SD Gundam Fan Fiction ❯ SD Gundam Force ❯ Chapter Three: Zero, the Winged Knight ( Chapter 4 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

It had been a while since Shute had stumbled across the battle between Captain and the Dark Axis, but the scars of battle still remained. The angry red crater burned in the ground, as though a bloody wound had opened in the earth; the petals of the flowers no longer waved in the breeze, and the treetops no longer shifted, all turned to stone.
A lone figure made his way through the trees with slow, mournful steps that carried him across the battlefield. The moonlight glinted on his magnificent armor, danced across his silken cloak, and shone in his deep, aqua-green eyes.
He stopped suddenly beneath a tree, bending slightly to scoop something off of the ground.
A little bird, it’s fragile wings frozen mid-flap, sat in the palm of his hand.
The figure gazed sadly upon the creature, bowing his head in a silent show of respect.
By Mana…I will right the wrongs that have been done to this world…In my Princess’s name, I swear it.
“Over here!”
A babble of voices broke through the trees; the figure lifted his head, alarmed, before setting the bird back down on the grass.
A group of Gundam Force soldiers made their way through the stone forest, searching the battleground.
“No living beings detected within a two hundred-mile radius,” said one unit. “It looks like the whole area was petrified during the Dark Axis attack.”
“Found one, sir!” A unit knelt down under a tree and showed the specimen to her partners. “It appears to have been a small bird...”
None of them noticed a shadowy figure whisk through the petrified thicket behind them.
“Careful not to damage the sample,” another soldier warned as he carried a fossilized fawn into the clearing. “When the lab figures out this petrifaction process, they’ll need the subjects intact.”
“Exactly,” a third one agreed. “Then all of the animals will be returned to their original state.”
He lifted his head.
For a second, just a brief second, he could’ve sworn he saw something, bright as a shooting star, dart across the moon.
But then it was gone, into the heavens, hidden by the velvety blue-blackness of the night.

“Easy now…That’s right…”
Shute motioned to RepairBot as it fit the large pieces together. “That’s it! Perfect!”
There was a rush of air from above. The self-opening doors that Shute had installed to cover the hole in his roof (as well as give Captain an easy entrance) swung apart, and Captain floated down.
“Good afternoon, Shute,” he greeted him.
“Oh, Captain!” Shute cried, waving. “Great, you’re right on time. I’ve been playing around with some inventions, and I wanted to see if you thought the idea would fly!”
He laughed, and pointed to the large yellow-and-white contraption sitting in the center of the workshop.
“Amazing.” Captain paused. “…What is it?”
“Well, because of me, you can activate the Soul Drive in battle,” Shute explained, grinning. “So get this: I fly overhead in my new kite, cheer you on, and give you energy to beat the bad guys!”
“I have one question,” Captain pointed out. “How do you plan to get it out of here?”
“Huh- Oh, no! You’re right!” Shute held his face in horror. “I assembled it inside, and it’s to big to get through the door!”
As he sank to the ground, he wept, “My brilliant little plan! It’s slipping down the drain! I thought I had it set, but I didn’t use my brain…”
Captain thought.
Then it came to him.
“Why don’t we get it out this way?” Turning his back, he grabbed the wall, lifted the shed, kicked the kite into the yard, and then dropped the shed with a THUD.
Shute’s jaw was scraping the floor.
“…Um, I could’ve thought of that,” he mumbled faintly as Captain opened the door.
“Shall we try it out?”
Shute nodded, jaw agape.

“You have now failed me TWICE!” thundered the Commander.
“I’m sorry, Commander!” Zapper Zaku wept, retreating so fast that he fell over his own feet. “It’s that Gundam’s fault! If he hadn’t-”
The lasers toasted his armor and he jerked back with a pained cry. The Zakos beneath clustered into tighter groups, frightened of being punished, too.
“A Gundam!” the Commander spat in disgust. “Those detestable beings appear in every dimension we try to conquer, and get in the way of our ultimate victory…Zapper Zaku!”
“Sir!” The smoldering Zapper Zaku unsteadily got to his feet, saluting weakly.
“This assignment is too much for you to handle on your own.”
“Oh, please, sir, give me another chance! I promise I’ll fry his circuit-boards next time!”
“Grappler Gouf,” the Commander ordered, ignoring his pleas, “scramble!”
Zapper Zaku gave such an enraged shout that he fell over once more.
“No, please, sir! Not him!”
A silver-blue figure suddenly appeared standing only two feet away from Zapper Zaku. He had a more streamlined, lean build than the bulkier Zapper Zaku, and stood with his arms crossed, his head lifted and turned away, projecting an air of superiority and cold viciousness.
“You!” Zapper Zaku screamed at the figure, enraged. “Get lost, will ya?!”
Grappler Gouf turned, his scarlet eye blazing.
“Incompetent idiot,” he scoffed, smirking.
“What?!” Zapper Zaku roared, but the next second, Grappler Gouf had lunged, his claw-like arm shining. It stopped barely two centimeters away from Zapper Zaku’s face, and the other general gave a strangled, whimpering sound, afraid of being clawed across the face.
“Grappler Gouf!” the Commander barked.
He swung around, snapping to attention. “Sir!”
“You will take charge of today’s mission.”
“What?! Commander, this clown isn’t qualified to-” Zaku stopped mid-sentence as Grappler Gouf stuck his claws out again. “Hey!”
“Too bad you don’t fight as well as you want,” Grappler Gouf taunted.
“You’re such an incompetent leader that you couldn’t even command a toaster!” Zapper Zaku fumed.
Grappler Gouf chuckled darkly, his claws glinting in the moonlight.

“Check out these glue guns I installed, Captain!”
Shute squeezed the pale green contents of a tube onto a couple of rocks. “Sweet! If you need something to stick, this stuff’s solid!”
He tossed the rocks at a large boulder.
“Bingo!” Shute cried as they hit their marks. “Come on, Captain, try it!”
Captain knocked on the rocks with his fists. They didn’t even budge. “Yes,” he marveled, “these are quite solidly attached.”
“It’s in case you break something in battle and need a quick repair,” Shute explained. He prodded the glue guns with one finger, muttering to himself. “Now let’s see. How can I get this to dispense automatically?”
It was a beautiful spring day, the sun shining down and the blue sky dappled with feathery white clouds. A gentle breeze danced by, carrying flower petals-
And a lacy white umbrella.
“Oh, no! I lost my parasol!”
Shute turned. His breath caught in his chest.
It was her!
Chasing the umbrella down the road was Sayla Mass.
Shute felt his cheeks burn red at the very sight of her. She was tall and slender, with harvest-gold hair and deep, violet-blue eyes. Her skin was like wintry cream, her cheeks and full lips a rosy pink, and she moved with a fairy-like grace that made his heart flutter.
Captain observed his friend’s change curiously.
Hmm, he noted. I detect his reaction was triggered by the presence of that female…Interesting.
Both Shute’s and Sayla’s eyes lit up as the girl noticed him.
“Oh, Shute! Hello!”
Shute waved energetically as the parasol blew by him. “Hi, Sayla! Your umbrella’s over here! I’ll get it!”
He ran off. Captain had never seen him move so fast.
“I could get it more efficiently,” he called.
“I’m in great shape!” Shute protested stubbornly.
Captain blinked.

