AN- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Wow… honestly I wasn't expecting this fic to get such a nice reception. I was expecting to get pelted with assorted sharp, pointy objects for writing such a thing, but I'm happy I wasn't, since, as you know, I'm allergic to stab wounds. ^^; lol. Again, sorry about the dream, but what can I say, Shadow loves blood. ^^; heh… man I bet half of you thinking 'why the hell hasn't ShadowRebirth37 been locked up in loony bin yet?!' but I assure you, I'm not totally insane. Just kidding. XP But, I hope you like this next chapter!! Again, this was written almost a year ago, so again it won't be of my normal 'exceptional' quality. XP just kidding again. But, it has that nice vintage charm to it, and this was in fact one of my best early works. Anyway, here is chapter 2- The Starting Journey!!
Note- I forgot to mention this in the last chapter. Since this fic is AU, that means character death is a real possibility. This fic will get bloody in later chapters, to the point that I may have to bump the rating up to 'M', but that won't be for several chapters. Also, this fic takes place 2 years before Chaotic Century, so that means Raven and Ibeyla are 12 years old. This also means Raven isn't going to be as mean as he was in the anime, and also growing up with sweet little Ibeyla no doubt made him a little nicer. ^^;
Raven walked through the deserted hallways towards the Zoids hangar, Shadow plodding noisily behind him. He already was annoyed that he was late, and the stop in the infirmary had only made him even later. But he knew that getting his wound properly dressed was imperative, after all, he was going to spending a week in the middle of the desert, far away from any sort of help. 'An infection out there could be fatal, especially in my hand; I wouldn't be able to pilot, and with those bandits out there and Shadow, that could be very bad…' Raven thought, subconsciously glancing down at his now-bandaged wrist. The white of the gauze was just barely visible through the tear in his sleeve, from where Shadow's fang had ripped through. He had washed the blood from the fabric, so now it looked like nothing had happened, save the slit in the tough cloth.
Shadow made a low growl as they approached the Zoids hangar, making Raven glance back at his 'partner' warily. The ebony Organoid looked right at him and made a rumbling noise, his razored teeth showing in a half-hearted attempt at a smile. Raven tore his gaze from his Organoid as he neared the entrance to the hangar, reaching out and grasping the door handle.
The moment he opened the door, he was met with the thunderous clamor of the hangar. He blinked for a moment before he walked inside, Shadow following closely behind him. The deafening roars of countless Zoids and the clanking of machinery was loud enough that most people would have found it unbearable, but Raven seemed completely unfazed by the din of the hangar as he made his way towards the Zoid cubicle. The evenly spaced stalls housed the Zoids of the higher ranked and important pilots, and were where he and Ibeyla kept their Zaber Fangs.
Walking past dozens of soldiers and Zoids, he came to the stall he was looking for and stopped. His Zaber Fang stood still as stone in its pen, its crimson color and weaponry shining in the artificial light. Raven looked his Zoid over, and realized that someone had altered its armor. Thicker plates covered its sides and chest, making the Zoid look portly and ungainly. Why the new armor had been installed on his Zoid, Raven didn't know, and he honestly didn't care.
The Zaber Fang's emerald eyes flashed in the pale light, the powerful Zoid yawning and shaking its head. Seeing its pilot, the feline Zoid bowed down to Raven's level, opening the cockpit for him. Raven climbed up and strapped himself into the pilot's chair, flicking various switches and turning on some of the displays. The Zoid made a rumbling growl as it lifted its head, taking a step forward on its own.
Raven pushed the controls foreword, guiding the crimson feline towards the hangar doors. Despite its great size, the Zoid deft maneuvered through the crowded hangar, avoiding stepping on people and machinery and bumping other Zoids. The Zaber Fang made its way through the open double doors, Shadow following slowly behind in the air.
"About time Raven!!" Ibeyla huffed as she opened a link to the red Zaber, a rather unhappy look on her face.
