Ran Yoko

this was a short story I wrote a couple years back. the basic plot is the same, but I added a few things, dragged out a couple sections that were too short, yadda yadda. basically, I changed a few things. hope you enjoyed it

The sun was dipping down into the western sky, stretching shadows across the ground. The dirt path stretched from north to south, disappearing into the horizon beyond hills. The cart, traveling north, had faded words painted on the side, "Aranya, traveling performers". The two bay mares pulling the cart looked young, out of place with the old cart. The man holding the reins loosely was tall and well built, his dark brown hair pulled into a short ponytail, and his eyes, just a shade lighter than his hair, stared tiredly in front of him. In the cart, were five people, along with several bags, barrels, pots & pans, and even what looked to an old sea chest. The teenaged girl staring with a bored expression at the scenery had raven-black hair pulled into a long ponytail, her skin was dark, and her eyes were amber-colored. The man with short blonde hair was leaning back with his eyes closed. The woman looking at an old book and scribbling things on a sheet of paper had shaggy pure white hair hanging down to her shoulders, and her eyes were a dark shade of gray. The other man was muttering to himself as he was drawing a diagram of a building, his sandy brown hair pulled away from his face with a leather strip, and his nose and cheeks were decorated by several freckles. The last person, a woman, was the only one who didn't seem bored, had dark blonde hair pulled into a long braid, and her light blue eyes stared ahead of her without changing expression. The teenager sighed heavily, and said aloud, "Can we stop yet? It's late and I'm hungry." "When are you not hungry, Karay?" the blonde man said, not opening his eyes. "When I'm dancing or sleeping," Karay retorted, sticking her tongue out at the man. She muttered, "Smart-aleck-Sharen." Aloud she said, "Can we stop yet, Toan?" The sandy-haired man, not taking his gaze off the paper, said, "We should stop soon, cause we need to discuss plans." The dark-haired man directed the horses over to the side of the road, where grass grew abundantly, and gently pulled back on the reins, stopping the cart. Karay eagerly jumped over the side of the cart and started helping him unfasten the horses from the cart. The blonde woman picked up a staff lying beside her, and slowly climbed out of the cart, then stepped aside as Sharen climbed out and stretched. "Move, Sharen, you're in the way," the white-haired woman said, glaring at him. Sharen glared back with blue-green eyes as he stepped out of the way. "Why don't you give me a break, Cria?" "Sorry, but physical violence isn't in my job description," Cria said, smiling thinly as she pulled out four pails from the cart. "Take two, we're on water duty tonight." "We were on water duty last night," Sharen complained. "I'll go!" Karay volunteered happily. "Oh, no you don't," Toan said, climbing out and handing the teenager a large cast-iron skillet. "You're staying here where I can keep an eye on you." "There's a stream about ten yards to the east," the blonde woman said. "Thanks, Nadia," Cria said, starting across the path. "Let's go, Sharen." Sharen followed, muttering about the injustice in the world. The tall man started arranging stones for a campfire, while Toan lifted out a sack of potatoes and a barrel. Karay let the horses graze while she pulled out another skillet and a large tea kettle. Nadia located a box of matches and brought them over to the campfire, which was ready to be lit. "Oof," Toan groaned, failing to open the barrel. "Ryon, give me a hand with this, will you?" Ryon, the tall man, easily opened the barrel, and let Toan take salt pork from it and put it in the skillet. Nadia and Karay started slicing potatoes and layering them in the other skillet. The bacon was sizzling by the time Cria and Sharen got back. "What took you so long!?" Karay exclaimed, taking water to the horses. "Well, we got there, but there