Author's Notes
Hey, all! It's been a while. I'm so glad to be back to writing regularly! This chapter is, sorry, again pretty long. Next one I hope to keep shorter and to post a bit sooner, at the beginning of June. Good irl news: I passed my internship and graduated! :D Now, I'm job-hunting and also helping out/teaching a bit in a 2nd grade class because a classmate's mentor teacher offered to give me more experience. I'm liking 2nd grade a lot more. It's far more flexible and relaxed. I'm able to actually have one-on-one time with students to help them with their assignments. My confidence in my teaching abilities is rising, so I feel much more prepared to be a teacher now than I did at the end of my rather rough internship. For the fall, I hope to be a teacher assistant or librarian, because I like the one-on-one more than managing a whole classroom XD
Anyways, back to the fic, this chapter introduces 5 new characters. I apologize that there are so many all at once X) I tried to introduce them slowly enough so that it won't be overwhelming ('cause I hate it when there are too many new characters and I'm expected to remember how they look after just one instance of description. Like no, you have to remind me!). I'll be sure to review their appearances again next chapter to help refresh your memory without making you flip back to this chap. Let me know how it goes!
Copyright Info
This fanfic is based on the SD Gundam Force series by Bandai and Sunrise. My OCs mentioned in this chapter are Aleda, Titan, James Vaughn, Miku, Lady Opal, Ace, Amane, Papillon, and Calypso. All other characters and settings were made by Bandai and Sunrise.
Chapter 24: Vanishing Act Part 2
"One fried goose, coming up!" Baku charged in, his katana in each hand. "Ten-kyo—!"
"Not so fast!" Tallgeese hoisted Aleda's limp frame and poised a claw over her GunSoul. Baku jerked to a stop, his katana raised in mid-slash. "You wouldn't want to burn this poor little Gundamess, would you?"
Captain arrested his finger over his rifle's trigger, and Titan stopped his lunge.
Baku's frame shook with the urge to stab that smug face. "Coward!" he spat.
Light but metal footfalls approached, and in came running Guneagle from another hall. As soon as he spotted the intruder, he fired his beam rifle. Tallgeese twisted, and the shots landed in the ceiling, walls, and floor instead. One came dangerously close to Zero's head. But it wasn't until a beam grazed past Tallgeese's arm that the young knight yelled, "Stop!"
"Guneagle, he has a hostage!" Captain shouted.
"What?" the rookie said.
Tallgeese barreled through, slamming Guneagle into the wall. "Ow, that's gonna leave a mark," the flier complained. But he quickly righted himself. "Hey, you! Get back here!" He activated his thrusters and chased after Tallgeese's retreating form. But, the end of the hall rapidly approached. Tallgeese easily turned the corner with his magical flight boosters, but Guneagle could only screech in panic as he crashed into the wall. Then, the flier dragged himself out of the hole and the rubble, groaning and displaying a swirling dizzy emote in his eyescreens, while three Gundams rushed past in pursuit.
"Chief Kao Lyn said not to use thrusters in the hall," Captain stated as he jogged past the fallen mecha.
"…Thanks a lot, Cap," Guneagle moaned.
As the others rounded the corner, Titan called behind him, "Hurry!"
Zero, the object of his exhortation, was floating after them with a wobbly trajectory and a shaking frame. "Don't wait for me!" the younger panted. "Save her!"
Titan gladly followed his advice: with a whip of his cape, he darted on. Soon, he discovered Captain and Baku standing in a four-way intersection.
"Where's Tallgeese?" Titan demanded.
"I don't know," Captain said, for once using his wide-eyed surprised emote. "He…vanished."
"He literally disappeared right in front of us!" Baku added. "You can't see him, Captain?"
The Neotopian Gundam turned to show him the cracked green lens dangling over his eye. "He evaded my scanners before, and even if I could normally detect him, my scanner is broken."
"Then we split up and search." Titan turned down one branch. "He's in a hurry! We can find him when he makes a careless mistake!"
"Your plan is sound." Captain jogged straight ahead.
Baku sped down the remaining path. His audio receptors listened for any hint of his foe... Was that the putter of Lacroan flight boosters? He followed his senses to the nearest bend. The sounds kept just out of reach of his visual range, and they were so quiet that other SDG staff on the way could not hear them. "Hey, he's coming your way!" Baku shouted to a pair of GMs standing with rifles at the ready.
The two scanned back and forth to spot the foe, and Baku swore under his breath. "He's invisible! Grab him!" he shouted.
The GMs swiped blindly at the air, but the flight booster blips zipped over and around them. "Rats!" the samurai spat. To the GMs, he called, "You missed him! Outta the way!"
They flattened themselves against the walls to let Baku barrel past. Once the red blur zipped by, one pressed the side of his helmet. "GM0679 to command! The target just passed point 38B! Bakunetsumaru is in pursuit!"
Baku's path opened and led around the indoor biome, down to the edge of the thick glass separating the interior of the base from the empty mid-afternoon sky beyond. After some twists and turns, the Blazing Samurai at last cornered Tallgeese as he, visibly, pondered the glass dome. Baku bared his twin blades, ready to sink them into metallic skin. "A little lost, Tallgeese?"
Tallgeese wheeled, revealing the unconscious Gundamess still in his grip. "Actually, I was on my way out."
"You'll have to get through me first," Baku said, crossing his swords.
"Nah-ah~" Tallgeese said with a wag of his finger. "If you do that, you'll hit the little missy, too."
The samurai leapt at him, feinted a jab that missed Tallgeese's head, dodged to the side, and slashed at a wing. An unoccupied gauntlet claw caught his blade. Tallgeese laughed as Baku ground his teeth and growled, "Drat!"
"Aleda!"
Baku looked back to see Zero stumbling down the hall by foot, the left side of his chest sparking.
