Return of the Angels
Celine had easily been convinced to go back to the base with the rest of them. But it was just her crew that provided the difficulty. Understanding why, because they were former assassins and it's always been a hard job for assassins to trust people they didn't know, she put the responsibility on herself for them to trust her friends. So if something were to happen, so would split with her crew, never return and would most definitely not trust anyone besides the people that have earned her ultimate loyalty.
She glanced in her mirror to see her crew following behind her. The radar showed that the flyers were flying above, like a vulture following a prey that it has had its eye on for quite some time. Stalking like a predator! She would laugh at the humiliating times that Karl was reminding her off, telling the others of what they did together. Humiliating him was the best part and the only fun she ever had in the imperial army. The pair of them caught up more. Karl informing her of what they know and what's been happening, she even discovered that they knew Raven was back, but they hadn't expected him to run into her how he did.
She really didn't show she was surprised by anything.
Karl remembered her like that. Always being prepared for the unexpected! She may have changed in appearance, a hell of a lot, but she was still the same. In some parts of her old life that was. She had a name, her own name, given to her at her birth. She wasn't Sapphire any longer, she was Celine. He accepted it just as easily as he could accept the rain over the hot desert. He looked over to her zoid. It was different, truly different this time. Compared to the bulk of a zoid she had last time, this one was so amazingly different.
It was thinner with a long metal like tail with a blob at the end. The zoid resembled more of an actual lion this time. It was plain, looked nothing like a zoid that could fight, and it's only characteristic was the large horn that was on the centre of the zoid's forehead. It was as golden as the last zoid. That's one thing that didn't change. He smiled. So she was sticking to the colour of her zoids? She hasn't changed in all ways after all. He was happy about that. But there was an understanding that Karl was able to establish the moment his eyes gazed over its structure. Although the outer appearance showed there were no weapons, obviously there was some in its interior, hidden for a surprise attack.
She was being more inconspicuous with what she has been doing.
A secret fighting specialist!
Clever, he had to give her that. There was no way anyone would be able to tell that she is a fighter with that plain looking zoid.
By the time they had got back to the base of where the Guardian Force resides, it was turning dusk over the western horizon. Those of the Guardian Force, the superior officers had loaded their zoids in the hangers, whereas Celine and her crew kept theirs on the outside. There was no telling the reaction of the people here if something wrong were to go down. Karl met up with Celine just outside the hangers, and they waited patiently, chatting every so often to ease their silence. The others regarded the pair and felt awkward of interfering with them, so they stayed back, keeping silent and feeling awful with themselves.
The sight of an old man not having changed in appearance, or attitude, caused her to smirk as she watched as he strolled over to Karl. His gaze was extrusive as he tried to figure out who and why she was here. Doctor D, the man who has tried to get inside of her zoid and failed miserably. But before his words exited his mouth, those scientific eyes were upon Celine's zoids, taking in the simplicity that was presented to deceive the eyes of all. Of course; not his eyes!
She smirked as she saw him trying to figure out this zoid's secret. He knew it was a battle zoid for the way the zoid stood proudly as if it reigned over multiples of others. His eyes turned to her and raked over her. Suddenly there was a smirk upon his lips as he regarded her with cheeks painted pink. Crossing her arms over her chest, she showed that she was definitely not an easy girl to win over. For some reason, he understood her stance and dropped it without uttering a word. Raising an eyebrow in knowing, she smirked, and he suddenly turned back to her with an open mouth. He was going to ask how the hell he understood her stances and knew not to be trying anything.
But she knew he didn't recognize her.
"Come on, gramps," she said irritated. "You can't tell me you don't recognize me!"
"But I can say that, because I don't know you." He said it in a matter of fact tone.
She spread her arms out. "Come on, take a good look at me, and not in the perverted way either."
He regarded her with a scrutinizing gaze. Her golden blonde hair framed those extraordinary dark sapphire eyes that were lit up like sparkling stars in the night sky. He could place her in the absolutely gorgeous category, but she was beyond it. Almost...angelic… Then it occurred to him. Angelic, just like a female who had formerly been known as a species far beyond that of a human, an Angel! Sapphire was an Angel, the female before him held those angelic features. Could this person be…Sapphire?
"Long time no see, Doc. Just to inform you, my zoid is still the same, but just evolved, so don't try prying inside of it again."
"Sapphire… it's so good to see you again. Even if the first time we meet was when you were on the imperial's side. But I'm so glad that you've returned. I hear your friends with Van and the gang. How's that working out?"
