Fan Fiction / Zoids Fan Fiction / Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction / Outlaw Star Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ The Reaper ❯ The Reaper Sleeps, Backdrafts Final Challenge ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: You know the routine. Don't own it, owned by TOMY; Japanese company.

Was the last chapter cool or what? Thank you for that single review which pushed me to upload this. If only more people were like you people. That one person who suggested Isa and Eric both having Ultimate X's, you're getting ahead of yourself. Eric is only two, besides I have plans for him. This chapter is about Nate's self-reflection of his somewhat short past. His true name is recovered and it might have ties to one that true Zoids fans might already know. Isalina chooses her name for the battlefield. Bit and Leena have a short pillow fight while waiting for Nate to "wake up". A somewhat deep chapter with moments of silliness. Again thank you for that one single review, those aren't too hard, are they?

` ' thought

(A/N:) author's notes

Chapter 12: The Reaper Sleeps, Backdraft's Last Challenge

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Place: Toros base

Time: 3 PM

Date: 3 days after last chapter ended

Mayuka was getting worried. Nate was literally nowhere to be found. It was like he had just disappeared. The new Raptor Zero had piloted itself back to the base, and was resting comfortably in the hangar. When they opened the cockpit to get him out, he was just gone. Only a picture of him was shown on the console. A picture of him with his eyes back to normal, and two real hands being held up. Also all the scars on his face were gone.

When Eric had seen the picture he said, "At least he looks normal." He was promptly smacked on the head by Isalina, who, at the time, was crying.

(A/N: I have no idea why they're at the Toros base, I just think that they would want to be among their best friends. Besides, Raptor led the way.)

She sat there staring at the news. All the news announcers could say was that it was an amazing achievement, and the ZBC was going to hold a ceremony in his honor. The other teams would be recognized as well.

"I don't know why they bother," she said to the others in the room, "they just give you a stupid plaque and shake your hand."

"How do you know that?" Leena asked curiously.

"It happened six years ago, Leena," Bit said, "don't you remember?"

"Oh yeah, I really don't feel like going through that again."

"Mom," Isa piped up from the landing above them, "when is Dad coming back?"

"Soon, Isa, soon," Mayuka said glancing at her daughter, then she mumbled to herself, "I hope."

*********

Place: unknown

Time: unknown, mid-day

Nate slowly opened his eyes. He saw that he was back in the field he was in earlier. Standing he looked down at himself. He was wearing a light tan robe, with dark tan trimmings. A dark gold belt was holding the robe shut. Picture the robe that (young) Gennai from Digimon wears. The sleeves only came to about the middle of his forearm. His dark boots hadn't changed though, and neither had his hair. His face and arms were a different story though. His arms were organic again. He reached up and felt his face, the grooves from his scars were gone.

"If this is death, then it ain't too bad," he said outloud. The he heard something to his left.

He turned to the side, no headstone this time. Though, there was woman standing only five feet away from him. She had waist-length light blonde hair, and very bright pink eyes. She was tall, around 5' 9", and she wore something that looked like it came out of the old days, or Jurai. Picture what Misaki wore in Episode 13 of Tenchi Muyo. Two large bangs framed her face.

"Who are you?" he quickly asked the stranger, though, she did not fell like a stranger.

"I wouldn't expect you to remember me," she said smiling and walking closer. "I do seem familiar, though, don't I Tyran?" (A/N: Tyran - Ty-ran, or Tear-an)

"Tyran?" he asked confused. "Who is Tyran?"

"You are, of course," she stepped closer, "Tyran Lanette, your name was to strike fear in our enemies. But it seems the stasis pod, which held you, acted in the way of your sister's. It would only be opened when someone on the outside opened it."

"Tyran Lanette?" he said to himself as if to place the name. "You still haven't told me who you are."

"You don't recognize your own mother?" the woman asked taking the final step and, placing her arms around him, hugged him tightly. "It's been so long, I've missed you Tyran."

"Mother," he said embracing her. "I don't remember how long it's been."

"You wouldn't, and shouldn't," his mother said, tears flowing down her cheeks. "You were placed in the pod at an extremely young age. You weren't even a year old when I had to part with you."

He hugged his mother tighter saying, "I've missed you so much Mother." He suddenly pulled away and asked, "But how can I see you, and my human mother?"