A short chase later, Shute had retrieved the parasol and was standing, panting raggedly, before Sayla. He always felt breathless in her presence, and the fact that he’d just run fast enough to probably set some sort of track record didn’t help, either.
“Here you go, Sayla,” he said hoarsely, putting umbrella into her hands. Their fingers touched beneath the handle, and Shute blushed furiously as her soft fingertips whisked across his skin.
She smiled. “Thank you, Shute.”
Shute nodded. “No big deal. Captain will tell you, I do stuff like this all the time…Oh, where are my manners? Sayla, this is my friend, Captain. Captain is visiting from…er…way out of town.”
“Hello, Mr. Captain,” Sayla cooed.
“Captain,” Shute continued, “this is my friend, Sayla. We’re in class together. If you look up there, you can see her house.”
He pointed to his house, with its red-orange roof and sweeping yard, to a nearby hill covered in violet flowers. Captain followed Shute’s gaze and saw a whimsical-looking little house with an indigo roof.
“Ah, yes,” he observed. “You are stationed in the same area. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sayla.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Mr. Captain.”
“So, what are you doing today?” Shute asked. “We’re here to fly a kite.”Sayla held out her other hand, revealing a wicker basket, the handle braided with white ribbon. “The cake I made today turned out so well, I decided to get flower petals to decorate it with!”
Sayla was famous across Neotopia for her delicious, creamy, sugary-sweet cakes. Nobody could bake a cake as well as Sayla.
“Sounds delicious,” Shute sighed, his mouth already watering at the thought.
“You think so?” she squealed happily. “Because I put a lot of effort into it! I made up the batter with some eggs and extra sugar and plenty of cream. I made this beautiful, sky-blue icing and…”
Her words became an unintelligible murmur in the winds as she spun in joyous circles, holding the cake basket to her chest. Shute could only watch her dance there like some kind of angel, his body numb and his heart hammering, her melodic voice whirling, dreamlike, around him, her golden hair flying out like a silken veil…
“Um, Shute?” Captain asked, prodding Shute’s shoulder. “We…should probably begin testing the aerodynamic properties of your kite…”
No response. Puzzled, Captain waved his hand in front of Shute’s face, but still nothing.
“…How strange,” he murmured.
“And then I’m going to put almonds and flower petals around the edges, to make it look like a flower garden appearing out of a cloud!” Sayla finished with a happy sigh.
She noticed Shute’s wide-eyed stare and turned slightly red.
“Oh…But…it’s no big deal,” she said shyly, averting her eyes as her blush deepened.
Shute said nothing. He wasn’t aware of Captain, the kite, or the fact that Sayla had finished speaking, until Captain said softly, “Your turn to respond, Shute.”
“Oh!” Embarrassed, Shute brushed the hair out of his eyes and took Sayla’s hand. “Captain, we’ll test the kite later. I’m going to walk Sayla back to her cake…I mean, house.”
“But-”
“I promise! Be right back!” They took off.
“…Understood, Shute,” said Captain slowly.
I have never seen him act so strangely…Hmm…
He smiled slightly and chuckled to himself.

“Prepare to launch Komusai!”
Grappler Gouf, standing next to a very disgruntled and surly Zapper Zaku, gazed into dark abyss hungrily.
“Good. Now, Zakarello Gate, stand by!”
As the ship approached, the gate slid open, and then they all vanished in a black cloud.

Shute soared across the sky like a bird, laughing excitedly.
“Yeah! This is great!”
“Shute looks like he’s having fun,” Sayla giggled, setting her umbrella down on the grass.
Captain nodded, holding the kite handle firmly, watching his friend with a smile.
“Now, Captain, is it?” She opened the basket, revealing the most delicious-looking cake to ever be baked. It was round and plump, with little almonds and sugary flowers. It really did look like a flower garden appearing out of a cloud.
“Would you like some cake?” Sayla offered.
Captain removed one hand from the kite handle, nodding, and reached for the basket, but before he could take it, Shute’s voice whined, “Hey! You can’t have any of the cake, Captain!”
“Why not, Shute?” Captain looked back up at his friend, confused.
“Because I haven’t even tasted it yet!” Shute wailed, desperate.
“I said he could have some when he came back down to Earth,” Sayla giggled, rolling her eyes. “You know, I’ve li- known Shute for a long time, and I’ve rarely seen him so happy…You two look like you’re great friends.”
“Friends…” Captain lifted his head and smiled. “Yes. We are best friends.”
“Captain?” Sayla gave Captain the most innocent smile in the world. “Could I try flying the kite, just for a bit?”
So she set her basket of cake beside the parasol, grabbed the kite handle with both hands, and watched Shute fly with a distant, dreamy look in her eyes.
“I wonder how high this kite could actually go,” Sayla sighed. “I bet if you had enough wire, you could go all the way to the moon!”
The thought of floating amongst the moon and stars like some heavenly bird made her sigh again.
“With two hundred and forty thousand miles of wire, yes, you could,” Captain replied.
For some reason, his response caused Shute and Sayla to laugh, but he just smiled and joined in.
“I wonder if that could fit in the back of my father’s truck,” Sayla joked, earning a loud laugh from Shute and Captain.
A long, blissful time passed this way, just the three of them laughing as Shute circled over their heads…
But then something went wrong.
The air grew and warm, and a strange growling resonated in their ears. Captain’s eyes widened. Sayla bit her lip. Shute frantically looked around-
And saw a murky cloud forming on the horizon.
Out came the Komusai. The jets didn’t activate in time, and the ship dropped into the forest like a rock, a plume of dust rising in the air as it hit the ground.
“They’re here, Captain!” he cried. “The Dark Axis!”
“The- the what?” Sayla gasped, gazing at the cloud in horror.
“Verified,” Captain answered. Turning to Sayla, he said, “Sayla, this is an emergency. We need to get Shute down at once.”
Sayla nodded, and with trembling hands began to draw the wire back in, but Shute wouldn’t be able to get down in time- the wire was too long, and even as Sayla wound it up, the Re-Equip Ring was darting towards them on a bed of fluffy clouds.
“Captain, just go! We’ll be okay!”
“Mobilizing. Sayla, keep a firm grip on that kite!” With that, he ran off.
Sayla gazed after him, her eyes wide, and watched as he blasted off to meet the ring.