were some. . .gentlemen wanting a toll for the water," Cria said, pouring water into the kettle. "What happened then?" Toan asked, glancing at the blood spatters on their tunics and pants. "We, shall we say, persuaded them to let us have some water for free," Sharen said, smiling oddly. "Did you clean up?" Nadia asked, not looking up. "Yes, we did," Cria said, hanging the kettle over the fire. "It simply wouldn't to leave trash in our host's place." "I miss all the fun," Karay lamented, flopping down by Ryon. "Maybe I should go for water next time." "It isn't always fun, Karay," Ryon said, stirring the potatoes. But Karay simply smiled. After dinner, they were enjoying a nice cup of tea, when Toan stood up. "Well, then. Let's practice." "Which play are we doing?" Cria asked. "The Battle of the Desert Warriors? Superstition and Skepticism? The Tragic Love Story?" "Well, considering King Minos' tastes, it'll probably be The Battle of the Desert Warriors," Toan said. "Let's see," Karay said. "Toan and Nadia are going to be playing the music and singing. So, Ryon and Sharen are going to be the soldiers fighting over me, so who's Cria going to be?" "I'll be taking Sharen's place, because he has a job to do," Cria said. "You do have IT ready, right?" Nadia asked. "Of course I do," Cria said, waving her hand as if to dismiss the notion that she couldn't finish the item in question. "When have I not had it ready?" "Let's see, the time in Balroa with the rich merchant, and the time in Filria with the mayor's wife. . ." "SHUT UP!" Cria yelled at Karay, turning red. "Well, well, well. You all seem to be having fun," a sinister voice said. The entire group realized that they were surrounded by a group of ten people, and the man who seemed to be the leader was standing in front of them. "May I ask who you gentlemen are?" Toan said, smiling pleasantly. "The leader of this robber band," the man said. "You killed four of my best men. And I want. . ." His voice trailed off with a gurgle, and he slumped to the ground, a small dart piercing his throat. "Oh, I'm so sorry," Cria said, lowering her hand. "I should have let you finish. You were saying that you wanted revenge for your men, right?" "Why you little. .!!" one of the men shouted, charging at her. However, he was stopped by Sharen, who slashed a dagger across his throat. With that, all hell broke loose. Karay dashed to the cart and grabbed two swords out from under a sack of flour and, turning around, brought them up to block another man's sword. She kicked him in the groin, and as he doubled over, jumped over him, stabbed her swords into the man's back and yanked them free, then landed easily. She then ducked to dodge a sword swing towards her head and plunged the swords into the man's chest. Sharen dodged a sword and killed the man with two swift strokes, then plunged his dagger into a second man's heart and pulled it out. Nadia brought her staff up to hit a man's arm. The man yelled in pain, and Nadia slammed the top of the staff into the man's chest. The man crumpled to the ground, for a blade had shot out of the staff, and when she hit him, it killed him. She then swung the staff into the chin of a man behind her, then he fell to the ground, where Karay finished him off. Three other men met their end at the two hefty pieces of firewood Ryon wielded. The last one lost his nerve, and bolted. However, an arrow hit him in the back, felling him. Toan lowered his crossbow with a satisfied smile. Sharen walked over to the man to make sure he was dead. Everyone heard the man gasp out his last words. "Just who are you people!?" Sharen answered as he swung his dagger down. "The Aranya." The next morning, the horses were hooked up to the cart, everything was loaded up again, and everyone was seated in the cart. "Well, then!" Toan said. "Onward to the capital of Garen and King Minos!" The cart started down the dirt path stretching from north to south, traveling north. They left behind them a burned out campfire, a large patch of disturbed ground, and the smell of death in the spring morning air. FINIS

