Gathering of the Muses
Author: Zorra Reed
Moonrise Inn Publications
"So this story is a little unusual and not your typical fanfiction. In fact, it's very borderline and I hope you all will bear with me as I tease you. I'm also ashamed to say, it could classify as a self-insert which I absolutely hate." Frowns. "Now excuse me please, I have work to do. Oh muses...plot bunnies, I have need of you!" Zorra calls into the dark room. "I have a new story I need to write for Ronin Warriors and some guidance would be helpful!"
She feels the ground tremble with a stampede of feet, accompanied by a familiar tingle as the air charges with energy. "Dare I look?"
She slowly turns, eyes widen in surprise to see those who have gathered. Eljin, Amadon, Evil Dumbledore Wannabe, Mercy, Krystal, and a slew of others she'd forgotten existed. "Wow! There are so many of you. You can't possibly all be mine. Okay, bunnies to the left and muses to the right."
With ease, everyone quickly separates into their respective groups, waiting for further instruction. Carefully considering her options Zorra starts with the bunnies, pointing to each in turn as she calls them forth. The first, a soft pink bunny with an Easter basket; Second, a black bunny with a newspaper; Third, a purple bunny with a laptop; lastly, a brown bunny holding a coil of rope. They hop forward as she finishes and salute. "You four will see that my ideas are carried out in a creative and constructive manner."
The remaining bunnies, sulk and drift back into the darkness they'd emerged from.
"Now for the muses," she glimpses over her options, finger tapping her chin in thought. "I only need two of you for now. Eljin," she points to the dark-haired youth with the black wings, "welcome back to my service. Be sure you keep Amadon's influence away from my current projects. You know how he feels about vampires. Now, who else...?"
Eljin ruffles his feathers irritably as he steps forward from the group. Illuminated in a halo of light as he moves to stand beside Zorra. "Why not just use the ronins? It is their story after all. They should have some influence over it. And before you argue," he lifts a hand to forestall any protest. "You let Evil Dumbledore Wannabe help with certain Harry Potter fics."
"Well..." Zorra hesitates as she glances sidelong to Eljin. "I'm not so sure they'd want to have a say in this one."
"Hey now!" a voice from behind calls out. Turning as one, the two give a nod of acknowledgement as Kento approaches, a large grin plastered across his face.
"Why wouldn't we?" A heavily accented Cye completes the outcry as he approaches in step with his best friend. Behind him follows Ryo, Sage, and Rowen.
As they come to stand before her, Ryo weaves around the others to take his rightful place at the front of the group, arms folding comfortably across his chest. Zorra shares a mischievous smirk with the cheeky youth, pleased when Ryo's sapphire eyes twinkle with silent laughter before he speaks; "If we are going to be in it, then I think it's only proper that we have a say in the happenings."
"You all feel this way?" Zorra questions, eyes skeptical as she observes each in turn. They nod, but she hardly notices as her eyes are caught by the site of four warlords approaching almost silently behind the group of teens. "Just remember, you asked for it."
Deciding not to draw attention to the new-comers just yet, a shared look with Eljin revealed he'd come to the same conclusion, Zorra reaches into the folder she held and passes out a handful of typed documents. "Here's the script. It's just the draft and notes."
She felt rather than heard the warlords chuckle. 'Why do I get the feeling they know something I don't?' A soft glare in their direction was returned with a toothy grin from Sh'ten, the hint of fang giving her pause. Beside her, Eljin shutters.
"Oh, Hell No!" Kento's sudden exclamation snaps Zorra and Eljin's attention back to the boys. She doesn't miss the elbowing Rowen gives Kento as he hisses a chastising, "language!" under his breath. Ignoring the archer, Kento brushes him off before tossing the script to the ground. "No way am I getting involved in this, that shits messed up!"
"Kento!" Cye chides harshly, bending down to gather the strewn papers. "Where are your manners? I don't think it was all that bad."
As he straightens, glancing over his shoulder at his flabbergasted friend -Kento struggles to find the right words to express his thoughts- Sage steps up beside Ryo, deftly snatching the pages from Torrents fingers.
