Very clever fanfic. It makes it so that characters from two eras which are hundreds of years apart end up meeting. The main Zoid in here, called The War Wolf, is very believable. Tim Seltzer, seltzer@seltzerbooks.com
Sakura's Disclaimer: This goes for all chapters,so I don't have
to write this dislaimer again...I don't own Zoids and don't get paid for
writing this.Thank you.
Or a vision?
After Darth Malice and one of her evil henchmen,Blade,kidnapped me during the battle,Malice almost succeeded in bringing out the power I'm now certain I have.Fortunately,Sakura came to me rescue in a daring way,as usual.
But now,because of me,the War Wolf's Zoid Core was damaged in the battle
before,and now it's dieing.But,if I can bring out my powers like Malice
had almost forced me to doing before,maybe there's something I can do to
save my best friend's Zoid...
"Van!"
She yelled out,but was forced back as the blinding light grew.
Sakura's attention had finally been caught and she looked up from her teary self-huddle to see a whirlwind of blueish-white light enveloping the War Wolf.
"Is that...Van?...Is Van doing that?!"
She asked,aqua eyes wide on her tear stained face.Sombra nodded slowly and replied,
"I...I think so..."
"Van..."
Sakura whispered,more to herself than anyone as she stared intently at the whirlwind of light that sat in front of her.
This went on for several minutes before Sakura finally stood,Sombra looking to her.
"Sombra...you think...Van's okay in there?"
"I...really don't know Sakura..."
She started to slowly walk forward,up close to the blueish-white illumination before her,the power easily being felt as she got closer.The energy felt like a soft,warm breeze against her skin,but yet gave a slight,electrical sensation deep within.
"Van?"
She said,though not really expecting me to answer as she slowly put her hand forward,touching the light.This was a mistake though,as the energy clashed with hers and threw her back hard into the sand.
"Sakura!"
Sombra yelled,running over to her.
"Are you okay?"
Sakura sat up,rubbing her head.
"Fine..."
She replied,then sadly looking back to the whirlwind of light.
"Van..."
"Where...am I exactly?"
I thought sleepily as I came around,finding myself curled up in a fetal position,actually sort of floating as I found nothing but bright light surrounding me.I wanted to move,but the light felt so warm and comfortable...I found myself wanting to stay here instead.
But,where was here?
That's when everything came flooding back to my mind.I remembered seeing the War Wolf being mortally damaged...seeing Sakura cry...going to the...Zoid Core...
Was that where I was?Was I really inside the War Wolf's Zoid Core?Had I actually done it?
Well,I'll tell you this much...I could'nt think of any other way to explain it...
I closed my eyes and laid my forehead on my knees,thinking about what was going on outside.Was the War Wolf healing?And what were Sakura and Sombra doing?Could they see me right now?I doubted it,seeing as I could'nt see anything but bright bluish white everywhere...
I sighed,opening my eyes and taking another look around.I expected to only see the same thing,wondering why I had looked,really.I was surprised when I saw something else...
A white feather.
I blinked,gently taking the feather in my hand and looking at it,wondering how a feather had gotten here.I looked all around,seeing nothing of which the feather could have come from.
"This keeps getting wierder and wierder..."
I thought,just before feeling a sudden drain on my energy and falling back asleep.
"Sakura,come on...you can't just sit there and watch all night long..."
Sombra told Sakura later that night,far after darkness had fallen.Sakura sat there though,eyes still locked on the whirlwind of light as she replied to Sombra,
"But...Van...the War Wolf..."
"Sakura,come on.There's nothing we can do.Now come on and get some sleep..."
"But something might happen..."
Sombra sighed,rolling out her sleeping bag and laying down.
"Well,if you're not gonna sleep Sakura,at least please eat something...you have'nt eaten in the past six hours..."
Sakura simply nodded,not taking her eyes off of the whirlwind of light.
Sombra sighed again,snuggling under her covers.
"All right then,Sakura...Good night..."
"'Night,Sombra..."
It was'nt long before Sombra had fallen asleep,Sakura not moving from her spot,just continuing to watch and wait.
"Van...you have to be okay...please be okay,Van..."
She whispered silently,though thinking I could'nt hear her.
But the thing was...I could hear her.Very clearly.
I opened my eyes slightly and listened to her.Her voice sounded almost like it was right in my head.
"Sakura?"
I said,looking around some as I heard her continue to talk.
"Sakura,if you can hear me,don't worry.I'm okay."
I said,hoping she could hear me.
She did,as she jumped to her feet outside,hearing my voice in her head as I had heard hers.
"Van?!"
She yelped,looking about.
"Van!"
I was about to speak again,when I suddenly heard explosions from ouside.
"Sakura!!!"
I yelled,knowing something was going on as I now tried to push myself out of the Zoid Core,which was'nt working one bit.
"Sakura!Hang on!I'm...coming!"
I called out as the light suddenly brightened around me...
In the meantime,Sombra was up and Sakura was getting up,having been a little close to where the fires weapon had hit.She growled,looking up at the culprit:The Vesuvius Wolf.
"You again!"
Sombra yelled at Blade,the pilot.
"How'd you get your Zoid repaired so fast?!"
Sakura growled as Blade smirked.
"Lots and lots of spare parts.Just liek putting a little model together.Now,are you girlies ready to give up the Ancient Zoidian,or not?"
