TJ: Yo folks! The usual team up of yours truly, TJ Shonen, and his furry partner...
Rikumon: Rikumon
TJ: Has been advanced by one extra member! Ladies and Gentlemen, Anthro's, Cyborg's, Superhuman's, and Fans all kinds I am please to introduce my dear friend, Hotshot14!
Hotshot*Walks in* Umm TJ, why are you Introducing me like that?
Rikumon: He suddenly felt like being dramatic for no reason.
TJ: Don't make me hurt you Riku-san
Hotshot: Well as TJ said, we're working together on this fic. Dragons and Demons is what we'll be calling it for now, at least until we think of something better. XP
TJ: Tell me about it. Well obviously from the category, it's a Shaman King fic which neither of us own.
Rikumon: Thank goodness, lord forbid if you owned Shaman King
TJ: Hey! At least I'd make sure the translators wouldn't butcher it!
Hotshot: And those good parts you told me about weren't left out either.
Rikumon: No far taking his side.
Hotshot: Well lets get this show on the road TJ!
TJ *Whispers something to Hotshot*
Hotshot and TJ: ON WITH THE FIC!
Rikumon: Oh Buddha help me, now she's doing it.*BAM*OUCH
Dragons and Demons
By
Hotshot14
TJ and Rikumon
It was early in the morning about the town, it was a place many people would feel most comfortable. The few towering buildings never went past seven stories, while the majority of the houses and shops were two to three stories high. Parks and waterways were in no small abundance, it was in general a nice town. A gentile breeze blew down from a hill not to far from the outskirts of the town. A patter of feet mixed in with the sounds of the breeze, almost becoming one with the enjoyable sounds.
Soon the traveler came over the top of the hill taking in the sight before him with a small calm smile. His magenta eyes surveyed the scenery with a dreamy like gaze within them, his light sky blue hair flew about his dark red headband that's long ends trailed down behind his six foot five mild features. His sky blue t-shirt entrapped under his deeper blue jean coat, only freed by the torn sleeves of the more vest like attire. His navi blue sweat pants rustled in the small wind lightly slapping against the top edges of his dirty grey sneakers. The oddest article of his clothing would be his old midnight black book back that had little chibi style angel wings sown into the sides, as long chains wrapped about his shoulders in replacement to the bags own straps.
Another lazy look came over his face as his head tilted to the side just a bit as the final bits of the towns view were taken in before he spoke in a calm voice that held no signs of stress. "What a nice looking place to come to. Hmm, wonder where I should go though?...Ok wind, keep giving me and bro a path to follow." As though the element of air listened to his ever word, the wind began to pick up speeds just a hint as a flying leaf flew about his head along the winds path before going down towards the town with the boy in suit.
Elsewhere in the very town, another person was up before the sun getting ready for another day. Unlike the boy however, she was not lost in a dreamy and lazy state. Within a traditional Japanese house, which in all cense was more like a small mansion a teenage girl was getting ready for her usual routine. The five foot six figure began to wrap her black bandana about her head, the classic symbol of Ying and Yang emblem resting peacefully about the spot on her far head as it encased her black and platinum highlighted hair. Her nearly almond shaped sapphire eyes gazed out the window next to her as she tied the laces of her white tennis shoes, a small hint of grey in her eyes briefly showing itself. Her black shirt's dark color ended only with the Japanese dragon that danced about the fabric about her torso, her black sports shorts as well ending only by the white trim. The amulet about her neck spun for a moment, letting the view of the faces of the angel on one side and a demon about the other side as she attached light arm bracers, one white and its mate black with each opposite's color dragon etched into them. The bracer about her right arm aided by an armband with the Japanese symbol of steel inscribed on it.
Finished with the natural preparations she then strapped large straps of weights to her arms and legs, her athletic and toned body taking a brief moment to adjust to the fifteen pounds of each addition to her limbs before heading out the front door in a fast race. It was no later then five in the morning so there was little light, and virtually no other person in sight. A small smile crept across the girls face as she continued to race down her new path. Ariadne Jun had moved in not so long ago and was only just set to start her days usual routine of exercise, although many people probably would pass out after the first part of it. Which would be the run she was making just this moment. Not long after her start, the checkpoint of her run was coming into view, its peak in the horizon started out with a hint of green. Soon more small towers and a shrine came into view, Ariadne gave a small smile as she came closer to the mass collection of graves. "Ok, a quick pass by, by the Cemetery and the gh...what the???"
