SD Gundam 1. Prologue

**Superior Defender Gundam Force**

Book 2

_The Mystery of Lacroa_

Based on _SD Gundam Force _episodes 11-13

Property of Bandai and Sunset.

_Imagine a bright, happy, peaceful place, where a perfect balance between mankind and machine has been achieved, where humans and robot coexist in harmony. A clean and smoothly functioning paradise, where the skies are always sunny._

_This is Neotopia, city of the near-future._

_Here, robots are not just workers, but pets, friends, companions, and guardians._

_But, why would such a perfect place need guardians? _

_Because the city has fallen under attack by the evil forces of the Dark Axis, invaders from another dimension!_

_To protect the peace, a boy named Shute- that's me!- and a team of unique robots known as the Gundam Force have risen up! They are bound by an unshakable resolve to oppose the Dark Axis-_

_-Wherever they may appear…_


	2. Arrival

Chapter 1: Arrival

Not long after the Super Dimensional Guard started the Gundam Force project, they soon realized that they couldn't always play a defensive role when the Dark Axis would begin attacking Neotopia. To that end, they began to work on creating their own means of time-space travel, believing that one day they would need to take the offensive. The project was centered at one of their research facilities, Lab C.

The project head was Bell Wood, a child prodigy, now in his early teens. Bell Wood was exceptionally skilled in pushing the boundaries of the local space to their limits, and in need of something to do after proving to be able to skip through college. After being sworn to secrecy, he was made an SDG member and put to work on the Project: Dimensional Transport Device. And after 5 years, he was starting to make progress.

And then it fell to pieces. By some fluke, the Dark Axis had discovered the project, and launched an attack on Lab C. the Gundam Force, currently consisting of the SDG-made Captain Gundam, local wiz-kid Shute, other-dimensional Gundams Zero the Winged Knight of the kingdom of Lacroa and Bakunetsumaru, a samurai from the land of Ark, were able to repel the invaders.

However, by the same laws that caused a slice of toast to land butter-side down on the floor, the Dimensional Transport Device was destroyed anyway, by the sword-happy Bakunetsumaru. Bell Wood, after having a breakdown, a nap, and some coffee, got back to work, trying to undo the damage. Luckily, he kept all of his files backed up.

At present, he was at a computer consol on a raised platform, typing in commands. He could feel the stares of his audience. From alternate platforms, The Gundam Force, Chief Haro , and a troop of mobile soldiers watched him. On the ground were Entengo, Bakunetsumaru's robotic horse, and Gunbike, a support vehicle run by the AI of Captain's instructor.

"Okay, I think I've got the Dimensional Transport Device running again," Bell Wood explained to everyone, "But, we won't know for sure unless we give it a test-spin. So, here goes nothin'!"

Bakunetsumaru watched as Bell Wood typed in commands on the holographic keyboard. His attention was drawn to the round object on the table on another platform.

"What is that," the Musha Gundam asked, "A strawberry?"

"Yeah, that's the plan," Shute explained, "Better to start with something small and work our way up. Just…to be safe."

"We don't know what dimension the gate will lead to." Captain stated.

The spinning parts on the Device sparked with lightning, and a crackling purple vortex appeared in the sky.

"Okay, strawberry!" Bell Wood yelled, and grabbed the aforementioned fruit. "_Let's do it!_"

With a throw that would make an Olympic athlete point and laugh, the young scientist flung the strawberry into the violet swirl.

"_Bon voyage!_" Dr. Bell waved.

There was a bright flash of light as the strawberry and portal connected. Shute was forced to shield his eyes, and he wished he had brought sunglasses.

"It's working!" Bakunetsumaru cried, pointing. Somewhere within the light, the strawberry dissolved, before vanishing without a trace. There was another flash, and the portal ceased to be.

"Piece of cake!" Bell Wood grinned, "Piece of strawberry shortcake!"

"Ah!" Chief Haro cried, his 'ears' flapping to display his wonder.

Bakunetsumaru, however, was not as impressed. "All this for a piece of fruit!"

"Relax! Just leave it to Bell Wood!" Shute laughed, amazed. "He knows what he's doing!"

"Indeed." Captain nodded.

Bell Wood smiled at the praise. "You see," He began, "There are a lot of calculations to make, and variables to take into consideration…" He then realized that two members of his audience hadn't known about quantum physics until Shute told them. "…It's complicated," He said at last. "Take things too fast, you could get into big trouble. You gotta do it in stages. You know, baby steps."

"_Baby steps!_" Bakunetsumaru bounded over to where Bell Wood was. "I cannot wait any longer! You will send me next, Bell Wood!"

By now, Bell Wood was used to the samurai's frequent demands, and regarded him with a casual eye.

"Sorry," the young scientist said, "You gotta wait your turn, dude."

"'_Wait my turn'!_" Bakunetsumaru roared, "What could it be that takes precedence over my burning desire to see my homeland once again! What is it would you send through the gate before _me?_"

Zero held something out. "This."

"A _banana!_"

"At least it's a larger piece of fruit," Zero explained, "You'll get your turn."

"No! It cannot be!" Bakunetsumaru cried to the heavens, "I am to be superseded by the makings of a fruit salad?"

Bell Wood pointed to a pile of bric-a-brac. "And after that, we're gonna try some stuffed animals and wind-up toys."

"Some _what!_"

"Calm down, Bakunetsumaru." Zero chuckled.

"This is ridiculous!"

Bakunetsumaru fumed, and rushed over to Bell Wood. The scientist walked around him.

"You do not understand, Bell Wood," the samurai said, following him. "I _need _to return to Ark! Please, do you want to see a samurai beg?"

"Not really." Bell Wood shrugged, waving the Musha Gundam away.

"I _insist _you-!" Bakunetsumaru was to make another demand when a giant bunch of bananas appeared on top of him in a poof of smoke. "_What is this!_"

"You heard him," Zero said sternly. "The banana goes next."

With a disgusted grunt, Bakunetsumaru threw the giant bunch off of him.

"Stay out of this!" Bakunetsumaru yelled at Zero, "Just because you do not care about Lacroa, and have forgotten what it _means _to be homesick-!"

Zero gave Bakunetsumaru a very cold look. "Don't tell _me _what I've forgotten, you hot-head!"

Zero snapped his fingers, and more bananas appeared, this time regular sized. They flew at the Blazing Samurai in a potassium blitz.

"You _pest!_" Bakunetsumaru yelled, unsheathing his swords. "Stand still and I will peel you as I would a banana!"

They two Gundams began to fight, with Zero dodging Bakunetsumaru's attacks.

"_Yo! Guys!_" Bell Wood hollered angrily, "I'm tryin' to work, here!"

Up at his station, Shute watched the three ring circus at the controls and slumped.

"Well, this is turning out well." Shute groaned. He then noticed that Captain seemed…preoccupied. "What is it?"

Captain looked at Shute. "I thought I heard voices."

Shute opened his mouth to say something when something occurred to him. He could hear voices as well!

The sound that echoed throughout the Lab didn't come from a specific place, but instead felt like they had always been there, but Shute never noticed.

"…_Mana, that dwells in all the universe…_"

Shute frowned. "That sounds like something Zero would say…"

He looked down at where Zero and Baku' were fighting, with Bell Wood caught in the middle. They wouldn't hear anything, not without help.

"Hey, guys, listen up!" Shute yelled as he and Captain rushed over to them. "Something's happening!"

This got their attention, though moments later Shute wished he didn't. With his focus drawn, Bakunetsumaru, didn't look where he was walking, and stepped on a banana. With footing lost, the samurai fell against Bell Wood's console. Immediately, the moving parts on the Device began to pick up speed. A crackling purple portal appeared in the sky as the chanting grew louder.

"…_In the stars….O Mana…_"

Bell Wood pushed Bakunetsumaru away and began to type furiously.

"I don't know if we got someone's attention," The prodigy said, "Or if someone's tryin' to get ours!"

Yellow lightning streaked down from the portal, striking around where the Gundam Force had gathered together.

Shute looked at the light show with trepidation, trying not to get hit by the dancing electricity. Whatever was happening, it was happening to them!

"I am ready!" Bakunetsumaru yelled fearlessly, "Send me through the gate!"

"The banana goes first!" Zero snapped out of reflex.

Then, light filled the Gundam Force's vision. Everyone else's vision, however, was filled with the sight of a Force being engulfed in a ball of white light and blasting into the air, vanishing without a trace.

Chief Haro's head flapped.

-z-

When Shute opened his eyes, he found himself drifting through a multi-colored space, like a universe designed by hippies from the 1960s. Something floated by.

_Well, whaddya know… It's the banana!_ Shute realized, and tried to grab the fruit. The foodstuff, however, stayed just out of his reach.

"Just a little closer…C'mere, you…" Shute muttered, and tried to extend his arm even farther.

Then, the multi-colored world vanished, and the banana fell.

"It's gone!" Shute gasped. Looking around, the boy saw that he was in some sort of cavern, over a pit…hanging on to an edge!

"All right, Shute, I've got you!" Captain said, and pulled his friend up. The Gundams were standing on a floating rock, with giant crystals sticking out of it. The 'island' was in the middle of a gigantic space, seemingly unconnected to anything, even the ground, far, far below. Light came in through holes in the cave ceiling.

Shute forced his heartbeat to slow down. "What _is _this place?" He asked at last.

"It is not in my memory banks," Captain replied, "I estimate a 98.2% chance that we are in another dimension."

"Another dimension?" Shute repeated, entranced. Now that he was paying attention, he noticed that the rock they were on had some sort of rune circle carved into the ground, and several staffs sticking out. The crystal stalagmites had jeweled rings.

"If this is my beloved Ark," Bakunetsumaru remarked, looking around. "It is changed greatly in my absence, and not for the better!"

Zero said nothing. He looked around the area with wide, trembling eyes.

"…No," He whispered, mortified. "It's not possible!"

Shute, meanwhile, had flipped open his PDA and tried to make a call. All that appeared on the small screen was static and the words OUT OF AREA.

"Communicators are out," he announced, "So there's no way to call for help."

"_It can't be!_" Zero cried, and flew off, flying across the chasm and into a tunnel on the other side.

"Zero!" Captain called, "Zero, come back!"

Captain took off after the flying knight- and began to run across _thin air!_

"_Yaaah!_" Shute and Bakunetsumaru cried in alarm.

Captain stopped his chase and looked behind. "What is it, you two?"

"C-Captain!" Shute forced himself to say, "You're not standing on anything! I mean…_look!_"

Captain looked down at where Shute was pointing. "My sensors disagree with you, Shute," He replied, analyzing the pathway he was on. There was an energy coating it. "It's an invisible bridge, extending all the way," He pointed to the tunnel Zero went in, "To that cave!"

"Oh, that's a relief…" Shute said, sweating with Bakunetsumaru.