The ship had crashed, lopsided amongst the trees. Grappler Gouf looked around him, but the Gundam wasn’t in sight.
“…Okay, Grappler, you’ve been in worse situations than this,” he told himself. “Just take it one Zako at a time…”The fields and forests around them were full of maple, birch, oak, and dozens of flowering bushes. Not too far off was a clear, blue lake, surrounded by a ring of mountains. A ferry modeled like a swan swept gracefully across the lake surface.
“All of this beautiful scenery,” Grappler Gouf sneered, “-it makes my circuitry run cold!”
Beside him, Zapper Zaku made a similar noise of disgust. “All right then, it’s time to scatter the Bagu-Bagu!”
The Zakos set out with their round little guns, releasing the swarm of insects into the hills.

Captain, so high up that even Shute’s kite looked like an ant, had just finished his transformation. Outfitted with his armor and weaponry, he set off through the air.

“All right!” Zapper Zaku always seemed happiest when something had just been petrified or destroyed. He jumped down from the ship, stamped his feet on the gray grass and drew his guns, eagerly searching for Captain. “This is how you take over a garden paradise and turn it into a cold, lifeless piece of rock!”
The Zakos nodded.
Zaku scowled; he was trying to make Grappler Gouf feel inferior, or at least annoyed, but the other robot just ignored him.
Oh, that high-and-mighty egomaniac could rust for all he cared.
“So, what do you say we find the Gundam, huh?” he cackled.
The Zakos flinched.
“…Our coordinates were off again, Zako,” said one. “We don’t know where they are. Zako.”
“WHAT?!”
The Zakos danced around on the spot as Zapper Zaku lost his temper and started firing.
“You idiots! Why didn’t you alert me sooner?!”
Grappler Gouf crossed his arms and groaned.
“I should’ve known this crew would be useless,” he muttered.
Then he saw the swan ferry.
“Ah…But what have we here? Maybe this creature can direct us to the Gundam...”

Swanilda, the ferry boat, spread her glittering wings and yawned as she woke up from a nap. Then she saw something very curious: a little line of green soldiers marching down the dock.
“Sorry, services have ended for today,” she called. “If you would like to visit again, our hours are 9:00 to 5:00, Monday through Friday.”
The Zakos turned and marched the other way.
“The boat says it’s closed, Zako-Zako,” one explained to Grappler Gouf.“IT DOESN’T MATTER!” he exploded. “GO GET IT!”
The Zakos cried out in alarm, jumped into the air, and then ran back to the swan at full speed.
But they were immediately pushed back by a bolt of red light.
“What?! Who the-”
Grappler Gouf turned and saw Captain advancing towards them. “So he’s here.”
“I have been granted special dispensation to use firearms to prevent the invasion of Neotopia,” Captain called. “Withdraw at once!”
“I have better idea,” Grappler Gouf whispered lethally.
He lunged. “YOU WITHDRAW!”
He struck out with his claws and knocked Captain’s rifle away. Then he kicked the shield out of Captain’s hand. The rifle, damaged by the strike, exploded, sending Captain flying into the air, but he landed safely.
“Head over heels to see me, huh?” Gouf scoffed.
“Who are you?” Captain asked. He reached behind his back and pulled out a small white handle, which grew into a laser sword.
The other robot pulled out a shield with a spike protruding from the top.
“I see no reason to give my name to somebody who’s about to become scrap metal!”
Grappler Gouf yanked on the spike, revealing a sword. He threw the shield to the side, and his eye blazed.

