Alright, alright, I admit I ripped off some back-stories here, but considering so many of them were reused over and over in this archive, I figured it would be okay. If you feel annoyed about it, feel free to let me know, 'cos you have every right to. Also, be warned for some foul language and sexual themes.

Some Experience Necessary

1.7

The fire licked the approaching night sky with tongues of orange and yellow sparks, the warmth a godsend as the desert grew cold and alive beneath their feet. Things scuttled in the underbrush, dislodging sand in some places, squeaking and fighting in others. Raven felt at home with these sounds because he knew what most of them were, and took steps to not have to bother with them – the last thing he wanted was a lizard up his jacket. His Zabrefang was now crouched and curled up, and his bed-roll was spread over a paw and safe from harm, but in the direct line of warmth from the fire below and with enough cover to ignore the prattling down below.

At least now the girls understood the importance of a uniform that you could move around in. Climbing down had been a mission in itself for Grace and Harmony – Lumina-la had sort of…fallen out, and Rosalita, who, funnily enough was now furthest away from the fire, had been quite happy to jump out un-aided.

They had all eaten, or at least taken some sustenance. That too, had been an effort. Raven didn't mind field rations, but Grace had been adamant that everyone have tea and be social and have, like, biscuits or something. Raven just set up the radio and set it for the broad-range trade talk which was usually the best place to pick up tips of zoids in the area. It was a good thing he was listening to the radio – he couldn't hear anything going on beneath him.

"It's so cold out here. Why is it so cold?" Lumina-La had not bothered to lay her bedroll down on the sand by the fire, she had it wrapped around her like some kind of strange cocoon.

Harmony turned to her, face still as passive as a brick, eyes luminous. "The desert is cold because it feels nothing for us. We are but grains of sand amidst its grip, slipping between time's fingers."

"…Or it just might be deserts get cold. You know. Maybe." Grace growled, knowing that sarcasm was very unladylike, but then most of her day had been unladylike. She felt very annoyed by all of this and was wishing she hadn't come despite knowing she had a very special mission. Her father had asked her to get close to Raven, and she'd liked the idea, having seen him at the social gatherings her father threw for the politicians and other ministers of parliament. He wasn't a primping, arrogant little snot like many of the boys she knew, and besides, Minister Prozen had that kind of, creepy hotness thing, about him. Banishing dirty thoughts from her supposedly innocent mind, she plucked at the hem of her jacket, looking up soulfully at the reclining form, his back to them. "Why is everyone else here? I know why I'm here, of course, but-"

"Why are you here?" Asked the Lumina-La caterpillar.

Harmony took this as being another chance to say something disturbing. "She's looking for sanctuary in the arms of death."

"Actually, daddy just wants me to get the inside scoop on Minister Prozen. He feels Raven's the way to do it."

Pale blue eyes widened. "Why?"

"Because he's Prozen's son, and with a lot of political influence? Why'd you think?"

"Oh." A pause before a rush of words: "I'm here because I'm going to find ZoidsEVE." For once, Lumina-La wasn't feeling sorry for herself. She was actually finding it quite nice out here despite having a zoid that only half worked and missing an organoid she couldn't quite remember. A big fat spider was currently spinning a web in the brush beside her, and she was watching it with amusement as the breeze kept blowing it off course. She felt a little sorry for it too, but then it was a silly spider to build a web so high. "I need to find my lost memories."

Silence reigned for a bit, complete with crackling flames and the distant shriek of something soft and furry getting eaten by something with feathers and claws.

"I am searching for a meaning to an end." Harmony said, feeling that this was the right time to reveal her true, if rather mentally unstable, nature. "I am an angel who has lost her wings and must…" She dramatically put her hand to her chest, the effect dampened by her being as flat as a pancake. "…find them to restore order to the souls of the universe."

She was vaguely aware of the eyes on her, but surprisingly it was Lumina-La to comment. "That sounds real nice and all, but doesn't explain much."

"I do not have to explain my treacherous path to you mere mortals!"

"It'd help, though." Grace sipped her tea. "Sounds like a lot of waffle to me. How about you, Rosalita? You've been brooding more than short, dark, and irritable up there." Rosalita had indeed not said a word, and sat gloomily by her zoid, staring into the flames. Maybe she was cold but it was hard to tell because she didn't seem to want to join anyone there. Grace frowned, and Harmony stared in disgust as Lumina-La urged a gecko to climb up the bush and get the spider. "Rosalita? Zi to Rosalita, come in!"

"I heard you just fine." Came the growl. Her eyes shone, liquid in the light. "I'm just here to avenge my parents."

"Why? What did they do?"

"They died."

It sounded very dramatic. With a plop, the gecko, complete with spider in mouth, dropped to the ground by Lumina-La's hands. "My parents died too, I expect, seeing as there are no other Zoidians I know of around. You have my sympathy, but, you know, it happens to everyone."

She was either being completely innocent about the whole matter, or a total bitch. Rosalita didn't care. "Shut up and cry a river!"