i didn't even think about the other guy's feelings, to be honest. tell ya what, i'll work on it and get back to it at a later date, 'kay?

i wrote this a couple years back as a basis for a different story. the story itself was a flop, but i still like this, even though i never figured out a name for it. "when swords meet, and ideals clash, the shadow rises, and the destruction begins anew. lives cross, destinies intertwine, and lives will never be the same again. forgetting the past, living to know the future, with no regrets. this is your fate. live the quest of a lifetime."

"FATE OR FREEDOM" i wanted to write something about fate, and this is all i can think of. sorry if it's not very consistent. "two people close together held by chains of fate wings of freedom bound but one person reaches out and breaks the binding chains. he spreads his wings, feeling the wind of change, and takes flight, making the decision to walk his own path. the other person watches, also wishing to break free, but he is too afraid to try. the moral of my tale? breaking the chains of fate and walking our own path, spreading our wings in the winds of change that are blowing. . . is so much easier than it seems."

Sora squirted mustard onto a polish sausage and munched on it while she poured herself a mug of root beer. She adjusted her glasses as she looked at the sign in front of the iron pot that Wyvern stood in front of. She then downed the last of her root beer, muttering, "Where's the grilled bratwurst?"

hi, so you know, i can't rhyme anything for the life of me. i also don't do so well with sweet 'cutesy' topics. so if you want to read something to that effect, don't read my poems. if you don't like it, don't read it. simple as that. Sun's first light appears shadow of midnight flees white stars hide in the sun's rays mist vanishes over green and brown skylark's song begins winds whispers echo through a valley waterfall sends a rainbow over cliffs sun rises over the horizon nighttime creeps away The name of this magical moment? Dawn.

THE BLOOD-SOAKED DESERT -Sera’s Journey- CHAPTER ONE “Muerte” Seras spent the night huddled under a blanket she had found, the cold night air blowing around the ruins. When morning came, she looked around the town, finally locating a well in what had once been the town square. She found the bucket lying by the side of the well, which had caved in slightly. She lowered the bucket into the well, and drew up a bucket of clean, cool water. Along with some food she found, she made a meal. After she was done, she located a shovel with a broken handle, and walked to the edge of the town. She saw a post with a sign still swinging from it, the town’s name written on the sign. “’The City of Muerte’,” she said. “So that’s the name of the town.” Turning around, she walked several paces, then began to dig. Three days later, Seras had dug graves and buried all of the people from the town. When she was finished, at least two acres of the east side of the town was a mass graveyard. On the fourth day, she gathered a few things by the well. A coat and a pair of boots that were a little big, a switchblade knife, a couple jugs she filled with water, and some more food. She pulled on the boots and coat, put the knife and her watch into the coat pocket, and wrapped the food and water in the blanket. She tied the blanket into a bundle and lifted it over her shoulder. She stood at the front of the graveyard and spoke. “I don’t remember who you people are, so I don’t know if you ever helped me. And I don’t know how to conduct a Last Ceremony, so I can’t say that you’ll be able to cross over without any problems. But. . . .rest in peace, ye innocents.” Seras left the City of Muerte, leaving behind a ruined city, a huge graveyard, and a marker by the first of the graves. It read, “The citizens of Muerte. I wish for them to rest in peace.” THREE MONTHS LATER Monster Slayer Headquarters Jecht walked into the main room of the building, hoping to be able to get a full meal before he fell asleep, whether he was in bed or not. He was in his twenties, with shaggy blonde hair, green eyes, his right arm was a gunarm (a metal arm able to turn into a gun), and was dressed in jeans, tank top and combat boots. As he entered the main room, he spotted two other of the Monster Slayers coming from the kitchen, Renee and Esperanza. Renee was in her twenties, but because she was so short, people often mistook her for a young teenager. Her brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, her brown eyes sparkled with life, and she was a dagger-user, dressed in cargo pants, sandals and a T-shirt, her pockets filled with various small weapons. Esperanza was a dark skinned beauty, with black hair pulled into a bun, and almond-shaped brown eyes. She was a martial artist, dressed in boots, a long sleeved shirt, and jeans. “Hey, Jecht!” Renee said, waving her fork at him. “You better hurry, or there won’t be any of the corned beef left! Anna made it today, so it’s really good!” “Where’s Viktor and Rune?” Jecht asked, scratching the two-day-old stubble growing on his chin. “They went out to investigate a killing that happened on the outskirts of town,” Esperanza said in her soft voice. The two people they were referring to were the leader and the second in command of the Monster Slayers. Viktor, the leader, was a Weapon Master, getting into his forties, with a salt-and-pepper moustache and beard, and an optimistic outlook on life, despite the bloody job he held. Rune was the second-in-command, always carrying a katana shoved through her belt, and with close-cropped dark hair and eyes. Renee winced at the sound of lightning overheard. “Man, that storm is really going!” “Howdy, folks,” another man said, walking into the room. His dark brown hair was pulled into a short ponytail, and he was dressed in jeans, boots, a T-shirt, a cowboy hat, and a leather vest with a fringe on the chest. “Hey, Irving,” Jecht said. “How’s the weather look out there?” “Well, it’s rainin’ pretty hard,” Irving drawled, pushing his hat back on his head with his thumb. “Radio says it’ll be over by mornin’.” The front door slammed open and Viktor walked in followed by a young teenager. Her long silver hair fell around her face, which had blood splattered on it. Her half-lidded eyes were a pale blue and completely emotionless. She carried a bloody switchblade in her hand, and blood was splattered on her coat, boots and the off-white dress she wore. Viktor smiled. “Everyone, this is Seras. She’ll be joining us as a Monster Slayer, starting today.” That was the first time we met Seras. It wasn’t until much later that we learned that the killings at the outskirts of town had been her work. But we did know one thing when we looked at her eyes. Her eyes were like the eyes of a dead person. THREE YEARS LATER. . . A dark green jeep bounced along a dirt road, flanked on either side by fields. The occupants of the jeep rode in silence, focusing on the mission ahead. Renee rode in the back seat, admiring the scenery. Irving was in the passenger seat, looking at the map, while Seras drove the vehicle. They came to a crossroads, and Irving stared at the map. “Strange,” he muttered. “The town should be right around here.” “Are you sure you aren’t reading it upside down?” Renee asked, looking at the map over his shoulder. “Um, excuse me.” The teenaged boy who had spoken suddenly found himself staring down the barrel of an automatic pistol, which Seras had drawn with lightning speed. “Ease up, Seras,” Renee said, placing a hand on her friend’s arm. “He’s just a kid.” Seras narrowed her eyes, but she holstered her gun. “I don’t suppose you know where the town of Filria is,” Irving said, not looking up from the map. “Yeah, I live there,” the boy said. “I can tell you where it is, but you’ll have to hurry to get there before dark.” “Why do we need to get there before dark?” Renee asked. “Because. . .” the boy hesitated. “After dark, the werewolves come out to kill!” END CHAPTER ONE, “MUERTE”