"C'mon on now, hurry!" Captain said, and resumed his run. Shute hastily rushed up behind him, while Bakunetsumaru _slowly _stepped out, his arms extended to keep his balance in case he missed a step.

"C-c-coming!" Bakunetsumaru yelled, moving as fast as his knocking knees would allow. _Invisible bridge…sounds like witchcraft to me!_

-z-

"Well, any progress? Can we use the Spirit Tree yet?"

"Patience, master. Before we can use the Spirit Tree we must find the Spirit Egg."

In an abandoned castle, one that was built for more than its currents inhabitants, a knight in dusty grey armor with a flowing purple cape stood in front of an ornate mirror. In the mirror's reflection, the knight saw not himself, but the hologram of the Commander for the Dark Axis.

"It seems to be hidden within a powerful spell," The knight went on, "I've been unable to locate it."

"Find it at once!" The Commander snapped.

"Yes, Commander," the knight replied dutifully. Examining a yellow feather in his hand, he said, "Oh, by the way, I heard you were having some trouble conquering that other dimension. If I could be of use in any way …" He trailed off meaningfully.

"Your help is not needed," the Commander answered stiffly. "_Find the egg!_"

The Commander's image vanished from the mirror. Behind him, the knight could hear the air ripple as his most trusted servant appeared. He did not turn to greet the servant. If he had, he would have seen a floating mass of green energy with ghostly yellow eyes, with a faint purple outline of armor underneath the green.

"Shouldn't you have told him about the intruders who just arrived?" the servant asked.

The knight shrugged. "Why? Fate sent them to me, not him. Besides…they may be of use."

"Ooh, you think there's a connection between them and the Spirit Egg?" the servant asked excitedly.

"I don't know," the knight admitted, "But until I do know-" His eyes glinted. "_They're mine._ Watch their every move."

"As you wish…" the servant replied, and vanished from sight.

The knight waited until he was absolutely sure that he was alone before moving. Taking out a large ridged sword, he stabbed it into the wall, which was not a wall, but rather the surface of a gigantic tree.

"Patience, poor little Spirit Tree," The knight whispered, "Soon I will let you _speak…_"

-z-

The Gundam Force continued to follow Zero down the tunnel. As they hopped over a large hole in the ground, Shute noticed a light at the end.

"There's a light up there!" He told the other Gundams.

They were soon outside the caves, but upon seeing their new surroundings, Shute wished they weren't. Before him was a great canyon, and in the center was an enormous dead tree. A castle was built around the trunk, and on its roots was a town, both decaying. The air was dotted with clouds of mist, and gigantic red horns were jutting out from the ground around the tree, some going through buildings.

"What happened here?" Shute asked, gaping. "It's a wasteland!"

"This bare and dreadful place _cannot _be Ark!" Bakunetsumaru exclaimed, his tone a mirror to the shock Shute felt.

"It's not."

Everyone looked a Zero, who had a somber expression on as he stared out at the ruined fortress.

"That is Lacroa Castle yonder," The Winged Knight explained sadly, "And this, my friends, is my homeland, though I would give my life that it were not."

"This is Lacroa?" Shute asked, looking from Zero to the ruined kingdom. As he took in the ravaged land, he thought, _Is this what the Dark Axis does to its conquests? _Then his heart stopped at another thought. _Is that will happen to Neotopia if we fail?_

"What is left of it," Zero lamented, "Flowers bloomed here once, and birds sang because of the benevolent Spirit Trees. That one held the castle. Now, all is turned to stone because of those minions of darkness."

Shute realized that the dark clouds were not mist, but swarms of Bagubagu, robotic insects whose sting turned living things to stone.

"Bagubagu!" Bakunetsumaru cried, "The Dark Axis is here!"

Captain nodded. "Yes, we must be on our guard."

"How I wish you could have seen it as it was," Zero sighed sadly, "Not like this. Lower your eyes, my friends, gaze not upon these sad remnants of its glory."

The Gundam Force did so. As they did, they noticed that Zero was trembling.

"I have no right to be here," The knight said, "Why have I been made to return?" His voice increasing in volume, he cried to the heavens, "I shouldn't have been allowed to set eyes on my homeland again! Not until I found a way to save her!"

"Forgive me, Zero!"

Zero looked back down and saw that Bakunesumaru, proud, arrogantly proud Bakunetsumaru, was on his hands and knees, his head bowed.

"I accused you of not caring about your homeland," The Musha Gundam said humbly, "I see now how deeply you feel its suffering."

"…Thank you, my friend." Zero replied, appreciating the gesture Bakunetsumaru was making.

"Pawn! Pawn! Pawn!"

"What was that!" Shute asked, looking around. As far as he could see, it was just the four of them, so who was chanting 'Pawn'?

"I detect evidence that we are being surrounded!" Captain reported.

Bakunetsumaru shot up. "The enemy!"

"I don't see anybody-" Shute began, when a barrage of arrows shot out from the thin air above the ledge over their heads.

"Quickly!" Captain ordered, grabbing Shute. "Scatter!"

The Gundams ducked away, dodging the arrows as they struck the ground.

"Where are they?" Shute asked, looking at where the arrows had come from. Captain's targeting scope slid down over his eye as he scanned the area. On that ledge he could see the outlines of little robots built like suits of armor, with yellow visors where their faces should be. They each held some kind of crossbow in hand, except for one with a decorative head-fin, who was holding a sword. The read-out indicated an energy-field like the one over the invisible bridge covering their bodies.

"Just as I suspected," Captain said, "They are equipped with some kind of cloaking device!"

"This can only be _their _doing!" Zero realized, and shot an angry glare at Lacroa Castle's ruins.

-z-

The knight and the servant watched the Gundam Force in the glass of the mirror.

"It would seem one of them is capable of detecting my Pawn Leo squad." The servant remarked.

"Good," The knight nodded. "Things have been dead here for so long, I'm grateful for the…_entertainment._"

-z-

"On your guard, everyone!" Captain ordered, unplugging his beam saber from his backpack. "_Incoming!_"

Another barrage of arrows shot down.

"What I can see, I can fight!" Bakunetsumaru yelled, jumping up and knocking the arrows away with his swords. Captain stood protectively in front of Shute, blocking some arrows with his saber.

"_Super Magical Violet Tornado!_" Zero cried, and unleashed a torrent of winds at the cliffs, catching cards that were not there. Several puffs of purple smoke later, the forms of the Pawn Leos appeared, no longer unseen to the naked eye.

"Holy cow!" Shute cried, staring up at the little army.

"We've been spotted," The finned Pawn Leo, the leader, cried. "Prepare invisibility magic!"

The Pawn Leos whipped out cards of a sort, and they placed a card on the back of the Pawn in front.

"Prepared, pawn!"

"Execute!" the leader ordered, and the Pawns vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Uh oh," Shutr gulped, "They vanished again!"

"Not to my scanners!" Captain yelled, and fired his helmet guns at the ledge. There was another puff of smoke, and the Pawns reappeared, struck.

"I don't _need _to see them!" Bakunetsumaru declared, and jumped onto the ledge. With his swords out, Bakuentsumaru ran across the ledge, causing Pawns to appear as he hit them. Zero unleashed a rune circle, sending at another batch of Pawns. Several Pawns hit the lower ground, vanishing in a puff of smoke. When the smoke vanished, dice were seen were they had lay.

Shute stared at the dice in amazement. "Whoa… What happened to them?"

"Actually," Zero put in, "This is their _true_ form, Shute."

"Weird…"

Captain fired some missiles at more Pawn Leos, forcing them to appear.

"_Retreat!_" the lead Leo cried, and he and the remaining Pawns took off in a flurry of footsteps and 'Pawns'.

"That-a-way!" Shute cheered, "The Gundam Force kicks evil robot booty once again!"

-z-

"The _Gundam Force_, eh?"

The knight felt a sinister smile form as he watched the Gundams on the mirror. "What a _coup _to smash them once and for all."

-z-

With the Pawn Leos vanquished, Zero told the Gundam Force of how the rincess of Lacroa, in her final moments before becoming stone, used her magic to send Zero to Earth.

"…and so I was cast out," Zero finished unhappily, "If only I had the strength, I could have remained, and protected the princess and my compatriots. Now, alas, it is too late."

Shute, Captain and Bakunetsumaru stared at their feet, unable to reply. But after a moment, Shute looked up.

"Hey, c'mon!" He said firmly, "It's never too late!"

The Gundams looked at him.

"All we gotta do is take Lacroa back from the Dark Axis," Shute explained, building up steam. "Then find a spell that'll return it to the way it was. That's an easy job for the Gundam Force!"

Shute's optimism was both inspiring and contagious. In his confident voice the Gundams found their own spirits rising.

"Shute is right!" Bakunetsumaru cried, "We can do it!"

"I estimate our chances of success at ninety-nine- No," Captain amended, "_100%!_"

Zero looked at his friends with renewed hope. "My good friends and noble comrades- _Look!_"

Zero pointed, and the Gundam Force saw three Pawn Leos peeking out from the cave the entered from.

"Aha!" Bakunetsumaru shouted, "Stop!"

These Pawns were much smarter than the last bunch, and turned and bolted into the cave. Bakunetsumaru gave chase, followed by the rest of the Gundam Force.

"You thought you could sneak up on us, did you, you cowards!" Bakunetsumaru yelled as they ran down the tunnel, "Come back here!"

The Pawns ignored him and jumped down the hole the Gundam Force had bypassed before. Bakunetsumaru was quick to follow them.

The hole deposited the Pawns in a much lower cavern, and as Bakunesumaru got stuck at the end and struggled to free himself, one Pawn turned back and pointed a threatening finger.

Stay back, you! Or- Aahh!" The Pawn tripped over a rock, and fell on top of his fellows. As they tumbled, their visors fell off. When the rest of the Gundam Force arrived and helped Bakunetsumaru out, they noticed that these Pawns were much bigger and more rigid-looking than the first batch. Coming closer, they soon realized why.

"They're just kids!" Shute cried.

Inside the Pawn Leo costumes were three boys, a bit shorter than Shute, with short, curly green hair and green eyes. They looked exactly alike, and the only way to differentiate between them was by the patterns of their headbands. One had a triangle pattern, one had a circle pattern, and one had a square pattern.

"_What?_" The square-pattern child snapped getting up with his brothers.

"I like that!" Circle-pattern grumbled, "Who does he think he is, a grown-up?"

"Who are you calling a kid, _kid?_" Triangle-pattern asked fiercely.

Shute stared at triplets in wonder. "Um, are those disguises?"

"Yes!" the triplets chorused, "We disguised ourselves as the enemy in order to avoid capture until the savior arrives!"

Shute stared, now with more questions in mind. "Savior? _What _savior? And one at a time!"

"Well, we have been guarding the-!" The triplets began at once before stopping.

