Monster Valley

[Alisha Readman]

The Ninja Minion who works for Ran Yoko, AKA Miho Kusanagi, walks into the Assembly Room. She steps up to the podium, and sets down a notebook covered in what looks to be coffee stains, ink blotches, and other unidentifiable things.

Clearing her throat, she starts to speak. "The author is unable to come herself, so she has sent me. In order to understand this better, please envision a world somewhat like ours, except for having some forms of magic, monsters and knights, the whole shebang. The starting point of our story is the beginning of a valley filled with monsters. This valley is on the border of two countries, and one of the few trade routes between these said countries. This valley's name is Monster Valley."

 

MONSTER VALLEY

 

WELCUM TOO MONSTIR VALLEY.

IF YU REKWIR TH SIRVISES

UV TH GIDE, PLEEZE RIN BEL.

 

Shido hung the sign on the metal spike driven into the rock face, then grinned proudly as he surveyed his handiwork. He dipped the end of his white cat's tail into the bucket of paint, and painstakingly painted a small arrow under the letters, pointing up at the brass bell hanging above the sign.

His cat ears twitched as he smelled bacon cooking. He grabbed the bucket and leaped into the air, landing partway up the cliff. With a few more leaps and bounds, he arrived at the top of the cliff and the shack set a few feet away from the edge.

He turned to see the sunrise, the sky turning golden as the sun started to rise over the mountains, the early-morning mist vanishing. Shido grinned, the smile reaching up to his golden eyes.

"Today's gonna a great day, I know it!"

 

"You're going to have a bad day!"

Shido recoiled in surprise from the girl standing there. Her shaggy dark gray was pulled into a long braid, and her dark green eyes glared at him suspiciously, as if to say, "What did you do now?"

"What do you mean by saying I'm going to have a bad day, Kanna?!" he exclaimed.

"Just what I said," Kanna answered, lifting up the newspaper. She read from the horoscope section. "'Your day will start out bright and sunny, but beware! Shadows of gloom will creep up quickly.' Your lucky color is black, etc."

Shido snatched the paper from her and read it for himself. "You're right!" he wailed. "What am I gonna do!?"

"How should I know?" Kanna asked, walking to the stove. "All I know is that I need to get the bacon out of the pan, or it'll burn. Get me a plate."

The shack consisted of two rooms, a curtain stretched from one wall to another separating the bedroom from the rest of the place. A stove was set in the corner, a sagging couch by the curtain, and a table in the middle of the room. The rest of the room was mostly taken up by stacks of old newspapers, piles of dirty and clean clothes mixed, dishes, and other things that could be termed up in one word: 'junk'. Such as swords, daggers, even an old battle-ax, that were rusted or broken, an old cuckoo clock, broken chairs . . .(you get the picture. it's a mess )

The curtain pulled back, and out stepped a woman who still looked half asleep. Her blonde hair was pulled into a short ponytail, and sticking out everywhere else, and her half-lidded eyes were two different colors. Her right eye was black, and her left eye was pale blue.

"Good morning, Kei," Kanna said, setting the plate of bacon on the table and pulling out from the oven a tray of slightly-burnt biscuits.

Kei took a bite of bacon and muttered, "G'mornin," around it. She accepted a cup of coffee from Kanna and drank down half of it in one gulp. "What's wrong with you, Shi-chan?" she asked, looking considerably more awake.

"I'm going to have a rotten day," Shido muttered, his reply barely audible as his face was on the table.

"You don't know your day will be bad until you decide it will be," Kei said, making a sandwich from a biscuit and three strips of bacon.

The three of them were mostly done eating when they heard a bell ringing.

"Fire alarm or visitors?" Kei asked, standing up.

"The nearest town is five miles away," Kanna said. With that, they left the room.

 

OOC: Miho set down the notebook. "This concludes all that the stupid author, er, Miss Yoko has written up so far, as she fell asleep the minute after she finished writing this. She asks me to tell you that Shido is a cat-monster, half-human, half-cat, and that Kanna is a wolf-monster, half-human and half wolf. The rest of the story will be posted at a later date." She then vanishes in her smokescreen.

[Alisha Readman]

Ran Yoko walks into the Assembly Room, her hair disheveled and her eyes bleary. She sets down the notebook she is carrying, and starts to speak.

"Sorry that this isn't the entire rest of the story, but it's coming along really slowly. In any case, here's part of the rest."

 

MONSTER VALLEY-PART TWO

Ayumu scratched his head as he tried to read the sign Shido had hung earlier. He reached up and pulled the rope attached to the bell, sending the sound of the bell echoing through the valley a second time.

“Hold your horses, we’re comin’ down!” Kei called from the top of the cliff.

