Author's Notes
It's been a very long time! So sorry for the long silence, everyone! I ended up getting a new job last October, as a fifth grade teacher. It's an amazing job, and I'm absolutely loving it, but it's also very time-consuming, so I don't have as much time to write. My updates will be sparser than before. But, on the upswing, there's still the summer.
Part of the long wait was also the amount of time I spent pruning this chapter. I tried to make it the best I could in terms of flow, sound, and vividness. :D A lot happens, and I'm excited to be dipping into more of the show lore and be making connections with canon events/developments.
Copyright Info:
SD Gundam Force is made my Sunrise and Bandai. My OCs present/mentioned in this chapter are Aleda, Titan, Ace, Miku, Lady Opal, and Calypso.
Chapter 28: Reunion
Chief Haro stepped across the landing pad to meet the visitors rolling down the Gunperry plank. "Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn."
James squinted at the green mask. "Chief... Haro...?"
The head bobbed in affirmation, and Haro shook his hand. "Yes. Welcome to the SDG base."
"Why are you wear—?"
"Let's go somewhere else where we can talk," Chief Haro interrupted, ushering him and his two human relatives toward an inner door of White Base. "And I appreciate your commitment to confidentiality, both inside and outside the base. Nice to see you, Mary."
The brown-haired woman nodded. "Nice to see you, too."
"I don't think we've met," Haro said to the glasses-wearing young man walking next to her.
"Dominic. Aleda's brother," Mary said.
"Oh! Pleased to meet you. I'm Chief Haro, the director of the Super Dimensional Guard, which protects Neotopia from special threats."
Dominic nodded, absently mumbling, "Good to meet you, too." His gaze wandered around the bustling base: many heavily-armed mobile citizens passed by—and in a window, a strange-looking red one with antlers had its face pressed against the glass to stare at them.
But Chief Haro hardly noticed the distraction. His eyes followed a mobile citizen tailing behind them; the robot's stark white stood out against the light blue of their specially manufactured GMs. "Hm? You didn't have to bring along a mobile citizen."
"He tutors our kids," James explained.
"He's a friend of Aleda's, and he's worried about her," said Mary.
The robot quickened his steps to come within speaking distance. "My name is Myles. I heard Aleda was in trouble, so I made them take me, too. I'm sorry if I'm intruding."
"Well, this isn't the most convenient for me, but if it's alright with the Vaughn's, I'll allow it." Haro pointedly glanced over the group. "This is a top-secret establishment. I remind you that none of you are to speak of what you see here, ever."
"Yes, sir." "We understand, sir."
…
Within the caverns of Lacroa waited a winged robot and a mechanical mermaid. Opal periodically stretched her white pinions, while Calypso, sitting on a rock, kicked her legs impatiently and scratched patterns in the stone.
"You seem agitated," Lady Opal noted.
"Of course. Aren't you worried, too?" Calypso snapped.
"Yes, but worry is typical for an old woman. You're not prone to it."
Calypso scowled. "No, I'm not, but I'm usually out kicking tail instead of sitting here guarding an old woman."
"I apologize for the inconvenience. If I thought I would be better help out there, I'd go."
The blue-armored Gundamess leaned back, sighing, "I don't know what better help you are here. You can sense Spirits no matter where you are. That is, if you really can sense them." She paused, waiting for the older Gundamess to defend herself. When nothing came, she sat up and opened her mouth to spit more snark, but she stopped.
The Lady had straightened, one hand on the floor, ready to push herself to her feet, but she stayed motionless and stared through the cavern wall, watching something unseen.
Calypso hesitated, then jumped and approached her. "What is it? What's happened?"
The cave shuddered before her next step, and they both tumbled to the ground. "What?" Calypso gasped, "What's—?"
The shriek of an unearthly creature, high-pitched and resonant, poured through the tunnels and swept over them like a flood of Mmns, silencing her. It broke over their souls, raced down their spines, and flowed over them, before finally fading.
The caves had stilled, too, by the time the cry ended. The two Gundamesses breathed heavily as they regained their bearings. Lady Opal wobbled to her feet. "That was the Feather Dragon. He's stirring. And so is that other terrifying presence I felt last night."
Calypso steadied herself against a giant crystal, eyes wide, clutching her chest and still trembling from the monstrous noise. "W-what should we do?"