"_I'll _tell it!" Square-pattern grumbled, and said, "We're guarding the Spirit Egg of the sacred tree. When the savior comes, we will give it to him, and he will use it to save Lacroa! Oh, and this is a secret!"" Square-pattern added, "Don't tell anyone, okay? If _they _found out…"

Triangle-pattern grabbed Square and pulled him aside. "Hey! They could be with the enemy," he hissed, "Let's not go blabbing everything before we know who they are, okay?"

The other triplets nodded.

Zero smiled. "You have done Lacroa proud by surviving so long," He said grandly, "And by protecting the sacred object entrusted to you. But now you may put your fears to rest, for I am no enemy. I am Zero, the Winged Knight!"

The triplets looked at him.

"Yes!" Zero continued, "I am your compatriot, returned at last to right the wrongs done to my homeland!" He began to fidget under the Triplet's glares. "Really… I am!"

"Oh, sure," Triangle snorted, "_You're _Zero."

The triplets zipper around the Knight Gundam, checking out every angle before huddling.

"_Could _be…"

"Maybe not…"

"What do you think?

"I dunno, what do _you _think?"

"I dunno…"

Shute patted Zero on the shoulder. "Isn't there anyway you could prove it to them, Zero?"

Zero had just the thing. Snapping his fingers, he made a violet rose blossom in his hand and held it out to the triplets.

"Behold!" The Knight Gundam said, "This flower only blooms in the garden of the princess of Lacroa."

"He's at it again!" Bakunetsumaru yelled, "Pulling flowers out of thin air!"

Everyone ignored him.

"Who but a knight of Lacroa would know of this rose, the Princess Rose!" Zero went on, "How she loved its pale violet petals."

The triplets huddled.

"He has a point, it is a Princess Rose, after all." Circle-pattern remarked.

"No stranger would know about the rose." Square-pattern added.

Triangle-pattern nodded. "All right, then. Let's give this guy a chance."

Facing the Gundam Force, the triplets introduced themselves.

"My name is Coah. Greetings!" Triangle-pattern said.

"And my name is Noah." Square-pattern said.

"and I'm Doah!" Circle-pattern finished, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Nay, the pleasure is mine, fair triplets!" Zero chuckled, "For in your bright eyes shines the hope of Lacroa!"

The triplets huddled again.

"He _talks _like a knight…"

"Yeah, _too much _like one! He's laying it on kinda thick…"

"Do you think he's a phoney?"

"_Quiet!_"

Zero felt his Shute pat his shoulder again.

"Not very trusting, are they, Zero?" the boy chuckled sheepishly, "But then, I suppose you can't blame them…"

Zero couldn't. While he, unwilling as it was, was sent to the pristine Neotopia, the triplets had been forced to live in this nightmare, reminded every day of the plight the kingdom was in. He could not begrudge them for their feelings towards him. They had suffered much more than he did…

"Tell me, triplets…" He said softly, catching their attention. "Two years have passed since the princess and the sorcerers cast me out into another dimension. I can only assume that my lady were turned to stone like the rest of Lacroa. But after that, what? What has become of them?"

"They turned the princess into a statue and put her somewhere!" the triplets cried, "We don't know where!"

"Accursed villains!" Zero swore, clenching his fist. "And the sorcerers?"

The triplets refused to meet his eye.

"Skip it, we've got bigger problems," Shute said, and gestured. "Take a look!"

All around, little screens appeared in the air. There must have been _dozens._

"Sensors detect Dark Axis forces in the area." Captain reported.

"Hmm!" Bakunetsumaru glared at the screens, noting their similarity to the Pawn Leo's visor. "I need no sensors to detect that we're surrounded!"

Aside from the dozens circling the Gundam Force, more and more squads of Pawn Leos appeared, cloaked, aside from their visors.

"Uh-oh!" The triplets gulped, "The Dark Axis! That's not good!"

Shute gave the Lacroa children a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, you're not alone! You're with the _Gundam Force!_"

The triplets were not reassured. "Can we still worry a little bit?" They asked, eyebrows raised.

"_O Mana, come to me!_" Zero cried, and summoned his sword and shield.

"Justice calls to me, and I answer! I am Bakunetsumaru, the Blazing Samurai of Ark!" The Musha Gundam yelled, unsheathing his swords.

Captain unplugged his beam saber and began to scan the Pawn Leos, confirming their locations.

"Will you hide, or will you fight?" Bakunetsumaru challenged, "Show yourselves, cowards!"

"If you insist!"

A yellow feather shot down and stabbed the ground before Zero's foot. Zero followed the voice and saw who threw it.

"Up there!" he yelled, and the others followed his gaze. The triplets gasped.

Floating high in the air was a knight, though this one was as different from Zero as chalk is to cheese. While Zero's armor was a decorative and shining blue color, this one's was rigid, and a speckled grey color. His cape was poison purple, and his helmet was topped by a jagged red fin, like a two-dimensional ember. A golden(or brass) bird was perched on his forehead. But most chilling was his face…his face was like a mask, a sinister smiling one. His eyes were dark and iris-less, and only lit red when he spoke. He held another feather in his hand.

"That's right, little ones!" he chuckled evilly, "Cower in fear and dread! For your end is near!"

"I do not fear you!" Zero yelled defiantly at the newcomer.

"You?" The knight snickered, "The coward who abandoned his princess?"

"_A lie!_"

"Good, very good!" The knight nodded, "I delight in your rage! I take sustenance from your fear. Your hatred is as mother's milk to me! And your moans of terror- music to my ears! For I am Tallgeese, Knight of the Tempest! _Gaze on my magnificence, and despair!_"

The Gundam Force and friends stared up at the evil knight as he struck a pose.

"Tall-geese?" Shute commented, "That's a pretty funky name."

Talgeese lost his composure. "_What did you say, worm!_"

"Where is the princess!" Zero yelled, ignoring this.

"Oh, yes, let me see," Talgeese resumed his smug poise and looked away, acting confused. "What _did _I do with her? Did I drop her into the contaminated pond? Or did I pitch her down a hole, on the hill of _illusion_?"

"You vile fiend, how dare you!" Zero roared, and would have lunged if Bakunetsumaru hadn't jumped in front.

"Leave him to me, Zero!" the Musha Gundam insisted, "_I _will make this mocking villain talk!"

Bakunetsumaru's gemstone glowed as he spun his swords around hypnotically. "_Secret Arts: Bakunetsu! Tenkyo-Ken!_" A japanese character appeared, and he charged through it at Talgeese.

"That attack might be more surprising," Talgeese sniffed, "If you didn't _announce _it first!"

Talgeese transformed his feather into a sword, and Bakunetsumaru sliced a flaming X into the air as he charged. Talgeese, unyielding, swung his sword against the X, striking so hard that Bakunetsumaru was thrown back, landing at the edge of the chasm.

"_Bakunetsumaru!_" Shute cried in alarm. This was a first. The Tenkyo-Ken…lost?

Talgeese looked at Zero smugly. "Now it's your turn, Winged Knight! Or will you use your wings to fly away from _this _fight as well?"

"Monster, defend yourself!" Zero bellowed, and flew at Tallgeese.

"I shall do more than that!" Tallgeese retorted, and swung his sword down at Zero. The dark winds he blew forced Zero into stopping, while Captain stood protectively in front of Shute and the triplets.

"_I summon thee, Mana of Darkness,_" Tallgeese chanted, "_From the deep abyss! Give me the power of evil!_"

A red octagon appeared behind the evil knight, covered in runes. A shield with a beast's face appeared in his other hand.

"What's the fiend up to now!" Bakunetsumaru asked aloud.

Tallgeese's shield began to glow, and the face began to…move! It seemed to be pulling itself out!

"Captain, what is that thing?" Shute asked, worried.

"Unable to analyze!" Captain replied, scanning.

A pure golden beast, with the head, wings and talons of an eagle, and the body of a lion, burst out of the shield, screeching.

"The Griffen!" Zero gasped, "One of the four sacred creatures of Lacroa!"

The Griffen soared around the cavern, plowing into squads of Pawn Leo, forcing them back to dice.

_What's it doing?_ Shute thought. Wasn't that thing and the soldiers on the same side?

Zero stared at the Griffen a minute more before whirling at Tallgeese.

"_You _have summoned the destructive power of the Griffen!" The Winged Knight demanded.

Tallgeese shrugged. "He _is _a bit of a loose cannon, to be true. A wild creature, a fearsome power! But not so wild that he can't be tamed by _me!_"

The Griffen was now flying above Tallgeese, still screeching.

"_Griffen, come to me!_" Tallgeese commanded, and shot up towards the beast.

The Griffen did a nosedive, and he and Tallgeese collided. But instead of a comical crash, there was a flash of light.

"_It can't be!_" Zero exclaimed, horrified.

In the light, the Gundam Force could just barely make out the Griffen's body becoming mist, and enshrouding Tallgeese, becoming armor.

Golden talons appeared on his feet…

Golden claws appeared on his wrists, over his hands…

And Tallgeese's torso was surrounded by golden armor...

"Oh, yes…" The Knight of the Tempest hissed greedily, "Yes! _I feel good!_"

Spreading out his arms, two monstrous golden wings unfurled from his back, releasing a golden light that was neither radiant nor glorious…not from him.

The Gundam Force stared in shock, awe…and fear.

"What has he become!" Bakunetsumaru gasped.

Zero knew what exactly Tallgeese was.

"The stuff our worst nightmares are made of!"


	3. Trapped!

Chapter 2: Trapped!

The Pawn Leos ended their invisibility magic and took careful aim at the Gundam Force with their crossbows as they encircled them. Tallgeese landed within the circle, stomping two Pawns back into dice.

"If you thought I was frightening before, just look at me now!" He chuckled, flexing his new wings and claws. "I have absorbed the power of the sacred Griffin within me, _and does it feel good!_"

Tallgeese threw his head back and laughed horribly, his new Griffen-armor glowing.

"Villain!" Zero flew at the Knight of the Tempest, sword raised. "One of the four sacred beasts of Lacroa would never willingly join forces with _you!_"

Tallgeese raised his hand, catching the Zero's sword with his claw. Sparks flew as Zero tried to force the blade down.

"You must have deceived the Griffin with some sort of foul trick!" Zero spat, straining.

"I'd be insulted," Tallgeese grinned nastily, "If it weren't true!"

Tallgeese threw Zero back and flew at the Winged Knight, his claws glowing.

"What does it matter?" Tallgeese gloated, "The end justifies the means!"

One of Tallgeese's claws created an energy that formed a much larger claw, one the size of a tree. With a roar, Tallgeese brought the energy-claw onto Zero, who just barely blocked the blow with his shield.

"Zero!" Shute cried as he watched the Knight Gundam fall to his knees.

"Such incredible power…!" Bakunetsumaru gasped. He had never seen anything like it.

Bullets then splattered against Tallgeese, but to no effect. The Griffin offered more than enough protection against such things.

"Oho!" Tallgeese said, "What have we here?"

