***
"But oniisan," whined Relena Peacekatch. The twelve-year-old girl was dressed in a black shirt, blue jean shorts, tennis shoes, and a green-and-white jacket, her blond hair done up in a ponytail that poked out of the back of her baseball cap. This was her usual outfit, but she hadn't wanted to wear it today?not when she saw that her older brother had somehow arranged for the Gundamon League logo to be embroidered on her cap. "I don't wanna be a Gundamon trainer. I wanna stay home and?"
"Laze around," interrupted her older brother calmly. "Come on, hime-chan, this trip'll be good for you! You'll have fun! Build character! Make new friends!" he said cheerfully as he dragged his reluctant younger sister to Professor J's Gundamon Center. "I'll be eaten to death by bugs. Go hungry. Fall ill?" grumbled Relena.
Despite Relena's misgivings (and inclination of digging her heels into the ground, thereby making it necessary for Zechs to pull her along by main force), they soon arrived at the Gundamon center. When Professor J came outside, Relena squeaked and jumped behind her brother. "Wah! Zechs, that guy looks so scary!" she cried, fastening her arms around his leg.
"It's okay, Relena," Zechs assured her, trying to loosen her grasp before she cut off all blood circulation. "He may look scary, but he's harmless."
Lightning crackled ominously overhead at that point.
"That's strange," Zechs frowned. "It's a clear sky?"
Dr. J approached the two siblings, quite undisturbed by Relena's reaction. "Ah, Miss Peacekatch," he wheezed. "I've been expecting you. So, getting ready to start on your Gundamon journey, eh?"
Relena was about to state that it wasn't HER idea, but Zechs shushed her.
"Ah, to be young again, on the open road, training your Gundamon, sleeping under the starry sky?" Lietsze's Heimdall in the Woods begins to play. "But I'm rambling." The music stops. Much to the relief of all.
"Here is your trainer's manual, your map of the cities and Gundamon centers, your tactics guide?" Relena almost fell over with the weight of all the stuff Dr. J was throwing at her. "?your Trainer ID, your ESA (Evolutionary Status Analyzer) and?oh. I almost forgot."
"What else?!" Relena gasped out, panting with her load.
"Your Gundamon," Dr. J said. He trotted inside the Center, while Zechs helpfully took some of the things from his sister before she collapsed. Dr. J came out again, carrying a small, silvery cage. Zechs, curious, rapped it with his knuckles. "Steel?" he said in an inquiring voice. Dr. J shrugged. "The little guy's rather strong?and very violent."
The old man reached into the cage, and withdrew a tiny Gundamon. The chibi (slang for a Gundamon
) had dark, spiky hair that fell onto his sleeping face. His sturdy little arms and legs were tucked in close to his chest, curled up for slumber. He wore a little green tanktop, little black bicycle shorts, and pale yellow sneakers. A long tail, much like a cat's, was carried in a jaunty position behind him. He was the cutest thing Relena had ever seen."How KA-WAIII!" she squealed in delight, dropping all her stuff and snatching the little Gundamon from Dr. J.
Leaning over to Zechs, Dr. J said in a loud whisper, "I do believe she likes him."
"You think?" Zechs said sarcastically, watching as his sister delightedly cuddled her new Gundamon to herself. He wondered if the feeling was mutual, though, seeing as how the Gundamon was trying to struggle out of his sister's grasp. Or was the little guy just trying to get some air? His face did look a tad blue...
While Zechs tried to puzzle this out, Dr. J stepped forward, beaming. He knew when he saw this girl's pure, innocent eyes, that the two would be perfect together. And he was right! He so enjoyed being right... "This Gundamon is named Hiro," he told Relena. "He comes from the Yui line, which has produced many champions, such as Ayanami, former winner of the Neon cup..."
Relena wasn't listening to Dr. J's recital of her new Gundamon's genealogy, though: she was ruffling Hiro's messy crop of dark brown hair with her finger, laughing at the disgruntled look he gave his new trainer. Zechs smiled. He doubted he'd have any trouble convincing Relena to go on her Gundamon journey now...
His thoughts were cut off by the arrival of a new face. "Hello grandfather," came a low, measured voice. "Why, hello, Dorothy," Dr. J greeted his young granddaughter. "What brings you here?"
Dorothy looked over at the other twelve-year-old behind her grandfather. Dorothy and Relena had attended the same school together since they were little. And they had always been rivals - in everything from school marks, to Girl Scout badges, to grabbing the best seat in the lunchroom.
Relena finally looked up from cuddling Hiro to register her schoolmate's presence. "Oh, hi, Dorothy!" she chirped, smiling cheerily at the other girl. "What's up?"
This was another beef Dorothy had with Relena. The blasted girl didn't act at all the way a proper rival ought! How was one supposed to come up with devastating come-backs if your rival never gave you any insults to come-back? Hmph!
Ignoring Relena's friendly query, Dorothy stalked towards her 'rival' and leaned forward, scrutinizing Hiro closely. The little Gundamon, slightly frightened by this strange girl with the weird eyebrows, shrank back against his trainer. "So," Dorothy said, looking up at Relena. "You're training a Gundamon?"
