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.
"Yeah,that's right!You just try and catch us,ya creeps!"
I yelled back to our pursuers as Van and I streaked across the desert in the ever present War Wolf.
Van grinned and yelled back at the Desert Command Wolf pilots,
"Yeah!You'd think after 300 years,you would've figured out how to at least speed up a Command Wolf!"
"Darn right,Van!War Wolf is the leader of the pack!"
I agreed,deciding I had had enough of this game of 'Cat and Mouse' today.I kicked in the Ion Boosters and brought the War Wolf up to 350 KPH,leaving the Command Wolves in the dust.Literally!
Van and I laughed heartily in the cockpit afterward as I turned off the boosters,now out of sight of the Command Wolves.
"Man,those guys just can't catch us,can they Sakura?"
Van asked,laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes.I was pretty well the same as I replied,
"Haha!Yeah,man!The day those guys catch us is the day I paint the War Wolf here pink!"
Van laughed even harder at that comment,knowing that pink was my most hated color and that I'd NEVER paint my beloved Zoid like that.
I grinned and looked up ahead,then blinking my aua eyes as they sprakled slightly.
"Finally..."
I said,Van looking over my shoulder to see what I was talking about as Lava Reef City appeared up ahead,the volcano out near the city smoking a little,as it always did.We both smiled and Van said,
"Wow,it really is built right at the base of the volcano!"
"Yup.The volcano's been dormant for the past 200 years."
"200..."
Van blinked his chocolate eyes,thinking that the last time it had erupted was 100 years after he had left his own time and ended up here with me.He sighed,remembering back on his days with Zeke,Fiona,Irvine and Moonbay for a little bit until Sakura pulled the War Wolf into the hangar...
It was later that evening that Van and I were walking the city streets.There was sort of a bazaar going on and many little trinket and food stands lined most of the streets.I smiled slightly as I licked my ice cream cone and looked at Van.Van sort of blinked and licked his cone slightly,smiling and taking a bigger lick.
"Like it?"
I asked as Van nodded vigorously.
"Yeah!It's great!...What is it again?"
I sweatdropped and replied,
"It's ice cream,Van!Ice cream!"
"Oh."
He said with a smile as he continued to eat it up.I chuckled slightly as I looked ahead,blinking as I saw a familiar haed of long,brunette hair with a silver stripe down the middle.
"Hey,that's..."
I smiled and ran forward.
"Sombra!"
The girl in question turned around and looked at me with her hazel chocolate eyes,smiling.
"Well,if it is'nt the Camouflage Bullet."
She greeted with my mercenary nickname as I ran up,Van trailing behind me.
"Man,it's been a while."
I said as we shook hands.Van blinked,as well as Sombra did.She smiled and said,
"Gees,Sakura,you're usually not this open...in fact,no offense,but I've never seen you so social before."
"Huh?Oh,well...I guess I've become a little more social since the last time we met..."
Sombra smiled again,looking over my shoulder at Van,who still licked his ice cream cone as he watched us.
"Hey,Sakura,who's your friend here?"
"Huh?Oh,that's Van."
I replied,grinning.
"Remember the last time I fought with your team and that guy fell out of the sky?"
I nodded my head toward Van and Sombra's eyes widened.
"You mean that's him?!"
"Yup.That's him all right."
"Wow...awesome."
She looked back to Van.
"So,what's your name?"
Van blinked and said,
"Um,Van.My name's Van Flyheight."
"Van Flyheight,well it's nice to meet you,Van.Hey,why'd you drop out of the sky like that before,anyway?"
Van and I looked at each other,knowing we could'nt tell her the truth.We could'nt let on to anyone that Van had come from 300 years in the past.
I finally cleared my throat and said,
"Well,you see,he was in a battle himself and his Zoid took a mjor hit and the explosion sent him right into the sky,thus dropping him right into the battle before..."
Sombra blinked several times anime style,like she did'nt believe what I was telling her,but she shrugged and let it go.
"Well,I'm glad you're all right after that Van."
She told him,smiling.Van blushed slightly.He was'nt really used to girls smiling at him like that.Except Sakura.He was totally used to Sakura smiling at him like this.He felt...strangely comfortable with it.He then shook his head at his thoughts as he listened to the girls' conversation...