Captain, his helmet-guns firing, zoomed towards the evil knight, his beam saber ignited.

"When you attack one of us, you attack us all!" the mobile defender shouted, and rocketed up towards the Knight of the Tempest.

"The more the _merrier!_" Tallgeese snickered, and swung his claw against Captain. To his shock, he found that this Gundam was able to hold out longer than Zero. This one was stronger than the Winged Knight!

With a snarl, Tallgeese increased the power of the blow, finally forcing the Gundam back down. As Captain fell, his beam saber was knocked out of his hand.

"Oh no, his beam saber!" Shute gasped, watching as it deactivated and fell into the pit in the center of the cave.

Tallgeese landed and shoved his claw in front of Zero's face.

"How would you like to follow it," the evil knight sneered, "Into the Dark Hole, Zero?"

"Ooh, you don't wanna go there, pawn!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Zero could just see two Pawn Leos dancing foolishly and precariously close to the edge of the Hole.

"Magic doesn't work there, pawn!" Another chortled.

"It's _bottomless_, pawn!" the first Pawn sang.

"And dark, pawn!"

And _scary,_ pawn!"

"And bottomless!"

"I already said that, pawn!"

"Oops, sorry, pawn!"

"And even if you survive the fall…"

"_You'll never escape!_" The two Pawns chorused, before the inevitable happened. They were just able to scream for a few seconds before the 'no magic' rule of the Dark Hole kicked in and they reverted to dice.

"Admit it. You're _frightened_, aren't you?" Tallgeese snickered, poking Zero. "Just a little? _Hmm?_"

Zero refused to answer. Even with the claws of the Griffin so close to throat, he would not give Tallgeese a bully's satisfaction.

"Stop it, you big bully!"

Tallgeese looked from Zero to Coah, who had spoken.

"Oh, you cut me to the quick!" Tallgeese chortled sarcastically.

"We've got what you want," Coah continued, and looked at his brothers. "Right?"

Noah and Doah nodded.

Looking back at Tallgeese, Coah held up a jewelry box the size of a softball. "We have the Spirit Egg."

_Now _he had Tallgeese's attention.

"_What!_" Tallgeese cried, shooting Coah a sharp look.

He wasn't the only one.

"_You?_" Zero gasped, "You have the _Spirit Egg?_"

"What's the Spirit Egg?" Shute asked wildly.

Bakunetsumaru didn't have any idea. "Something of great importance, it seems…"

"It's the key to Lacroa's salvation!" Zero cried.

"Let us go and it's yours," Coah said in a threatening voice, "Or I'll drop it in the Hole. Good luck finding it then!"

Tallgeese frowned. This was too good to be true. "Open the lid and show me!"

Coah did so, and bright, light-blue light radiated from the box. Resting snugly inside was a crystal, the size of a whiffle ball and the shape of an egg. On its front was the emblem of Lacroa, and inside a swirling energy could be seen.

"Looks like the genuine article to me!" Tallgeese noted, "My, my. How resourceful you are. I'm impressed." Nodding, he said, "Well, all right. It's a deal."

"No, Coah! Don't do it!" Zero cried, "You can't let him get his hands on it! _Don't do it!_"

Coah shot Zero a dirty look. Closing the lid, he said to Tallgeese, "Oh, and one more thing. You gotta separate yourself from that Griffin."

"Oh? You drive a hard bargain, little one," Tallgeese smiled, "You know what you've got? You've got spunk." The smile turned into a frown. "And it just so happens that I _loathe _spunk!"

Whirling around, Tallgeese backhanded Zero, knocking him into the Hole's entrance. The Winged Knight fell, his cheek stinging from the blow. His body was covered in smoke briefly, as his magic cape, sword, and shield vanished. Zero plummeted out of sight.

"How clumsy of me!" Tallgeese chortled cruelly.

"Zero!" Shute cried in alarm as he and everyone stared down the Hole.

"Oh no!" Coah gasped.

"I'll take that, pawn!" A pair of invisible hands ripped the box out of Coah's hand and zipped over to Tallgeese's side.

"Hehehehe! Got it, master! Pawn!" The Pawn Leo snickered, uncloaking.

"Excellent!" Tallgeese nodded, and turned to the good guys. "Well, I'm sorry to say playtime is over, children!"

Tallgeese's claws glowed and expanded into two giant energy-claws. Rising into the air and spreading his arms out, Tallgeese began to spin, rotating so quickly that he became the source of an evil tornado. Shute and the triplets, being the lightest, were the first ones caught up in the winds.

"Ugh!" Bakunetsumaru groaned, trying not to lose his footing. "It will…take…more…than…a little…breeze…to stop me!"

"Oh, why don't you go join your friends?" Tallgeese snorted, and punched the samurai in the face. The Musha Gundam was knocked into the Hole, right at the same time the kids were thrown in by the winds.

"Bakunetsumaru!" Captain cried out, just before losing his grip on the ledge and fell in. the last thing he saw before darkness consumed his vision was Tallgeese, holding the Spirit Egg's box in vile victory, laughing fiendishly.

-z-

Shute landed in a musty cavern with rock pillars that were so tall he couldn't see their tops. Not that he could. He was too busy tumbling down a giant mound of dirt, gathering up soil until he resembled a giant ball of mud. He would have kept rolling, if his path hadn't included one of those immense pillars directly in front.

CRASH!

While the dirt ball provided enough protection to prevent Shute from receiving any serious injuries, the collision knocked him senseless. With little birdies fluttering around his noggin, Shute slid off of the pillar.

"…I wonder where the others are…" Shute groaned, dusting himself off as he stood up.

He then heard a rumbling and saw three more giant dirtballs rolling towards him. With the skills gained in dodge ball, Shute skillfully jumped around the incoming spheres as they rolled past him and into the wall.

_Aw, great! _Shute thought, _Company!_

CRASHASHASH!

It was the triplets, the helmets on their Pawn Leo costumes fallen off.

"Hey, are you three all right?" Shute asked, concerned.

The triplets, dizzily, got to their feet.

"A-okay…" Coah replied, tilting slightly.

"I bruised my knee…" Noah groaned.

"And I got dust up my nose…" Doah muttered.

"Oh, babies!" Coah snapped, "Are you okay or not!"

"Well, I guess so…are we?" Noah replied.

"Yeah, we guess so." Doah nodded.

"Good, so we're all agreed?" Coah asked, and his brothers nodded.

Turning to Shute, the triplets flipped their helmets on. "_We're fine!_"

Shute stared. "…Okay."

With that settled, Shute took another look around. He couldn't see the rest of the Gundam Force anywhere. Taking out his PDA, he quickly hit the quick-dial function.

"Captain," Shute said into the phone, "Can you hear me? This is Shute, come it! Come in, Captain!"

The screen showed nothing but static and the words OUT OF AREA.

"It's no use," Shute sighed, "We're in the wrong dimension at the bottom of a pit! I guess that qualifies as out of range."

"What does that do?" Noah asked curiously, staring at the PDA.

"Oh, this lets us talk to each other even when we're far apart." Shute explained, showing off the PDA.

"What a wonderful thing!" Noah cried.

"It's magic…" Doah breathed.

"Right now it's a piece of junk!" Coah grumbled, unimpressed.

"Forget about it," Shute said, putting the PDA away. "We don't need it anyway! Let's go find the others, and then get that Spirit Egg back. Then we'll leave the rest of it to your savior, the Winged Knight!"

He gave the triplets a confident smile, but Coah just turned away.

"You mean _Zero?_" the child snorted.

"…Yeah…"

"Please!" Coah said as Noah and Doah zipped behind him. "Did you see how easily Tallgeese defeated him? Even after I created a diversion! I don't know who your friend really is, but he's no savior! He's a fake!"

Shute grew angry. Who did this twerp think _he _is?

"Hey, c'mon!" Shute shouted, "You just watch! He's gonna save Lacroa!"

"Right," Coah rolled his eyes and marched away with his brothers. "Let's go!"

"Hey, what the… Where are you going!" Shute yelled, "Come back here!"

-z-

"_O Mana, come to me!_"

Nothing happened. At most, all Zero's incantation did was send sparks out of his fingers.

_So it's true!___The Knight Gundam thought, lowering his hand. _My magic won't work in this place…I'm trapped!_

Zero looked around, but the rocks and mounds could not distract him from thinking about his fight with Tallgeese, though only a generous soul would call it that. The way Tallgeese _toyed _with them…

_How could I have let him beat me so easily? _Zero thought.

There was more to being a knight than just strength. You needed to have wisdom, skill, grace…and Tallgeese had none of these things, and he still won.

Zero remembered how unimpressed the triplets were. _Perhaps…perhaps, they are right._

Zero looked at his feet, feeling blue when he heard a distant tremor.

_What was that?_

-z-

It was _really _dark where Captain and Bakunetsumaru were. Captain had his helmet-mounted spotlight on, and was looking around.

"No sign of Shute or the others here." Captain reported, turning left and right in his search. Behind him, Bakunetsumaru kept shuffling around so that he would be directly behind the defender.

"We all must have landed in different areas of this cavern." Captain decided.

Bakunetsumaru didn't reply. He kept looking around, shaking in his armor.

"Your behavioral pattern is strange," Captain noted, turning off his light and facing Baku'. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no!" Bakunetsumaru said quickly, and began to back away, smiling a bit too much. "That is…to say…I certainly hope not-!"

Bakunetsumaru froze. He had bumped into something. Slowly turning around, he saw _the most hideous visage in universe!_

"_AAAAAAHH!_" the Musha Gundam screamed, and jumped _high_ in the air. When he landed, he saw that it was just a wall of crystal reflecting his image. "Oh, it is only me…"

Captain was just mildly curious before. Now he was worried.

"Bakunetsumaru, what is it that is troubling you?" Captain asked.

"Troubling me?" Bakunetsumaru repeated, and then cleared his throat and said in a sterner tone, "Troubling _me? _Oh, uh, nothing, Captain. What makes you think that something is trouble- Huh? What was that!" Baku' began to look around wildly again. After a few minutes, he met Captan's eye and couldn't take it anymore.

"_All right!_" the samurai burst, "_I am afraid of ghosts if you must know!_"

Captian cocked his head. "But that is illogical. You have said that there are no living beings in Ark. Therefore nothing could come back as a ghost, since nothing dies in the first place."

"Well, of _course _ghosts are illogical!" Bakunetsumaru yelled, "Perhaps that is the reason I am afraid of them! Now can we _please _stop talking about them, Captain!"

Captain shrugged. "As you wish."

"Thank you-" Bakunetsumaru's eyes bugged out as Captain turned and walked away. "Wait! Where are you going? Wait for me!"

Bakunetsumaru hurried up behind Captain and halted when Captain shined his light on some kind of red body encased in rock.

"What's that!" The Musha Gundam asked worriedly. He then saw a blue body. "Another one!"

