddenly curious.
Kamina grinned even wider, then pointed a finger up to the sky. He gave a dramatic pose, and his voice could be heard almost a mile away.
"We've finally reached the heavens!"
With that comment, Yoko just hit herself in the forehead and sighed deeply. For the longest time, she had always wondered why men like him could be so dense.
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Everyone loves Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. And if you don't, you need to! :)