"Did she tell you about your power?"

He nodded before she continued.

"You have a strange ability to see the spirits of your dead loved ones. I am actually part of the Raptor, which is why I am here. Your Organoid just happens to be fused with the Raptor Zero. It fused a long time ago, when Raptor was still just an Orinth. This fusing allowed him to evolve faster. Over the years it ran free; all the people who owned it just let it loose again. It wouldn't let anyone but you pilot it. Ronak was stubborn like that."

"Ronak?" Nate inquired.

"Yours and mine Organoid's name. A blazing red creature, great, black wings, horns on his head, and spines running down the middle of his back. He went everywhere you did," his mother informed him. "He was a stubborn one. Instead of going into stasis with you, he fused with the Orinth, and decided to wait. Unfortunately we were all killed by the Deathsaurer."

Luckily Nate knew the evolution of such Zoids as an Orinth. Orinth evolved into Rev Raptor, Rev Raptor evolved into Blade Raptor, Blade Raptor evolved into Death Raptor, Death Raptor evolved into Raptor Zero. He also knew history. That Deathsaurer had been created with an evil essence, and was built to destroy all life on Zi. That Deathsaurer was resurrected by Lord Prozen of the Guylos Empire. It was his plan to use the Deathsaurer to conquer all of Zi. But it was defeated by Van Flyheight, with his Blade Liger, over 50 years ago. The Deathsaurers the Backdraft used were not naturally evolved; they were built, making them larger and more powerful than the original.

"I was wondering," Nate said, "am I dead?"

"No," his mother said chuckling, "You are about as far from it as you could possibly be. And say hello to Ronak."

She pointed behind him and he turned around. There was a red Organoid, roughly the same height as Sen; it had horns like the Raptor Zero. At its elbows were blades that raked forward, and along its back were silver spines. In the middle of its forehead was single, long blade that raked back.

"Ronak!" he yelled and hugged the Organoid around the middle. It screech/roared in reply. "I could always feel as if Raptor was someone I knew."

"Then you now know where you are?" his mother asked stepping back.

"I'm in side the Raptor's Core?"

"Yes. Allow me to show you what became of everything you knew," she said and swept her hand in a long sweeping motion. The environment around them changed from the field to a large desert. They were standing in the middle of a small village, and people were running everywhere. "They cannot see or hear us, we are merely shadows."

The people continued to run as a blazing beam of red energy hit one of the buildings; turning it to a smoldering pile of rubble. One of the people running was his mother, and in her arm, was him. Running next to her was a girl, roughly 13 or 14. The girl ran into one building followed by a silver Organoid while his mother ran into another building, followed by Ronak. There was some scuffling sounds and she ran out with Ronak behind her. Nate followed her down the street where she jumped into the small Orinth. Ronak leapt and a of black wings extended from his back. He then turned into a ball of white light and was absorbed into the Orinth.

Then it came into view, the Deathsaurer. Nate felt an extreme hatred towards this one in particular. The tiny Orinth ran towards the behemoth, only to be tossed aside like a rag doll. The monster continued to fire its charged particle cannon. Buildings were turned to smoldering heaps of melted stone and metal. Its head turned and looked down at his mother, who had now exited the cockpit, helping someone get to one of the transports. Lifting its foot, the Deathsaurer crushed his mother and the man.

"NO!" Nate ran forward, then stopped all of a sudden.

"Yes, this is how she feels when you do something that may end your life," his now transparent mother said.

"No, Mother, don't go yet," he ran over to her fading form and embraced her again.

"But I've done everything I could for now. Don't worry, we're always here, all of us," she said with one last smile and faded to nothing.

"Ronak, I'm ready to go back," Nate said hanging his head. He closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face.

"But you can't go yet," another female voice said from behind him.

**********

Bit and Leena were getting bored, so they took the cushions and pillows off the couch and were having an all out pillow war. Throwing, lobbing and close combat was allowed; all out remember. Even Mayuka had gotten into it. It was the only thing that put a smile on her face; she was having fun. Isalina and Eric were playing game of Zoids chess and watching their parents.

"Do your parents always act like this?" she asked him while taking his rook/Dibison with her queen/Blade Liger.

