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I loved him once.
I never expected to meet a man I would really like in an armor competition; I never thought too much about finding anyone special. But I did.
Not only is Van a great armor pilot, he is actually quite nice once you get to know him. At least, that’s what I think. At first I thought of him as my next opponent, as someone to beat in a contest I truly wanted to win, but eventually I thought of him differently…as someone special who turned up when I least expected it.
I was really surprised when I learned that he was supposed to get married. Then Elena, his bride-to-be, was killed by the Claw. I wondered what Elena was like and thought that she was a lucky woman to have won Van’s heart. She must have also had some tricks up her sleeve; after all, Van didn’t seem like the type of guy who would let any girl reel him in easily.
And then I realized that maybe, just maybe, I could have him.
I knew that I liked – loved him, and wondered what to do with my newfound feelings. I decided on a date; it was the best way to get to know each other.
Then, all of us had to team up to save the world. It’s a long story, and we all had to help – me, Van, Wendy, Carmen 99…there were a lot of us. Things became hard, and I had to tell Van how I truly felt about him; I was glad he wasn’t turned off by what I said that day. Even if it felt a little awkward.
I wound up waiting longer than I thought for our date. And when we had it, the date was a friendly affair; a simple dinner and a short talk. It had been years since we last saw each other, since I confessed to him. He told me that he fell in love too.
Just...not with me.
He fell in love with Wendy Garret, no longer the little girl we knew, but a young woman who loved him back, who loved him as I would have and more. And now, I stand here at their wedding, waiting for the couple to walk down the aisle. It still hurts a bit, knowing that he'll never be mine, but I’m happy for him and Wendy.
But that doesn’t change the fact that I loved him once.
* * *
I loved her once.
I knew Wendy and I had so much in common the moment we first met on a mountain guarded by the S-Drive Dragon. I probably would have chosen a better place to meet, to sit down and talk about our older brothers and how people we knew were always chasing the Claw. Instead, I became a distraction for a gigantic armor in order to save her.
She actually volunteered to be the distraction first, but I couldn’t let her do it. I had to keep her safe.
Anyway, we became friends quickly, and found ourselves agreeing with many things – like how lazy Van could be. I’m positive that I didn’t just follow Van and Wendy so I could see my brother Ray again, but also to…well, be with Wendy. How could I not like her? Not only is she pretty, but also smart, and brave. I was really glad when Van let me join him…and her.
We ended up seeing and doing a lot of things as we tried to find Ray, who was in turn looking for the Claw. Wendy and I were even together when we first met the Claw. She was with me, and though she did look scared, I still believe she was less scared than I was. Just like I worried about Ray and she worried about Michael, she also worried about me, and yes, I did worry about her.
It didn’t take me long to realize that I had a crush on her, and that I wanted us to be friends no matter what, even after…well, everything. Even more things happened – more interesting and dangerous things – while we were traveling together, especially as we met up with their other friends. We found my big brother and joined him in a quest to save the world, ensuring that his sacrifice would not be in vain.
And I found love.
When our journey was over, I continued to keep in touch with Wendy. I continued working with armors, but I would never forget the little girl with the pigtails, especially as she grew into a woman who kept her pigtails and her turtle even after all these years. My desire to protect her, to constantly be with her, increased with time, and I knew that she also liked me very much.
Just not in that sense, because after all those years, she found love.
At least she promised to stay friends with me, and even invited me to her wedding. While we were still young, I probably wouldn’t have believed it if I saw it. Van and Wendy sometimes argued – okay, they argued a lot, and they disagreed on so many things, but strange as it sounds, in the end, they wound up falling in love.
And as for me, I loved her once.