This was too much for Bakunetsumaru. With a dizzy moan, he fainted.

-z-

Meanwhile, Shute continued to follow the triplets, much to their annoyance.

"Go away!" Doah shouted.

"No!" Shute shot back.

"Go look for your friends!"

"Get lost!"

"Like they are!"

Shute frowned. "Look, I can't leave you all alone!"

"That's okay, don't worry about us," Noah replied, "The Dark Hole is the safest place to be!"

"It is?" Shute asked.

"Of course it is!" Coah said, "Where d'ya think we've been hiding all this time?"

As it turned out, the 'No Magic' rule of the Dark Hole provided the perfect shield against any divining magic used by Tallgeese and his minions.

Shute was still worried. "In a dark, gloomy place like this?" He asked, "Isn't it…scary?"

Coah snickered. "Hey, guess what?" He asked his brothers, "This kid's afraid of the dark!"

"_I am not scared!_" Shute shouted, "And who're you calling a kid, _kid!_"

Coah frowned, but not at Shute. Holding out his arm, he shushed Shute.

"What?" Shute whispered, "What is it?" Just barely, he could hear something. He wasn't sure what it was, but it sounded familiar…and not in a good way.

Coah seemed to think so too. "They found us…"

"_No…_" Doah groaned.

"Uh, who are we talking about?" Shute asked.

The triplets, however, were not paying attention to Shute. They seemed to be looking past him.

"What?" Shute asked again, now really confused.

The triplets didn't answer. They charged up the hill.

"_Run!_"

"Hey, what are we running from?" Shute shouted after them.

Then he heard it. The sound of mechanical wings flapping, accompanied by a buzz. Only in this particular instance, they sounded…bigger.

Turning around, he saw the largest Bagubagu ever! It was the size of a car, and its stinger resembled a fearsome harpoon than a vaccination needle.

And it was coming right at him!

Letting loose a scream, Shute ran up the hill, just avoiding getting caught by its claws. The Bagubagu gave chase, trying to snatch the little human up.

"They could've given me a warning, at least!" Shute wailed as he ran.

From their hiding places behind some smaller mounds, the triplets watched on.

Shute, meanwhile, was beginning to feel his legs go out. Any minute now, the Bagubagu would catch him…

"_Shute!"_

That voice! "Zero!"

Zero slid down a mound on his heels, leaping up and giving the Bagubagu a hard shove with his shoulder, knocking him away.

"Way to go!" Shute cheered, "Let's go!"

"Shute, run!" Zero ordered, "Run for cover! I'll handle this!"

As the two took off, the Bagubagu recovered quickly, stunned from shock than actual pain. IT quickly resumed the chase, following Shute and Zero over figurative hill and dale.

"If only I could summon my sword!" Zero grunted.

As they reached a flat area, the Bagubagu charged. Zero dropped to the ground and just barely avoided being steamrolled over by the immense insect.

"Shute!" Zero yelled, "Look out!"

Shute glanced behind and saw the Bagubagu closing in. With a wild yell, he leapt, avoiding the bionic bug's dive bomb. His jumped put him on a pillar, but that wasn't safety, not for long. Shute saw the Bagubagu right behind him and climbed higher. Undaunted, the Bagubagu smashed out a piece of the pillar underneath, making a cut so clean and quick that instead of falling over, the pillar simply went down a yard. Then it did it again.

And again.

After five minutes of this, Shute had run out of pillar.

"Have at thee, insect!" Zero called out, and jumped at the Bagubagu.

The Bagubagu simply swatted him away in an act of supreme irony. Zero went flying and landed on another mound. As he slid down, he felt something fall into his hand.

_What could this be?___Zero thought.

Meanwhile, Shute was just at the top of the pillar when the Bagubagu closed in for the kill. Shute stared wide-eyed as certain doom came closer and closer…

"_Get away!_"

There was a flash of light, and the Bagubagu's left claw had been sliced off. Amazed, Shute looked around and saw the source of the Bagubagu's pain. Zero, the Winged Knight of Lacroa, stood bravely on another pillar, holding up a sword of light in hand.

"So you found a sword after all, huh Zero?" Shute grinned. _Captain's beam saber!_

Zero did not reply. Instead, he leapt at the Bagubagu, and in two clean strokes, cleaved the other claw off before stabbing its eye. The Bagubagu fell to the ground, inactive.

"Nice work!" Shute laughed, hopping down to Zero.

"It is all thanks to this," Zero said, holding up the saber. "Fate guided my hand to it in my darkest hour of need." He looked at Shute and smiled. "Perhaps there is hope yet. Thank you, _Mana_…"

-z-

"Those triplets are around here, somewhere, I know it." Shute told Zero as they walked back to where the Bagubagu first appeared.

At the top of another pillar, a very tall pillar, the triplets looked down at the pair.

"Coah...Doah…Noah…" Shute called out, before grinning. "_Hello-ah? _Hey…you guys!" He groaned. Did they just run away? Cupping his hand over his, he called, "Hey! I've got _Zero _here! That's right! We're ready to get your Spirit Egg back! So c'mon! C'mon out!"

"Uh-uh!"

Shute and Zero stopped. That sounded like Noah…or was it Doah?

"No thanks!"

"No way!"

Shute and Zero looked around, trying to find the source of the triples' voices. They seemed to echo from everywhere.

Shute got angry. "Okay, that does it! You three show yourselves _right now!_"

"We don't want anything to do with _him!_"

Shute blinked. "Huh?"

"We've been waiting all this time for a savior to arrive."

"And when he finally does…

"He lets Tallgeese beat the stuffing out of him!"

"Some savior! He's an imposter! We don't wanna waste our time on him!"

With each statement, Zero lowered his eyes, until he was looking directly at his feet. Such cruel words, but not unjustly said. Thanks to his weakness, Tallgeese had the Spirit Egg. If there had been any hope, it was now in the fiend's greedy hands. Were she around, would the princess think so, too?

But Shute had heard enough.

"Okay, I've heard enough!" He shouted fiercely, "He's no imposter! You call him that when you don't know the first thing about him or what he's done! I've fought a lot of battles with Zero, and I can tell you, as far as saviors go, he's the real deal!"

Zero raised his head, touched.

"At least he's _trying!_" Shute continued, "_He's _not hiding in the dark! He's out here fighting to take back his homeland, _and he's gonna do it, too!_"

There was no reply.

"…Aw, who needs you, anyway!" Shute shouted angrily. "…Aw, phooey."

Zero looked at Shute and said, "Shute… Thank you."

"It's just the truth, that's all," Shute muttered, and clapped his hands together. "Well, okay! That's enough standing around here! Zero, you and I have got work to do! If we're gonna get the Spirit Egg back, we've gotta find the others! And if I know Captain," He looked up, "He'll be leading the others up and outta here! So that's what we'll do. We'll just head up towards the top!"

Zero, his resolved renewed, nodded. "Yes, there _is _sense in your plan!"

Shute grinned. "You bet there is!"

"Unfortunately," Zero went on to say, "I can neither fly nor use my magic in this place. How will we get up?"

Shute pointed towards one of the tall pillars. "We'll go the old-fashioned way! By climbing out, one hand over the other!"

Zero looked up at Shute's intended starting point. He couldn't see the _top…_

"Well, let's get started!" Shute laughed, and ran for the pillar.

Not for the first time, Zero was impressed. Shute was always jumping right into things like that. Whether it was sneaking aboard the Dark Axi's combat carrier, _Magnamusai_, or risking his own life for a friend, Shute would go at it, and not out of recklessness, he found. He did it _because it needed to be done._ He made doing what was necessary seem so simple and obvious.

…_Shute, my friend, you are_ _extraordinary, _Zero thought, _Do you know that?_

-z-

The triplets watched as the two began their climb.

"I like that!" Doah commented.

"Do you think we should go with them?" Noah asked.

"…No, I don't." Coah grumbled, and went in the opposite direction. He tried not to think about what Shute had said.

…_At least he's trying…He's not hiding in the dark…_

_What does _he _know?_ Coah thought bitterly.

-z-

Back in the darkest part of the Hole, Bakunetsumaru had regained consciousness, and was now looking at the two figures with trepidation, swords drawn.

"Are…you friend or foe?" the Musha Gundam asked nervously, "Speak, whoever you are…!"

"Calm down," Captain said, stepping up. "This is no ghost."

"Huh? Ah, no, of course not," Bakunetsumaru gulped, and tried to still his beating heart. "I never said it was ghost. What is it? …is it a _dead_ ghost…?"

The two figures, halfway encased in the rock, resembled mobile knights of some kind, a red one and a blue one. The red one had lightning symbols on his shoulders, while the blue one had wind signs on his. Around and in them were swords and spears jammed into the stone.

"Hmm… Whatever it was," Captain noted, "Its functions have ceased."

"It has a most grim and forbidding look about it," Bakunetsumaru muttered, peering at the red one. "…Foul thing. Still, as we say in Ark: 'No ghost will harm you without provocation.'"

"I'm sure you're right…" Captain replied absentmindedly. His targeting scope slid down and he began to scan the area. "Now, to find a way out of here."

Captain looked around, and his sensors soon picked up on a strange wavelength.

"What?" Captain, confused, began to fire his helmet guns. Bakunetsumaru jumped in alarm at the gunfire.

Captain fired in all directions, making note of what he saw. There were small wormholes around, and by firing his bullets into them, he could check where they led. At one point, a wormhole sent the bullets right back at them, just barely hitting Bakunetsumaru's rear.

"_Aaah! Who's there!_" Baku' screamed, whirling around. "_Defend yourself! Where are you!_"

"…Strange place."

"What?" Bakunetsumaru asked, confused. Were they under attack or not?

"Some paths lead nowhere," Captain explained, "Others turn back on themselves…"

Captain fired some more, and his last barrage were deposited higher.

"There!" Captain noted, "That's the way up."

"Up?" Bakunetsumaru repeated.

Captain looked at him and said, "I believe Shute will be making his way up towards the Hole's entrance."

"Are you sure?"

Captain nodded. "100% sure. My Soul Drive senses it."

Bakunetsumaru thought about it. As far as he knew, Shute's feelings were connected with the central unit in Captain's body. That meant, at best, it felt what Shute felt.

"Hmm. Your Soul Drive…" The Musha Gundam mused, "It must be what we call a warrior's soul."

Captain took his hand. "Time to go, Bakunetsumaru."

Spinning around, Captain swung Bakunetsumaru around faster and faster.

"_What…is…this…!_" The samurai cried in alarm.

"Going _up!_" Captain yelled, and heaved the Musha Gundam through the wormhole. Then, activating his heel-wheels, the mobile defender zoomed and rocketed up towards into the wormhole after him.

-z-

"Oh, I see!" Bakunetsumaru exclaimed once he and Captain landed on a more elevated point. "We're considerably higher, Captain!"