"Could you talk anymore, Doc? I'm afraid I keep hearing voices that belong to an annoying old man."
"Dear, God, it is you!"
"Well actually, improved!" She said sheepishly, earning a puzzled look from him. "My name is Celine, Doc; Sapphire is a long time ago. Imperial soldier name, I found my real one."
"Excellent, it's so good that you've found your real name. Well then, let's all go inside and we can talk some more. Get better acquainted with each other and decide what we're going to do with you."
He allowed her to go before him, the others walked after Karl followed the pair of them. Into the main building where loads of Guardian Force soldiers from Republican and Imperial army were walking. Some of them had stopped and stepped to a side, bowing to their superiors, but they did look up and gaze at Celine with wonder. None of them knew who she was. Appearance and attitude having changed over the last three years, thanks to her new friends, she's become a much better person. She hasn't become the ruthless killer she has been before.
She noticed the walls were always the same colour. Grey, a plain boring, lack of vision of what brightness held in the future… No, that wasn't it at all. Don't judge books by their cover. That was what the saying was. She was judging by the cover, and yet she failed to acknowledge the feelings that were scattered everywhere in the atmosphere. There was undeniably hard times here, struggling against enemies, but they all were comrades and they got on together. It was a place that was held by one dream that all individuals in this base held high hopes for in the future. Everyone wanted it to come true.
She wondered what had caused them to create something that would repel against anyone that was rebelling against this new union. She was as sure as the existence of hell itself that it was certainly not her. There was no way she had been able to have caused this place to have come into existence. She pondered on it for a while, but there was nothing coming to her in the end. Someone had started it for some reason she would like to know. The double doors were opened up before her and she walked inside a large room that had a large screen right before her, behind the large round table that had some people sitting behind it.
She recognized some of them from the imperial army.
Besides Karl, there had been one other who she had opened herself up to. Someone she had called Uncle in times of need. She saw Karl as her Father, she saw this man as her Uncle, but she knew that although she recognized him, he wouldn't recognize her. Not one bit. She had changed too much for that. Even Karl had not been able to recognize her at first sight. She felt tears welling up, but she refused them release. He was an old man, a few years slightly older than Karl, but his hair was as golden orange as ever. His eyes looked ancient, but they were a loving grey that held secrets close to his heart, and it was those eyes that were gazing at her in such love and warmth, it was like she felt that he knew her.
"My, my, look how you have grown, my little Celestial."
She gasped in surprise and gazed at him in shock. He actually knew it was her?
That was certainly his nickname he had given her. Celestial, just like the celestial beings Angels have been seem to be looked at. Celestial beings… a divine hope against the demons that invade this planet, with the human none the wiser. But she couldn't help but racing towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck as he picked her and spun her around like he used to do when she was so much younger. He released her and placed a hand on top of her head and with his finger he wiped away those eyes that had found their release.
"My child, you no longer appear lost like before. You have finally found yourself at long last." His eyes held secrets that she had always been able to see within his eyes. But this secret was not earth bound, it was beyond this. Almost as if he was waiting before he could spread it. But she wondered how he knew that she had been lost, and how he knew that she had finally found herself. But by the look in his eyes, he seemed to have guessed what she was thinking. "Later, we shall discuss it." His voice held that promise, and she knew that his promises were always kept.
He showed her to a seat that was positioned beside his and she took it, with Karl seated on her other side, so she was enclosed between two people she felt the most comfortable with. She watched as Van and the others sat down, with Fiona directly on Van's right, and in her view. Sharing a smile, Celine returned one back at Fiona. She smiled gently at Van who looked as if he needed to be spoken to. His eyes were solemn, and so she knew that he needed to be spoken to so that they could get past that awkwardness that was a wall in front of them.
It had been a massive impact on him and the others when they learned that she had supposedly died.
"Well then, she does live." There was the hateful tone in the voice of the man that had spoken. She looked over at him and frowned. Since when should this man have been allowed to pass as a good guy? He was dark in hair, brown nearing black, and eyes of green that were like poison, venomous were his words when he spoke of someone he hates. She knew that one person was her. He had always hated her. He was a former Imperial punishment enforcer that had placed lots of punishment on her himself. "What a shame…"
"Kristen…" Karl went to protest but the man on Celine's right had stood up, his eyes a fiery blaze.