"I'm going to tell Ace to leave now, with or without the hostages. This is too dangerous." Lady Opal bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Wait while I speak with him."
…
Scuffles continued in the marble-and-stone halls of Lacroa Castle. Tallgeese's servants and the Gundams had grouped into dueling pairs, Ace against Mercurius and Miku versus Vayeate. Clanks sounded and lightning bolts flew.
But Vayeate's winds were notably absent from the clamor. He busied himself dodging around his Gundamess opponent. Miku jabbed and retreated, lunged and slid, thrusting close to Vayeate's frame but missing by a hair. Then at last, she nicked his arm.
He hissed in pain, muttering some unintelligible obscenity while holding his scraped armguard.
His brother shouted, "Vayeate, what are you doing?! Use your cyclones!"
In response, Ace raised his lance to throw at Mercurius, but a pre-emptive bolt flashed, and he dodged and stumbled, cursing under his breath. "By Mana! How do I get close enough?!"
The red knight scoffed, "Don't try to reach me. You can insulate against fire or cold, and you can thicken your armor to absorb heavy blows, but all electricity needs is one bit of exposed metal to fry you!"
Ace ground his metal teeth behind his mouthguard. Somehow, he had to slip close enough to shove his lance into that square-eyed face.
As he studied the enemy, his head buzzed. "Ace," a familiar voice echoed in his mind, "the Feather Dragon is on his way to Lacroa Castle! You must leave, now!"
He backed up, still staring down the box-face, who floated closer. "I can't!"
"Forget the hostages for now! You could all die if you're caught up with these Spirits!"
Electric crackles zapped his way, and Ace ducked. A stone bust shattered behind him. "I'm already in battle with the enemy! It's too late for me to break away!"
"Then what—"
"Tell Ladies Amane and Papillon to escape while they can!"
"Ace!"
"This is no time to argue! Have them retreat!"
"Who are you talking to?" Mercurius demanded.
"Very well," Opal said dolefully, "Be careful..."
"I will. Don't worry."
Mercurius jabbed his shield in Ace's direction. "Hey! I asked you a question!"
Ace pointed his polearm, smirking. The red knight was a fool if he thought he'd tell about his hidden charges. "Just voices in my head."
"What?" The green box flickered in a blink of surprise.
Ace grinned and charged at him, his lance aimed for his face.
Mercurius held up his shield. "Vayeate! Wind! Now!"
Vayeate's remaining intact turbine began to spin. Miku, standing before him, felt her scraggly hair whipping in the wind.
A fresh, deep scrape cut across Mercurius's shield, splitting one of the thick bolts. His generators spread and sizzled as the Knight Gundam grabbed at his faceplate.
The green gem on Vayeate's staff glowed, and he waved it, guiding the wind in a circle. Miku planted her feet as the air curled, tightened, and funneled into a twister. The Knight of Storm hesitated, staring at his Gundamess opponent, before he flung the tornado.
The whirl rushed in, kicking up crumbled stone, and Miku jumped straight into it.
Vayeate blinked. "Miku?" He could barely see her, a red fleck swirling up in the funnel, tossed around like a windswept petal. "Miku, what are you doing?!"
Abruptly, the tornado ignited. Fwoosh! Embers sprayed, and Vayeate yelped and shielded his face as flames licked his arms and staff. The staff's gem dimmed and cracked.
The moment it broke, the wind dispersed. Miku, released, dropped to her feet, smirking as the blue robot frantically slapped the fires with his cape. "I've seen your techniques." She snapped her fingers, momentarily sparking a small flame in her hand. "I guessed it would be the perfect tool to spread my flames, and I was right."
Vayeate rubbed out the last smoldering ember on his shoulder and clenched his broken staff. "You've been taking the firewood flint to use for your tricks."
"Yep. I've been sneaking it little by little. You didn't notice?"
"I noticed it was disappearing. I didn't want to say anything." He whipped his cape over his shoulders to clasp it back in place. "And breaking one of my magic wind gems isn't funny, Miku."
"I didn't intend it to be. But I'm escaping, tonight, so I don't mind burning a few bridges."
Vayeate stepped closer. "I can't let you go. I won't fail Lord Tallgeese!"
She flexed her fingers around the trigger of her pistol. "Start preparing your excuses to him now, Vayeate, because I won't let you stop me!"
The blue bot snarled. With a loud blip from his flight boosters, he rose in the air and rushed at her.