"Oh, we must go _much_ higher." Captain took Bakunetsumaru's hand again, and began to spin, heedless of the samurai's frenzied wails. One toss later, they were on another, much more elevated, point.

"_Higher!_" Captain urged, and grabbed Bakunetsumaru.

"Not _agaaaaaiiin!_"

-z-

"Oh, what a beautiful day!"

Deep within his chamber in what was left of Lacroa Castle, Tallgeese, now separate from the Griffin, stood proudly in front of his mirror.

"I feel a song coming on!" Tallgeese giggled, and whipped out his sword. Dancing about, he sang, "Lah-dee-dah, lah-dee-di, I'm such a terrible guy! Oh, lah-dee-doo, lah-dee-dee, there's no one so awful as _me!_"

"Master?"

Tallgeese jumped. Whirling about, he saw his servant float into the room the Spirit Egg's box hovering next to him.

"I have brought the Egg as you have commanded." The servant explained.

"You're late," Tallgeese said gruffly, "And where is the statue of the princess?"

"It is on its way."

"Good. Finally," Tallgeese chuckled, "With this, I can unlock the seal on the Spirit Tree."

Vanishing his sword, Tallgeese opened the box. The Spirit Egg shone its radiant light, illuminating the room.

"Ahh, the Spirit Egg…" Tallgeese sighed, "Magnificent, isn't it?"

"Oh, it certainly is, master!" The servant gushed, hovering in for a closer look.

Tallgeese glared. "All right, stop breathing on it!"

"_Breathing, _master?" The servant asked, shocked. "_Me?_"

"Well, whatever…just give me some room, will you?" Tallgeese muttered, and reached into the box. Chuckling darkly, he pulled out the Egg…only for it to hop back into the box!

"What's this? What's happening?" Tallgeese cried.

Three little holograms of the triplets, in plain brown clothes, appeared in the box.

"Surprise! Fooled ya! Nahnahnah!" Holo-Doah laughed.

"You'd think we'd give you the real Egg?" Holo-Noah asked mockingly, "It's a phony!"

Holo-Coah rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it's scrambled like your head!"

The holo-triplets turned around and shook their booties at Tallgeese, going, "Nahnahnahnahnah-_nah!_" Over and over again.

Tallgeese for his part, said nothing. But deep within his gut there came a noise like a volcano before it erupted.

Sensing a mighty explosion, the servant backpedaled as fast as he could.

"I'll just tell them to leave the princess' statue where it is for now," the servant said quickly, trying not to laugh. "Will there be anything else, sir?"

With a furious roar, Tallgeese grabbed the box and smashed it against his mirror, shattering the glass. The caslte shook from the force of his bellow.

"_By all that is dark and evil, they will pay for this!_"

-z-

"Coah, are you sure that zero's an imposter?" Doah asked as the triplets walked. "What if he's for real?"

Coah huffed.

"He's friends seem to have faith in him…" Noah began cautiously.

"Fine!" Coah snapped, "You guys go with them if you want to! I say we're better off on our own!"

-z-

"I lost track…" Bakunetsumaru groaned as he and Captain departed another wormhole. "Was that 24 times…are we there yet…?"

"No, not yet!" Captain replied.

-z-

"This isn't so bad…" Shute remarked as he and Zero climbed, "We'll be with the others in no time!"

Beneath him, Zero commented, "I hope it is that easy… I hope Tallgeese and his minions are not at the entrance waiting for us…"

"There's only one way to find out!" Shute gritted, "Up we go!"

Just barely, they could see the Hole's entrance.

Just barely.


	4. Return

Chapter 3: Return

Back at SDG Lab C, Bell Wood had been working nonstop ever since the Gundam Force vanished. If there was any hope of finding and bringing back the four of them, it lay with him and the Dimensional Transport Device.

"Don't worry, Chief Haro!" Dr. Bell yelled as he typed furiously at the holographic console, "I'll get them back with the Dimensional Transport Device, lickity-split!"

The Chief, and on the ground, Gunbike and Entengo, waited anxiously.

"Stabilizers checked…" Bell Wood muttered, typing. "Maximum power… Dimension located… Systems checked completely!"

The Device's parts sparked as a crackling purple energy cloud appeared high in the air.

_Keep your digits crossed…_ Bell Wood thought, and hit the big red START button. "And…_go!_"

The purple energy contracted and swirled into a vortex, crackling with lightning. On the ground, Entengo let loose with a neigh and galloped towards the Device.

"No, Entengo!" Gunbike yelled, "Not yet!"

But high above, the vortex exploded, canceling out. The Device's spinning parts stopped moving. Bell Wood fell to his knees with a groan.

"Anything?" Haro asked.

Bell Wood shook his head. "I can't get a lock on the dimensional gate…something's missing." Jumping up, he yelled, "I don't understand why this dumb contraption won't work for me!"

On the ground, Entengo looked at his hooves sadly, whinnying.

"They'll be back, Entengo," Gunbike said soothingly, driving up next to him. "Don't worry."

Entengo said nothing. He just looked up at Dimensional Transport Device.

-z-

Deep in Lacroa…

…Deep within the Dark Hole…

…Shute slipped, and with a yell, fell down a few feet before catching himself on a ledge.

"Shute, are you all right!" Zero asked, worriedly.

"I'm okay, Zero!" Shute assured, shaking. "…I think…" If he hadn't landed on the ledge, who knows how he could've end up…

Shute, nonetheless, began to climb. As he did, something very odd floated out of the rock. It looked like a glowing, transparent jellyfish. Another appeared. And then another!

"Zero, I'm under attack!" Shute cried, forcing himself against the wall of the rocky pillar as much as he could, trying to wave the jellyfish-ghosts away. As one floated dangerously close, Shute braced himself for the sting…only for nothing to happen. Confused, Shute opened his eyes and saw that the jellyfish was halfway through his body before floating away.

"Something just passed right through me…" He gasped.

Zero, chuckling, pulled himself up on the ledge Shute was on. "Fear not, young Shute. That is a harmless creature called an Mmn."

"An Mmn?" Shute repeated, reaching out to the creature. To his surprise, his hand passed right through it.

"Yes," Zero went on, "An Mmn is a type of spirit. A spirit is an entity made up of energy and is mostly immaterial, so it slips through almost all substances. But don't worry, it's harmless."

"Cool," Shute sighed, and looked thoughtful. "So spirits must be different from magic, because magic's not allowed in the Dark Hole, right?"

"Correct. Magic is different from spirits." Zero said.

A thought occurred to Shute. "How about that Griffin Tallgeese conjured? Was that a spirit too?"

Zero nodded. "The Griffin is a high-ranked spirit of Lacroa, and is also known as a divine or sacred beast. He is one of the four sacred beasts that protect the castle of Lacroa."

"You mean there are _four _sacred beasts?" Shute asked.

Zero looked up, a faraway look in his eyes. "Griffin, Phoenix, Unicorn, Jormungand- the sacred beasts. They give their power to a being that they recognize as their lord. That person is able to summon his beast at will. And so, such a beast is called a 'summoned-beast.'"

"A summoned-beast, huh?" Shute murmured, mulling it over.

Zero looked at Shute and nodded. "Correct. And a person who controls a summoned-beast…is one of the most dangerous things in the universe."

-z-

Tallgeese, sword and shield in hand, flew out from Lacroa Castle and towards the caves.

_If they will not come out of the Dark Hole,_ He thought darkly, _I will go in and _get _them!_

-z-

Captain heaved Bakunetsumaru throught another wormhole before leaping in himself. This one deposited the two in an area much like the one Zero, Shute and the triplets landed in.

"I don't think this is the right destination either, Captain," Bakunetsumaru groaned, dizzy. "Let's try another dimension-barrier…!"

Captain fired his helmet-guns, checking the paths of the wormholes. Once he found the one they needed, he took Bakunetsumaru and tossed him through before jumping after him.

-z-

With the entrance of the Dark Hole now in plain sight, Shute and Zero continued to climb. As they did, Zero felt his spin tingle.

"Be careful, Shute!" he called up, "This part of the rock feels different!"

"I'm okay!" Shute assured, when he noticed that this part of the pillar _did _feel odd. It felt smooth, like metal-

Then an large mono-eye lit up. Shute stared.

"_Aaaah!_"

"What's wrong?" Zero yelled.

"_A monster!_" Was all Shute could say before it happened.

Zero stared in bewildered terror as another giant Bagubagu flew off, Shute clutching to one of its claws for dear life.

"_Shute!_" Zero cried, and ignited the beam saber. "Hang on, I'll think of something!"

Zero watched as the Bagubagu buzzed around, trying to throw Shute up.

_He attacked Shute because he's attracted to organic matter! _Zero thought, his mind racing. _I need to find something organic, so I can divert his attention from Shute!_

Out of the corner of his eye, Zero saw something yellow in the glow of a nearby Mmn.

_The banana! Bell Wood transported it here earlier as part of the experiment! _Zero thought, and took the fruit. _I hope this works…_ Waving the banana in the air, Zero yelled, "Here, boy! Get your fresh, organic matter!"

It worked. The Bagubagu focused its mono-eye on the Winged Knight and did an aerial U-turn, charging at the Gundam.

"That's it, come and get it- Wait a minute!" Zero looked up towards the Hole's entrance. _This could work out better than I hoped!_

-z-

In the cave with the Dark Hole's entrance, three Pawn Leos poked their heads out from behind a wall. Taking of their visors, they revealed themselves to be the triplets. The three identical children had arrived first, taking the special passage they had found after years of exploring the Dark Hole. They walked around the room, looking for any signs of life.

"See?" Coah said, "There's no one here."

"Yeah, for now." Noah replied.

"But that doesn't mean that someone won't be here _soon_." Doah suggested.

Coah rolled his eyes. "What makes either of you think that _anyone_, let alone _everyone _will show up at this exact spot?"

There was a soft thunk from behind. Turning around, the triplets saw a little chest, that opened up to show three small holograms of the triplets on something that looked like the Spirit Egg.

"Hey, it's our box!" They cried. Then they realized. Looking up, they gave a yell. "Ahh! _Tallgeese!_"

Tallgeese glared down at them from above. "Did you seriously think you could trick me with a fake Spirit Egg!"

Tallgeese swung his sword down, releasing a wave of power that blew the triplets off their feet. They landed against one of the large crystalline stalagmites in the cavern.

"How dare you deceive me," Tallgeese snarled, floating down to them. "Now tell me, where is the true Spirit Egg?"

The triplets glared at the evil knight defiantly. "No matter what you do, _we'll never tell!_"

"We'll see about that!" Tallgeese raised his sword, his eyes glinting.

But before he could do the deed, a spray of bullets erupted from another crystalline stalagmite. Tallgeese quickly held up his shield in defense. But that didn't help when Bakunetsumaru came flying out and rammed him, sending the evil knight flying.

The triplets stared in shock. They didn't see _that _coming.