The only word Relena registered was 'Gundamon'. "Yes, I just got him! Isn't he cute?" she said, holding him towards Dorothy. Eyes widening in fear, Hiro twisted out of Relena's grip, and scampered up her arm, sitting on her shoulder and watching Dorothy warily. He curled his tail around Relena's neck for extra stability. He did NOT want to be held by Dorothy, especially when he was so low in experience points.
Relena, ignoring the fact that Hiro was currently glaring at everyone, beamed and stroked his head again.
Dorothy stepped backwards. A satisfied smirk crossed her smooth features. Reaching up to finger the amulet hanging around her neck, she took up a dramatic pose, the melodrama increased by the wind that set her curtain of long silver-blond hair swinging and ruffling the edge of her purple sweater. "Relena Peacekatch, I challenge you!" she proclaimed, a Gundamball materializing in her hand. "I choose you - KYLE!" She hurled the white-and-red sphere forward.
With a flash of light, the Gundamball popped open, and a Gundamon materialized. It was a chibi boy, like Hiro, covered head-to-foot in a protective white shell reminiscent of fencing gear - and indeed, the boy held a little rapier in one hand. He jabbed at the air in front of him threateningly.
Dr J was delighted. "What a chance for Relena to get in some fighting experience, right away!" he said jubilantly. Zechs was less pleased, but still very excited. "If the defeat doesn't scar her so badly she swears off Gundamons forever, this WILL be a valuable learning experience," he concurred.
The air was thick with tension. Everyone was ready for battle.
"No way am I letting Hiro fight!" protested Relena. She glared (very mildly, it is true) at Dorothy. "He might get hurt!"
Everyone facefaulted. When Zechs, first to recover (being used to his sister making odd proclamations) picked himself off the floor, he asked her, sweatdropping, "But Relena, that's the entire point of Gundamons. They're supposed to fight."
Dorothy did much more than sweatdrop. "What ARE you babbling about, idiot?!" she screamed at her supposed rival. Everyone else winced. The Gundamons, with their more sensitive hearing, clapped their hands over their ears to block out the sound. Hiro's tail stuck out straight behind him, as though he had been electrically shocked. "You CAN'T refuse a challenge! Gundamon trainers are REQUIRED to fight whoever challenges them!"
Relena shook her head stubbornly. But before she could launch onto a speech on the value of pacifism among Gundamon trainers, her attention was drawn by the squirming Gundamon in her arms.
"You WANT to fight?" she asked Hiro. Hiro nodded, and recommenced his attempts to get at Kyle, who was insulting him in Gundamon sign language. His cobalt eyes blazed in fury, and he bared his teeth in a snarl. Unfortunately, as both his teeth and his mouth were small, it looked more cute than menacing.
"Fine?" Relena said, sighing. "I guess I can't stop you if you really want to?" She carefully set Hiro on the ground, who took off running before his feet touched the earth. "Be careful!" she cautioned.
Hiro threw a half-appeasing, half-exasperated glance back in return. He skidded to a halt before Kyle. The two Gundamons eyed each other warily. Kyle shifted his grip on his rapier, and Hiro's tail was lashing madly behind him, like a restless lion's...or kitten's.
Dr J assumed the role of judge. "Begin!" he thundered, and almost before the word had left his mouth, Dorothy was screaming: "Kyle! FENCE!"
Kyle lunged out with his rapier, trying to score a hit on the other Gundamon. Hiro dodged the thrusts deftly, but made no move to attack.
"Relena!" Zechs hissed. "You're supposed to direct your Gundamon! Tell him what attack to use!"
"What are his attacks?" Relena asked helplessly, watching the battle worriedly.
"Find out using your ESA!"
"Oh yeah?" Relena pointed the small red computer at Hiro. The ESA gave an obliging beep, and displayed the results on its screen. Relena scanned over the text carefully but quickly. Never had she been so glad for being a fast reader as now.
"Hiro!" she called. "Gun Shot!"
Hiro looked back at his trainer and shook his head. It was a minute movement, caught by no one other than Relena alone, so the others were surprised when almost immediately following her first command, Relena yelled, "Okay, forget the Gun Shot, do SwordFight!"
Hiro grinned ferally. A thin-bladed saber materialized in his hand, and he charged at Kyle. Panicked by this sudden attack, Kyle whipped the air in front of him with his rapier, trying to keep Hiro away. But Hiro, moving like a lightning bolt, snaked from side to side, avoiding the blade. He seemed to just appear in front of Kyle, so fast did Hiro move, and before the stunned Gundamon could react, Hiro had stabbed his sword into Kyle's face so hard it broke through his protective faceplate, the tip barely more than a millimeter away from Kyle's forehead.
Kyle collapsed onto the ground, trembling. Smirking, Hiro retrieved his saber, tucked it back into the Hammerspace pocket he kept it in, and strutted back to his trainer as Dr J declared him the winner.
***
TBC...
Elyn Yuy
Keep going...I like where this is headed. :razz: