Fan Fiction / Zoids Fan Fiction ❯ Two Birds, One Arrow ❯ Songs of the Nightingale ( Chapter 5 )

*Disclaimer- You know the deal. Don't own Zoids… blah! blah! blah… for entertainment only… yadda… yadda… yadda… Okay! Now that that's out the way, let's get to business. Here's the latest chapter!

Chapter 5- SONGS OF THE NIGHTINGALE

Soaring through the skies…

Winds blowing all my worries away…

Never let me go…

You're part of familiar yesterday…

Pierce awakened from her peaceful sleep. Now that she had evaded a horrible fate and was finally able to be by the side of whom she cherished most, she was more happy than she had ever been. She felt so free. All that mattered to her now was to stay with Jamie, forever. Looking around, she observed Stoler, Jack Sisco, and the Fluegel Team sleeping contentedly in the living room, which had been arranged for their temporary stay. Feeling safe and protected to know this, she smiled. She walked through the base, exploring the unknown terrain and hoping she would find her way to Jamie's room. Turning around a corner, she ran into Ashley, who was sipping on a mug of hot tea.

"Morning, Pierce."

"Good morning, Ashley."

"What's got you awake so early?"

"I'm used to it. Listen, I wanna thank you for saving us the other day."

"No prob." The two just sat there quietly, unsure of what to say next. Even though she knew she was accepted, she couldn't help feeling awkward around her new friends, once destined to be her enemies. "Was there something you wanted to ask? You look like you've got a few questions."

"Actually, there was. I know that you're the Gun Sniper Goddess, and I'm glad that you came to my rescue, but I'm still trying to figure out why. I thought your fighting days were over. I never thought you'd try to help someone like me. I just don't get it." Pierce looked deep into Ashley's eyes, suggesting that she really wanted an answer. Ashley just stood up, and held her chin.

"Let's just say that from my past experiences, I don't want to see a repeat in the future." Saying this, Ashley regressed down the corridors, leaving a confused look on the green-haired beauty. ~What did she mean by that?~

_____________

Past promises so sad,

Pain induced brings grief, and sorrow…

How can this be bad?

I thought 'twas for a bright tomorrow?

/ C'mon Jamie, wake up! / The Wild Eagle was really concerned with what would be happening in the upcoming future. Would he really have to leave? Would it be forever? He had been hiding his feelings for the longest, and he decided that before things could progress further, now would be the time to make his feelings known to Jamie. / Jamie! I really need to talk to you. / After yelling for about a few minutes, he finally managed to wake Jamie up. As usual, he got up with a cranky start and rubbed his eyes, followed by the matching yawn and stretch.

"You know, that's really starting to get on my nerves..."

/ So? We need to talk. / Jamie climbed out of bed and staggered to his feet.

"What about?"

/ I've been thinking lately about you and Pierce. /

"Yeah, and what's wrong?"

"Hey Jamie!"

"Who is it?"

"It's Ashley. Pierce is up, so if you want to go talk to her…"

"Thanks, I'll be right there." Jamie returned to his conversation with Wild Eagle, lowering his tone so as not to draw attention. "Now what did you want to talk to me about?" Wild Eagle lost his courage to speak his mind when they were interrupted, and he had no choice but to try and address his feelings later.

/ It's… it's nothing. / Jamie picked up hurt and reluctance in his partner's voice.

"You sure? If you wanna talk…"

/ No! Seriously, it's nothing. You go find Pierce. / Jamie wanted to know what was wrong, but decided that it would be best not to push the matter any further, although he had developed a strong bond of friendship with the Wild Eagle and it disturbed him to see his friend distressed.