Ayumu and the entire caravan turned as one to see Shido jump from the top of the cliff, Kei on his back, with Kaname following them.

Some of the girls screamed, and someone yelled, “Are they crazy?!?!”

However, Shido landed on his feet with all the grace and ease of a cat, and Kaname jumped from projecting rocks all the way down.

“Kei, can you hurry and get off?” Shido groaned. “You’re heavier that you were last time.”

Kei climbed off, but whacked him on the head for good measure. “Maybe you should work out more.” She turned to the caravan, a professional smile on her face.

“Welcome to Monster Valley!” she said cheerfully. “I’m your guide, Kei. How many people will be entering, and on what business?”

Ayumu finally found his voice. “Are those. . .monsters?” he asked, pointing to Kaname and Shido.

Kei saw the fear on the faces of the caravan people and smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you. I’m a Monster Tamer, and they’re mine.”

“What proof do we have of that!?” a large, well-built man demanded.

Shido and Kaname pulled down the collars of their shirts, showing a collar-like choker on each of them.

“These are proof of our pacts with Kei,” Kaname said.

“Besides, you need us as bodyguards through the valley,” Shido said, holding his hands behind his head.

“Hey, Shido, while we’re getting ready here, run back up and gather some food and the regular stuff,” Kei said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Shido said, and jumped up the cliff.

“Now, then,” Kei said. “How many people and wagons approximately, what’s your business here, and how soon do you need to be through the valley.”

“Well, as you can see, we’re a merchant caravan,” Ayumu said. “By the way, I’m Ayumu, son of Genma.” He held out his hand, and Kei shook it.

“I’m Kei, this is Kaname, a wolf-monster, and Shido up there is a cat-monster,” Kei said.

“There’s probably about 12 of us, and 3 wagons, all together. We’re going to Kali to sell stuff we’ve picked up, and the sooner we get through, the better, I guess,” Ayumu said.

“Hey, Kaname!” Shido yelled down. “Where did you put the charms?”

“How should I know!?” Kaname yelled back. “You’re the one that put them away last.”

“Oh. . .never mind, I found ‘em,” Shido said.

“Let’s see,” Kei said. “12 people and 3 wagons through the valley to Kali, that’s about 10 des per person and 20 des per wagon. . .120+60 equals 180, plus 500 to go through the valley, therefore, the entire cost will be 680 des. Half now, half when we’re through the valley. Sound good?”

“Yes,” Ayumu agreed. He went to the wagon at the front of the procession, and pulled out a small bag and started counting out money.

Shido suddenly landed by Kei and Kaname, a large bundle on his back and a smaller bundle in his hand. He swung them onto the ground and untied the smaller one, revealing a large pile of small jewel chunks on strings.

“What are those?” Ayumu asked.

“Moonstones,” Kaname said. “They’ll keep away all but the very strongest monsters.”

“And what about the strongest monsters?” the tall man asked, folding his arms.

“That’s what we’re for,” Shido said.

“Okay, then,” Kei said, taking a handful of the moonstones. “Everyone should wear one of these, put two of them on each wagon, and it’d probably be a good idea to attach one to each of the horses’ bridles.”

“What if we don’t?” the tall man asked.

“Sagara!” Ayumu shouted.

“If you don’t. . .well, we can’t protect everyone,” Kei said, smiling pleasantly.

 

An hour later, the caravan was moving through the valley. Kei was seated in the front wagon, telling them where to go, Kaname walked by the second wagon, and Shido walked by the third wagon.

For the caravan people, it was a strange experience. They could see monsters, sometimes in plain sight, sometimes behind rocks or half hidden in small caves partially up the steep cliffs that made up the valley. But, the monsters weren’t attacking, which was a whole new concept for the caravan people.

“Hey, cat-monster!” Sagara called to Shido. He was riding a horse by the third wagon, and seemed to hold utter contempt and hatred for all monsters. “Are you sure that these moonstones will keep away the monsters?”

“My name is Shido, and yes, I’m sure,” Shido answered. “Have a little faith.”

“How exactly does it work?” a teenaged girl asked.

“It’s actually pretty simple, Miss. . .”

“My name’s Aoi,” the girl smiled.

“Alright,” Shido said. “The moonstones emit a pure energy that most monsters seem to hate. The weaker ones can’t get past the moonstones’ energy, so they stay away. The really strong ones, though, can get past the energy, but the moonstone’s power weakens the monsters a bit, so they’re a little less strong.”

“You know an awful lot, for a monster,” Sagara said.

“Sagara!” Aoi exclaimed. “You’re being really rude!!”

“It’s all right, Miss Aoi,” Shido said.

“No, it’s not!” Aoi exclaimed. “You have feelings too, just like any human! And some monsters are nice too! Just like there’s bad and good humans, there’s good and bad monsters!!”