The Gundamess jumped to the side and tripped. "Aah!" Ace collided with her as he backpedaled away from Mercurius's lightning, dropping them both in a tangled heap.
Vayeate skid to a mid-air stop to turn around, and Mercurius paused his lightning at the surprising sight of two flailing Gundams. Miku pushed up against Ace's leg, only to faceplant when he moved. "Ow!" "Sorry!"
One square facescreen turned to glance at the other. "What the...?"
Ace planted his lance and leaned to pull himself up, as Miku gathered her footing.
Vayeate, seeing them begin to stand, flew in.
"Look out!" Ace gripped the lance and shouldered her aside. Vayeate met the slash of his polearm.
"Hurhk!" The blue robot smacked a wall past them and dropped, balling up to cover his wounded side.
Then Miku bowled Ace over just as a bolt zipped overhead.
Crack! Ace's eyescreens widened at the thunderclap and the new scorch on the wall above them. Mercurius growled in frustration and floated closer, his discs expanding again in preparation to strike. Ace mumbled a hasty "Thank you" as they rolled and bounced to their feet.
Miku nodded and raised her weapon, staring down the Knight of Thunder alongside him.
Shiftings occurred at the cracked wall, and they wheeled. The blue twin stumbled out of the rubble, propping against the wall as he collected himself. Mercurius was drifting in from the other side of the passage. The fight had edged toward the grand staircase room, but the Gundams were still boxed in between the brothers. Both would have to be defeated before any escape attempt. The Gundams pressed back-to-back, eyeing them.
Ace chided, "When I said, 'Remain close,' I didn't mean for you to follow me into battle."
He felt the rumble of her short laugh against his back. "No need to worry, Knight—I'm no helpless damsel. Though at times I do appreciate some assistance."
"Are you two in a battle or on a date?! Take this seriously, Gundams!" Mercurius threw a volt, and they leapt apart.
Boom-snap! The marble floor split open between them. The bang sent Miku skidding and had Ace blinking camera spots from his eyes.
Miku caught herself on the wall with a metallic scrape, and her shoulder knocked a torch. Light fell, and cinder hissed. A rush of air, and a shadow marked with a glowing green square loomed over her. She raised her knife.
Another green flash, a pair of eyescreens, whooshed in to grab her and whisk past. Ace took to the air with her in his arms, and the green square followed. Whining flight boosters and flickering torchlight revealed Mercurius also flying after them, behind Vayeate.
"We need a plan!" Ace shouted.
The Gundamess, seeing the brothers' forms blink in and out of the torchlight, instinctively squeezed his shoulders. "I already disabled one of Vayeate's fans and his staff. He can't magically control the air, right now. We just need to break Mercurius's generators to stop his lightning, and they'll be helpless!"
They were now in the central staircase room, arching up the ballusters and dashing for the top landing. The crystal chandelier above glinted like a lighthouse, and past it waited the opening to the central tower: an archway edged in gold, and beyond, a wide winding stone staircase leading up. The torches continued along the stairs, but there were deep shadows below the steps, and the first partially shrouded a long blue shield.
Ace accelerated. They'd reach the tower and fly up to join the others, and hopefully shake off their pursuers.
The twins jumped in front of them. Ace jerked to the side, but not in time to avoid a glancing blow from Vayeate's staff.
"Gah!" With a throbbing helm, he dropped behind the stair balcony, then twisted around to the front. He led the brothers to the giant arched main double-doors, and veered around a column to the side, forcing them to slow and weave past.
Ace grunted from his sore head. "That smarts! Lady Miku, I can't get close enough to Mercurius to destroy his generators!"
Miku eyed their pursuers, then leaned over his shoulder and cocked her pistol. "Oh, yes, you can~"
...
Zero and Titan flew side-by-side up the central tower. "No! No...!" familiar cries echoed down.
"Aleda!" Zero's GunSoul brightened, and his flight boosters knocked up to an ear-piercing squeal. He pulled ahead, racing for the moonlit gap above.
But Titan saw a shadow gliding in. "Zero!"
Zero jerked back and raised his sword as the black mass swooped in his path. A red, curved blade lashed out.
Clang! Blade grated against blade, a scythe against the Vatras Sword, as the shadowy mist dispelled. Zero stared down the unveiled, beady-eyed foe. "Who are you?! Stay out of my way!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Winged Knight," the face said, "because, you see, I'm after the same thing as Lord Tallgeese. A Gundamess with Spirit energy is just too intriguing to lose, don't you think?"