Tallgeese shoved the Musha Gundam, sending him skidding several feet on his back. "Too late, Winged Knight!" Tallgeese crowed at the new arrival. "The little stamina you had has already been expended. I'm taking the little lady."
"I…won't let you!" Zero said, huffing as he held his shield before him, ready for battle.
The Knight of the Tempest scoffed. "I could strike you down now and be done with it, but I'm impatient to make use of my new toy." Tallgeese moved to turn his back to the Gundam. "I'll enjoy returning to face you again, Loser Knight, using your own girlfriend's powers to squash you."
"NO!" Zero, in a last burst of effort, sprung at the kidnapper, aiming his sword for the enemy's face. As with Baku, Tallgeese shifted his head to the side to dodge the stab, then kicked the Gundam in the stomach. Zero sprawled on the floor.
"Zero!" Baku, on his feet, rushed to his friend's side.
Zero heard nothing but his GunSoul's pained whine. No! I cannot let him! Mana, don't let him take her! he screamed inside, but his body responded as well as a lead weight; he quaked on his hands and knees, frantically pushing against gravity.
Tallgeese's great energy claw flared, and he struck the glass behind him. CRASH! The wall shattered outward, exposing the blue sky. Baku sprang to his feet and left Zero to run at the kidnapper, but a moment too late.
"Sayonara, samurai!" Tallgeese cackled as he slipped out of the hole.
Said samurai skid to a stop at the edge. "Come back, you coward!"
"Aleda…!" Zero grunted as he hauled himself up. "Aleda!" He hobbled to the jagged tip of the giant gap and crouched.
Baku immediately stepped between him and the open air. When the Knight Gundam tried to side-step him, Baku adjusted himself and wrestled with him while attempting to angle his katana so as not to cut his friend. He hooked Zero's shoulders with his wrists and dragged him in.
"Release me!" Zero shouted, flailing wildly in his grip. "I have to save her!"
But the Musha Gundam, wide-eyed, maintained his hold even as he slipped a katana into its sheath to give himself a free hand. "Baka! You can't fly like this! You'll fall to your death!"
"I have to try!"
"You're not helping anyone dead!"
"No…!" All the knight could do was watch helplessly as the Zakorello Gate broke into the cloudless day and the white forms approached it. "Aleda!" The portal engulfed them and flashed out.
And that was it. She was gone.
Zero stared in disbelief at the empty sky. Baku, noticing that his struggling had ceased, released him. "Aleda…" Tears trickled down the Winged Knight's face. "No…" He dropped his weapons, threw himself to the floor, banged his fist on the tiles, and wailed. My fault... it's my fault!
Titan flew in. "Where is she?!" He spotted the hole, and Zero huddled on the floor, and he landed beside the knight to demand, "What happened?! Where is Aleda?!" But, Zero made no response.
Captain and Guneagle skid to a stop behind them. "…It seems we're too late," Captain observed remorsefully. Baku nodded silently in reply.
Titan gaped. His shields rattled against his frame.
With a flash of his V-fin, Captain stated over the comm, "The enemy escaped through a Zakorello Gate. He took the hostage."
"Well, where'd he take her? We can still hunt him down!" Guneagle proposed.
The V-fin flashes stopped. "The odds say Lacroa," Captain stated bluntly.
"Oh…" Guneagle said with a glance to the motionless knight on the floor, "That bites…"
"I'm going to give a detailed report to Chief Haro," Captain said, setting off down the paved path he came from.
"Coming!" Guneagle called, and he ran until he fell into step beside his superior.
Titan's shocked gaze hardened into a scowl. "You said she was safe!" he spat at Bakunetsumaru.
Baku bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry."
The bulky Knight Gundam's shields vanished into magical storage, and he wheeled with a flap of his cape. "You cannot fix this. Neither of you." And with that, he zipped across the biome to the distant central modules.
"Hey!" Baku called, reaching after the retreating Lacroan. "Zero needs healing...!" But Titan had already gone from sight.
"Selfish prick," Baku muttered. As he turned to tend to his friend, his foot disturbed something small and thin. He looked down: a familiar brown card lay on the floor, innocently watching him. He stooped and picked it up, then knelt next to his wounded friend. "Hey, Zero, you okay?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.
"No. I…Baku, I couldn't protect her, either," Zero said, barely restrained sobs cracking his voice. "I couldn't protect Lacroa, nor Fenn, nor my princess…and not even the lady I love…My Little Wing…" He choked off. More tears spilled down his face. "…My Aleda…"
"What could you have done? You're injured," Baku said. "If it's anyone's fault, it's ours—mine and the rest of the base; we were in perfectly good health, and we failed."
Zero shook his head. "You gave your all. I should have done more. He…" He held his hands before his face, to see the silver digits, the solid white palms, the appendages he had thought so strong. "I let him snatch her almost straight from my arms, Baku. One moment, I was holding her, and the next…!" His voicebox wouldn't let him finish. He curled into the floor to hide his face while his curved shoulders heaved.
After an uncomfortable few moments, Baku sighed. "Look, you can either keep feeling sorry for yourself, or you can act like a true warrior, and get up, and start thinking about how you're going to save Aleda."
Zero sniffed. "I can't even find her until Bell Wood finishes repairing the Dimensional Transporter…"
"Are you sure?"
Zero curiously lifted his gaze to Baku's smirk. "…You have an idea?"
"Well, stand up and I'll tell you while we haul your pansy hide to Chief Kao Lyn."
...
Wind tickled her conscious. She shivered, then flexed her fingers to find a blanket. Only, her arms couldn't move. Her eyescreens flashed on. Sky loomed over her, and beneath her a hard surface with an electric thrum indicated an unfamiliar presence. Her chin was cradled in the nook between a shoulder armor piece and a helmet, both bearing a coloring scheme foreign to her robot friends. She squirmed against her bonds until a deep voice terrified her into stillness.
"Welcome home, little lady," it said with a cackle.
"Wh-what?" she stammered, her GunSoul pounding.
"We are in Lacroa, now. I brought you here, as per our agreement."
Her terror only grew as her processor placed the voice's owner. Tallgeese, Zero's enemy. Aleda surveyed the dreary landscape. A reddish sky, a pit of stone, bare purple and red mountains and cliffs, hardened water… All she recognized from Zero's depictions were the two moons in the sky.
"Where's Zero?"
"In that base where I left him." Tallgeese sneered. "Your precious knight failed to defend you."
Her eyes flashed an alarmed jade. "Is he okay?" she begged. "Please, tell me he's okay!"
"To my regret, he is alive. I never laid a hand or claw on him after you surrendered. So, I have kept my end of the bargain there." With a smirk, he added, "Though I make no promises that he'll recover from his injuries. That is beyond my control."
"What about everyone else? Baku, Captain—"
"Your questions are beginning to irritate me," he snapped, silencing her.
For several minutes, Aleda tried to bottle her panic. Then, as they drew closer to the dead, giant-spike-punctured city, she renewed her physical struggles.
"It is futile to resist. There is no escape to Neotopia without the Zakorello Gate," Tallgeese said, and the girl's flails died away with a whimper.
From below, two unseen pairs of eyescreens watched, hidden beneath a spiky petrified evergreen. "Ace-san," whispered the slighter one to the other. A ridged ponytail flowing behind the robot gleamed gold in the dim light. "Who is that?"
The other, in black armor and wide shoulder guards, whispered back, "Tallgeese has brought back a prisoner."
"Another for us to help?"
"Yes, Lady Amane."
Their distant targets flew into Lacroa Castle through a window in the tallest tower. Ace gathered his legs beneath himself. "We've seen enough. Let us report to the others." The female joined him in dodging through the rock forest to the lakeside, which had a crack in its hardened surface. Down they dove, with the Dark Axis none the wiser.
Meanwhile, Aleda and Tallgeese spiraled down a long, dark staircase. It eventually opened into an expansive chamber that held the grand staircase opposite, and many doorways and smaller staircases branching off. Tallgeese chose the door at the top of the grand staircase. The throne room, Aleda realized.
The throne room was wider and taller than the central chamber they had just left, and the long, elegant stained-glass windows only accentuated its size. The walls were cast with a purple glow from the darkened sky, and the stone floor a deep red. At the far end, above a short flight of steps, loomed a stone column almost wide enough to form another wall: the petrified Spirit Tree. A sick feeling entered Aleda's GunSoul as soon as she laid eyes on it, the source of Lacroa's life—and her own—dead as stone. In front of the gigantic stone tree stood the throne, a gold-embellished work of art.
Aleda jolted as, from within the shadows hugging the Spirit Tree, two forms stepped forward, one glaring red and the other bright blue.
"My lord, were you successful?" Vayeate inquired politely.
"Yes. I brought back the Gundamess," Tallgeese gloated, pulling forward his unwilling prize. "Say hello to the Sacred Beast Phoenix, incarnated in mortal form."
Aleda's eyes widened. Phoenix? Me?
"Will she become another of your Summon Spirits, Lord Tallgeese?" Vayeate asked.
"Milord would be unstoppable merged with two Sacred Beasts at once!" Mercurius said.
Aleda shuddered. A recollection from the recent battles, of Griffin screeching as though in distress while its essence and powers were absorbed into the traitorous foe, played through her central processor.
Tallgeese swelled with the praise of his underlings. "If she is indeed the Phoenix. But first, I have another use for her. Have Miku prepare the princess's room!" He smirked. "Such a special guest deserves our best."
"Yes, my lord," both answered, bowing. They rose and flew out to the grand staircase.
"Now, milady, I'll explain a few rules," Tallgeese said, dragging Aleda up with him to the throne.
Aleda tried to remain even-faced while she stumbled along with him. The teasing and condescending "milady," combined with the stony plight of her original life source, accumulated tears in her eyescreens.
"First, you will refer to me as 'Lord Tallgeese.' Two, if you try to escape, I won't be happy. The third, and most important, is that you do everything I say."
Aleda silently glared in response.
Tallgeese let go of the bound girl, leaving her standing, and eased his frame into the throne. "You seem confused, so I will spell out for you what your purpose is in Lacroa." With a snap of his black fingers, the feathery binds on Aleda scattered, but she remained still, locked in his purple eyes. "The Sacred Beast Griffin, my Summon Spirit, recognizes the scent of your energy to be partly that of his sister Spirit Phoenix. Not only that, but your wings and impressive fire magic, and even your green eyes hearken to the Sacred Beast of fire and rejuvenation. I can only conclude that you are actually the Spirit in another form."
"What... what does that mean?" she asked apprehensively.
"That means that you are not a Gundamess at all, and not even a robot, but an ancient Spirit pretending to be a robot." Tallgeese rested his chin on his hand. "All this time, hidden away for twenty years in a body of metal..."
"But, I'm not a Spirit. I've been a Gundamess ever since I was a baby," she protested.
"Oh? Where were you born, then? Who were your parents? I'm very curious to know why you were in Neotopia."
She kept silence, until his face hardened.
"Answer me!" he bellowed.
Aleda, with a shivering breath, bowed her head and said, "...I was raised in Neotopia by the humans who found me, when I was a baby."
"Raised in another dimension?" Tallgeese pondered. "How did you get there?"
"A portal."
"Hmm. Interesting choice of Mana, to send one of its most powerful children to another dimension."
"Tallgeese, I'm not—!"
Movement flashed, and a sharp sting met the side of Aleda's face, eliciting a brief cry of pain. Then she rubbed her cheek, staring at Tallgeese, who stood over her with his hand still raised.