"All right, if you say so." Jamie left, and Wild Eagle returned to thinking his own private thoughts. / Why should it matter if I'm happy? I'm just a tool for the real thing, right? /

_____________

Seems so distant now,

My newborn reality,

I'll sing my life's tale anyhow,

This nightingale's own fantasy…

Song of pain, song of love,

Lifting on the clouds above,

To my heart, I'll stay true,

This song shall fly, straight to you…

Pierce sat on the foot of her Stormsworder, looking out into the clear morning sky from the hanger. She had a lot on her mind: thoughts of Jamie, thoughts of her betrayal, thoughts of leaving the Backdraft Group, thoughts of her father… ~Father… I'm sorry I couldn't keep true to your name.~ She had once begun her training as a pilot to follow in her father's footsteps. She remembered hearing the tragic news that her father had crashed and rushing straight into her mother's arms. She was only seven then… ~Mother… I've failed you both… forgive me.~ After hearing of his death, Pierce's mother had grown severely ill. The doctors didn't know how to treat the symptoms, and sadly concluded that it was fatal. Pierce couldn't believe what she had seen, watching her mother slowly deteriorate into nothing, finally disappearing altogether, any remnants existing in the form of a dilapidated corpse.

She recalled the feeling of guilt involved in the entire ordeal. She blamed herself for her mother's sadness, as is normal for any child to do, but she held that blame for many years to come, and it still lingered in her, even now. She remembered how powerless she was in the wake of her mother's demise, and she cursed herself for that, too. A tear began to run down her right cheek, both of her eyes long since watery. She hated how weak she was, and always thought that if she could have been stronger, she could have perhaps saved them both. As a result, she made a silent promise to make it up to them, becoming strong enough to protect anyone who she would cherish from that point and striving to shine a torch of glory on her father's name. However, since she was forced to flee, she could not keep the promise to her father, and felt as though she were paining her mother yet again. Another tear ran down her cheek, this time from the left. She drew her knees into her chest, sinking her head down as though to hide her shame from the world.

"Pierce?" She looked up, surprised to hear Jamie's voice. Finally placing her gaze on him, she sobered up, changing the gloomy setting of her isolated retreat. She smiled halfheartedly, a hint of sadness hidden behind it that was far too subtle to notice. "Good morning, I was looking for you." He walked over to where she sat, kissing her lovingly on the cheek, and he sat down beside her. "What're you doing up so early?" he asked, concerned because his earlier conversation with the Wild Eagle had him on edge, making him more aware of any emotions lingering in the air. He looked into her eyes, signing to her from a mere gaze that she could feel safe to express herself around him. His eyes gave off warmth, and she felt comfortable. The sadness was still in her expression, but relief had also begun to surface.

"Just thinking, about stuff… you know."

"Yeah, it has been pretty hectic around here lately. Thinking about anything in particular?"

"Nope, just about the Backdraft and everything."

"…your father?" Pierce froze. Jamie looked at her apologetically, realizing that he had pushed into sensitive territory and she smiled, mostly to ward off any guilt she had accidentally placed upon him.

"It's okay, really. If you really must know, yeah, I've been thinking about him a lot, ever sense we escaped."

"I know how you feel. It must feel bad to turn your back on everything you've ever known. Kind of like you're turning your back on him." Pierce smiled. ~He can be extra perceptive at times. It's almost like he's two different people.~

"That's exactly how I feel. I just don't know, though. Is it right for me to do this? It almost feels like I'm shattering the legacy of my family. It feels so wrong just to walk away. Like I said before, he never saw anything bad about the Backdraft, and neither did I, but now…"

"They dismissed your legacy like it was nothing. Everything you did to honor him and show your loyalty was cast aside by a few simple regulations. If you wanna know, I think by leaving, you're building on his legacy."

Song of dreams, fading fast,

Swift as the mighty river's flow,

I knew you wouldn't last,

Darkness forms from long ago…

"You know, I always wished that I could fly alongside my father, conquering the skies and challenging anyone who would dare to fight us. We were invincible, at least in the way I wanted to vision it, and I remember listening to every detail of his battle. Then, one day, I heard that he crashed. I wanted to know how that was possible, because the earlier report mentioned that he had eliminated all of his enemies. One of the soldiers explained to me that he had been severely injured, and could not control his Zoid any longer. Ever since then, I've always felt that if I didn't do well, become twice the pilot that he ever was, I could never even come close to fulfilling my dream, but I realize now that it was all a childish fantasy. I've failed him now the same way I failed my mother."

"Pierce, you didn't do anything wrong. Whatever happened to your mother couldn't have been your fault. What was so bad that you regret about her?"

"I-I-I couldn't save her," she managed to say with a slight stutter.