"You're the one who told me to put that flower in my room, and I had to wake Shadow up and deal with his in- never mind…" Raven trailed off, "Ibeyla, do you know why Prozen ordered new armor be put on my Zoid? The old armor was just fine…" he asked, noting Ibeyla's Zaber lacked the new armor.
"Beats me…" Ibeyla shrugged, "I thought I heard something about those bandits stealing some high-powered cannon or something… I don't know…"
"Hmm…" Raven steered his Zaber fang over beside Ibeyla's Zaber, Ethereal. It was built similarly to his own, except it was slightly thinner and more defined. Its pure white body glistened in the sun, causing its aqua eyes to stand out. The fangs were slightly shorter, but were narrower and sharper, perfect for stabbing into the vulnerable throats and armor joints of enemy Zoids. The slivered fangs and teeth were oriented in the mouth in such a way that the mighty Zoid seemed to be smirking. Its Gyro Caps were onyx black, a stark contrast to the milky color. The Assault/Flight unit that adorned its back bristled with weaponry, missiles and lasers, giving the Zaber added offensive power. Its silver claws were much sharper than a normal Zaber's, and could pierce even the armor of a Dark Horn.
"Are you ready to go Raven?" Ibeyla asked innocently, her Zoid shifting impatiently.
"Yeah, the sooner we're done the sooner we can get back." Raven replied, his Zoid starting foreword. Ibeyla's Zaber caught up in just a few strides; its light body making it faster and much more agile. Instead of pulling ahead, Ibeyla held the Zoid back, letting Raven lead. Obscura circled lazily above the cockpit like a bird, the Organoid's teal body glittering in the light. Shadow floated down and landed on top of Raven's cockpit, fanning his wings before he folded then, his eyes locked on the horizon.
'I hope Shadow can control himself during the mission, I don't want to have to shoot him or use the restraining collar on him…' he thought gloomily, keeping his eyes in the same direction as Shadow, '… I'm afraid if he looses it and attacks me, Ibeyla will do something rash and he'll go after her… I'd never be able to live with myself if I let something happen to her…' he mused, glancing over at the silent Zaber Fang beside him. Suddenly, he a shrill beep broke his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. A moment later, Major Schubaltz opened a link to his cockpit.
"So you're off already?" Karl asked, sitting within the cockpit of his own Zaber in the hangar.
"Yeah, the sooner we're done the better…" Raven answered, not mentioning Shadow's outburst to him.
"I was hoping to catch you before you left, what did Prozen need to talk to you about? I was just worried, after hearing how tense he was…" Karl asked lightly.
"Well… he… ugh…" Raven struggled to think something up, "P-Prozen just wanted… to give me the coordinates of the bandits' last known location…" he lied, although it wasn't at all believable.
"Raven, there's no need to lie, just tell me the truth…" Karl sighed, narrowing his eyes slightly and leaning back in his seat.
"Well… he wanted to tell me a few things about Shadow, that's all…" Raven muttered, a little unhappy that Karl had known he had been lying.
"Alright, I just wanted to be sure…" Major Schubaltz answered, "… you know I worry about the two of you, so be careful out there and don't go and get yourselves killed, because if you go and die and kill you myself!" he smirked.
"Whatever Karl…" Raven smirked, "… and don't worry, I won't let Ibeyla do anything too rash. I'll see you in a week, and I won't let those bandits kill me or Ibeyla, over and out." He added, cutting the link so he could see where he was going.
'… if Shadow doesn't kill me first…'
Shadow was perched on the top of the Zaber's cockpit, standing between its ears and watching the winds swirl the sands around the large Zoids. 'Why are these instincts acting up so suddenly? I've had them under control for so long, so why have they gained so much influence so suddenly? Have I let my control slip that much?' the black Organoid pondered, growling lowly, 'I have to watch myself, or else I'll tear Raven apart or hurt Ibeyla or Obscura…' he trailed off, not wanting to think of even laying a claw on any of them.