"That should teach you some respect. I ordered you to address me as Lord Tallgeese!" The robot's eyes flashed forebodingly. "You are under my rule, now, and you will pay if you defy me, child."
Aleda paused, trying to slow her breaths and ease her quaking frame. She murmured, "My friends will come save me."
Tallgeese laughed. "Only if they can cross dimensions! Last I heard, the Gundam Force is incapable of inter-dimensional travel."
"They'll find a way," Aleda insisted, though with a wavering voice.
"You really believe in that ragtag group of Gundams? It took two years for them to come to Lacroa. Why do you think Zero or the rest will come in time to save you?" Tallgeese sneered.
"In time..."? She fearfully watched her captor, but he only reseated himself in his throne.
"Oh, no need to worry, my dear. No harm shall come to you. That is," Tallgeese said with a grin, "as long as my target is willing to cooperate in exchange for your safety. I'll tell you later who I'm bartering with for your life, this time. I think you'll find it amusing."
Mercurius and Vayeate flew back in and kneeled before the throne. "My lord, it is as you commanded," Vayeate stated.
"Good. Then, little lady, let us show you your new home." Tallgeese began to rise, and Aleda stepped back warily. She briefly considered making a shot for her freedom, but Tallgeese grabbed her arm before she could try. "Vayeate! Mercurius!" the conqueror of Lacroa barked.
"Yes, lord?"
"You may accompany us."
"Thank you, milord!" The red and blue knights rose into the air and tailed Tallgeese and Aleda as they passed through the immense doorway.
They passed through several corridors and chambers, all tinted with the same dark light. In some places, stone statues crowded together. In others, there were hardly any, if any at all. Aleda inspected their elaborate clothing while trying not to meet their dead gazes; the passage reminded her of walking through a graveyard. As they went, Tallgeese pointed out the high-ceilinged, cherub-adorned ballroom; the expansive library; and, out the window, the once-beautiful gardens that were now turned to hard rock. Although Aleda wanted nothing to do with her captors, she could not help but show interest in the sights. After all, she had explored them many times through Zero's stories. "And there," the tall Lacroan said, pointing past the gardens to the rooms in the outer ring of the castle wall, "are the knights' quarters."
"That's…where Zero stayed?" Aleda asked, staring at the plain, low structure. It was only a stone brick, one-story segment of the final ring of wall before the drop-off to the outside city, containing a row of evenly-spaced doors. In the bow of the curve in the castle wall and the row of barracks, she could see narrow windows spaced to match the doors. Arrows could not have easily passed through, but neither could sunlight.
"Yes, he and Deed, and other knights, lived there. The elder three Royal Knights stayed in the main castle, closer to the royal family that they guarded."
"Where are they? The other Royal Knights?"
"I have no idea. Since they have not come to bother me, I assume that they perished in the invasion," Tallgeese said with a shrug. "I would have liked to have ended them personally, but oh well. On to more important matters: your glorified cell is probably ready enough. Let us go see what Miku has done to make it livable."
Aleda glanced one more time at the low barracks, where her knight had stayed in his previous life, the life that she realized now she knew so little about.
...
"So, you're saying we should have someone hitchhike on the Komusai as it is retreating, slip through the Zakorello Gate, and hopefully end up in Lacroa?" Chief Haro summarized, rubbing the space between his mask's eyeholes. He and the rest of the Gundam Force mainstays—including Shute, who had arrived after school—were on the command deck discussing how to proceed after the kidnapping that had occurred right inside their base. Baku, of course, had seen fit to propose his plan.
"Well, we might have to sneak around a little in the Dark Axis hideout and catch another ride, but we can make it!" Baku said, grinning.
"Was that really your whole plan?" Zero muttered beside the samurai. He reclined on a tall stretcher while Titan silently imparted healing magic through his hand and Kao Lyn watched with fascination.
"I'm not so sure. It's very risky," Chief Haro said.
"But we need to save Aleda," Shute said, bearing a frown that hadn't left his face since he had stepped on base that day and learned of what had transpired. "We can't just leave her!"
"We won't, Shute," Chief Haro reassured him. "I'm only saying we may need to come up with a different plan. For example, we could use the Dimensional Transport Device."
"But we cannot wait for Dr. Bell Wood to rebuild the Dimensional Transport Device," said Zero. "By the time he finishes, something terrible could have happened to her!"
"Yeah, Chief, just think of it as an airline," Guneagle said. "It's only a matter of switching flights, right?"
Chief Haro shook his head. "It may be better if we tried stealing the Zakorello Gate, or increasing the number of people working on the transporter's repairs…"
Guneagle gasped, "Stealing the Zakorello Gate? Wouldn't that be even harder?"
"It would require a full-scale assault. The Dark Axis is likely to have strong protection around their only link between dimensions," Haro surmised. "But with enough soldiers, we could pull it off. And we would cut communications and reinforcements between the different factions at the same time. We would rescue our lost member and end the Dark Axis incursions all at once."
"That may involve many casualties, sir," Captain noted grimly. "We have little intel on their army's size or the full scale of their weaponry. I'd say we'd have only a 50% of success."
"Against people like Zapper Zaku and those other bozos?" Baku said, glancing sideways at Captain. "You underestimate us."
"The presence of stronger Dark Axis members such as Tallgeese and Ashuramaru suggests that there are many in their ranks who are better fighters than Zapper Zaku, Grappler Gouf, or Destroyer Dom. It is best to err on the side of caution."
Chief Haro leaned on a nearby console, as if tired, and nodded, admitting, "You are right, Captain. It's too great of a risk."
"Then what are we to do?" Zero burst. "Even putting more to the task of fixing the transporter will mean over a month longer to wait. Dr. Bell Wood says he needs a component that requires a long time to process. Baku's proposal would take at the most another three weeks to implement. Dark Axis is never a long time gone from Neotopia."