"Of course you couldn't, you were just a child then. It's not your fault." These soothing words eased their way into her mind, and she felt less pain over the whole thing. ~He's not judging me. Is he right that it's not my fault?~ In an abrupt outburst of emotion, her eyes swelled up with tears, and she hugged him tightly, sobbing softly to herself. Jamie held the back of her head, pressing gently on her aquatic green hair. He eased her away, holding her chin up to look into his eyes, and he smiled. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast."

_____________

Off in a distant land,

Storm clouds thicken, threatening doom,

Time fickle as sand,

Song of fate, painting a tomb.

Layon was sitting at his desk, concerned with his recent failure. Not only had he failed to capture the Raynos, but he had also managed to let Pierce escape. He stood up, and walked over to his personal stash of noodles, filling a pot with water afterwards. He placed it on the stove, letting it heat up into a boil. He placed the noodles inside, and returned to sitting at his desk. "Another embarrassment like this will put me in the same position as that pilot. All these unexpected turns. How the hell could I have predicted that the Raynos would get help? Further still, how could I have known that our Elephandor would have been one of the Zoids to do it? I've got to think of a way to make things up." He went about, looking at recent battle data concerning the Blitz Team. His eyes lit up as he observed a particular battle. "The Jurassic Team Gang, huh? Let me look up info on them…"

Typing the keys at an alarmingly high rate, he searched through one database after another, cursing loudly every time he found nothing, and finally arrived to one site in particular. "The Jurassic Team Gang was a gang started by the Jurassic Team, sponsored by Dinocorp, the second largest industrial corporation next to the Champ organization. This particular corporation specializes in the manufacturing of Zoids under a prehistoric theme. The son is Tirano Sirus Rexaur." Layon began to search for information on Tirano, proceeding in basically the same way he had done seconds before, and stopped on one other site. "What? He's in custody of the Zoids Battle Commission? Hmm… this could prove interesting… I may be able to make amends and get Tauros back in one fell swoop!" He turned on the com-link, proposing his idea and anxiously awaiting permission. Once approved, he decided he'd make a little visit to the Commission Prison. A smile curved on his lips, followed by a maniacal laugh that echoed through the hallways of the Backdraft base. "Tauros! You're mine!"

_____________

Seems so distant now,

My newborn reality,

I'll sing my life's tale anyhow,

This nightingale's own fantasy…

Song of pain, song of love,

Lifting on the clouds above,

To my heart, I'll stay true,

This song shall fly, straight to you…

At last we're together,

Never meant to part,

The end of stormy whether,

The song from a lovebird's heart…

The day actually went rather smoothly for the inhabitants of the Tauros base. The Tasker sisters had come to check on Jack, who simply did not wish to report back to them. Apparently, he was tired of always having to be on guard duty at night. Everyone waited for breakfast, courtesy of Leena, who growled as Brad, Bit, and Jamie chanted the usual breakfast chant. Jamie had decided to take Wild Eagle's advice.

"Hold your horses, will ya?" At this point, even Ashley and Naomi joined in. Naomi obviously did it because she enjoyed irritating Leena. Wild Eagle added commentary every once in a while. / One down, one to go. You're next, Bit. / Pierce was finally getting into the festive spirit of things, and she, too joined in. By the time it was over, even Leon and the Tasker sisters were saying it. Of course, Leena grew so angry that she wrecked the entire kitchen, and everyone was forced to clean it up while Tauros went to order out.

The rest of the day ensued with light conversation and such. Bit decided to take the Liger out for a run, which inspired Pierce and Jamie to do the same. However, they flew together, racing through the skies as though nothing else mattered, or would ever matter again. That evening, the entire base decided to put on a talent show, where everybody had to showcase some skill. Leena decided to disturb everyone, lifting up a 400-pound weight, which was easily achieved due to her extensive training when she worked out. This made Bit cringe a lot more from that moment forth. Next up, was Bit. He really didn't have anything to do, so he decided to tell a few jokes, which resulted in him being booed off the stage. Next, Brad came out, amazing everyone with his martial arts skills. Jack, taking advantage of the opportunity so that he wouldn't have to create his own routine, joined him, and a light spar ensued. Everyone applauded. The Tasker sisters decided to act out a dramatic scene, involving two sisters who had not seen each other for years. More applause ensued.