Captain exited the wormhole, landing next to Baku'. "Destination reached!"

"About time." Bakunetsumaru grunted, standing up. He hit something, he knew he had…

The triplets quickly rushed up to the Gundams.

"We knew you'd return!" They chorused. Coah looked a little sheepish.

"Are you boys all right?" Captain asked.

The triplets nodded. "Yeah."

Grumbling, Tallgeese floated up above the Gundams, glaring down at them.

"I don't know how you escaped, and I don't care," He snarled, "Now give me the _real Spirit Egg!_"

"Real Spirit Egg? What's he talking about?" Bakunetsumaru asked.

Captain pointed at the box. "Probably that."

Bakunetsumaru took one look at the taunting holograms and burst out laughing.

"So it was a fake!" He chortled, pointing. "That's _hilarious!_"

The triplets nervously inched away from Bakunetsumaru. Tallgeese had only been mildly aggravated before. Now he was _furious._

"You…! You…!" Tallgeese sputtered, and launched himself at Baku'. "_I'll teach you to laugh at me!_"

"You want a piece of me?" Bakunetsumaru retorted. He unsheathed his swords and leapt at the knight. "Let's go!"

Bakunetsumaru and Tallgeese clashed swords, and Tallgeese knocked him away, though without harming him. The samurai easily landed back on the ground.

Captain meanwhile, aimed his wrist-missile launchers at Tallgeese. "Fists fire!"

The missiles exploded on Tallgeese's shield. Not one to stay down, Bakunetsumaru leapt at the Knight of the Tempest, swords spinning.

But from the smoke came two spinning blades, each one like two curved swords joined at the hilt. Before either Captain or Bakunetsumaru could react, the Semicircle Claws pinned them against the wall.

"That should keep you two tied up for a while." Tallgeese muttered from behind a red rune octagon. Looking down, he saw the triplets scurrying off. "Oh, _boys…_"

The triplets froze. Busted.

"Now, _about that Spirit Egg!_" Tallgeese roared, and sent a wave of fire at the triplets.

The triplets screamed as the flames consumed them.

"_No!_" Captain yelled.

"_Leave them alone!_" Bakunetsumaru shouted.

"I'm just making them more comfortable," Tallgeese grinned evilly. "It's much too hot in here for all that armor they've been wearing."

When the flames died down, the triplets were indeed bereft of their Pawn Leo costumes. With their normal brown clothes singed, and them with it, they fell back down. And on Coah's head a plain box, the size of the fake Spirit's Egg, could be seen through the wafting smoke.

"Ahh, what have we here?" Tallgeese purred, and used his magic to float the box towards him.

Coah realized what was happening and jumped up to grab it, but it was too late. The box was now Tallgeese's. The Knight of the Tempest vanished his sword and reached out to the box.

"This one better be _real_," He said in a threatening voice. Lifting the box's lid, he saw a crystal like the one in the fake box. As he reached out to touch it, a blue spark flew up. That was all the confirmation he needed.

"Finally, the _real _Spirit Egg." Tallgeese chuckled darkly.

"No!" Noah cried.

"Give it back!" Doah cried.

"We have to stop him!" Coah cried as he and his brothers tried to jump up at the evil knight. But it was no use, he was too high up.

"Now, you shall all suffer!" Tallgeese crowed, and held the box over his head. "_Darkness Mana, grant me the power of evil!_"

"No, no that!" Captain cried as he and Baku' struggled to get out of their binds.

"Soon, nothing will be able to stop me!" Tallgeese gloated.

Then, a banana flew out from the Dark Hole and impaled itself on his helmet's fin.

Tallgeese froze. "Huh?"

Everyone stared.

"Get this thing off me!" Tallgeese shouted. He shook his head vigorously in an attempt to get the fruit off. "I've heard of slipping on a banana peel, but this is ridiculous!"

There was a buzzing noise, and a giant Bagubagu soared out of the Dark Hole next. And in its claws were two familiar figures.

"Zero and Shute!" Captain exclaimed.

Tallgeese realized that the giant Bagubagu was coming after him and ducked away. As the Bagubagu did a U-turn, Zero pulled Shute out of its grasp and leapt.

"We're out!" Shute yelled.

Zero smiled, feeling his magic return, as signified by his cape regrowing.

"We did it! Now to free the others!" Zero declared, and, gathering his regained power, threw the beam saber at Captain and Bakunetsumaru. The saber struck the space between them, and the released power burst the Claws from the wall, freeing them. Zero and Shute landed before the triplets, who were smiling at their arrival.

"Cool!" They chirped.

"But we lost the Egg…" Coah groaned.

Up in the air, Tallgeese darted around and dodged the persistent Bagubagu as the giant insect continued to buzz around him.

"Get away from me, you overgrown fruit-fly!" Tallgeese yelled, "Go crawl back into your hole, and get-_get your own banana!_"

Meanwhile, Coah showed Shute the tainting holograms in the first box.

"Ha, so the Spirit Egg was a fake?" Shute asked, laughing.

"You know it!" Coah nodded, "I wanted to play a trick on that _loser!_"

"But now he has the real thing!" Bakunetsumaru pointed out.

Noah then pointed into the air. "Look!"

The Gundam Force and his fellow triplets followed his finger, and saw Tallgeese slice through the Bagubagu, surrounded by red power.

As the two halves of the Bagubagu fell, the Knight of the Tempest glared down at the Force. "Face it, Winged Knight!" He snarled, "I'm more powerful than ever!"

Zero's eyes hardened. "Enjoy it while it lasts. _Here me, O Mana!_"

Zero raised his hand, and summoned his shield. Unsheathing his sword, Zero pointed it meaningfully at Tallgeese.

"Now, you give back what does not rightfully belong to you!" He threatened.

Tallgeese chuckled cruelly. "Fools! The mere suggestion that you're strong enough to defeat me, wets my appetite _to destroy you all!_"

Tallgeese held out his shield as it began to glow.

Bakunetsumaru tightened his grip on his swords. "Here we go again!"

With a loud screech, the Griffin pulled itself free of the shield.

"Griffin, _rise!_" Tallgeese ordered. As the sacred beast flew overhead, he commanded, "Griffin, come to me!"

Tallgeese rose and the Griffin dived. As they met in the air, there was a tremendous flash.

And Shute knew in an instant that this was their chance. If there was hope of winning this fight, it lay in the few moments it took for Tallgeese and the Griffin to merge.

"Let's get him now!" Shute yelled.

Captain nodded. "C'mon, team! Let's do it!"

"_Yeah! Gundam Force Triple Attack!_" Zero and Bakunetsumaru yelled, leaping up with him.

Meanwhile, the Griffin talons formed….

"_Go, you guys!_" Shute encouraged, "_Don't give in to his evil!_"

Captain felt his Soul Drive energize, ignited by Shute's determination.

"Soul Drive, activate!" Captain yelled, his eyes flaming. He took a fighting stance as his fist glowed golden from the power.

Now, one of Tallgeese's Griffin claws formed…

Zero held up his sword and chanted, "_Mana, in the entire universe and all living things!" _gathering his magic together.

And another claw formed…

"Blazing blades of justice!" Bakunetsumaru yelled, gathering his own strength. His swords began to glow with heat.

At this time, the Griffin armor finished its transformation.

"What are you fools wasting your last breath about!" Tallgeese taunted evilly. With a fiendish laugh, he spread out his wings.

"_Go!_" Shute yelled, focusing all of his spirit into Captain's Soul Drive. He knew that his faith and belief in Captain's own strength was the key to powering the Soul Drive.

"_Super Magical Violet Tornado!_" Zero cried out, unleashing powerful, rose petal-laced winds.

"_Kenpu! Tenkyo-Ken!_" Bakunetsumaru yelled, slicing a fiery X into the air.

"_Captain Punch!_" Captain leapt into winds, swinging his glowing fist. The three attacks merged into one singular power, flying towards Tallgeese.

Tallgeese, however, wasn't scared. He gathered all of his power into his claw.

"You will pay for your insolence!" he snarled, "_You pathetic worms!_"

Tallgeese swung his energy-claw at the Triple Attack, and there was a bright flash as the two forces met. Shute and the triplets were forced to cover their eyes and ears. Meanwhile, the two attacks canceled each other out, blasting them away. Captain was sent back to the ground, landing next to Shute, while Tallgeese was blown up into the air.

"_Tallgeese!_"

Zero flew up through the smoke from the blast and rammed the evil knight with his shield. The box with the Spirit Egg went flying out of his grip.

"Triplets, the Spirit Egg!" Zero called out, and tapped the flying box with his sword. The box glowed in a blue light and fell down.

The triplet ran to where the box was descending, and Coah caught it before it could hit the ground.

"Whoa…" he murmured as he looked inside. There was the Egg, untouched by all.

"Zero returned it to us…" He said softly. He looked up and felt his heart leap into his throat. "_Zero!_"

Tallgeese had recovered quite quickly, and was now pressing his claws down against Zero, who was forced to block with his shield. The two were plummeting at an immense velocity towards the Dark Hole's entrance.

"Give up Zero, and maybe I'll let your friends live!" Tallgeese threatened, the jovial tone in his voice gone completely. "I'd let you go too, but I already have my heart set on _crushing _you!"

Zero looked up past Tallgeese and grinned. Directly above them was the floating island he and the Gundam Force had first appeared on.

"You think I'm through, don't you?" Zero asked boldly, and threw his sword up. It missed Tallgeese and kept going up.

Tallgeese's eyes glinted. "Now you've made me _really _mad!"

-z-

The floating island was not just rock. It was also made up of magic, contained in the crystal. However, because of that, it was very unstable. If someone were to do something like, say, throw a magic sword at it, the built up energy would go critical and blow.

Which is exactly what happened.

-z-

Zero nodded with satisfaction as he saw the explosion. "I hope you have a strong back!"

"What do you mean!" Tallgeese demanded when he heard the sound of something falling.

Too little, too late, Tallgeese didn't see the large piece of the island hit until it was right on top of him, the speed of its fall pressing both knights down.

Zero was pleased to see his plan had worked, but found that he was unable to pull himself out from the falling island himself.

"I could use some reinforcements!" He called down meaningfully.

"Leave it to us!" Captain yelled back.

He and Bakunetsumaru took the Semicircle claws and threw them up. The Claws spun as they flew, implanting themselves into the rock, right over Tallgeese!

"I can't move!" Tallgeese cried in alarm. Looking at Zero desperately, he yelled, "Let me go! Quickly, before we crash!"

Zero shot him a cold look. "What do you mean _we?_"

Shute watched in horror as the rock fell, with Zero still trapped underneath it.

"_Zero!_" he screamed.

"We've got him!" Bakunetsumaru yelled, and threw Captain up into the air.

Once he was high enough, Captain activated his boosters and shot towards the rock, grabbing Zero as he flew by.