"Anyway,Sakura,since we happened to run into you..."
Sombra began,turning to the blonde.
"You wanna fight on the Vesuvius Team again?I'm sure Satoshi would enjoy having you on the team for another battle.We fight the Blitz Team tomorrow."
"The Blitz Team,huh?"
Sakura asked,smirking slightly.
"Is'nt that the team that's rumored to have some sort of powerful white Zoid on it?"
"Yeah,Liger Zero."
"Liger Zero...yeah,I'll battle on your Team tomorrow.I wanna shot at that Liger Zero,so I'll do it for free."
"Seriously?!For free?!Geez,you really have changed since the last time we met."
They both sort of laughed,and Van could'nt help but smile at the two.
"A white Liger..."
Van whispered to no one imparticular as he found himself standing on a cliff,watching a Zoid battle below that involved this 'White Liger' going up against the War Wolf.
"I thought I was supposed to be in the War Wolf's cockpit with Sakura though..."
That's when rain started to come down.Van looked up,seeing lightning flashing across the clouded sky.He then looked back down to his clothes,seeing red spots starting to appear on them.He gasped,jumping back.
"R-Red rain..."
He opened his palm,watching this red rain drip into it.
"No...not red rain...blood!"
Van's body started to shake.He had no idea what was going on as he took a couple of steps back,the blood puddling on the ground and on the rock cliff everywhere.
"It...it's raining...blood...but...but why?!"
He then heard a yell come from below,looking forward some and down at the two Zoids.The War Wolf and the White Liger were both sinking into two large pools of blood,both roaring and howling as the pilots tried to get their Zoids and themselves out of the seemingly inevitable situation.
"Sakura!!"
Van literally screamed,running down and towards the two Zoids,though having no idea of what he was going to do when he got there.He stopped next to the blood pool that the War Wolf was sinking into,seeing the Zoid suddenly disappear into thin air,leaving it's blonde,aqua eyed pilot to sink into the red life fluid.
"Sakura,hang on!I'm coming!"
Van called out,starting to go in,but he felt his feet seemingly stick in the bloody sand like it were human-sized flypaper.
"Sakura!"
Van called out helplessly,reaching out his hand,though knowing it was'nt near enough to grab her.He then noticed the white Liger had also disappeared,it's pilot also sinking into the blood pond near Sakura.
Van observed this pilot well.It sort of surprised him as he looked upon his unruly,blonde hair and aqua eyes.
"He...he looks...just like...Sakura..."
He said to himself in a hushed whisper as he suddenly felt himself sinking as well.He tried to slowly move out of this bloody quicksand,but it seemed futile,as he began to sink faster and faster,until finally he sunk completely under,still trying to reach out for Sakura.
But,once under,Van did'nt feel wet sand rushing into his eyes or nostrils as he expected.He found himself in what seemed to be a starship.
"What the..."
He swallowed hard,knowing this was'nt right.Was'nt he supposed to be dead right now?Hey,he could'nt complain.Better breathing than not.
Van started to walk down the hallway,trying to figure out where he was when he suddenly heared blaster shots being fired from a room on down the hallway.He did'nt hesitate to run forward,going into a room full of people laying lifelessly on the floor,the stench of burned flesh and blood filling the air.Van felt like he might throw up at any minute with these sights and smells that now surrounded him.
"Wha...what's going on here?What...happened?"
Van then looked across the room,seeing two children hiding under some sort of control panel.He started to go over,then seeing that they both,the little girl and the young boy that embraced her,had blonde hair and aqua eyes.Van's eyes went wide.
"Wait...am I...Seeing what happened in the past?Is this...what it was like when Sakura's parents were killed?But...then who's...?"
He then remembered the White Liger pilot from before and he gasped.
"Oh my gosh...that Liger pilot...must be Sakura's older brother!The same one she was seperated from when all of this took place!But...how did I get here?Did I go back in time?I went forward in time,so...going back would'nt surprise me much..."
Suddenly,Imperial Stormtroopers started filling into the room,reaching under the control panel and grabbing the two children,separating them.
"Hey!Leave them alone,you PVC wearing freaks!"