"We can't incur more hostages or casualties," Chief Haro sighed.
"It would be only a few people! Sir, please!" Zero begged. "Every day that passes is another day Tallgeese could harm her. What if he maims her?" His gaze dropped, and his fists clenched. "What if he kills her?!"
Chief Haro spoke, "Zero, I understand your concerns, but unless there is some factor that will improve our chances, it is likely that Bakunetsumaru's plan will only end in making matters worse."
Shute raised his hand.
"Yes, Shute?" Chief Haro said.
"I still have my voice changer. It worked once already and got the Zakorello Gate to listen to us. I'm sure it can work again."
Baku jumped. "Oh, wait! I have something, too!" He reached behind into some unseen cranny in his armor and pulled out a little card. "Zero! I found this! It looks like the cards the Pawn Leos had. Can it turn us invisible, too?"
Zero's eyescreens nearly popped out of his helm. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"
"I forgot!"
"Stupid samurai! This changes everything! Let me see it!"
Huffing, the Musha Gundam slapped it into Zero's waiting hand. "Fine, you overgrown bluejay!"
"Thank you, squawking red rooster!"
Shute groaned in dismay. "Come on, guys!"
Zero rolled his optical sensors and then inspected the card. "This is like the Pawn Leos' cards," he said. "But, it contains more potent magic. Whoever created these spell cards must have learned to create a more powerful version for Tallgeese."
"That would explain why my scanners could not detect him," Captain said.
"Not only yours, Captain, but the equipment of the entire SDG Base was fooled," Chief Haro interjected. "It completely hid all traces of Tallgeese except for sounds."
"And it hid Aleda while they were in direct contact," Captain added. "Otherwise, it would have been much easier to trace them."
"I am not surprised, from the great amount of energy I sense within the card," Zero said, turning over the article. "This magic, as Captain said, makes invsibile both the user and some people touching the user. Tallgeese planned this well."
"We could use it to sneak through the Dark Axis's turf!" said Shute. "All we have to do is sneak on the Komusai when the Dark Axis is retreating, and as long as we stay together, they can go on another ship heading to Lacroa. They can get back the same way, too! The Dark Axis will never even know—that is, until they notice Aleda's gone!"
Chief Haro straightened and stroked his chin in thought. "Now, that could work." Though, quickly he amended, "But, you're not going with them, Shute."
"Aw..."
The leader of the SDG silently pondered, his eyes fixed to the ceiling and a hum escaping his mask. Under the expectant looks of his subordinates, he at last said, "Alright, you may carry out your plan."
Cheers erupted in the room. Captain's eyes lifted in his happy expression ^^ , Juli and Guneagle gave Shute a high-five, and Baku gave Zero a heavy "pat on the back." Zero winced under the smack and began coughing heavily. "Baku, watch—*hac*—the—!"
Baku cringed. "Oh, sorry! I forgot you're still healing."
Chief Haro sighed and muttered to himself, "I hope we don't regret this..." But then he cleared his throat, silencing the room. "Ahum, well. Now that we know roughly what the plan is, who are going to be the hitchhikers?"
"I was thinking Zero, Captain, Titan, and me," said Baku.
Haro, looking at the stretcher-bound Savior of Lacroa, said, "I can see the advantage of having someone who knows the land, but Zero as of now has not recovered enough to go on this mission. If the Dark Axis arrives before he has healed sufficiently, we'll have to carry out the plan without him accompanying you."
Baku moved as if to object, but Zero laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," he said softly. "I would prefer to be involved personally, but Aleda's safety comes before my grudge against Tallgeese. If the opportunity arises, take it."
The samurai conceded with a nod. "...Alright."
"I may not have been to Lacroa for fifteen years," Titan said, "but I will provide what assistance I can."
"It is much appreciated, Titan." Chief Haro turned back to the rest of the team. "Now that that's settled: everyone, dismissed!" Chief Haro said, saluting.
Those gathered saluted and dispersed. Zero hailed the SDG's honorary member, who was exiting with Captain. "Shute." The boy turned to him. "Thank you," Zero said, "I was afraid Aleda would be trapped with Tallgeese forever."
Shute smiled. "No problem, Zero. She's my friend, too, after all."
The knight nodded. "Yes... I will be relieved when she is here, safe."
"It won't be long!" the human boy asserted.
From beside him, Captain chimed in, "We will rescue her. I promise."
"Thank you."
The two Neotopians continued on, and Baku came beside Zero. "I'll help him to his room," he said to Titan.
"Very well. My own energy is running low at the moment, anyways." Titan, as Kao Lyn continued to watch, spellbound, softened the glow until it died, and withdrew his hand from the chestplate over Zero's wound.
"Can you walk?" Baku asked.
"Yes." Zero slid to his feet, but he promptly wobbled. Baku quickly put an arm under him. Though sighing in frustration, Zero told him, "Thank you..."
"Are you in pain?" Kao Lyn inquired.
"No. Just weakened."
"Then go rest. All you should be doing right now is eating and sleeping. And don't use magic!" the scientist admonished with a wag of his finger.
"Yes, sir," the knight mumbled.
"I'll come to use more healing magic once I have recharged some energy," Titan stated. He floated out the door as soon as the words had passed his lips.
"Come on, let's go," Baku said to his crippled friend. Zero nodded.
"Do you need anything, Zero?" Chief Haro interrupted. The robotic knight paused to look over his shoulder at the masked man. "Is there anything that I could do to help you?"
Zero's blue eyes began to sink even before the Chief had finished. "Everyone is already taking care of me, sir. Thank you."
The green mask bobbed. "Just let me know."
Zero, with Baku's assistance, staggered out of the command deck.
Once they passed into the light green hallway, the Blazing Samurai began, "I'm feeling pretty hungry after all that."