Zorra doesn't even try to reframe from rolling her eyes. "I warned you."
Several deep chuckles rise up behind the boys causing them to twist back. Their eyes widening, surprised to see the warlords. 'Well,' Zorra thought with a smirk, 'most everyone.' For Ryo and Sage both remained relaxed already aware of their visitors.
Anubis steps forward with silent mirth. His arm outstretched to Zorra. "Let's have a look at those."
She readily hands him the papers, her eyes straying to Ryo as his own gaze follows the movement. 'Wish I knew what you were up too, Ryo.' Beside her, Eljin chuckles, leaving Zorra to wonder if he was reading her thoughts. 'Most likely, damn mental demons.'
Taking the papers back to his group, Anubis turns his back to the room, huddling with his brothers.
Sighing, Sage turns away from his own group, attention focusing on Ryo. "Your thoughts?" he mutters, "as though I'd have to ask."
Ryo's grin nearly splits his face as he lifts his own stack of papers, giving them a faint shake to emphasize the point he was about to make. "Personally, I love it!"
"You would," Sage counters. He could feel Rowen's frown as the archer tunes in their conversation. "I don't think its a poor idea but are you certain you want to take the risk?"
Ryo sighs, lowering his arms, his grin tempering. "Its not like vampires are new to Ronin fic. They've gained popularity over the years."
Kento snorts.
Eljin on the other hand, allows an amused laugh to slip past his lips. "Remember when a ronin-vampire fic was first posted on fanfiction .net? Zorra went ballistic!"
"DID NOT!" Zorra's outburst earning her a glance from the rooms occupants and nothing more. She blushes a deep scarlet, reining herself in. "I was just a little put off that they'd stray so far. After all, fan-cannon was the thing at the time and the furthest I wanted to stray was origin stories and series A/U's."
"You mean you just wanted to read more about me and the torment you could put me through," Ryo scoffs, but there is no mistaking the twinkle in his eye.
Eljin snickers, turning his attention to his counterpart. "You loved every moment of it," he accuses.
"How would you know? You didn't even exist back then," Ryo counters as Eljin sulks. Secretly pleased when Eljin's stubbornness reveals his childish nature.
Coughing politely to turn the attention away from the two...brothers? That was one way of putting it, Rowen stated, "Give me vampires and Elvin princes over Mary-"
"Or Gary-" Cye chipped in his two cents, much to Rowen's annoyance.
"Sues," Rowen finishes, expression flat as he towers over the water elemental.
Ignoring the by-play, Zorra searches the expressions of the others, seeing all are in agreeance with the statement. 'At least their ignoring the fact that I feel the same about self-inserts as mary-sues.' Hangs head in self-defeat.
"I say we do this," Ryo claps his hands to refocus his groups attention.
"Count us in," Rajura speaks for his own group, still huddled away from the others.
Holding his hands up before him, Kento backs away from the warlords while shaking his head. "No way."
"Must we?" Cye sighs, shoulders slouching. One could easily tell he was against the idea but would press forward without complaint if he was voted against. Which it seemed, he was about to be.
"Come on you two, its not that bad, I think it could be fun," Rowen tried for encouraging, a faint upbeat to his tone.
"I agree," Naaza hissed pleasantly. To pleasantly. "It promises to be great fun."
Sh'ten nudges him playfully in the ribs. "That's because you are the star of the show."
His statement draws a blush from the venom warrior, eliciting a giggle from Zorra.
"Be nice to daddy," Eljin demands.
"..." All eyes stare with curiosity and confusion at the Winged child.
"N-N-nevermind," Eljin backs away, hands held behind his back.
Pouting out his bottom lip, Ryo casts his eyes to the script in hand. "I don't know," he starts, "kind'a thought I was the star."
Kento and Cye are unable to contain the sharp laugh that escapes their lips at Ryo's comment. Sh'ten has the decency to hide his snicker behind his hand.