What caused the teen girls confusion was another person in the Cemetery, that wouldn't have been nothing but what concerned her more was what he was doing. The boy was currently tugging at a gravestone piece that had been shattered to bits. As Ariadne drew closer she could make out marks about the stone base, it had been pummeled and by the looks of the chains about the backpack not to far from the newcomer she could only guess who was the culprit. Her brows knit together as she stopped her running and began to stomped over to him, her face almost burning in anger at what had happend to the grave stone. Soon she was standing behind him giving him a hard tap on his back causing him to jump in surprise before staring into those blazing sapphire eyes. "Excuse me, what do you think your doing!?"
The boy blinked slightly as his magenta eyes looked up to his headband with a small hint of concentration before shrugging with a small smile "Lifting a piece to a gravestone?" he breath out a chuckle for a moment before the next moment when his head felt a sudden burst of pain. "Ouch! Why did ya hit me for?"
"Why did I hit you? You break a persons headstone, start to fiddle with it and ask why I hit you!? Don't you have any respect for the Spirits!" Ariadne was on the verge of giving the sky blue haired boy another wack in the head, she practically felt her hand tighten into another fist as she got in his face again trying to keep her cool.
"Huh? Oh but I..." but before his statement was finished a collection of laughter and whoops filled the air causing both teens to turn about. Standing not far off from them were several other teens, probably in their sixteen's through eighteen's. Many of them had their hairs streaked back in spike style symbolizing that they were punks, some had torn clothing and many of them had weapons like chains and bats. One of the more brutal looking of the group walked into view for the other two teens jerking his thumb to himself and his fellows "He didn't bust that stone. WE did toots. Now this is our turf so beat it before's we's hurts ya."
The sixteen year old girl felt her cheeks warm up for a brief moment for jumping to conclusions, she pushed the thought aside before standing straight giving the gang before her a hard look. She was about to resort to their threats but was beaten to it by the boy she had just accused. What surprised her more was how calm he seemed as he spoke "So you guys are the 'Brutalnizers'? Weird, I pictured you'd guys be tougher looking. Although if you're their boss I gotta say you remind me of an Ogre, specially with those broken teeth." At this the 'Brutalnizers' leader was bursting in anger. His massive fists clenched so tightly that Ariadne was sure his hands would start bleeding any second. She had to admit, this guy either had guts for being so calm, or just nuts. But something dawned on her suddenly, how did he know what their gang name was?
With a small chuckle the sky blue haired boy tightened the knot on his headgear as he steeped up some more before continuing to speak "Well the Cemetery isn't yours. You could have kept staying here, but your bugging and making fun of the dead. So you'll have to leave now ok? So bye." he emphasized the last part with a small smile and wave. However he quickly found himself being lifted to the air by his shirt calor to the enraged face of the Gang Leader who all but snarled in the smaller teens face.
"FOR THAT I OUGHTA BEAT YA'S TO A BLOODY PULP YA PUNK!!!" The monstrous Boss of the Burtalnizers bellowed into the headband wearing teen boy, his face hardened so that every last muscle in his massive body was erupting in his skin. But his anger seem to get worse as the boy chuckled some more in his vice grip as he shouted once more "WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHEN AT PUNK?!!! AND WHAT IS WITH YA STUPID HEADBAND!!!" soon one of those massive hands let go of the boys calor and reached for the read headgear.
"Sorry to tell you but only I can touch my lucky headband." the boy said with a small hint of warning in his voice. Ariadne was all but ready to move in to help the teen before her eyes gazed to his headband, and a small gasp escaped her lips. A small black mist seem to flow from the cloth about the boys head as it grew bigger, and soon more defined in shape. "A.."
The black shape moved in a blur of motion and fluid grace streaking above the massive monster of a teen and the chuckling light blue haired teen striking at a branch atop the hill they stood next too before disappearing back to the clothe wrapped about the smaller teens head. The branch creaked for a moment before falling down into the massive flat skull of Brutalnizers leader. With a heavy crash the behemoth fell to the ground knocked out by the broken wood as the rest of the gang gasped at the small teen boy who simply shrugged his shoulders brushing off some fallen leafs.
"I tried to warn him, some people almost died from simply touching it." he chuckled as the gang grabbed their unconscious leader dragging his bulk down the Cemetery path out of sight screaming about curses and spirits. Soon the sky haired boy turned about looking to Ariadne with a small smile waving to her "Like I said, I didn't do it."
With a shake of her head, the teen girl got back her composer as she walked over to the boy nodding. "Umm ya, listen Im sorry about hitting you back there. Listen, how..did you do that with the tree branch?" to be honest she knew fully how. She just needed to see if he did for real.
With a small glance of curiosity he shrugged before pointing to his head gear chuckling "Its got a curse on it." He let the moment linger as she shook her head also chuckling, although for her it was for the fact she knew it wasn't true. "Seriously? Its got a spirit stuck to it." That got her to double take him as he waved his hand making his way back to the gravestone "Ya I know, Im nuts right?"
