Fan Fiction ❯ Emerald Glory ❯ Pilot Inaugaration ( Chapter 1 )

Emerald Glory - Chapter one: Pilot Inauguration

Author: Drkepoch

<All characters and tech listed within are of my own creation and are copyright of me!>

"Seek that which you may in the most unlikely of places, For it is there that your chances of finding it are most likely."

-Aaron Mccabe

Philosopher: 2010

Fire rang out across the colony landscape. The little boy cried in desperation and screamed for his parents as he searched through the embers. "Where are you?!"

Finally the child realized where he was and soon after, located his home. He paused and fell to his knees in front of it.

There, on the lawn of his home lie the fragmented pieces of his parents, their skin melting over the ground. Wearily the boy collapsed there and sobbed until he screamed so loud that the heavens seemed to shudder.

"Help! Someone help me!" The boy heard screamed from his home. Desperately he ran to the door and burst through it.

"Brother? Brother, help!" The older boy screamed, as two fiery beings were carrying him off through the house.

Enraged, the youth grabbed a burning timber and charged at the captors of his elder brother…and the murderers of his parents.

Before he could even get near to them, though, another of the Blaze appeared and backhanded the youth. Both he and the timber fell to the ground, burning.

"I don't understand what it means…" Ryuu thought as he awoke from the dream. "The same thing every time, but it makes no sense! I was born on Soa. I lived on it all my life. Is this some charismatic lie my brain has come up with to explain Kyle's disappearance so long ago, or is it the truth in some way?" He sighed.

"What're you thinking about, Ryuu?" Sasha asked him.

"Nothing, just the past…"

"Ya know, for being partners and all you sure are secretive. I mean, I am your personal engineer for the next several years…"

"Always the curious one, eh Sash…" He said turning away from the window to face her.

"Look, it's just…" She began, "You've been acting so strangely these last few weeks. You always talk to me about everything. It's not like you to hide things from me. I know it's close to the inauguration and all, but…"

"It's not that, Sash, it's not that at all. In fact, I don't even know what it is…" He despaired. Quietly he turned back to face the window on Sol's observation deck. "I have the same dream every night, but it makes no sense. It doesn't fit any of my memories from before I came here. Except for him. Sometimes I turn around and I can se3e him, other times he's as distant as the farthest star. It's so strange…"

"Who is he?" Sasha asked out of curiosity.

"Well, I…I think he's my brother, Sasha…"

"What! But, but I thought you said your brother was dead!" She was so confused and surprised it came out as a scream.

"For a while I did think he was, but…" He looked to her, a bit confused himself, "I don't know anymore." A few moments passed before he decided to speak again, "Ever since the first time I piloted a Glory my mind has been a confused mess of truth and lies. That artificial system has managed to totally Fuck me up! I don't know which of my memories are the correct ones anymore…"

"You always manage to depress me…" Sasha cut off his rant, "But it doesn't matter anymore! You did it! You've made your dream come true. You're a Pilot!"

"And a Damn good one at that!" Ryuu's instructor cut in as he joined the two, pilot and engineer, on Sol's observation deck.

"Sir…" Ryuu said a bit surprised.

"You've no reason to sulk around here wondering what happened in the past. Your future is now. You've accomplished something few pilots ever do You're going to graduate with full honors, and I've heard that you and the other three honors will be placed in a special division under Pilot 096!"

"Do you mean Kat, the pilot of Nobel?" Sasha questioned the instructor excitedly.

"Yes."

"But how can that be?" Ryuu interjected, "If there's four of us that would mean that one pilot won't have a Glory. Kat's division has four Glorys, and one's hers…"

"Stop worrying about it. You've got the Inauguration ceremony tonight. Forget what's in the past and start moving on with your future here, on Sol."

"I think you're completely right, sir!" Sasha said cheerily. "In fact, we're gonna go celebrate right now! Isn't that right, Ryuu?" Sasha said grabbing his arm and dragging him off.

"Now you know why I assigned her to you, cadet!" The instructor said walking off in the other direction.

"All right, all right. We'll go have some fun." Ryuu finally said, trying to get Sasha to release his arm.

"Good!" She replied, releasing him. Together the two walked down Sol's maze of halls.

"Ryuu?" Sasha said finally breaking the long silence.

"What is it?"

"There's something I need to talk to you about…"

"Well if it isn't the pathetic Panther…" Another voice cut in.

"What do you want Strife?" Ryuu iritatedly asked the older pilot.

"With you…Nothing! I only fight with the best…" He boasted.

"Listen you little bastard…" Sasha began, thoroughly pissed off at having been interrupted.

"I just came by to tell you I WILL make sure you end up in another division. Pathetic weaklings like you don't belong with the higher ups like me and Kat. You belong with the trash." He finished.

Enraged, Sasha looked as if she was going to rip Strife apart.

"That's enough!" Ryuu ended Sasha's fury. He paused, having made his point to Sasha, and turned to look at the thoroughly pleased Strife Siinji, " Are you through now? Because despite your supposed power…you're a pilot here just like me. And just like me, you hold power over no one's future." He finished, having disgraced Siinji quite thoroughly. Quietly, Ryuu turned away from Strife and walked away with Sasha.

"Don't turn your back on me!" Strife yelled after them. "We're not through yet!"

"Oh, and Strife…I do believe both I and the twins graduate with higher ranks than you, despite your skills…" He finished, disappearing down the hall.

"That little shit! He knows I'm a better pilot than him!" Strife thought walking away. "One of these days you will screw up, Panther…and then your ass is mine!"

"How can you not want to kick that guy's ass?" Sasha questioned her friend and partner after their belatant encounter.

"It's simple really. It's what makes me more dangerous on the battlefield. It's what makes me a threat to him." Ryuu replied.

"What is?"

"Strategy. Unlike Strife, I do not rush headlong into battles. I have never gone into a battle without a plan." He pointed out, "See, all Strife wants to do is fight me…so that he can prove who's really better. I find it far more advantageous to completely undermine him, rather than fight him. I think it's funnier."

"You amaze me sometimes."

"I know." Ryuu said smiling

"So what's your weakness, then?"

He paused, looked into her eyes, then smiled again and walked on. "If I told you that…I'd have to kill you."

"Hey! What kind of answer is that?" She chased after him.

There were several knocks on the metallic door, presenting Ryuu with an incessantly irritating headache that rang through his room. "Come in already…" He called.

"Ryuu! You're going to be late for…" Sasha came charging in to find Ryuu fully ready in his dress uniform. "Wow! You look great!"

"Come on. We've got to get going if we're going to make it…" He said grabbing her arm gently and leading her out.

They entered the auditorium just in time.

"You have all trained hard these past two years…and though some of you may not have made it, the others will carry the dream on for you until you are ready to join them!" Admiral Carter, the supreme leader of Soa's military, spoke from his podium in front of the room.

"Today you have become…" He was cut off as Sol rocked violently out of place, throwing Pilots and Generals to the ground alike.

The main screen in front of the auditorium lit up. "Admiral Carter? Are you alright sir?" A figure called over the screen.

"I'm fine! What is it? What 's happened?"

"We're under attack, sir! It's the Blaze! Dozens of them!"

"All Pilots report to you Glorys!" The Admiral belted out the orders over the violent shaking.

"Ryuu…Ryuu. Help me…" Ryuu heard inside his head.

"That voice." He thought, "It's so familiar…"

Next Up - Chapter 2: Battlefield Emotions

Author- Well that's the rewrite. It's only chapter one, but I'd like to know what you think. Please read and review.