"Who are you?"
"My name is Deathscythe." The arched blade spun and knocked him, sending him crunching into the wall. Deathscythe snickered. "I'm just a humble servant of Lord Tallgeese. But, I've been waiting so long to meet you again~"
As Zero shook the spots from his cameras, the scythe swung for his head. He flinched. The shriek of metal slicing metal rang.
When he looked, Titan was between him and death; the sharp blade had cut into one of the older Gundam's shields, engraving but not piercing it. Deathscythe pulled away, but Zero's rescuer, far from being pleased at his work, stared in horror at the deep line stretching from top to bottom. "What did you do?!"
"You shouldn't underestimate me just because I play lap-dog to that buffoon!" The scythe lashed again, and Titan threw his shield back up. Shink! It ate in, widening the groove. "I'm the most powerful knight of Lacroa, and I don't plan to let either of you leave alive!"
Rock crumbs tumbled as Zero pulled away from the wall. "Ugh...!"
Titan heard the younger Gundam extracting himself. "Zero, go face Tallgeese! We don't have time to stay here!"
"But—!"
The scythe tugged, and Titan dropped his other shield so he could grab the shaft. Deathscythe pulled against him, spouting incomprehensible squeaking curses, yet he still held on. His fallen shield clanged somewhere in the darkness below. Aleda's desperate cries continued to echo down, a tormenting background to the struggle.
Zero almost moved, then stopped, agonizing. Before his eyes replayed his last memory of a teal, scythe-wielding knight. "Do not worry about a thing. We'll catch up with you, shortly..."
"Zero, one hit from this blade, and you're split in two!" Titan said. "I'll have no senseless deaths on my hands!" He glanced at the other Knight Gundam, whose soul was shining. "You're better use at Aleda's side!"
"Yes, go ahead and run, Winged Knight, as you did before!" Deathscythe taunted. "I'll make quick mincemeat of your partner, and then you'll be the next stain on my blade!"
Zero bowed his head, his eyescreens dipping into shadows.
"I'm fine!" Titan growled. "Go!"
With a last look at the other Gundam, Zero shot up, taking his light with him, and darted through the arch at the tower's peak.
Darkness grew over the remaining combatants.
The scythe yanked.
Pop!
"Aaagh!" Titan's fingers opened, releasing the weapon, and he cradled his shoulder, cringing.
Deathscythe twirled his blade. "I can't tell if you're brave or stupid. You may think you've let your ally escape, but I'll catch him quickly once I'm finished with you! You're going to regret this, nameless knight!"
With a grunt, a shove, and a click, the Gundam's shoulder joint reconnected, and a faint glowing trail indicated magically repairing wires and lines. "My name is Titan," the Gundam grit out, "and I was only ever a page. But your name is no stranger to me, Deathscythe! The Dark Axis mongrels who captured me bragged about your magic illusions, the ones you used to lure me into a trap." Titan raised his remaining, tarnished shield, and with a shing a short blade extended from its base. "You mocked Master August's memory. I'll pay you back in kind!"
…
"Have a seat." Chief Haro gestured to the chairs surrounding the plain white table. He had brought them to a small meeting room with calming light-green walls, meant only for five or six people. A full-wall window on one side offered an unobscured view of the cloudy sky beyond, with the city peeking up through open patches in the whiteness here and there.
James sat straight across from Haro's leather seat, facing the window. Mary and Dominic took chairs on one side of him, and Myles shimmied in on the other.
Haro sat down, and, looking at the expectant faces of his guests, sighed. "So... where to start?"
James began. "Can we see our daughter?"
He shook his head. "No, not at the moment. She..." Chief Haro fell silent as he pieced together an appropriate response. "...Well first, let me explain from the top. The Super Dimensional Guard, or the SDG, was created after we learned about special threats to Neotopia, ones from other worlds besides ours."
James pressed his lips together.
"I know what you may be thinking, but it wasn't Aleda who first alerted us to our extra-dimensional neighbors, and we never saw her as a threat. Another robot came with her from the other world fifteen years ago. He came to us before we met with your family and Aleda."
"So you knew something? The whole time?"
"He didn't want us to disclose his existence to anyone. We were protecting his privacy, just as you wanted Aleda to be kept secret. We never told him anything about her, either."