Ariadne sighed with a hint of relief as she grabbed him by the shoulders twirling him about so they were face to face again with a smile spreading across her face "You can see spirits too?" her smirk broadened at his confused stare, she watched about as more of the spirits come into view. One of which seemed to be a young girl who was clinging onto a stuffed dog toy next to the fallen bits of the gravestone. "Can he see you guys, yes or no?"
The girl spirit nodded as she floated up off of her gravestone's remains as the boy blinked about pointing to the Sapphire eyed girl "She can see you guys too? Whoa. Cool, so Im not a nutcase. Unless we both are that is."
"So you're a Shaman?" she pressed on getting a few of the Spirits attention to the two of the living. She was pretty excited at the thought of another Shaman in town to talk with. After all, what better way to train for the big Shaman Fight then with another Shaman?
The boy looked thoughtful for a moment as he blinked in confusion answering. "A what-man?" he blinked in more confusion as she sighed letting her head hang low, and unfortunately letting her arms rest too well on his shoulders causing the weights to drop him down like a sack of potatoes "OOF!"
"Oh jeez sorry! Here let me help you up...umm, what's your name?" She asked pulling the boy to his feet again brushing off the bits of dirt from his coat. "Im Ariadne Jun by the way."
The boy gave a playful smirk as he lowered himself to one knee with his other leg stretched out before him as he placed his left arm placed at the base of his hips and his right pointing to the now lightened horizon "I am a spirit, forever trapped in the currents of the wind. I shall forever roam the earth where the breeze whips across the terrain. My name forever blown away from the sands of time. I am known as Kaze Kokoro, Spirit of the Wind!!" the moment seem to froze right there. Several of the spirits as well as Ariadne fell in classic anime style, some of the younger ones laughed and awed while a few of the girl spirits murmured amongst themselfs in wonder where he got that bit from. "...was it something I said?"
After getting back her composer, Ariadne was back up helping 'Kaze' with the spirit girls gravestone while explaining what Shamans were. "So, were links to the physical world, and the spiritual one. I guess you just have a good sixth scene if you can see these guys. That.."
Kaze blinked as he set another piece of the stone back in place like a puzzle. He was interested in this Shaman thing now, which for Ariadne may not find so good later on. "That?? And is there something else?"
With a light chuckled she held the last stone in place as the glue hardened fixing the stone once more seeing the grateful child's face before she flew off with her fellow spirits "Only decent people can see spirits. Now here's a question, if your not a Shaman how come you have a Guardian Spirit then huh?"
"Guardian Spirit?...You mean the Spirit in my Headband?" she gave a nod as he shrugged in reply "He's stuck with it. A......what's the word? 'Fixated Spirit'? Well this was his favorite thing when he was alive, so when he died he stayed with it. He's never let anyone but me wear it. Right Naito?" on cue, the black mist erupted from the headgear about Kaze's head starting to swirl into a clear define shape. He was a built man, dressed in all black, save for the exact same headband about Kaze's head. A deep scar running up his visible left arm as a slightly metallic face guard added to the mystery of his facial expressions seeing that his eyes were trapped within the shadows.
"Your too stubborn to kill off either way."
Ariadne had a blank expression on her face as Naito came out with such a reply, however when she saw how much Kaze laughed it dawned on her it was an inside joke between them. With a slightly confused smirk she broke into the now lighthearted and dark quips being thrown to and thru from the two "Umm excuse me but...did Naito..try and kill you?"
"Ah ya, but he accidentally saved me when he did it. So I haven't let go of this headband since, even though Gram's kept saying about 'the dark curse of the headband'." the live half of the duo replied chuckling some more as the Spirit shook his head a bit looking over to his fellow ghost's as they went about their daily lives, so to speak.
Rolling her eyes a bit as she began to walk down the set path waving to the occasional specter, Ariadne gave a small smile glade a few people with the sixth sense could get along with Spirits, even if the one in company had a twisted sense of humor. She was already in a jog starting to speak again to the boy. "So tell me, why is it your traveling?....Kaze?" She had jogged no more then three blocks before turning around to see the crawling panting form of the sky haired boy in question, exhausted from a minor degree of exercise. "...Umm are you alright?"
"Waaateeeeeeeerrrr."
Well needless to say, after adding some more dead weight to her jog routine Ariane was outside of her home with a new friend in tow. "Is he really that out of shape to be unconscious from only three blocks??"
With a nod the Shinobi Spirit added "Sadly, he can take a long distance walk with ease because he takes it so easy."
"Jeez, it's a good thing he doesn't go to school. Physical Ed would kill him." Soon enough she was inside of the massive house dropping the still out cold Kaze onto the couch sighing in embarrassment at the fact the he couldn't even stay awake after a mere jog. She began to unstrap her added weights as another form in the room took shape, this time it wasn't Naito, but her own Spirit.