Naomi decided to spice things up. She pulled out an old revolver, and made Leon stand, placing several targets on him. He wanted to weasel his way out of it, but he knew he couldn't think of his own routine, and stood perfectly still, letting Naomi shoot the targets off one by one. Everyone turned to Stoler, who immediately backed away. Tauros let him off the hook, and everyone decided to turn back to Jamie. He and the Wild Eagle, who he had convinced to come out of hiding after being so quiet all day, succeeded where Bit failed, creating a very nice stand-up comedy routine. Due to its nature, it was also very original, and demanded applause. Ashley showed off her incredible swordsmanship, and everyone finally realized how her Gun Sniper Legend was able to maneuver its own sword so well. Finally, the entire audience turned to Pierce, who insisted that she didn't have anything.

"Oh come on! A beauty like you has to have some kind of talent," Ashley encouraged.

"Yeah! I know you've got to have some skill. If you need a partner for your act, I'll help you out!" yelled Bit. Leena growled at him, and remembering the weights, he cringed greatly.

"Pierce knows how to sing!"
"Stoler!" Pierce snapped. The entire room turned to him, and he smiled. Pierce glared at him, but she wasn't really upset, just embarrassed.

"Come on, Pierce. You used to always sing to yourself, and you've got such a beautiful voice. What better thing to showcase during a talent show than one of your beautiful songs?"

"Come on, do it for me Pierce, please?" Jamie asked, mocking the innocent look of a puppy. How could she say no?

"All right, I'll do it… but no laughing." She climbed onto the stage, and waited for the room to settle down. Once ready, she began to sing, loudly and clearly, her voice filling every space of the room.

Soaring through the skies…

Winds blowing all my worries away…

Never let me go…

You're part of familiar yesterday…

Past promises so sad,

Pain induced brings grief, and sorrow…

How can this be bad?

I thought 'twas for a bright tomorrow?

Seems so distant now,

My newborn reality,

I'll sing my life's tale anyhow,

This nightingale's own fantasy…

Song of pain, song of love,

Lifting on the clouds above,

To my heart, I'll stay true,

This song shall fly, straight to you…

Song of dreams, fading fast,

Swift as the mighty river's flow,

I knew you wouldn't last,

Darkness forms from long ago…

Off in a distant land,

Storm clouds thicken, threatening doom,

Time fickle as sand,

Song of fate, painting a tomb.

Seems so distant now,

My newborn reality,

I'll sing my life's tale anyhow,

This nightingale's own fantasy…

Song of pain, song of love,

Lifting on the clouds above,

To my heart, I'll stay true,

This song shall fly, straight to you…

At last we're together,

Never meant to part,

The end of stormy whether,

The song from a lovebird's heart…

Gazing in each other's eyes,

Finding pure serenity,

You, my lovebird are the prize,

Fly with me for eternity.

Seems so distant now,

My newborn reality,

I'll sing my life's tale anyhow,

This nightingale's own fantasy…

Song of pain, song of love,

Lifting on the clouds above,

To my heart, I'll stay true,

This song shall fly, straight to you.

The audience was in awe of her singing. Her voice was soft, mellow, plucking on every emotion that the song's lyrics produced. She was so into it, as well. All of the women, even Naomi and Leena, could not help but wipe tears from their eyes. The beauty that they heard entranced the men. Jamie smiled, tears in his eyes. He was the first to clap, causing the audience to begin the delayed reaction. Had there actually been a prize, Pierce would definitely have won. Brad commented to Jamie on her performance.

"Boy, you sure know how to pick 'em."

"Just lucky, I guess." He climbed up on the stage and hugged her, the two releasing their hold long enough to engage in a passionate kiss. Jamie wasn't really sure how to tell her how much he cared for her, but to his surprise, she spoke before him.

"I love you, my Wild Eagle." Jamie smiled, and replied in the same passionate way.

"I love you too, my beautiful nightingale…" The two sat down, and Jamie, amazed at how sad the song was, asked her where she got the inspiration to sing it.