Sagara scowled, and hurried his horse to be up by the front of the procession.

“That was nice of you, standing up for us,” Shido said.

“I meant every word of it,” Aoi gently said.

Shido blushed fiercely, and scratched his cheek with a claw.

“What’s wrong?” Aoi demanded, alarmed.

“Well, it’s just that. . .” Shido sighed. “Not that many people actually see us as living beings with feelings. Almost all of the humans I’ve met see us as monsters that have to be killed.”

“Kei doesn’t seem to,” Aoi commented, looking up towards the front of the procession where Kei was talking with Ayumu.

“I met a Monster Tamer before I met Kei,” Shido admitted. “He saw monsters merely as tools, not as actual beings. Needless to say, I absolutely refused to form a pact with him. Then I met Kei. . .”

Their conversation was cut off by a loud rumbling. Rocks at the top of the cliffs started to fall, and the ground was shaking.

“Stop the caravan NOW!!” Kei yelled. “Kaname, get a barrier up and cover us!!”

“Roger!” Kaname said. She raised her right hand in the air, her fingers outspread and her palm towards the sky. She slammed the palm of her hand on the ground, and a huge gust of wind seemed to come from her hand and surrounded the caravan. The falling rocks hit the barrier of wind and bounced off.

“Shido, go check it out!!” Kei shouted.

“Righty-o!” Shido jumped in the air, and landed partly up the cliff. Within seconds, he was out of sight.

“Will he be okay?” Aoi asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry,” Kaname said. “He looks like an idiot, but he can take care of himself.”

A few minutes later, they heard Shido yelling, “Oh, for the love of all things living, will you cut it out!?!?!” A second later, he went flying through the air. He barely managed to land on his feet, then he hurried over to Kei.

“Guess what?” he said, with an annoyed expression on his face. “Oni is having his temper tantrum again!”

“Oh, for crying out,” Kei muttered, holding her head. “Keep the caravan going.”

“What about the monster?” Ayumu asked.

“It’s fine. DON’T make eye contact!” Kei snapped as Ayumu turned to look at the monster that had just appeared on the edge of the cliff.

As the caravan kept going, Aoi took a quick glance up at the top of the cliff, where she saw a large hairy creature with one eye and a horn on each side of it’s head. The monster was blubbering like a small child.

[Alisha Readman]

By the time they got through the valley, the sun was starting to get low in the western sky. They saw the end of the valley up ahead, which seemed to breath new life into the caravan. Kei, Kanna and Shido, however, seemed to be anxious about something.

Just as they were about head up the last small slope that lead out of the valley, the ground started rumbling.

“Now what!?!” Sagara yelled.

Rocks started falling from the cliffs again, except this time, they were falling right into the end of the valley, cutting off any hope of leaving. When the rocks had stopped falling, Kei yelled in frustration, jumping to her feet.

“Sora, I know you’re there!!!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. “Would you give it up already!?!?!”

Empty silence greeted her outburst, and she sank back down into her seat, sighing.

“What the heck is going on here!?!?” Sagara demanded, grabbing Kei by the back of her shirt. His arm was immediately grabbed by Kanna, who, for her small size, was very strong.

“Get your hand off of Kei,” Kanna said, in a threatening voice. Her grip tightened as she glared at him with cold eyes.

Sagara let go of Kei’s shirt, and shook off Kanna’s hand. “That doesn’t answer my question!”

“Sorry about this,” Kei said. “I thought he’d be incapacitated for a while longer.”

“He who?” Ayumu asked.

“Sora,” Kei answered. “He’s a bird-monster who lives around here. Unfortunately, he’s one who hates humans. He’s stopped us a few times before, but we’ve always managed to get by. Looks like he’s getting smarter.”

“Then what are we going to do!?” Sagara demanded.

“Not much to but wait,” Shido sighed. “Sora’s near to impossible to find here. It’s his turf, and he knows every cave and rock.”

Sagara grabbed Shido’s shirt, and yelled in his face. “So why the heck are you so calm about this!?! We could be trapped here for the rest of our lives!! You monsters are all the same! You say that you’re like humans, but you don’t care about anyone other than yourself!! That’s why you’re always killing people!!”

Shido grabbed Sagara’s wrist and looked him in the eye. “Look buddy. I don’t know what monsters did to you, and frankly, I don’t care. But I do know this. If you go through life with your prejudiced views, you’re going to infect other people with those views. And pretty soon, there’ll be a war breaking out between humans and monsters. And people and monsters alike will be dying because of that war brought about by those prejudices. And I don’t care if you hate me and my kind or not, but I don’t want to see anyone die in front of me again. So shut up and let us do our job.”