James begrudgingly nodded, as Mary anxiously twirled a strand of hair.
"The situation has since changed, so I think it's time we disclosed everything. This robot who brought her here, Titan, told us about enemies that had abducted several of his kind—Gundams, they're called—including himself and Aleda. The Gundams fought back, and Titan managed to escape with Aleda to Neotopia.
"He has been stranded here since, just like Aleda, and we've been trying to research ways to travel between dimensions, to return both of them to their home and to develop ways to counter extra-dimensional enemies if they ever decided to invade Neotopia." Chief Haro sighed again. "And as we feared, those enemies did come. For months, now, Neotopia has been in a secret war against an army known as the Dark Axis."
"How did you get Aleda involved in this?" demanded James.
"We didn't try to get her involved in anything. She came to us on her own, following her instincts and the dimensional rift detector that you gave her. There are others in our force from her native dimension, as well, and she followed one of them back from a mission. She freely chose to join the Gundam Force unit within our ranks."
"Freely."
"Yes, freely."
"Where is she now?"
Haro tensed. "That's the difficult news. Our enemies noticed Aleda for some... differences she apparently has from even her fellow Gundams. While we were busy dealing with a crisis, they took her."
The room silenced. Those words resounded in their heads. Mary's twrling finger stopped, and Dominic and James stared at Haro as if he'd sprouted another green head. Myles's chair arms splintered. "W-What...?"
The Chief bowed his head and continued regretfully, "I'm sorry. They kidnapped your daughter and have taken her hostage. She's being held in another dimension. We've sent a rescue party after her and are doing everything we can to bring her back."
Mary swallowed. "She's alive?"
Chief Haro nodded. "As far as we know, she is in one working piece."
James blinked his glistening, red-rimmed eyes, inhaling before he said, "When will they bring her back?"
The chief bridged his fingers together. "We expect them to return tonight. And we're developing backup plans in the case that doesn't happen." His audience jolted, prompting him to quickly amend, "It will be alright! Our rescue team is very skilled and trustworthy. They'll bring her back, for sure."
James shook his head. "I can't believe you! I can't believe you'd use my child like this..."
Cotton gloves squeaked. "We never used her or forced her into anything. She's always decided where to live and what to do with her abilities. Certainly, once she saw our Gundam members, I could not have stopped her from joining us, any more than you could have stopped her from leaving home."
The father gave a thin smile. "I guess not. Well, that clearly explains why she was crying over the phone, saying she was coming back home, and then was chased down at the train station."
"As I have said before, that was not from my orders. There was a personal issue between Aleda and some of her teammates, and one of them chased her down to resolve it. As far as I know, they've all reconciled. She did tell you her change of plans, correct?"
"Stop acting like she's an adult who can't be manipulated by some opportunistic politician!"
"I am not a politician, James. I'm a strategist who's trying to save people's lives."
The man stood. "At the expense of children!"
His wife protested, "James, settle dow—!"
"I won't settle down while they're using my daughter as a child soldier! I don't care what you think she brings to your militia, Haro. This has nothing to do with her!"
"On the contrary—"
"I don't care if her home planet is in a war! She is not involved!"
Chief Haro stood, slamming his hands on the table. "Now, see here!"
…
As this confrontation played out, Bakunetsumaru, Captain, and Shute collected outside the office.
"They're in there, right?" Shute asked.
"Yes, Aleda's guardians are meeting with Chief Haro," Captain said.
Baku danced in agitation. "I wish we could know what's happening. They're not going take her away, are they?"
"Hm. Maybe we could find out…" Shute slipped between Captain and Baku and leaned in, cupping a hand over his ear.
"Are you trying to listen in?" Baku asked.
"I think that goes against regulation, Shute."
"Is it working?"
"Shh!" Shute gave them a stern look with a finger to his lips, like his mother when she scolded. "Guys, be quiet! We gotta figure out what they're planning to do so we can warn everyone when they get back from Lacroa."
"Oh…"
Shute pressed his ear to the door again. A couple moments later, Baku edged in, and finally even Captain slid close and tuned his receptors. They listened, still and quiet, for every murmur inside, but the walls were so thick they could only make out a few muffled words.
"He did...!"
"…what…!"
"…trusted?!"
"What's up, guys?" interjected a new voice.
The gathered teammates jumped and turned to see Guneagle.