The Winged Knight nodded. "Hmm."
"Why don't we get something to eat? Like riceballs!"
After a moment's wait, Zero perceived silence and looked to his companion. "Hm? Oh, food. Sure."
"You're less alert than usual."
"You're nosier than usual," came the grumbling response. And more perceptive, Zero silently added.
"You're still worried," Baku said.
"Of course I am!" Zero burst. Baku stopped, and so too did Zero's wobbly steps. "Who knows what he'll do to her?"
"Nothing bad will happen. At least, nothing that bad. He needs her for something, right? So he won't hurt her."
"But what if he does?" Zero said in a hushed tone, as if afraid that by voicing the idea it would come to pass. "What if Tallgeese seriously harms her?"
"Then he'd better be ready to pay the consequences," Baku snarled. "But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Zero shook his head, whether in hopelessness or in horror at the possibilities, his friend could not determine.
"Hey." Baku nudged him. "If she's hurt, you'll comfort her and pull her through it. I know that seeing you always makes her happy. So don't worry. You two can pull through whatever Tallgeese throws at you!"
The Lacroan knight somberly voiced, "I wish I could be there to give Tallgeese a licking."
"Well, if you can't come, Zero, you can count on me to rescue your maiden and to avenge your pride," Baku said resolutely. "I'll pay Tallgeese back double for what he's done!"
Zero managed a small smile. "Thank you. I know she'll be in good hands."
...
The caverns were dank and wet, but not dark. Glowing crystals cast a glow bright as day—at that moment perhaps even brighter than Lacroa's sun, since the skies had been blotted by dust since the Bagu-Bagu. Drips echoed, as did the scuffling of metal feet against the rock floor where two Gundamesses huddled. One had silver lining and a helmet with a coiled spike at her forehead resembling a unicorn horn, while the other gleamed dusky red and bore two large white metal wings on her back. The silver-edged one glanced anxiously at the winged one; though her armor had dimmed with age, the elder's green eyes gleamed brightly, burning with some consuming, unvolunteered thoughts.
"Lady Opal," the younger began, "what is it?"
From a small lake enclosed in the underground chamber, a splash replied. From the waters emerged a smug blue face. "It's her getting old, Papillon," said the surfaced Gundamess. "Her mind's allowed to wander."
Lady Opal snapped a sharp eye at the smirking water-dweller. "The Griffin has returned to Lacroa," she said evenly. "And something else."
"Who?" Papillon asked.
"I don't know."
"That's frightening, lady," said the marine Gundamess, pulling herself over the rocky lip to the dry floor, revealing a long, scaled metal fish tail. "Your magic is pretty strong. For you not to be able to detect it properly, it must be something big."
"No, Calypso, it is only that I have not sensed a magic aura like this before," returned the older Gundamess. Her gaze then jerked to a tunnel leading out of the cavern, and the other two also silenced.
Two metal forms ran into the cave, one dark with large black, jagged armor pieces on his shoulders, and the other green with a golden, ridged ponytail. Papillon rose to her silver feet. "Sir Ace! Amane!"
"What have you learned?" Lady Opal asked as the whole crowd of Gundams gathered near her. Calypso's tail split in half and shifted behind her to form skirt armor and to free a pair of legs. Amane knelt beside Papillon with a gentle swish of her ponytail, while Ace stood before the gathering.
"The guards are posted at only the cave entrances, the towers, and the main entrance to the castle," Ace stated. "The side entrances and the windows are unguarded. They are not expecting company."
"As well they shouldn't under these circumstance," Calypso chimed in. "Lady Amane, are you sure your friend is in there?"
"She is. Ace-san helped me look inside," Amane said. "I saw her feet bound by a magical chain. She is still a prisoner, and very mistreated." Her scowl gave an inkling of draconic rage barely concealed within her slim frame. "We have to hurry. Tallgeese has returned, and I don't want him to lay another finger on her."
Papillon nodded, murmuring, "Just like Lady Opal said."
"Who else has come?" Lady Opal inquired. "I sensed something more than the Griffon. Was there another Spirit with him?"
Ace's digital eyebrow raised. "No Spirit. He had a Gundamess captive with him."
The Lady's face furrowed. "I sensed her as soon as she entered Lacroa. She has a strange aura."
"We saw nothing out of the ordinary with her," the perplexed Knight Gundam continued, "besides that she was taken from beyond the dimensional portal. Tallgeese has brought her to Lacroa Castle for an unknown purpose. I believe this makes our mission even more urgent."
Lady Opal nodded. "For him to go through the trouble of bringing someone from another dimension, she must be important, and we must stop him before he carries out his plans."
"Then, let us make our own plans," Calypso said with a mischievous grin.
...
"The Bagu-Bagu petrified everything organic during the invasion, right down to the last blade of grass and the smallest crumb of bread," Tallgeese explained as the mini-entourage floated towards the royal quarters. "But, our advanced Lacroan systems still require us to consume organic material to convert into energy, and soft materials are my preferred sleeping places. So, after the Dark Axis assisted us in conquering Lacroa, I had Deathscythe destroy the Bagu-Bagu so that we could use new organic matter in peace." He snapped his fingers, and a pie appeared in his hand. "We receive organic essentials from Ark and our own magic. There are few mouths to feed, so our sustenance is not a problem." The dessert just as quickly disappeared again.
"Where did everyone go?" Aleda murmured.
"Hm?"
"All of the robots."
"The Dark Axis requested to take Gundam prisoners, and I obliged—mostly," Tallgeese said. "As for the other robots, I destroyed those who refused to follow me, and those under my rule are either here in this castle or in service to the Dark Axis elsewhere." He beamed proudly. "The whole kingdom of Lacroa belongs to me. And, once I take care of the Feather Dragon, nothing will be left to stop me from ruling forever!"