"You're the victim," Sage so casually points out, leaning over Ryo's shoulder to breath the words into his ear. Still the sound carries through the room. Sage lifts his eyes to gaze at those around him, the faintest hint of a smile ghosting his lips. Ryo's shoulders sag as he deflates, the desired effect has been achieved.
Cye chuckles then. Taking pity on Ryo, he moves to stand beside his leader, placing a hand on his shoulder. "He usually is."
Sh'ten slides the papers from Naaza's hands and joins the younger group. "I seem to have the most lines," he comments, skimming the pages.
"But the focus is on Rajura," Anubis points out before Sh'ten's ego can grow. His reward, an upturned middle finger from the red-head.
Cye takes another look at the script from over Rowen's shoulder, pushing his hair behind his ear as he moves. "You do realize that Ryo just...lays there, right?"
Zorra bites the inside of her cheeks to keep from smiling, wondering how many heads the comment will roll over.
A moment later, Kento joins Cye. The two of them flanking the archer, much to Rowen's chagrin, as they read over his shoulders.
Kento frowns as Cye pulls the top page away so they can read the second. "No fight scenes, no escape attempt...geeze lady, what's wrong with you?" he addresses Zorra, who looks back wide-eyed. "Ryo can't be in this!"
"Why not?!" the sentiment was echoed by Eljin and Ryo both as Zorra protests, taken back by the harsh tone in Hardrocks voice. "I was so careful when I planned it out."
"Seriously?" Sage sounded...bewildered, or so Zorra thought. She gives the blonde a nod though, not knowing what else to say as she watches the scene unfold.
"Ryo's just...there," Cye states, tapping the paper with the back of his nail to make his point.
"Laying there," Kento drawls.
"Doing...nothing," Sage continues with a rueful smirk, earning him a glare from Kento.
"Yes," Zorra points out carefully, rising an eyebrow at their suggestive wordplay. "Nothing. Would you rather he wriggle and moan?"
"Guys!" Ryo's sharp call cuts into the foreplay, his blush deeper than any flame he could summon. "I..." he stressed the word pointing at his chest, "like it."
He had regained enough control and held enough conviction in his words to not blush again as (inappropriate) laughter rose around him. "I'm tired of always saving ya'll's butts. It's time I just relax at let you save me."
"Oh, you're relaxed alright," Rowen mutters, sharing the joke with Sage.
"More like laid-out," Sage agrees.
"Whatever," Ryo frowns. He really needed better friends. "I want to do it."
More laughter. Zorra dropped her head into her hand with a groan. 'What have I started?'
Ryo's glare goes unnoticed by the author. "Besides, I'm sure I'll be able to liven it up a bit in editing. You did say this was the first draft. You're not just planning to let this play out so mellow, are you?"
Suddenly, the ground looked very captivating. "I wouldn't count on that," Zorra mutters darkly. She inches away from Ryo only to bump into Sage.
"I heard that, Zorra," the blonde reply's softly, folding his arms across his chest sternly.
"Eljin," Zorra pleads.
The muse blinks and shrugs his shoulders, "Don't know what you want me to do about it."
"I can't speak for the others but we," Rajura places his arms around Naaza and Anubis to indicate his brothers and fellow warriors, "say go for it. Besides, we love the spin-off ideas you've notated."
"Spin-offs?" Kento repeats, eyes taking on a look akin to horror, though why would be anyone's guess. "Let me see those!"
"Oh," Zorra blushes faintly at the flattery, ignoring the indignant protest Cye made as Kento ripped the papers from his fingers without enough force to cut the nimble fingers. "You noticed that did you?"
"Excuse me," Eljin waves his hand out towards the sidelines. "I'm beginning to feel obsolete over here. Besides, your plots are snoozing."
"What?" Zorra glances towards the dark outskirts where Eljin indicated the snoring bunnies. "I forgot about them."
"And what about me?" Eljin asks, exasperation filling his voice.
"No, I didn't forget about you."
"Not to interrupt you two," Cye ventures, "but has anyone else noticed that she's brought us here with a mix of English and Japanese characters? I mean...this script for starters, is a YST."