"Are we planning a surprise party or something?" the flier innocently asked.
"Shh!" Shute shushed at the same time Baku hissed, "Be quiet, birdbrain! This is important!"
Guneagle's wing funnels ruffled. "What did you call—?!"
"SHHHH!"
With that last shush, they faced the door, again. The young Gundam huffed, but eventually he, too, crept closer to listen.
...
"I'll kill her, Feather Dragon! I will!" Tallgeese shouted. The edge of his blade grazed Aleda's neck, scraping off a metal shaving.
Above them, Griffin also cried out in challenge to the night. He circled on golden wings, red eyes watching the horizon like a hawk seeking prey, and beak emitting a feral screech. The night was the waters, and the Feather Dragon was the fish hiding in it. Would Fenn be such an easy catch, though?
Captor and captive stared across the moonlit Lacroan landscape, listening to the faint echoes of swordplay from below and the silence of weathered cliffs ahead, waiting for a roar to break the nighttime ambiance.
"I'm getting tired of waiting, Feather Dragon!" While maintaining the sword at her neck, Tallgeese moved his other hand to grab by her GunSoul and squeeze. "Her time is growing short!"
Panic flooded her circuits. "No! No...!"
"It is your most vulnerable point, where your consciousness connects to your body... be sure to guard it closely..."
A snap sounded. One adjacent plate broke off, and pain jabbed her as if she'd been punched in the heart. She keeled over, gasping, the movement nicking her neck on the sword. "It wouldn't take much to crush her!" Tallgeese called.
Thoughts of her knight flooded her. Zero...! He'd been down in the castle fighting for her. He'd come all this way, across dimensions, so she wouldn't die. She couldn't let his efforts be in vain, nor fail her promise to avenge the fallen on the Dark Axis.
Her soul began to shine. I won't let him kill me! She elbowed Tallgeese's chest, earning a grunt.
The arm loosened enough for her to start wriggling out, but he quickly constricted it again, and after a breath he wheezed, "No more of that, girl!"
She bucked defiantly. "Let me go! Let me GO—!"
"Not a chance!"
Then a different screech echoed over the stony horizon, a throaty rasp swelling to end in a high-pitched shriek. Tallgeese grinned, and Aleda snapped up her gaze. Across the petrified lake, they could see shining wings beating, carrying a two-legged fanged creature their way. Though Aleda had never seen Fenn in this form before, there was no doubt, between the white wings and the deep-throated cry, that it was the Feather Dragon.
"It's coming!" Tallgeese squirmed in excitement. "My Feather Dragon is coming to me~!"
Fenn, don't! Aleda flailed, backhanding her captor in the face.
"Gack! You—!" He pushed on her gem, eliciting a pained scream. "Stay still!"
"No, stop...!" She grabbed at his claws as she shouted, pushing back to ease the pressure on her chest, but he kept shoving, the tips scraping and digging. It was so painful, like he was carving out her heart. She was going to crack, wasn't she? Her glowing gem would shatter, destroying her hold on this life. "Let go!"
"Give it up, brat!"
"Aleda!"
Tallgeese's claws jerked back, but her core still twisted. Zero, emerging from the tower, flew up and hovered before them, locking his blue eyes on the Gundamess. His GunSoul glowed as brightly as hers, calling to its partner. Dread and hope played tug-of-war in her chest. He'd come to save her, just in time to be baited. "Zero, help Fenn! Tallgeese is trying to trap him!"
Zero looked over his shoulder to see the Spirit flying over the twisted spikes and rooftops of the city. Fenn was close enough for them to see the feathers of his wings and the peacock spots on his tail. He greeted his partner with a roar.
The knight nodded, then resolutely turned to face his lady again. "I won't leave you. Not even for a moment!" He bared his blade. "Tallgeese, release her at once!"
"Or what?" As Tallgeese spoke, the Griffin, bidden by an unheard command, dipped down, blurring and losing his form as he poured himself into his master. "Will you fight me for her, Winged Knight?" Gold talons branched from Tallgeese's feet. "I just learned she isn't the Sacred Beast Phoenix. Does she still matter?"
Zero blinked, then gaped behind his mouthguard, and his blade sagged. "Wait, you mean...?"