Sakura growled again,hardly even able to believe that Blade was still alive.Sombra in the meantime did'nt hesitate to make a run for her Shadow Fox and ready herself to do battle.
"All right Blade,you wanna fight?You've got it!"
Blade smirked again and did'nt hesitate to go in at the Shadow Fox,Strike Laser Claw blazing.But Sombra was ready this time,remembering his moves from before and leaping over him,about to dig in with her own Strike Laser Claw.But Blade had apparently anticipated her moves as well and moved to the side quickly,headbutting the Shadow Fox hard.
"Sombra!"
Sakura yelled,seeing Sombra bring up Strike Laser Claw towards the Vesuvius Fox's cockpit.But Blade blocked and ran forward,slamming her into the ground.
"No...Sombra...not you too..."
Sakura felt like she was losing everybody again,just like she had before.She felt like she was gonna lose me,Sombra and the War Wolf.
"This can't...happen...I...I won't let it!"
She screamed,feeling hot tears sting her eyes.
Then,for no apparent reason,some of the light from the whirlwind formed a beam towards Sakura,enveloping her and lifting her up off the ground just before pulling her into the whirlwind.
"Huh?Wha-what's going on?"
She asked no one imparticular as she suddenly found herself sitting in a Zoid's cockpit.But not just any cockpit.It was the War Wolf's!But...some of the controls were a little different.Strangely enough,some of the controls were similar to that of a Blade Liger's!
"What...what is this?"
She asked,reaching forward and taking the controls.She gripped them tight,this feeling a little new,yet so comfortable to her.Like this was where she belonged...
That's when I felt myself being pulled out of the Zoid Core and being placed in the back seat of the cockpit.I opened my eyes and looked around.
"Sakura?"
Sakura's aqua eyes widened as well as her smile as she turned to me.
"Van!You're okay!"
She cried out,reaching into the back seat and hugging me tightly.I smiled and hugged back.
"Yeah,I'm okay.Don't worry."
Sakura then pulled back some,looking at me.Her expression turned thoughtful and she said,
"Van,was'nt your stripe on the other side of your face?And...was'nt it red before?"
"Huh?What're you talking about?"
"Well...it's blue now...and on the right side of your face instead of the left..."
"Eh?"
I looked at my reflection in the transparasteel cockpit canopy,seeing that she was right!It had changed!As well as my clothes,which were now a black pair of pants with white and blue lines running down the legs,along with a short sleeved,black shirt that had sort of galactic-looking blue and white designs all over it.
"What happened to my clothes?"
I asked,blinking a couple of times.
But meanwhile,outside,Sombra was'nt having the easiest time in the world with Blade as,after she had put up a really good fight against him,he had her down on the ground and smirked to her.
"Well,I'll say,you put up a nice fight back there.Not many people fight me this long and live.But then again,that's not gonna last much longer."
He told her as he moved closer to the system frozen Shadow Fox.Sombra growled,trying to get it back online.
"Come on,Fox!Move!"
She yelled,then looking up a second.She stopped when she noticed the whirlwind of light starting to dissapate.
"What the...?!"
Blade followed her gaze and watched,his jaw dropping as he saw the bluish-white light finally fade,revealing a Zoid never seen before.
The Zoid was a Wolf type that sported black armor with blue and white galactic type designs that matched the shirt I was now wearing.It's claws and teeth were made of pure Crystal,as well as the weapons,like the blades on it's back and such.It howled powerfully and charged at the Vesuvius Wolf.
"No way!"
Blade yelled angrily as he also charged in,ready to do battle with this new Zoid.He brought the Vesuvius Wolf up to invisible speed,but strangely enough,the new Wolf did the same,coming right up past him easily with the Crystalline blades out on either side,which were much like the golden blades of a Blade Liger,and literally slashing the Vesuvius Wolf in half,like a hot knife through butter.
The Vesuvius Wolf fell to the ground in two large pieces,Blade yelling profanities so loud the whole planet could hear as he jumped out of his cockpit,looking to the Wolf zoid before him.
"Who are you in there?!"
He asked angrily as the Zoid lowerd it's head,the canopy opening as Sakura and I jumped out,smirking at Blade.He growled.
"You two..."
Sakura nodded.
"That's right.Have fun with the Celeste Wolf?"
She said him,grabbing him by the front of his shirt and holding him up to her face,
"Now I'm giving you one chance...you take off into that desert and out of our livs,or I'll put you out..."
Sakura told him,flinging him into the sand.
"Now go..."
Blade did'nt hesitate to stand and run off,apparently afraid now as he ran quickly and off into the sandy land as the sun had just now started to rise.
Sakura smirked slightly and looked to me,her smirk turning into a warm smile before she hugged me tightly.I was a little surprised at first,but then hugged back,smiling as well.She tightened her grip a little and said in my ear,
"Thanks,Van.Thanks so much for everything."
I nodded slightly and said,
"What're best friends for?"
Sombra smiled as she watched us,a gentle breeze blowing all around as the Celeste Wolf and I seemingly returned to our normal forms,the blue stripe on my face switching back to the red one on my other cheek as my clothes also changed back to how they had been before,as well as the Celeste Wolf's armor and weapons going back from Crystal Blades and the black celestial design armor to the usual weaponry of the War Wolf,as well as the military camouflage armor.I guessed the change was only temporary.
Sakura blinked,but then just smiled again and said,
"Does'nt matter.I'm just glad you're both still here..."
End of Chapter Eleven
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