Sayla saw the explosions and gave a frightened scream.
“Sayla, let go!” Shute called as a cloud of fire rose into the air. “I have to go and help Captain!”
“Are you sure you can control this thing?” she called, concerned.
Shute grabbed the control handles. “Don’t worry.”
He pressed a button, and the kite, kicking into gear, went soaring off towards the battlefield.
Sayla gasped as the handle jerked in her grip, tugging her towards the edge of the cliff.
“W-Wait a minute! I haven’t let go yet!”
She shrieked as she was dragged towards the edge of the precipice, and then, quite suddenly, the ground vanished beneath her.
She screwed her eyes shut, then tentatively looked down. The sight of trees the size of dolls made her stomach twist, and she clutched the handle so hard that her knuckles turned white.
“S-Shute! Wait!”
Her cries were lost over the roar of the jets as he blasted off to the battlefield, Sayla flying behind.

Captain and Grappler Gouf ran circles around each other, clashing repeatedly. It was harder to deal with this new opponent, since he wielded both the claws and narrow sword, but when the laser and the swords met, Captain fired the smaller guns on either side of his helmet.
Grappler Gouf backed away with a strangled grunt, his hands over his face. Captain started towards him again, but a flurry of machine gun bullets restricted his movement.
Zapper Zaku jumped between them. “I’m cutting in, Grappler,” he growled. “I’ll take it from here!”Captain deflected the bullets by spinning his lasers, unaware of Shute (and poor little Sayla) sailing overhead…

Back at the hills, a shadow fell over Sayla’s basket and umbrella.
White gauntleted fingers gently closed around the parasol’s handle and the lacy basket, cradling them as though some delicate treasures.
A cloud of fire rose on the horizon, shining in aqua-green eyes.
A breeze swept across the field, and then the figure was gone.

The Zakos began firing on Captain. He ran at them, swinging the laser at their feet, and knocked them over.
“Now you can try a real warrior!” Zapper Zaku was coming at him again. Captain held up the sword to defend himself, but before Zapper Zaku could reach him, he fell flat on his face, the machine gun flying out of his hand.
Zapper Zaku stood and tried lunging once more. This time he fell backwards.
He stood again, roaring in aggravation, and pulled at his left leg, which seemed unwilling to move. Then he realized that a puddle of green liquid had anchored him to the ground.
“What’s this stuff?!” he demanded.
“All right!” Shute cheered. “Captain, operation super-glue is a big success!”
Glue fell from the sky like rain. The Zakos, hurrying to retrieve their guns, stepped in the glue as well, and soon the air as full of disgusted shouts of, “Zako!”
“Well done, Shute!” Captain cried. He raised his sword and prepared to strike Zapper Zaku.
“Oh, no! No, no, no!” he wailed, recoiling.
Barely an inch away, Captain froze.
Zapper Zaku uncovered his face and blinked.
Captain tried to move. He gave powerful thrusts, and then saw that, without watching where Shute had dropped the glue, Captain had gotten stuck in it himself.
“Oh, no…” Shute breathed.
Zapper Zaku laughed, pulling an axe from behind his back.
Captain tightened his grip on the beam sword.
“Captain!” Shute cried, but then he saw something dash underneath him.
It was Grappler Gouf, holding a Control Horn in one hand.
He gave a roar and sprang on top of the swan boat.
Swanilda didn’t realize the danger she was in. “Sorry, services have ended for today,” she said. “Any further questions or concerns can-”
Grappler Gouf laughed and slammed the Control Horn onto her forehead.
Swanilda began flashing bright red, flapping her wings and honking in distress. Her eyes closed, and, when they opened, were a deep shade of scarlet.
She was under their control.