"Your point?" Rajura asks acrimoniously.
"My point," Cye snaps, "why call for the RW personas when you clearly need the YST in regards to the five of us?"
"Four," Ryo corrected.
"Okay, four," Cye reluctantly relents. "Since Ryo can be Ryo in any series. But why bring the rest of us here?"
"Erm..." Zorra offers her most innocent smile as they patently await her answer. "I like you much?"
"Do better," Sage warns.
"Your YST personas would likely want something more...in dept."
"Try again," Sage.
"I think of you guys first, okay!" Flustered. "Happy?"
"Zorra!" Rowen scolds.
"I'm tired, leave me alone."
"No excuse," Rowen growls, folding his arms. "That's just pathetic."
"Maybe so," Zorra counters, a coy smile plays at the corner of her lips. "I did bring Seiji, he's just changing between his two selves. He is a Gemini after all."
Now she had turned the tables. All eyes shift to the blonde warrior, disbelief written across the stricken faces of his friends.
"Is that true?" Cye wore betrayal like it was a frill dress draped around his body.
With a resigned sigh, Sage replies; "She's been trying to write Seiji instead of Sage this whole time."
"Ack!" Zorra cries, startled, "Traitor!"
Halo ignores her dagger-like glare.
Eljin once again waves his hand to gain attention, clearing his throat in much the same manner Rowen had before. "Excuse me again, but wasn't the purpose of this gathering to pick a muse? I personally feel that I can handle the job on my own. Therefore, moving on to the next order of business...dismissing all of them."
"I thought we were gathered to help decide the future of this fanfic," Shin's gentle voice chimed from behind the group of disgruntled teenagers. His sea-colored eyes pausing over his counterpart, Cye, even as he imitates the boys earlier motion of tapping the stack of papers in his grip to make his point, re-directing attention to where it belonged.
Cye's own expression is incredulous as he gazes back open mouth at Shin. "What the bloody hell! Why are you all here?"
From the shadows behind Shin step three additional warriors.
"Touma, Shu, Shin," Seiji/Sage greeted, his eyes indicating he was uncertain which persona he was currently.
"Seiji," Shu replies with a nod, deciding for the halo warrior.
"They've been here," Ryo drawls, growing board with the conversation.
Rowen frowns at his leader, feeling he'd been left out again. "You didn't feel the need to mention that before?"
Ryo shrugs. "Why would I? All of you go everywhere with me. I'd think your attachment to your armor would be strong enough to notice the presence of another bearer by this point."
Oh, that earned him a growl. Zorra winces beneath the onslaught of what she'd started. Wondering how this was going to turn out for her, the story, and in who's favor.
The twins, for lack of a better term, turn up the glare on their counterparts, each staking a silent claim to Ryo. The dark haired youth only sighs, accustomed to being caught in the middle of such fights. It didn't help that Seiji choose then to inch his way closer to Ryo.
"Are you trying to start trouble?"
"I highly doubt I'd ever have to try," Ryo drawls bitterly, making air quotes around the last word.
Drawing a deep breath to steady her nerves, Zorra calls attention. "Hey guys-"
"With both sets here, I'm uncertain if we are united or divided," Anubis mused.
Naaza made a sound in the back of his throat, eyeing the group. "I'd say united."
"Why?" Kento's voice carries through the room with the force of his demand.
"Simple," Naaza replies, "your YST counterparts may be younger but they are more mature. This script calls for maturity."
"And style," Sh'ten chimes.
"Now wait just a minute," Cye's protest is more forceful then Kento's previous outburst.
Touma places an arm out in defense of the warlords. "Have you seen your first episode?" he mocks, sharing a snare with Shin.
"Your point?" Rowen mutters with a dark undertone.
"Its not like we wrote the damn thing," Kento interjects.
"Yours wasn't much better," Rowen points out.
"Come on guys, chill already," Zorra pleads. Whatever control she had over this gathering was gone.
"Enough bickering, all of you," a new voice, this one old and falsely wise spoke from the shadows.