I like the fact that you have Japanese references and are planning on explaining them at a later date. But I hafta ask, is Takashi the Mystic of Beasts?

I like your story and all of the comedy. I have to wonder though, will any of the Mystics on Earth be childhood friends?

Seras walked into the garden and looked at all the gnomes, and then at all the things left behind by the other members. "Sorry," she said in her monotone. "I don't have much." A thought occured to her. She dug in the pocket of her coat, and pulled out a single silver bullet. She walked to the middle of the garden and set it down in the dirt. "I can't leave you my guns, I need them," she said. "But this will protect you from any werewolves." She turned and left, leaving behind several puzzled gnomes.

Hey, this is the first part of my story about Seras and Dominic. Work was really rough last night, and I'm really tired, so I'll only be putting in the prologue sorry. PROLOGUE The town and the mansion had been reduced to nothing but rubble. The smell of blood was thick in the air. To the teenager who stood motionless in the ruins of the mansion, time almost seemed to standing still, as she surveyed the dead bodies around her. The sun's movements towards the western horizon was the only thing that proved time still flowed. The girl's face showed no emotion, neither did her half-lidded eyes, which were an almost transparent blue. The hot breeze blowed her long, shaggy hair, silvery-gray in color, away from her face. Blood trickled down her face, arms and legs from the cuts and deep gashes she had suffered climbing out of a pile of rubble, but she didn't even raise her hand to wipe away the blood. As she stood there in silence, the sunlight glinting off of something golden-colored caught her attention. She slowly walked over to it, but her plain white dress snagged on some rough wood. She took ahold of her dress and yanked it. The dress came free, but she fell backwards, scraping her bare foot on a rock. Not even wincing from the momentary pain, she continued walking to where the golden glint had come from. She pulled from the rubble a golden-colored pocketwatch, a relic of bygone times. She opened it. While the the glass was broken, and the hands of the watch had stopped, a tune still played. A haunting tune that tugged at the girl's memory, but only then did she realize that she had no memory. No memory of where she had come from, or even of who she was. "Does this prove that time is standing still?" she whispered, looking at the watch hands which did not move. She noticed an inscription on the cover of the watch. She read it aloud. "To Seras, with all my love. Dominic." "Is that my name?" the girl asked the sun, which was beginning to set. "Is my name Seras?" No reply came back to her, except for the hot breeze which blew her long hair around her face. Sorry, no more at this time. I'll try to post some more soon.