They slowed in front of a set of doors with heavy bolts. Aleda's eyes followed the petrified frame, taking in its height so they wouldn't have to meet her captor's stare. "I won't help you," she mumbled.
"You have no choice." Clanks echoed as he landed and approached her. His movement forced her to jerk her attention to him; her eyescreens burned with green-flamed anger, but their edges held fear. "I see it in your eyes," Tallgeese sneered in her face. "You still think that Zero will come and stop me. But you saw what happened when he faced me without the Feather Dragon. He was unable to defeat me, and he was powerless when I came to take you right from under his nose! Someone so weak cannot stop me!"
"He is not weak!" she cried.
"Weak or no, he has weaknesses…" Tallgeese trailed his finger along the underside of her chin, and Aleda squirmed. "You will be of much use to me, Lady Aleda." While the Gundamess trembled in fear, he withdrew his hand and turned to his minions. "Mercurius, Vayeate, open the door for our lady."
His minions obeyed, each taking a side of the long double-doors. When Aleda hesitated, Tallgeese nudged her forward. "Well? Ladies first." She glared sharply but obliged him by entering.
The petrified walls were grey—or they would have been if the red sky did not reflect off of them. The floor, a hard leaf-patterned surface formerly made of carpet, was a ghastly purple from the same odd lighting. Various spirits had been painted onto the ceiling. Among the black-and-white, Aleda spotted gold-outlined traditional portrayals of the Four Sacred Beasts, and the Feather Dragon above them. Fenn…
She looked around, astonished at how far the room stretched. Captain, Zero, Baku, Gunbike, Shute, Guneagle, and Aleda, plus all six Gundivers, could have fit in the room at once and had a party without breaking anything (hopefully). Windows patterned in stained-glass roses of various colors stretched from ceiling to floor, and grand, frozen curtains partially draped them. A vanity rested at the far end of the room with a three-way, full-length mirror beside it, and nearer to the door was another full-length mirror. Beside the bed were a nightstand and a desk with stone books and a dusty candle. A long lounge chair with an elegant floral pattern framed in gold lay at the foot of the bed, and its twin against the wall near the vanity. The only object out of place was a cot beside the stone bed, made of a simple wood frame laid on the floor with bedding and sheets spread across it.
Aleda floated all the way to the end of the room, and her gaped when she saw the room turn a corner to reveal another large door.
"I hope it's to your liking," Tallgeese said, fanning himself with a golden feather. He departed with a laugh that ended in the slam of immense doors. CLUNK!
As soon as he left, Aleda allowed herself to take in deep breaths and survey the room a few seconds more while she could stand it. Then, she leaked a few tears and shuddered with heavy wheezes. A single sob escaped her before she buried her face in the cot.
Quickly, though, her audio receptors perceived movement from the large door in the back of the princess's room, which surprised her into quieting her cries.
Aleda rubbed her eyescreens dry. Did Tallgeese mention there were other people here? she thought to herself as she stepped to the door.
With rough grating noises between petrified door and tile floor, she pushed it open to behold a bathroom—one with a pool-sized "bathtub" and a walk-in linen closet—the latter bearing a petrified door-frame.
Aleda knew that the linen closet was walk-in because someone stood inside with a back to her, organizing the towels. A Gundamess, Aleda noted with growing hope. The stranger was thin and had red armor adorning her helmet for a crest, her chest and shoulders, her waist for a skirt, and the outer edges of her blue-edged feet. Little gold designs accentuated the red and blue. On the back of her helm protruded short, scraggly black strands.
"Hello?" Aleda called.
The stranger raised her head from a wicker basket of folded linens. "Oh, hello," she said, turning around to face Aleda with a smile. "You must be the newcomer."
"I guess so," Aleda said, drawing closer. "I'm Aleda."
"Pleased to meet you." The unknown Gundamess smirked. "My name is Miku."
"Do you live here?"
"Yes, though not by choice." Miku slipped another towel into the closet. "I'm from Ark. A warlord sold me off to Tallgeese. But, I hear Tallgeese took you from another dimension. Is that right? You look like a Lacroan."
"I am. I was accidentally sent to another dimension when I was little, and I was raised there," Aleda answered.
"Wow. Haven't heard a story like that before," Miku commented. "But your accent isn't Lacroan, and your mannerisms are obviously not Lacroan, so I suppose I believe you."
Aleda's expression and wings drooped.
Miku laughed, "Oh, I didn't mean anything by it." She slid the last of the towels in and faced her fully. "I'm not so much interested in your accent as in what you think of our situation."
"Huh?"
The Arkian Gundamess's brown eyes flickered with a strangely familiar fire. "What do you think about escaping?"
"Um..." The young girl glanced around warily for a moment before answering, "I want to, but can we?"
"Not sure." Miku cocked her head. "But, it couldn't hurt to try together."
"O-Okay."
"We won't be making our escape tonight, though." Miku nodded at her feet, drawing Aleda's gaze. The Maiden Gundamess's ankle joints were quivering and had shallow dents, as if something had squeezed around them too tightly. "I just made a bad move before you got here, so they have an eye on me, right now. After Tallgeese blows off some steam today, I should be able to heal and get ready."
Aleda looked up in alarm. "'Blow off steam'?"
"Don't worry about it, kid." Miku waved it aside. "Just focus on getting to know the castle, for now. We'll start planning tomorrow." She turned to survey the stony closet and the neatly-stacked towels, which glared color in the midst of the stony kingdom.
The Lady Gundamess frowned, but following her new acquaintance's pace, she said, "Where will we escape to?"
Red shoulders shrugged. "To Ark."
"You know the way, right?"
"Somewhat. I know the general direction. The rest of the way we'll figure out as we go. I can fend off a few Pawn Leos is need-be." Miku raised a digital eyebrow. "What about you? Can you protect yourself?"