Sayla, hanging beneath Shute’s kite, looked upon the battlefield in shocked terror.
“…What’s happening?” she gasped.
Shute was taking off again. She gritted her teeth and desperately clutched at the handle.
She looked up.
Shute’s face was glowing with bravery, his eyes determined. He leaned forward into the wind, almost glittering golden in the sun.
Sayla gazed up at him, and a small smile tugged at her lips.

Captain and Zapper Zaku swung hard and fast at each other, their weapons making contact and glancing off of each other. It was no good; it was a standoff.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them started to tremble- the swan boat had gotten out of the water and was coming towards them.
“Onward, my flat-footed friend,” Grappler Gouf demanded. “Find and crush the Gundam!”

I’ve got to destroy that Horn, Shute thought, narrowing his eyes.
He flew the kite closer, and a hammer unfolded from the side.
“Take that!” He pulled on a lever, and hammer shot out at Grappler Gouf.
The hammer struck the Dark Axis general in the head- not hard enough to damage him, but definitely hard enough to get on his nerves.
“Why, you little-” he hissed, whirling on them. “Get outta here!”
He slashed at the kite with his claws, tearing a gash in Shute’s shirt. Three long gashes appeared across the boy’s chest, dripping red.
Sayla screamed.
Grinning maliciously, the villain struck again, this time sending the kite hurtling backwards.
Shute desperately tried to get a hold on the controls, but they had taken a hard hit- the kite whirled backwards, looping in the air.
Someone was hanging on to the end of the wire…A slender figure with long hair…
Shute felt his heart seize up in fear.
“SAYLA!”
Then Sayla’s hand slipped.
For a second she seemed to hang in the air, unable to comprehend what had just happened, before he fell towards the sea of stone, shrieking all the while.
“AAAAAHHHHH! SHUTE, HELP!”
He dove for her, the kite faltering haphazardly, sending him careening towards the ground like a bird winged by a shot. Sayla landed in his arms and threw her trembling arms around his neck.
The kite’s wings hit a tree and crumpled.
The two of them fell, screaming, as they plunged towards the ground below…

What a nice breeze, Shute thought. It was cool and refreshing. Was this what death felt like?He opened his eyes and saw the forests moving beneath them. He was being carried by some sort of angel…
But then he turned and saw Sayla smiling, unscathed, beside him, and he knew they weren’t dead.
How were they flying?
It was a Gundam.
This robot had elegant, sophisticated armor, embellished with four-pointed stars and winged emblems, an emerald sparkling on his chestplate. A second emerald, flanked by a pair of golden wings, served as his headpiece, and his deep red cape flew out behind him in the wind. He looked like a knight, right out of a fairy tale.
Sayla closed her eyes and leaned her head against the robot’s chest. He was holding her carefully in both arms. Shute, however, was being dangled absentmindedly from the stranger’s finger by the collar of his shirt.

Grappler Gouf looked up, startled, as a slight figure shot over his head.
“…That looks like- NO! It can’t be!”

Shute was dropped on a scarce patch of grass. He landed hard, tumbled over, and then jumped to his feet, pointing at the stranger.
“Hey-”
The Gundam took no notice of him, kneeling regally before Sayla.
“You are not injured, are you, Princess?” he asked.
Sayla gazed down at him, enchanted and breathless. “I-I…” she stammered, putting one shaky hand to her lips.
“Who are you?” Shute demanded.
“…That is not important.” The soldier suddenly stood and spread his arms before Sayla, shielding her.
Shute turned around and instantly ran for the stranger’s arms.
Behind him, the Bagu-Bagu had formed a giant swarm. The bushes around them were turning to brittle statues.
“Whoa!” Shute cried.
“Fear not,” the knight said confidently. “There’s no need to panic.”
He lifted his head and raised his arm. A shining sapphire ring inlaid with strange golden symbols descended from the clouds.
A shield dropped from the ring, and just as Grappler Gouf had done, the Gundam drew a sword from it. A burst of light issued from the sword, and a transparent, glimmering wall of light erupted around them, pushing the swarm away.
Shute gazed around in awe and watched as millions of miniature swords separated from the shield and started dueling with the Bagu-Bagu.
“How are you doing this?” Shute marveled. “It’s like magic!”
The Gundam ignored him.
“Princess,” he said tenderly, turning once again to Sayla, “I beg a moment of your time.”
He gestured towards the thicket of trees, were laughs and gunshots rang out.
“…Okay,” Sayla said shakily, falling into Shute’s arms. He drew her protectively towards him, putting his arms around her.
The Gundam stared at her intensely, as though he were trying to remember her from somewhere before, but then his head snapped up and he addressed Shute.
“You, boy.”
“Huh? Me?”
“Courage and recklessness must never go hand-in-hand. It is…unseemly.”
He spread his arms and soared upwards. A hole opened in the shield, letting him through, before sealing itself shut once again, keeping the children safe.
“Thank you!” Sayla cried. “G-Goodbye!”
“Hey, you never said who you were!” Shute called, but the knight was already gone.