Van yelled out,starting to go forward and help the two young ones,but then saw a blaster raised to his face just before the crimson hot beam of light came out right at him,giving him no time to react...
Van shot straight up in bed,drenched in cold sweat as he breathed heavily,laying a hand over his chest in an attempt to slow his racing heart.
"Wha...what a nightmare..."
He whispered to himself as he pulled his hand away from his chest,looking at it.His chocolate eyes went wide when he saw spots of blood on his hand,but they seemingly faded away a second later,Van sighing with relief and the thought that it was only his mind and eyes playing tricks on him.
"Phew...just a dream...nothing more..."
Van said to himself.
"I hope..."
That's when I burst into the room.
"Van,I heard a yell!Are you all right?"
Van simply nodded to me,still trying to calm his racing heart.I sighed,realizing what had happened and sat down next to him.His chocolate eyes widened a little as I wrapped my arms around him.He blushed,but I did'nt notice,having pulled his head onto my chest in the embracement.
"It's all right,Van.It's over now.Just relax."
I told him,rocking back and forth gently as I patted the back of his head.
"It was just a dream.It's okay now."
He sighed and slowed his breathing to regular,rubbing his face into my shirt a little bit.I could tell by the way he wanted to be close to someone like this that his dream had been pretty bad,so I figured it best not to ask about it as I continued to speak softly to him,trying to get him calmed down.
"Ssssshhhh...it's okay.I'm here."
Van simply nodded,his face still buried into the cloth of my camouflage,flannel night shirt which I wore with a pair of black,flannel bed pants.And yes,I wear camouflage even to bed...
"Don't worry,Van.It was nothing more than just a dream,and it's over now.Just relax,okay?"
Van nodded again and managed to say a soft thankyou,his voice muffled through the cloth of my shirt.I replied a gentle you're welcome to him and hugged him a little tighter,to which he did'nt protest.Eventually,he fell asleep right there in my arms...
"The area within a 5 mile radius is now a designated Zoid battlefield.This zone is now restricted.Only competitors and personnel have authorized entry.Danger!All others must leave the area at once!Area scanned...battlefield set up.The Blitz Team versus the Vesuvius Team.Battle mode 0982.Ready...FIGHT!"
The anamotronic Zoid Battle Judge cried as it crossed it's arms,signaling the start of the battle.All the Zoids let out their war cries as they ran into battle,each Zoid going head-to-head with another Zoid on the opposing team.Satoshi and Leena were going at it Velociraptor to Velociraptor as the Gun Sniper and the Rev Raptor charged at each other,guns blazing.
Seth did'nt hesitate to bring his Command Wolf in at Jamie's Raynos,both of them smiling widely as they zoomed and fired at one another.
Sombra went at it Shadow Fox to Shadow Fox against Brad,both Zoids literally leaping on each other and rolling about in the sand in an all out brawl against each other,the Zoids howling and roaring the entire time,looking awfully vicious.
Now,as you can probably guess,I was coming towards the Liger Zero in the War Wolf,my aqua eyes locked on the opposing white Liger as we closed the distance.Van watched from the back seat as we both slashed Strike Laser Claws at each other,both of us leaving deep gashes in the 'shoulder' of the other's Zoid.
That's when a holographic image of a certain young man with unruly,blonde hair and aqua eyes showed up on the comlink,Van gasping when he saw him,remembering his dream.The young man on the comlink smirked and said,
"So,you're Sakura,the infamous Camouflage Bullet I've been hearing about."
Sakura nodded and replied,
"And you're Bit Cloud,the invincible Liger pilot."
"Got that right.That's the first time in a long time anyone's left a mark on me.Guess you're gonna be the ultimate test."
"As you will be for me.Let's go War Wolf!"
"Liger,let's show her what we got!"
With that,we brought both our Zoids in at each other at top speed,Van hanging on tight as another set of Strike Laser claws clashed together,sending sparks and armor flying.
"Sakura...I don't think we should be here..."
Van finally said,not knowing how else to say it.I started to look back at him like he was crazy,but then,heavy fire suddenly covered the entire battlefield,causing the Judge to cancel the battle.But what the Judge had'nt known as three Whale Kings lew overhead though,was that the battle was only beginning...
End of Chapter Eight
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