Eric rolled his eyes and said, "A lot of the time…yeah."

"They're more like kids than we are."

FWAP!

FWAP!

FWAP!

All three were on the ground panting, but that's not important. The important thing is that none of them had hit each other hard to enough to be knocked down. Mayuka opened one eye, expecting to see someone like Sisqo or Danni. But the person she saw immediately brought her to her feet.

"Miss me?" Nate asked before planting a kiss on her lips.

"Mmph!" was all she could say.

"DAD!" Isalina jumped at him, hit him in the chest, and tackled him to the ground.

"Good to see you too," he said lifting her up and putting her on his shoulders as he stood.

"Where did you go?" Leena asked as Bit helped her up.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he said, "but I met someone who told me to give you this." He reached down and pulled on a golden chain hanging from his pocket. Out came a large oval locket, with the picture of a Dibison's head, viewed from the front, on the top.

"That's the locket my mom used to have," she said walking forward and taking it. "How did you get it?"

"I can't tell you that, I promised I wouldn't."

"But, please, tell me," she said grabbing the straps on his tank and pulling them.

"I can't, so STOP!" he said shoving her.

She stopped after that.

"Why can't you tell us Nate?" Mayuka asked grabbing one of his arms, reveling in the feeling of the soft skin.

"I just can't, okay?" he snapped at her.

"Okay, I trust you," she said leaning herself against his shoulder. "I'm just glad you're back."

"Nate, I don't think anything could possibly defeat the Raptor now," Bit said stepping up to comfort Leena.

"Ronak," Nate decided to correct him.

"Huh?"

"Ronak is the name of the Organoid bonded to Raptor, he's my Organoid."

"So what you're sayin' is that you're an ancient Zoidian?"

Nate nodded.

"My name is Tyran Lanette," he said proudly.

Before anyone could say anything else the vid-phone started beeping. Bit stepped up and pressed the button.

"Hello?"

All that could be seen was static, but there was a voice, and it said, "Blitz and Zeros teams, you may think that you have defeated us, but we are not so easily wiped away. We will be back, no matter what it takes, you will all be crushed by our secret weapon."

"But your secret weapon was Vega and the Berserk Fury, then it was the Deathsaurers, then it was a Geno Breaker. What could you possibly have left?" Nate asked from behind Bit.

"You'll see soon enough Tyran," the voice said laughing before the screen went blank.

"He knows who and what you are, Nate," Mayuka asked, inspecting Isalina and Eric's game. She smiled when she saw that Isa had one move to go before checkmate.

"But everyone who knows me by that name should be dead, or else they only just awakened," he stood there, eyes closed, hand on his chin, thinking. His head snapped up, eyes open, "Daken."

"Who?"

"Daken Mokona, someone my mother used to know," he said. "I guess I received her memories, or it might be the link with Ronak."

"When did you meet your mother?" Leena asked, `Maybe I can get my first question answered this way.'

"I met her when I was absorbed into the Raptor's Zoid Core. It contains the knowledge of Ronak and my mother," he said, not breaking his real promise. "I saw the past, I saw my mother killed, I saw my sister go into stasis."

"Who's your sister?" Mayuka asked, now convinced that Julia wasn't her.

"I can't say, I was told to only speak about my mother."

They all sighed and accepted this.

"Dad, what was Grandma like?" Isa asked laying her chin on top of his head. She was still on his shoulders.

"She was the kindest, most beautiful person I ever knew, both of them."

"Can I see them?"

"I don't know, but it's worth a try," he said as the door in front of him slid open to allow him out of the room. "It might work with the Liger 01, with Sen."

"Then let's try it," Mayuka said as the others followed him.

TBC

Well this chapter is finished, once again I would like to thank to one person who made this all possible. Next chapter the Backdraft strikes…again, and are defeated…again. But the Zoid they use has a power few can match, much like the Berserk Fury. This Zoid is an almost exact replica of the Raptor, it even has it's own Organoid system. It doesn't have the QPC though, that is its weakness. But it does have incredible speed. It's as fast as the Raptor, agile as the Raptor, but it's not a Raptor Zero, it's not a Death Raptor, it's not even a Berserk Fury. This Zoid is the Iron Saurer. Remember to read and review.