Captain and Zapper Zaku kept fighting, trying to push each other away with their weapons.
“From what I observe,” a voice called derisively, “your technique is crude!”
The knight Gundam hovered over Captain.
“I don’t know who you are,” Captain replied, “but perhaps you’d like to come down here and take over this battle?”
“I see no reason to glue myself to the ground,” the knight said, rolling his eyes. “I see you have mastered that technique quite well.”
“Hey, I know you!” Grappler Gouf pointed at the knight, quivering in rage. “The Gundam from Lacroa! It’s you, isn’t it?!”
“No way!” Zapper Zaku turned away from Captain and stared at Grappler Gouf in disbelief. “How could he have tracked us over such a distance?!”
“In fact, I am that very Gundam!” As the knight spoke, a gale swirling with purple rose petals spun around him, his body glimmering radiantly. “I am recognized as the mightiest warrior in all of Lacroa! I am also known as Zero, the Winged Knight!”
“I don’t believe this,” Zapper Zaku groaned hoarsely.
“A…Lacroa Gundam?” Captain asked. He had never heard of Lacroa, or even Gundams that existed in other dimensions. And he certainly knew of no Gundam that could fly without jets.
But then it came to him.
The entire reason the SDG had been able to get a head start on their protection against dimensional invaders had been because of a sign- a mysterious warrior who had appeared one day, fighting off the soldiers.
Could this be that warrior?
“I have shielded your comrades.” Zero gestured with his sword as Shute and Sayla came running out of the woods, covered by brilliant blue light. “…I did not intend to show myself, but when there is a fair princess in danger, it is a knight’s duty to protect her.”
“Your assistance is appreciated,” Captain said gratefully.
The swan boat took another step closer.
“I don’t care who you are, you pathetic Gundam!” Grappler Gouf sneered. “I’m gonna turn the two of you into Gundam pancakes!”
“Your pitiful threats deserve a response!” Zero roared. He braced his sword and shield and hurled himself at the ferry.
“Oh, yeah? Respond this!” Grappler Gouf threw himself at the oncoming knight.
They met in midair. Zero knocked Grappler Gouf away effortlessly, and he went spinning towards the ground.
“Are you ready for more?” Zero called, diving.
He knocked Grappler’s sword away. Then his sword came down through Grappler’s clawed arm, slicing it in half.
“AUGH! My arm!” he roared, staggering back.
Zero was preparing himself for a third attack when a bullet flew by his side. Some of the Zakos had managed to regain their weaponry and had started firing on the knight.
“So it’s going to be fifty against one, is it?” Zero said. “How cowardly of you!” With a sweep of his arm, he brought a powerful whirlwind that pulled their guns away. One Zako was actually pulled from his sticky prism, crashing to the ground.
Grappler Gouf narrowed his eye at the severed arm. “Well, that was unexpected. I see we have a troublemaker.”
The freed Zako stumbled over, holding a second arm in his hands, and attached it to Grappler’s shoulder.
“Thanks for giving me a hand,” he snickered.
“Zako,” squeaked the Zako, before taking shelter behind a tree.