"Oh no," Ryo moans bitterly. Zorra couldn't help but nod in agreeance.
"Not you," Eljin complains.
From the shadows emerges a golden staff, the rings chiming with the movement. Gripping the staff is an arm cloaked in blue and gray hues, the robes of an ancient Japanese munk, Kaos.
"Doesn't that staff belong to Lady Kayura now?" Anubis growls.
"Funny," Sh'ten huffs, "I thought it was mine. Shouldn't you be dead, munk?"
"The same could be said of you, Warrior of Cruelty," Kaos replies just as bitingly. "I come and go as I please."
Rajura's signal eye narrows mistrustfully on the newcomer as his brother draws back.
"Well snap!" Kento mutters.
With a bemused shake of his head, Ryo turns to the munk, a question on his lips; "Why are you here?"
Kaos tips the straw hat covering his eyes lower with a dark chuckle. "Not pleased to see me, Wildfire?"
"Hardly," Ryo drawls. "After that last story you and I did together, no. I'm still wanting to shred you with my bare hands."
"Ditto," Sage agrees.
"Touchy," Kaos replies before turning his full attention to the author. "I'm here to assist you in directing the story."
Zorra pales considerably. ""Like you did the last time? I don't think so. Pretty sure everyone here wants to kill you."
"Except me!"
"Except Eljin," Zorra coincides, letting the child believe he was harbored no ill will towards the man...or was he a spirit turned flesh? She steps back as the warriors steadily close in, drawing Eljin with her as she takes his hand.
Darkness closes in for several minutes -and from within the sounds of fighting and wailing can be heard. Zorra winces as Eljin looks on with enthusiasm, eager to glimpse what's behind the dark wall. When the veil finally lifts, allowing the light to illuminate the area, Kaos is found deflated on the ground beside a broken staff.
"That felt good," Anubis grins, lacing his fingers together backwards to crack his knuckles.
Naaza shares in his smile, stretching his arms above his head to ease the tension in his shoulder blades. "Been awhile since I got to properly sink my fists into something worth while."
With a heave sigh, Zorra steps over the fallen and battered body, Eljin in tow. "Sorry to disappoint everyone," though secretly pleased the boys had worked out their aggression. "But whilst you all bantered, my buddy read the draft and we've agreed on a course of action."
Sage/Seiji frowns. "So what you're really saying is we're no longer needed."
"Exactly!"
Her proclamation was met with a series of disgruntled grumbles.
A moment later, Ryo moves to join the warlords, his grin as wild as his hair. "Guess I'm dinner."
"According to this," Rajura taps the scripted pointedly as the other warlords leer at Ryo, appraising him. "You're a bit more."
Zorra only arches a brow at the inquisitive look she's given from the speaker. "Something wrong with that?"
If possible, Ryo's grin widens further. This action draws a collective groan from the YST and RW boys.
"Hey," Ryo protests in his defense, "I'm a professional. There are no limits to the things I'll do."
Naaza snickers and teases, "Or the things you won't do."
Ryo's glare is ignored as Sh'ten places a suggestive hand on the teens shoulder and offers his own jibe "We are all well aware of that, Ryo."
"Yes yes," Zorra agrees, trying to keep the blush from her cheeks. "There is a reason you are my favorite. So easily written into any role."
Slowly, one by one, the group begins to fade. Their presence easily forgotten as the wheels begin to turn inside Zorra's head. "Now for all the spin-offs that will come of this... Come Eljin, we have much to discus."
We hope you enjoyed this someone unorthodox story. Normally, such chatter with the muses are confined to the start or end of a fanfic. Ours was a bit to long for such and because the Ronins unexpectedly jumped into it, we decided it best to post as its own teaser. Isn't that right Eljin?
*Whatever you say*
Yes well, if you all enjoyed this teaser, then please look forward to our next story and the spin-offs to follow as we start a new Vampire series. Your stars will be YST.
*Just tell them the title to look for already!*
Very well. Coming very very very soon (because it's already written just needs editing): Tapped
ja'ne