He pushed Sagara’s hand away, and walked around him. He stopped at where the rocks had fallen and bit his finger, letting the blood run to the tip of his finger. He jumped all over the mound, marking the largest boulders with his blood.

“What’s he doing?” Aoi asked Kanna.

“Just watch,” Kanna said.

Shido landed on the ground and took a deep breath, then chanted, “MARKED WITH MY BLOOD, OBEY MY WILL AND MOVE!!’

The mound shook, and the boulders marked with Shido’s blood shot up into the air and landed out of the valley. Shido sighed heavily, and sat down suddenly.

“Shido-san!” Aoi exclaimed, running over to him. “Are you all right?!”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Shido said, smiling up at her. “It’s just kind of tiring.”

Most of the caravan people started towards the end of the valley, but Kei stayed by Sagara.

“You know, Shi-chan comes off as an idiot most of the time, but he’s really smart,” she said softly. “And he’s right about prejudices. I’ve seen what they can do firsthand, and so has Shi-chan and Kanna. That’s why I chose them.”

 

Half an hour later, the caravan was ready to go, as the pass out of the valley had been cleared so the wagons could go through. Shido stood to the side, as Sagara came over.

“All right, shut up so I can say my piece,” the man said, holding up his hand and cutting off what Shido was going to say. “I thought about it, and I realized that maybe my judgements of monsters are a bit prejudiced. So, I’m going to try and change some, but I ain’t promising I’m going to just change like that!” He spun around and started to walk away, but was stopped by Shido’s quiet words.

“It doesn’t have to be right away. As long as you truly wish to change, even if it’s just a little at a time, it can happen.”

Sagara looked embarrassed as he muttered, “Thanks. . .Shido.”

He hurried away, and Aoi walked over. “What’s wrong with him?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Shido grinned. The silence between them was awkward, as the two of them were blushing fiercely.

“Um. . .I’m glad that I met you, Aoi-san,” Shido said.

“Do you think that we’ll meet again?” Aoi asked.

“Well, if your caravan comes back through the valley again, you’ll need a guide, right?” the cat-monster said, smiling. “Oh, just for good luck. . .”

He pulled from his pocket a moonstone fragment and handed it to her. “I wish I had more to give you but. . .”

Aoi shook her head and clutched the fragment tightly. “No, thank you,” she whispered. She stepped in close to him, and quickly kissed him. While he stood awestruck, she ran to the caravan and climbed into a wagon, then the caravan moved out.

“Whoo,” Kei said, grinning as she walked up behind him. “Look at the stud.”

“He sure is popular,” Kanna said, smiling slightly.

“Quit teasing me!!” Shido shouted, blushing even more, if at all possible.

“Well, let’s head back,” Kei said, ignoring Shido as she turned and started walking away.

“I guess your horoscope was wrong, Shido,” Kanna said.

“Horoscope?” Kei asked.

“Yeah, my horoscope this morning said that I was going to have a rotten day today,” Shido said, catching up with them.

“That’s why you were so gloomy this morning?” Kei asked, startled. When Shido nodded, she burst out laughing. Her laughter finally subsided, and she said, “You really are a moron! We didn’t have today’s paper. That was yesterday’s paper!!”

“WHAT?!?!?” Shido exploded.

“Oh, I guess that the date was yesterday’s,” Kanna said, thinking back.

“You GUESS!??! You were leading me on intentionally, admit it!!”

As the two monsters argued, Kei smiled and said quietly, “Come to think of it, yesterday wasn’t that bad for him either. I guess you really do create your own day, maybe even your own fate.”

 

THE END

 

Ran shuts the notebook and sighs heavily before turning to face the crowd in the Assembly Room.

“First of, I hope you enjoyed the story and were able to understand it. Second, I would like to apologize for the delay in getting this posted. I suppose you can attribute it to a hectic work schedule and the fact I have no Internet access of my own, therefore I must go to the public library. Add to that the fact that it’s summer break, so the library’s computers are normally in use when I get there*sigh*.”

“Plus pure laziness,” the Ninja Minion mutters.

*snap* *slash* *crack*

A moment later, with a bloody Ninja Minion behind her, Ran smiles sweetly and continues. “Also, it has come to my attention that in the first posting, I mentioned three main characters, Shido, Kei, and Kanna. Unfortunately, in the second posting, I was calling Kanna ‘Kaname’. In the original idea, Kanna’s name was ‘Kaname’, I changed it at the last minute. Last of all, I apologize again for the delay, and hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to post your comments and let me know what you think of it.”

Ran then exits the Assembly Room, muttering about needing sleep, and was followed by her wounded Ninja Minion.

[Ran Yoko]

very humorous!! loved the part when Aoi and Shido kissed, and the ending with the horoscope!! keep up the good work!!