The swan boat lumbered over to Captain and Zapper Zaku.
“What’s taking you so long?” Zapper Zaku shouted. “I can’t hold this guy off forever! Get over here and SQUASH THIS GUNDAM!”
The swan boat fixed its malicious red eyes on Captain and raised a foot the width of a house.
“Whoa, watch it!” Zapper cried, recoiling. “I’m down here, too, you know!”
“I think it’s time we end this little game!” Grappler Gouf shouted from the other side. His new arm split into sections, revealing a complicated-looking targeting grid. “A well-placed missile ought to do the trick…” he snickered.
“Hey, Grappler, let’s take ME into consideration!” Zapper Zaku screamed.
“If I were you, I’d get out of the way right now!” Grappler grinned smugly.
His eye burned brightly, and then a spiked missile flew from his arm, coming right at them.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! I CAN’T GET LOOSE OF HIM AND YOU KNOW IT! GRAPPLER!”
Captain fired his machine guns at the missile. But it was guided and wove between them easily.
The swan boat honked and brought her foot down.
Zapper Zaku dropped his axe and covered his head. “MOMMY!” he sobbed.
“Time to say good-night, kiddies,” Grappler Gouf hissed.
The missile and the swan closed in.
“Captain!” Shute screamed. “You’ve gotta break free of that glue! GO! Smash the Horn!”
A flame began dancing in Captain’s eyes.
He raised the beam sword over his head and drove it into the glue. A wave of heat spread through the battlefield. It pushed the swan, the missile, and every enemy backwards.
Then Captain blasted off. As he flew past the Control Horn, he sliced it in half.
The horn exploded, and for a brief moment, Swanilda was silhouetted against the smoke. Then she stopped, blinked her eyes (which had turned, once again, to a deep blue) and made her back to the lake, calling her breathless thanks to the warrior.
“Hmmph,” Zero muttered to himself. “A tolerable performance, but not nearly as elegant as mine.”
He gazed into the jeweled hilt of his sword. “Now is the time. Release your power!”
Another ring of symbols appeared above him. Zero rose into the center, his whole body shining with a blue aura.
“Super-Magical Violet Tornado!”
A whirlwind laced with violet petals grabbed Zapper Zaku, the Zakos, the Komusai, the missile, and Grappler Gouf, lifting them into the sky.
“This is amazing,” Shute whispered. He took Sayla’s hand and they watched the petals fly by.
Sayla paused for a second, rigid, but then she relaxed, lacing her fingers with Shute’s.
Shute…Your secret’s safe with me.

“I thought we were winning!” Grappler Gouf spat over the roaring winds.
A missile appeared before their faces.
“…I wonder who’s missile that is,” Zapper Zaku growled, glaring daggers at him.
“…That’d be mine…”

BANG!

“They’re gone!” Captain cheered. “Well done, Winged Knight!”
Zero turned to Captain, smiling slightly.
“The moment seized, the threat has eased,” he intoned, lifting his sword.

Back at Shute’s house, Zero knelt before them.
A field of flowers seemed to grow outward from him, and the grass came alive with shades of orange, pink, and gold.
“Your resemblance to my princess is striking,” Zero breathed, touching Sayla’s face. “I sense a bond of fate between us. It would be my greatest joy if our paths were to cross again.”
Sayla nodded. “Mmm…A-As you wish…Winged Knight.”
“I believe these are yours?” he continued, snapping his fingers.
Sayla gave a delighted gasp as her umbrella and basket appeared in Zero’s hand. She took them with a smile.
“Wow. He’s some kind of magician,” Shute breathed. Captain nodded.
“Thank you…Zero,” she murmured. “A-And…here’s a little something from me.”
She put the still wonderfully-scented cake into Zero’s hand.
Shute’s eyes widened. “W-Wait a minute-” he cried, starting forward, but Captain held him back.
Zero took the cake with a smile. “I am deeply touched by your generosity, milady.”
With that, he spread his arms and floated up into the sunset sky.
“Until we meet again!” he called, and then he was gone.
“…Uh, Sayla?” Shute asked, creeping tentatively to her side. “Did you leave any cake for me?”
She was still watching Zero go, holding the cake basket wide open. Shute peeked inside.
It was empty.
“HEY! MY CAKE!”
Shute ran after Zero’s shadow, shouting angrily.
“You come back here! I’m not letting you get away with this! Come back and fight like a man!”
Captain watched as Zero disappeared into the sunset.
“…Thank you, Winged Knight.”
A violet petal drifted back to them on the wind.