"It was my mother and father's favorite song. I remember at nights when my mother would lay me down and sing it to me like a lullaby. That was the song they had sung at their wedding. I don't know. I've just always kept it close to my heart." Later on that night, everyone mingled to the sips of hot cocoa. Everybody was fixed with someone else. Bit and Leena sat comfortably together, not lashing at each other for the first time. Brad was relaxing, Naomi asleep beside him. He couldn't help but blush furiously when she cuddled up against him. Helpless to do anything, he held her gently, and kissed her on the forehead, making sure nobody noticed. What he didn't know was, the one person who did notice was Naomi, who had been faking her sleep the entire time.

Leon and Stoler had engaged in flirtatious tactics with the Tasker sisters, Leon trying his hand at the younger one, Kris, and Stoler the older, Kelly. Jamie and Pierce were obviously snuggled together on the couch, undisturbed by the events going on around them. Ashley and Tauros were in a remote part of the room, sipping their cocoa and conversing. In fact, the only person who wasn't with anyone was Jack Sisco. Kelly and Kris insisted that they knew a friend who they could hook him up with, and he gulped. He was a lone wolf, so blind dates had to be the worst thing in his world.

"Ashley, why did you come to help us?" Tauros cocked an eyebrow with interest, leaning in closer to hear, and to relay to Ashley that she would not have to speak so loud, that her response would be kept secret.

"Steven, do you remember Yusef?"

"Of course, wasn't he your first love?"

"My only love…" she stated abruptly. Her tone completely changed to a happy tone, the tone one gets in reminiscing about good memories. "He was such a handsome, charming man. We used to fight alongside each other in battles, remember? We were the Invincible Team. No one could match us, and our foes cringed when they heard our names. As long as I was with him, I felt like I could take on anything. One day, he went out on a journey and never returned." Her voice changed to regret as she reached this point in her explanation. She put her mug down and stared into the steamy fluid, a look of pure sadness undeniable in her expression.

"Wasn't he killed in some freak Zoid battle?"

"That's right. Do you know who it was that killed him? The Backdraft, that's who!" Her voice grew angry at the thought of the Backdraft, but not so much to the point where she drew attention. "This was just when they were rising in power. I cried for days, but I wanted to continue fighting with his spirit beside me. Eventually though, I lost my heart and interest in battles. It wasn't the same, and I hated everything for a while. I decided to harness that anger and use it to fight the Backdraft. After a while though, I realized that even though I was never losing, they were too strong to defeat alone, so I gave up and retired from battles altogether."

"I'm sorry, I never knew, but what's that got to do with you helping us?" Ashley stared over to Pierce and Jamie.

"Look over there. Those two remind me so much of me and Yusef when we were so deeply in love. I remember being so happy when I saw them at my restaurant, smiling and just loving each other. I smile whenever I think about it. It makes me feel so warm inside." A smile glowed on her face. "The two of them are an invincible team, and I don't want to see them go through what I did. Tauros, I will invest everything in their future on the grounds of love, a love that I was deprived of and a love that they were given. That is why I chose to help."

"…thank you, Ashley. You've always been a good friend to my family and this team.

_______________

"There's a Whale King approaching! Fire all cannons!" The prison exploded with life, firing at Layon's vessel desperately but failing miserably. Not being one to waste time, he engaged his anti-gravity surge, eliminating all Zoids and ripping a hole in the ceiling. Tirano and the gang members that had been captured ran outside.

"Tirano Rexaur!"

"Who the hell are you?"
"Just think of me as a friend."

"What do you want?"

"The Raynos."

"I'm listening."

"How would you like it if I helped you seek revenge on the Raynos pilot and the Blitz Team? I heard they embarrassed you quite badly the last time you met."

"What could you possibly do for us? I've got some of the strongest Zoids around."

"This is true, but your technology isn't even second-rate compared to mine. With your Zoids and my engineering capabilities, we could crush our enemies! Both of our goals would be fulfilled."

"So what do I have to do?"

"Gather as many of your men as possible and meet me at the base of the Aroch Mountains. I'll intercept you there." As the gang departed, Layon chuckled quietly to himself. "Excellent. Everything is falling into place. Tauros, Raynos, Liger Zero. You shall all falter to my inescapable wrath."