"Don't leave me!" Tallgeese wailed as he watched the Gundams go.

As Captain pulled him away, Zero cast Tallgeese one last look.

"Remember, Tallgeese," He said, "Those without friends only have _enemies!_"

Tallgeese, furious, shook with rage (Or tried to- He couldn't move with those Claws holding him down) and roared as the rock came down onto the Dark Hole.

CRASH!

When the dust settled, the rock was completely covering the Dark Hole's entrance- Tallgeese side down. Zero and Captain stood next to it.

"Victory!" Bakunetsumaru laughed as he and Shute ran towards the Gundams.

"Zero!" Shute cried, waving.

Zero was about to greet his friends when an a soft hum filled the air. A faint blue light filled the air.

"It's coming from the Spirit Egg!" Captain realized, following the light back towards the triplets…and the open box. The triplets stared in wonder at Egg as the light focused into a beam.

"The Spirit Egg is pointing towards its true lord…" Coah realized, and looked up.

Bakunetsumaru looked from the triplets to Zero, and vice-versa.

"Zero…" He gasped, "It's pointing at _you!_"

-z-

With the threat of Tallgeese removed (For now- Shute knew that villains were notorious for coming back.) the triplets led the Gundam Force to a special place. It was an enclosed cavern, with a rune circle carved into the ground, surrounded by five statues of hooded men with staffs, kneeling in some penance.

It was a place Zero had only been to once, but knew quiet well.

"What are these things?" Bakunetsumaru asked, regarding the figures with apprehension. By now he didn't trust anything in Lacroa.

"The five Great Sorcerers," Zero explained, bowing his head in reverence. "It has been a long time."

This was the place where her majesty had sent Zero to Earth, beginning his quest to restore his homeland. It symbolized both the beginning and the end…

…As it would now.

_Great Sorcerers, huh? _The Musha Gundam thought, trying to see up one statue's hood. _Kinda creepy if you ask me…_

Shute shared Bakunetsumaru's sentiments, looking over the Sorcerers uneasily. To him, this place felt like some kind of tomb.

"So, are they dead?" Shute asked worriedly. "…Or alive?"

The triplets just giggled. Coah gave Zero the box to Zero and rejoined his brothers outside of the rune circle. Taking a deep breath, they closed their hands together and began to chant.

"_Mana in the entire universe and all living things…_"

To the shock of Shute, Captain and Bakunetsumaru, the circle they were on began to glow!

"What's going on!" Bakunetsumaru cried.

Captain then made the connection. "That voice…the triplets are the ones who called us in Neotopia!"

Zero opened the box and gazed at the Spirit Egg.

"This Egg will be the key to saving Lacroa," Coah began, "And now, one of the prophecies has come true by giving it to our savior, Zero. Take it, and begin another journey."

Zero closed the box and looked at the triplets.

"Another journey…" He murmured.

"We called upon you during your journey," Coah explained, "Next time you visit us, you will unpetrify us, eliminate all evil, and finally save Lacroa for good, like the prophecy says."

"The prophecy?" Zero asked.

The triplets nodded. "Yes."

The air began to softly vibrate.

"Look, Shute!" Captain pointed out, "The dimensions are beginning to connect!"

Shute whipped out his PDA and turned it on. The screen said SIGNAL LOCATED...VERY LOW STRENGTH.

"That's awesome!" Shute said.

"It takes more than just our power to open the doorway to other dimensions," Coah told them, "It also takes the power of the Spirit. We were able to remain this way because of the Egg. But now that our task is done, the three of us must return to our petrified state."

Captain gave the triplets a good long look before catching on. "Oh, now I understand."

"What?" Shute put away his PDA and looked as well. To his shock, he saw the triplets feet turn to stone, as the petrification spread up through the legs.

"Petrified!" Shute cried in alarm, "Oh no! Something's making them petrified!"

"Don't worry, Shute," Doah replied, "We were already petrified before you met us. You just didn't realize it."

Shute gaped, unable to look away. Their bodies were halfway stone…

"Because of the power of the Egg," Coah said, "We were able to move without being petrified. Now we've fulfilled out mission and it's time to become petrified like the Great Sorcerers."

"Amazing…" Baku' breathed.

Shute ran to the edge of the rune circle.

"Can't we do something about it!" He asked desperately.

"It's not like we're dying," Coah assured him, "We're just going to sleep for a while."

But Shute wouldn't give up. "Come with us to Neotopia! _What if Tallgeese revives?_"

"Don't worry, it's safe here," Coah told him, "He never found this place before."

"But…"

"Besides, you cannot return home unless we send you off." Coah finished, smiling kindly.

"Coah…" Shute murmured sad

"Don't worry, Shute," Coah said, "We'll meet up again."

Saddened, Shute nodded.

"Can I visit you guys?" he asked.

"Only if you bring us some of those sweet cakes from your world." Noah answered.

Shute smiled, his eyes wavering. "I'll bring you the most delicious cake ever."

"And maybe, one day, we can visit you in your world!" Doah added hopefully.

"Great…" Shute said, shutting his eyes in a desperate bid to keep the tears from flowing. "You can stay at my house…"

"Thank you." The triplets chorused.

Shute opened his eyes to look at the triplets one last time when he felt something, or rather, not feel something. He and the Gundams were rising into the air!

"Hey, somebody took the floor!" Bakunetsumaru exclaimed, waving his arms fruitlessly.

As the Gundam Force ascended, the triplets of Lacroa said these words before the petrification covered their mouths.

"_Great Zero and your friends…save the future and the princess of Lacroa…thank you._"

Zero nodded at the now stone triplets. "In the name of the Winged Knight- and the Gundam Force- I will. Farewell!"

The Gundam Force continued to drift up towards a bright light above. As they did, Shute waved to his new friends.

"Bye, guys!" He called, "See you soon!"

"Triplets!" Zero added, "Do not forget the Gundam Force!"

Noah, Coah, and Doah, their bright eyes and smiles frozen in stone, watched as the Gundam Force, their saviors, vanished into the light.

Then the light vanished.

And silence reigned.

-z-

_In the back yard, underneath the bright sun, Shute looked at his guests as they sat at the table._

"_Well, guys. How do you like your cake?" he asked._

_Doah swallowed a bite of his cupcake. "It's good!"_

"_Wonderful!" Noah sighed, devouring two cupcakes at once._

_Coah looked away stubbornly, saying, "Hm, too sweet!" But his words were betrayed by the smile that cracked open._

_Shute laughed, as the Gundams looked on from behind._

-z-

_I miss those guys so much, I'm already pretending to see them again… Oh well… At least I still have my _other _friends with me… _Shute thought, _And it'll feel great to be home again…_

-z-

Chief Haro wasn't sure what had happened. There had been another bright light, but when this one faded, the Gundam Force was standing in front of the Dimensional Transport Device. It was completely unprecedented.

And he didn't care one bit.

"Gentlement of the Gundam Force," He said softly, "Welcome back."

"_Yee-haw!_" Gunbike whooped. Laughing, he and a tearful Entengo raced up to welcome the four back personally. Up from his platform, Bell Wood looked down breathlessly at the Force.

"I did it!" he yelled, jumping down. "I got them all back in one piece! Way to go me!"

None of these cheers or praise reached the Gundam Force. Turning to the Gundams, Shute held out his hand, palm down. Following his lead, Captain, Zero, and Bakunetsumaru placed their hands over his. For one brief moment, their eyes met, before focusing on the Spirit Egg box in Zero's hand. Though none of them spoke a word, they silently made their vow. Someday, they would defeat the Dark Axis for good. Someday, they would restore the kingdom of Lacroa. And someday, they would meet the triplets again.

Someday.

...And somewhere in the winds, a child's voice could be heard…

--End Book 2—

A/n: Ahh, sorry for the long wait! I had other stuff to deal with… And I don't know how long it'll take me to get to work on Book 3!

And in any case, the Lacroa arc, in my opinion, is when the series REALLY took off. Everything before that was just mindless frivolity. Now, it's personal!


	5. Coming Soon

A preview of the next _SD Gundam Force _book;

Zakoko stood proudly in front of Zakotom's rolling camera.

"Today I have an exclusive interview with the Gundam Force," She said, "And I'm going to get them to reveal all the innermost secrets of…well, the Gundam Force."

Zakotom panned with camera to catch the Gundams and Shute, who smiled awkwardly.

"I might even get one of them to cry!" Zakoko giggled, "Here they are, the Gundam Force!

Zakoko hopped onto the table and scuttled towards the Force.

"Let's see, where to start …" She murmured thoughtfully, "There's so many things I want to ask! Well, to begin with, which of you is the strongest Gundam?"

"That would be me." Bakunetsumaru said quickly, sliding in front of Zakotom's camera.

"No, that would be me!" Zero said, pushing Bakunetsumaru away.

"Excuse me," Bakunetsumaru growled, "_I am!_"

"_I am!_"

"_I am!_"

"_I am!_"

"Well, while you two are trying to figure that out," Zakoko intervened, "Let's hear about your leader, the great Captain Gundam!"

"Oh!" Shute waved his hand in the air. "Oh, I can tell all you wanna know about Captain!"

Captain glanced at Shute. While he was grateful to Shute for covering for him, as he could not speak while in his mobile citizen form, he hoped Shute wouldn't talk _too _much…

"He's my closest in the world!" Shute proclaimed proudly.

"Isn't that sweet?" Zakoko replied, trying not to roll her eye. She waved to Zakotom, who focused his camera on Shute's profile.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Captain!" Shute continued, "I'll never forget the day I saw him.

"I was attacked by the Dark Axis…" Shute said went on, thinking.

He had been on his way home from school when he saw the Dark Axis' forces land, and was almost killed by their BaguBagu when a mysterious new robot pulled him from danger.

"And then _he_ showed up and saved my life- Captain Gundam!" Shute said, and remembered how Captain had shielded him from the cannon fire of the Dark Axis' warship. "He almost lost his _own _life in the process. The blast sent him crashing through the roof of my workshop. I figured since he saved _my _life, I should try to return the favor."

Shute recalled how much trouble fixing Captain was, and how long it took before the Gundam began to show any change. And how quickly he left when the Dark Axis attacked the factory.

"He left in kind of a hurry, and forgot his shield. I thought he might need it…"

Shute had lugged that heavy shield as fast as he could to the factory, just when the Dark Axis was about to blast him again. Captain, touched by his bravery, activated his Soul Drive for the very first time.

"One punch, and he knocked those goons out of this dimension!" Shute whooped, "Man, you should have seen it!"

Calming down, Shute asked, "Pretty good, huh? The Dark Axis is no match for Captain!"

Zakoko and Zakotom smiled, or at the very least, the edges of their mouthpieces curved upwards.

"Yes," Zakoko growled, "That's so very impressive."

Coming soon

**SD Gundam Force**

Book 3

_Neotopia Under Attack_


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SD Gundam, Adventure, Drama