The insult flew over her head. "Oh no, I'm feeling much better now." She smiled at the lizard. "I'm going to name you Sticky! Want to be friends?"

Harmony took an interest however, because nothing sounded better than a genuine tragedy. "Were their lives spirited away by murderous bandits?"

"Oh, that's what I told the instructor. No." Her green eyes seem to come alight as she faced Harmony, being able to pull off the mad-demonic-mysterio in much better form. "Prozen had them killed."

A startled gasp went around the circle. Suddenly all of them were close, and had there been fluffy pyjamas and marshmallows, this would have been a sleepover.

"Oh my God, are you for serious?!" Grace hissed.

Rosalita drew herself up, tearfully. "It's totally true. They were amazing zoid pilots and scientists, and they discovered something really, really important, and Prozen killed them. You know, just because he could and all. He's so evil."

Harmony felt a thrill here, but didn't say anything. The dismay on Rosalita's face was too delicious. "But why the Empire? Shouldn't you have gone to the side of the Republic and joined their ranks to tear him down?"

"Pfft, you don't know shit about revenge, weirdo." The mood was broken as Rosalita eyed off her new rival with newfound zeal. "I'm going to get into the Imperial military, and I'm going to go up the ranks. I'm going to get him to trust me, through Raven, through Karl Shubaltz, through heaps of others, and when he least expects it; I'm going to kill him. But not before telling him."

It was at this time that Grace actually shrank away from the fire, her expression being that of mild, lady-like shock. Lumina-La was listening with rapt attention like a child being told a story.

Brushing a tuft of hair over her shoulder, Harmony looked down upon Rosalita with an evil glare. "That sounds rather childish to me. Very…petty."

This wasn't good at all. Rosalita curled her lip, angered at the disrespectful way her plan was being treated. "You have a better idea, weirdo?"

"Pfft, obviously." Harmony slipped out of character for a moment, flapping her hand at Rosalita's face in amusement. "Duh. You need to break the man before you kill him. Schmooze up to one of his subordinates, even him, doesn't he like little kids or something?" Her voice dropped, pointing theatrically to Raven as the other girls looked on, disgusted. "Just think, you totally get him over to your side, make him your patron or something, then break his heart and THEN a year later or something when he's a raving drunk, you kill him in the street. In full view of everyone. Or just leave him there, I don't know, people's last memory of the great and savage Minister Prozen is one of complete and total disgrace."

Rosalita considered this, playing with the end of her ponytail. "You know, that sounds really awesome, actually."

The four of them went quiet then as the plan sunk in, or in one case, leeched out of a pair of pixie-ears. With nothing more to say, suddenly it became rather uncomfortable, so Lumina-La broke the silence with a big grin. "Let's play I-Spy!"

The phrase brought Grace around from her horrified mental picture. "You two are sick." She muttered, getting up and dragging her own bedroll back to her zoid, following by Raven's example. And also so mean. I'll protect you, Raven. She clenched her fists with that thought, looking over her shoulder for a moment at the hunched form protecting what was possibly a can of beans from their meagre dinner an hour or so before.

Ewwwww. Beans.

Their truce was fake, but Rosalita flopped back down onto the mat, her mouth on autopilot and not caring for the wildlife currently attracted to the flames. She felt good about letting all that out, even though she was fifteen she'd been on the road for years you know, and so was just in her desire to kill the man who had destroyed her life. The only issue was that she was afraid of falling for Raven, even she'd not known him for a few hours or so. She felt so close to him, so close to that damaged, angry heart. They could be angry and damaged together and blow shit up. Shit would be so cash. Grace was an issue. Grace might tell Prozen…

Horrifyingly Harmony was thinking much the same thing, except it was coloured by the thoughts that it was her Destiny to be together with Raven and she would make him just as immortal as she was and they'd rule Zi together under a blanket of darkness and demons and stuff. There would be babies, but they'd be the horned demonic angel-winged kind Harmony fantasized about. She and Raven were Meant To Be, which meant she had to protect him from Rosalita's influence. She had no desire to help out Prozen, Rosalita could have him, but Raven, oh, tall, gorgeous, mature Raven would be hers. If Rosalita interfered, Harmony would do what was necessary to make sure their Destiny would be fulfilled. Her pale eyes took in the form of Grace, across their campsite. The same went for her. No idea what this whole political thing was about, but Grace was certainly one to be worried about.

Lumina-La just sort of fell asleep, slumping forward in her cocoon and snoring loudly, completely unconcerned that her companions each dismissed her as a wet tissue capable of speech. There was no mucus, but there was a very loud sneeze.

In the distance, noticed by none of the girls and ignored by Raven who was now fast asleep, the sand shifted, and optics flashed as they took the children, and the zoids, in. Claws clicked, and processors whirred menacingly. Patience was a virtue, however, so they did not attack, but the air-waves were filled with one word.

Organoid.

- To be continued.