"If you have anything bad to say about the girl who saved your ass from punishment from Prozen, then regard them in the prison cell, because I will not tolerate you discussing on high lengths of your hatred towards her."
"Keep out of this, Herald." Kristine's palms slammed onto the table. "I am your superior and you will do as I say."
"You were not the one to have created the Guardian Force. She was! She had entrusted her dreams that this planet would be united under one sky and those that rebelled against it would be captured and imprisoned by a united force that works to protect those that have united against those that haven't. She entrusted that last wish before she set off into battle to save this whole world, for us." Herald snapped, cracking the table from where his fist struck it.
He has such amazing physical strength. Where the hell does it come from? She thought.
"Sapphire created the Guardian Force as her last wish?" he scoffed. "Get real. There is no way that blood thirsting monster would ever wish for something like that."
"That's enough!" Van shouted. Kristen looked bewildered when Van had interfered and the look on his face, Kristen was disbelieving it. "Her name is Celine, Sapphire is in the past and besides, Herald is telling the truth. She was the one to have entrusted her friends with that dream. Stop downgrading her!"
Although she was happy that they were sticking up for her, she couldn't handle this kind of nonsense.
She stood, scraping back her chair and Kristen took an involuntary step back. As if she was going to do something to him.
She could feel the tension building up inside the room. The anger that was exploding, the true her was crying out for it to stop. It was too much and she would physically cry if she hadn't decided to interfere herself. She was not going to be angry; she was not going to shout to make it worse. She knew that she must approach calmly to resolve this situation. It was getting out of anger and soon people would not be able to believe in what they did believe in from the start. If she had created this place, she had not wanted this. She did not want this.
She glanced at everyone in the room, lingering a little longer on Van, Karl, Herald and lastly Kristen. The main ones who had brought this tension and anger into the room!
"This issue can be solved in another manner, I believe." Her words were directed at Kirsten, but she still was speaking to the others.
Herald sat down, apologizing about his sudden outburst. She could feel he was as different as she was. A whole new level of something! He had always been different to her, always. He had taught her so much, and that was why she could read him easily. But not everything about him was easily accessed. There were still many things she still knew nothing of about him. She wasn't sure if he wanted her to know but she wasn't going down that path until he was ready to take her down it.
"Yes, it can be solved differently. The only way I can think of is for you to leave and never come back."
"I believe that would result into more anger from the people of the Guardian Force."
He gritted his teeth. "You're the one that caused his riot in the first place."
"Are you accusing me of something, Kristen?" Her eyes looked upon him for the first time since she sat down, and her eyes were narrowed, dangerously. There were some things that she would not so easily give up. "You know what, forget it. But I will not leave just because it would make you sleep better at night. We are united by a dream, to unite this world and bring peace to all those that live on it. What we don't need is to fight amongst ourselves and lose the battle against the rebellion. Kristen, the more you seem to think I'm a bad guy; you're going to turn out the one who's bad. Your anger leads you and you're not releasing the past."
"How can I?" he snapped, scared because she was right.
"I am not who I once was three years ago." She looked over at Van and his group who smiled when they saw her smile at them. "Three years ago I was still under rule of Prozen when I made friends who made me realize what it means to cherish something or someone. Through them I knew how to sacrifice myself for the ones I love, and it was through them and the people I have been travelling and working with for three years that I knew I couldn't give my life up without a fight." She turned to him. "I know that we've had our differences, Kristen, but I'm released all things of the past and created anew. It's the time for you to do the same."
She smiled at him.
"That is why you joined the Guardian Force, is it not?" She asked.
Everyone blinked in bafflement as tears brimmed his eyes and stream down his face. Kristen had broken. He fell to the floor, weeping, but when people stood to go to him, she shook her head and went to him instead. She comforted him for a few minutes, easing him, soothing his nerves and his pent up rage that was being released the more he kept apologizing to her. She helped him to his feet after he had finished, gave him some tissue and he blew his nose and dried his tears.
"Sorry for my outburst." He apologized to everyone seated, but he mostly said it to Celine who stood by his side with a gentle smile.
He discovered the high changes in her and was able to realize that she meant everything. Her change of heart towards him, her display of kindness and the way she helped him release his anger, there really was nothing bad about her. It was just him being jealous of her, because she was a being of perfection that knew no flaws. But she has met flaws a few times, and she was proud to make them, she knew she was human, but in more of a higher level with abilities that was born to only defeat those of the ill means.