Tallgeese chuckled, "Yes, she's a Gundamess with strange properties, but just a Gundamess all the same!" His sprouting wings stretched. "Hardly worth the effort, I'd think. That's what makes a lovestruck heart such a fun handicap, though, isn't it? You'll surrender everything for the most worthless reasons!" Complete in golden splendor, the Knight of the Tempest sneered, "That is, unless you don't care, anymore."
Aleda pulled at Tallgeese's arm, but her fingers slipped on the seams of his armor, unable to find purchase.
Zero glared. "No matter what she is, Spirit or Gundamess, she is mine! And I'm taking her with me!"
"Zero...!" The shine of Aleda's soul brightened. If she could just reach him, they'd escape. She kicked against Tallgeese's shin. Bang, bang, bang! But though her heel pounded, he wasn't flinching.
Tallgeese laughed and tightened his grip to silence her. "Good! Then she is still a valuable pawn!"
Another dragon roar shook the tower shingles, and glaring light and beating wings filled their senses. The Feather Dragon had overtaken them, and he stopped to hover over Zero.
"Fenn," the young knight said, "Lend me your strength. Please allow me this one selfish use of your power..."
Before he had finished speaking, lavender armor was growing over his shoulders, and feathers blooming from his back. His V-fin and winged helmet decals elongated. New wings draped around him like a white cloak, layer upon layer of shining feathers. They extended, casting a shine over the night luminous enough to eclipse the two moons.
Aleda stared in awe at the fabled Hero of Lacroa, the Knight of Silver Winds, who had defeated Tallgeese and Griffin some weeks ago. His magic energy was overwhelming enough to make her processor pound. She could see, now, how he'd won so easily; she'd thought the Griffin's aura terrifying—Fenn's true form was downright mind-numbing.
Yet Tallgeese didn't seem fazed. He curled his claws in anticipation. "Even with the Feather Dragon, you can't defeat me!"
"Can't I, now?" Two wing-hilted swords with hooked ends materialized in Zero's hands, absent any magic circle. "Are you so sure you can win against the Feather Dragon, Tallgeese?"
"Yes, because I have her, and you won't dare attack when I can end her in a split second!" His claws glinted as they waved in Aleda's face.
For a second, Zero met her eyes, searching. What is he asking me to do? she thought. Images of fire and screams returned to her, echoes of that mysterious dream. Is that it?
Zero angled back a sword. "I won't fall for your bluff."
He was relying on her to act. She wouldn't have long; Tallgeese would carry out his threat soon. Though keeping her eyes on Zero, she focused on the hand at her shoulder, which had its claw-tips pricking her armor. She snatched it. Tallgeese squeezed into her in response, but she bit her lip and held on. It would only take a moment.
The Knight of the Tempest snickered. "I wouldn't be so confident, Zero. I'm quite a terrible person, you know!"
It was good that he was laughing. That meant he didn't notice the heat building in her fingers. Just a second more.
"Fear is my pleasure, and hatred is my..." He sniffed, stopping his ramble. "What is that smell?" He looked at the hand she gripped. "What are you—"
One second more.
It erupted in flames. "AHHHH!" He yanked his hand away, screaming, and Aleda shoved his arm aside to launch toward freedom.
Zero whizzed at them. She'd gotten within arm's reach of him, close enough to almost touch. He was flying past her to intercept Tallgeese, to get between them. She was safe.
But barbs wrapped around her. "What—?"
A yank pulled her back to Tallgeese. Zero braked his sword swing inches away from the mark. Inches from Tallgeese's face. "Aleda!"
"No!" She thrashed and twisted in his grip. A black cord edged with red bound her wings and arm—a thorny, whip-like manifestation of his usual Semicircle Claws—holding her between the Knight Gundam and his prey.
Zero angled his wings as if to swoop in again.
"Not so fast!" Tallgeese flapped and blew him back. In three beats, Aleda's fire vanished, leaving only ashes on his fingers.
Puffing the last tendril of smoke off his browned hand, Tallgeese yanked the cord taught, eliciting a cry of pain, and firmly latched on her shoulder. "You can't get out of this so easily, Winged Knight. You have a choice: you and the Feather Dragon will submit to me now, or the little lady here will die!"
Zero stared at Aleda as her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. Her free hand balled up, and she swallowed. "I'll be okay, Zero." She was trying to convince herself as much.
"You have three seconds to decide." Tallgeese drifted back to increase the gap between them.
Zero's eyes widened. "Wait—!"