Aleda offered shyly, "Zero's been teaching me how to fight. I can fence a bit, and I can also use fire."
The Arkian's brown eyes shone. "Fire?"
"U-Uh... yeah..." Shrinking back from the sudden blaze in the Maiden Gundamess's expression, Aleda continued, "My magic lets me control fire... and make fire..."
"Show me," Miku demanded.
Aleda held out her hand, and a flame sprouted from her palm.
The Arkian jabbed her fingers in. "Owow...!"
Aleda instantly snuffed the flame. "Are you okay?!" she gasped, jumping closer to tend to the burn.
Miku, though blowing on her hand, waved off the girl's concern. "I'm fine, I'm fine." Her face, in fact, was glowing, and she grinned widely behind her mouthguard. "It's real!"
"Yeah."
"This is great! I can use your fire well!" Miku beamed as she hefted the wicker basket. "I'm pretty good with flames, myself." She began to walk to the door, though with a limp that contrasted her cheery smile. "Kami must have finally noticed me when he sent you here!"
Aleda drifted after her, blinking.
Miku faced her again in the bedroom. "I'm going to like you," she said, an impish smile spreading over her face.
"I'm... glad to meet you, too." Aleda returned an uneasy smile, wondering what sort of fiery plan she had concocted—and if pyromania was inherent to Arkian culture.
...
"There has been a new development concerning your daughter," Chief Haro said over the phone. "...It is easier to explain if you come here in person. I'll send a ride for you at noon tomorrow so that you can arrive at my location by tomorrow night... Yes, Dr. Vaughn, I understand your distress. I am a parent, as well. I assure you that we are doing everything in our power to ensure Aleda's safety and health. It is simply something that I cannot discuss over the phone. I take the security of your family very seriously... Yes. See you tomorrow night. Goodbye." He clicked the phone off and set it on its charger before slumping into his desk with his hands over his mask.
"This is a disaster. That poor girl..."
...
Titan's glowing hand hovered over the left side of Zero's torso. The two were at the robotic patient's bedside in his own room to care for his agitated wounds. The proud Savior of Lacroa mumbled a grudging "Thank you" as inner circuitry reconnected from the spell.
"I do this for her," Titan said. "You may be a fool, but you're needed if we're going to rescue her. And she loves you. She'd fall to pieces if you died." His patient's blue eyes sought him curiously, so he explained, "She stayed by your side every minute while you were unconscious. She even made a little... display of affection when she thought no one was looking."
Zero blushed. "Did she...?"
"On the cheek."
With one hand, Zero touched his face lightly, as if hoping to find a trace of her kiss, and the other clenched into a fist. "...No matter what, I shall return her safe to Neotopia."
"And then what?" Titan muttered.
"Then... what?" Zero repeated, at a loss.
"What will you do, after? She will not necessarily be safe."
"She will be as safe as she can be if she is with us. Even if our foes are stronger, there is no one else we can rely on to protect her." Then, with distant eyes, he added, "Besides, she and I can only be stronger together. Especially once..."
"You plan to tell her your feelings?"
Zero breathed to release the heat gathered in his face. "...She is loyal, and she has shared my burdens ever since she came to White Base. It is only right that she should be happy, and I never saw her eyes shine more than when she heard she could stay beside me."
"So, you believe you can bring her happiness," the older Knight Gundam scoffed.
After a pause, Zero said, "She has said she wishes to come with me and to live in Lacroa after we defeat the Dark Axis. I can at least give her that."
"Perhaps," Titan grumbled. "Personally, I think that Neotopia is a safer home." His patient flinched. "But," he added with a sigh, "if she is the Phoenix, as we suspect, then she cannot remain in this dimension. She is bound to return to Lacroa, one way or another."
"What do you think he will do with her?" Zero whispered.
"He will want another Summon Spirit. Whether he succeeds in obtaining her powers will depend on her own strength and willpower. At the very least, her fire magic is advantageous against the wind magic of Griffin."
"I shall never allow her to merge with such a foul creature!" the Winged Knight swore.
"Your comrades and I shall carry out your vow in your stead when we go to rescue her," Titan said. "Rest, so that she may have someone to console her when she returns. Mana knows she won't be unscathed."
Zero fell silent as his Gundamium innards churned. With the uncertain fate of his lady consuming his motherboard, rest would be nigh impossible.
Author's Notes
So, Aleda's folks are coming the next night to learn about how their adopted daughter was kidnapped. I love impending deadlines~ :) I'm also super-excited to see Miku again! She's changed a bit from when I last saw her. She puts on more of a cheerful facade to strangers instead of being cynical and sarcastic right off the bat. Not only that, but it's been close to five years since I last saw Ace, Opal, Amane, Papillon, and Calypso, too. All of them have grown and changed at least a bit in how they express themselves :3 They make me a proud mama.
All of these new characters I originally came up with independent of mobile suits to base them off of, but I've tried since then to find ones that matched them. Ace is the Gundam Griepe from a Gundam Wing side story. It fits really well with the dark coloration and weapon choice I had for him (a lance). Amane is the Dragon Gundam from G Gundam. I'd always thought of her as having green armor and a ponytail, and when I saw the Dragon Gundam I was instantly like "THIS IS AMANE!" Opal has some of the general aesthetics as the Hydra Gundam but in different colors. Papillon is the Penelope without the ridiculous head proportions. And Calypso, breaking from tradition, is a Lacroan Gundam based very loosely on a G Gundam suit, Mermaid Gundam (fin decals and tail, but with a torso that's... less fish-like).
Next one, as I said before, should be out at the start of June.
Thanks to Titanic X for looking this chapter over and making a couple of suggestions XD
-Penelopi
5-30-16: Found a fatal error in which the cot was not described nor even placed in the princess's room before Aleda used it, and I remedied this