A flash of color to his right made Shadow turn, his sapphire eyes landing on Obscura, the female Organoid wheeling and turning acrobatically in the air with serine grace. 'Maybe she will be able to help me…' he thought, spreading his wings and gliding over to the white Zaber, landing softly on its back. Obscura immediately fluttered her wings and landed beside him with a curious growl.
/Shadow? Is everything all right? You seemed troubled…/ the female growled softly, lightly butting his shoulder with her snout.
/No Obscura… I… I feel I am going to hurt Raven…/ he replied quietly, bowing his head and closing his eyes with a sigh. Obscura pulled her head back and cocked it slightly, blinking her glowing amethyst eyes in confusion.
/Why would that be, Shadow? Raven is your partner, not your prey, so why would you feel the need to hurt him?/ Obscura questioned gently, folding her ruby wings and leaning a little closer to him, a concerned look in her soft eyes.
/I… I… I'm not sure…/ he lied, not wanting to share that he hadn't been able to properly bond with Raven, /… but I can't control my actions, I fear I will harm either he or Ibeyla, or you…/ he could sense Obscura tense at those words, though her eyes remained gentle and understanding.
/There is no need to worry Shadow…/ Obscura purred and licked his cheek to calm him, /… I will keep you from hurting both Raven or Ibeyla, you don't need to worry, you'll regain control…/ she crooned soothingly, spreading her wing over his back in a rough attempt at a hug.
/Thank you Obscura…/ Shadow sighed and curled up on the Zaber's back, /… I just hope you're right about that…/
/No worries, I always keep my word…/ she raised her head proudly, smiling somewhat haughtily, /… you just focus on keeping Raven in line, and I'll do the same with Ibeyla, but right now you better get some rest, you look like you didn't much sleep…/ she suggested, laying down beside him and laying her head beside his, /… nightmares are glimpses of the past and future that Mother Eve gives us to guide us, heed them always and follow their lessons carefully… that is what my mother always sang to us, remember Shadow?/
/Yes… your mother was wise in things such as this; I don't recall her ever being proven wrong about anything…/ Shadow replied, laying her neck across Obscura's, growling quietly. Obscura closed her eyes and sighed, relaxing. Shadow closed his eyes as well but didn't relax, his thoughts still buzzing around his mind. Obscura's presence always calmed and soothed him, after all, she was his only tie to his past, now that the rest of his family and friends were dead. He growled sadly and intertwined his foreclaws with hers, squeezing his eyes shut tighter as the memories of his family's death came back; the first time his instincts took control, the first time he had killed.
/It's alright Shadow, I know, that day was painful for both of us, we lost everything close to us except each other…/ Obscura said softly in a soothing tone, nosing his cheek lightly, /… Obsidian, Copper, Kai-Annai, Cairo, and both our parents, but think Shadow, if not for their deaths, we would not have left, and not have found those Statis pods…/
/You're right, but it still hurts Obscura…/ Shadow rumbled, not opening his eyes, tightening his grip on her hand, /… and I don't want to lose Raven or Ibeyla or Karl, they are our family now…/
'I just hope I can prevent my instincts from telling me to kill them…'
AN- yeah I know it was short and that it was terrible, but I've been really sick lately and to top it off, my dad's laptop died; the hard-drive gave out and it is on dire straights and unlikely to recover. The poor thing was almost 6 years old so it coming. But I still have my mom's old one, so don't worry, I still can type. XP But, I lost the next chapters of Broken, The Dark Savior, The Pit, and To Save a Raven because they were on the other laptop. So don't expect updates for those fics for a while. But, I hope you thought this chapter wasacceptable. Sorry for the absence, but I have like 5 freaking reports due for school and only 3 weeks left in the year. -_-; Summer's almost here so that means more updates!!! Yay! XP
Thank you so much for reading!! I hope you liked it!! Thanks again and please leave a nice review!! All flamers will be fed to Leiden and Geier!!
~Ibeyla ^^