"Three..." He drew out the word with relish.
"Tallgeese, if you dare, I'll—!"
"Two~" His claws drummed on the gem. Aleda's breath seized at every beat.
Zero trembled, but dared not move. "I'll slay you right where you stand!"
"One."
Tallgeese raised his claw over her chest. For a dreadful, engine-stalling moment, he held it there.
"Don'—!"
It plunged.
Aleda squeezed her eyes shut.
"NO!"
Tallgeese stopped, holding the sharp tips just above her with a taunting smirk. "Well? What will it be?"
She opened her eyes and saw her knight's face twisted in agony. He wasn't seriously thinking he should do it? Even though he knew, as she had when their roles were reversed, the traitor wouldn't honor any bargain he made? You can't, Zero!
Zero grit his teeth, and lowered his twin swords. "I surrender."
Her GunSoul almost broke with dismay. She knew what would happen next. Zero and Fenn would be captured, Tallgeese would make Fenn his Summon Spirit, and both her and Zero would be sent to the Dark Axis. She croaked. "No." This wasn't how the prophecy was supposed to go. I ruined it. I ruined everything...
Tallgeese grinned. "Good. Then first, separate from Feather Dragon."
Zero closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and his frame started to glow.
This couldn't happen. Not after all he'd done to reach her. Not when the legends said he'd save Lacroa. She had to do something! Aleda slid her free hand ever so slightly, hoping Tallgeese wouldn't notice the subtle movement...
Her captor's boasting continued, "And then after that, you'll kneel down to me. Feather Dragon will come and lend me his—"
She thrust.
Crack!
Tallgeese gasped, shoved the girl away, and doubled over, covering a new hole in his torso. Aleda bolted fast, reverse-gripping a thin red knife.
He felt the hole, beneath and to the side of his central power supply—no bigger than a dime, yet burning as if she'd ignited his entire fuel system. "What did you d—?!"
THWACK! The flat of a sword smacked him before he could finish, and he flew screaming into the tower roof. A heavy crash sounded, followed by a rising cloud of stone powder.
Zero, still in his feathered regalia, came beside Aleda and spat down at the villain, "That will show you how to treat a lady!"
Tallgeese was too dazed to reply. He laid in the cleft he'd made in the tower shingles, his eyescreens active but showing static-y blotches. He wasn't even moaning yet, though a spider-web of cracks across his armor said he should be in significant pain.
Zero turned from him to look Aleda over. She had a hand defensively cupping her chest, covering fractured armor and a scratch on her GunSoul—a dim spot on her otherwise glowing gem. "Are you alright, Aleda?" he said softly.
Though quaking, she gave a quick nod. "It's sore, but I think I'm fine."
His ruffled feathers settled just a bit. "I'm glad to hear that. But don't stress your frame before we can take a look at your injuries. A scrape to the GunSoul is no light matter."
"I'll be careful." She gave him a small smile.
Tallgeese's groan drew their attention. He shifted below them, dislodging pebbly debris. "Oh, that smarts..." He slowly began to stand. One wing had crumpled beneath him: it creaked as it tried to unfold. He wheezed like a broken accordian, and deep scratches marred his golden armor. Where was he trying to go, damaged like that?
Zero moved. "I'll finish this, Little Wing." His swords clicked together, forming one blade with a hollow, circular hole near the tip. "Stay back." He lowered, and as he descended to the roof, he said with hardened blue eyes, "You shouldn't have underestimated her twice, Tallgeese."
Aleda shuddered at how quickly the gentleness had left him, like warmth fleeing a cold frost. She'd wanted him to save her; she wasn't sure she wanted to watch what he had planned for her tormentor.
But before Zero could reach Tallgeese, he stopped, as if listening.
He turned around and flew the other way, grabbing Aleda's hand as he passed.
"Zero, what—?"
A screech sounded, and a winged shadow phased through the tower. It climbed toward them on leathery sails, its giant maw stretching wide, ready to swallow them in its black throat.
Author's Notes
Yes, I'm leaving you on that cliffhanger XD
So for the question of when the next chapter will be up: I don't know. I'll certainly aim for another month or month-and-a-half. I'll try to keep the chapters shorter so I can get them out sooner. But my teaching will obviously take priority; I'll have to take snatches of 15-20 minutes in a day to write, instead of, like, an hour.
I'll see you guys on the other side. Wish me luck!