She too, much like her Shaman partner were female and well toned in muscle's. Obviously the duo had much in common. Her eyes were a deep shade of green that held some curiosity to them right then. Her shoulder length black hair capped under a sort of deep red ancient helmet with had the slight appearance of a cone shape. To say she had much in attire would be telling a false truth, most of her clothing was just about all armor. She had a chest armor with sections to each layer, with rows of golden bolts holding it together. The next bit of armoring resembled a skirt with panels of each piece of it attached to the silk that flew down just above her knees. Her lower legs had strips of thin armor wrapped around them as the last piece of her clothing was a string attached slippers.
She blinked looking between the two newcomers before looking over to Ariadne again before asking "Who, are these two?"
The Shaman girl shrugged smiling a bit as she nodded over to the unconscious form of the boy "Sorry Kara, the lightweight over there calls himself Kaze. I meet him over by the Cemetery, and don't worry he has a sixth sense so he'll be able to see you. And this is his Spirit friend.."but just then, Ariadne stopped noticing the Spirit of the former Shinobi, he seemed somewhat distressed, even if you couldn't see his face clearly you could feel it from him. "..N-Naito? Something wrong?"
Before he could answer, Kara had floated over to him blinking with some more curiosity then before as she rattled her mind at his appearance. "..Have we meet? Naito was it?"
The other Spirit turned about folding his arms across his chest as he phased back into the confines of his old headgear grunting "Greetings, and no we haven't."
The two females looked to one another blinking as though they both had an explanation for the visiting Spirits action, but both just turned about to ask when it dawned on them someone was missing. Ariadne turned this way and that looking across the halls calling out "KAZE??" It wasn't until she checked the now occupied kitchen did she find him scarfing down on some carrots and such.
"Fey Afiadnf." He spoke with his mouth still full of the bits of the food he was mooching on before swallowing "Don't you have some sweets or something in here? Everything's either health food or needs to be cooked."
Kara simply quirked and eyebrow at the boy before turning to her partner "A Spirit whose antisocial and a human who has a big appetite and as out of shape as a child's drawing. Any more surprises you found Ariadne? Oh, um hello Kaze I am Kara."
While her Spirit partner and guest exchanged formalities Ariadne sighed a bit as she began to make some food for herself. 'Well, at least he's the friendly type compared to Naito...why did he get so uptight when he saw Kara though?' "Say Kaze, has Naito ever act strange around people?"
"Strange? Hmm, not..that I can say. He's not the talking kinda guy. But he's cool to hang out with. Actually until I started to speak with other Spirits, I thought all Ghosts were just the silent types."
After her light breakfast, Ariadne went back to her routine which left Kaze in awe. He simply stared off as she went on with two hundred sit ups, easily hitting a hundred pushups then finishing off with a hundred stomach crunches while she and Kara explained some more about the true powers a Shaman of her caliber was capable of. "In-ter-grate? What's that?"
The female spirit chuckled a bit. Ariadne was off changing into her spare cloths, since the workout had her in a bit of a sweat leaving her to explain about Integration. "Well, you know about possession right? Well Integration works something like that, except of the Spirit forcefully taking over the body, the Shaman allows it to join them. And in doing so, Shaman's are granted the strength, skills and all of the capabilities of the Spirit when they were alive."
"....huh?" at this Kaze heard a stiffened laugh from behind him, he whipped about seeing Ariadne in a fresh replica of her previous cloths. She shook her head a bit as she continued to chuckle before replying.
"I share my body with the Spirit." She motioned for him to follow as Kara seem to evaporate into a mist, then into a small black tablet that was strapped to her pants. She started to lead the still curious boy out of the house heading out to the now occupied streets wondering about aimlessly.
"Umm Ariadne? Where are we going?"
"From nine to four is pretty much free time. And since SOMEONE had to eat most of the contents in my fridge I figured Id show you the way to the nearest grocery stores....wait, where are you going to stay?"
That got the sky rooted boy to pounder for what must have been two minutes before he shrugged resting his arms behind his head chuckling "The Cemetery seems like a peaceful place to stay. Wont be the first time, sides the ghosts there had interesting stories to tell me before you came."
Ariadne couldn't help but stair at this guy, sure he was calm about spirits but sleeping in a Cemetery? She shook her head before pressing on "Your honestly going to sleep in a Cemetery? What if you wanna wake up early or something?"
"Aw Naito wakes me up with sleep paralysis."
"..at least you have something guaranteed to wake you up." she giggled along with Kaze, but soon a frightened scream coming from an alleyway drew their attentions along with their Spirit comrades. In the blink of an eye the four raced down the street into the darkened ally to several familiar faces and one that wasn't. It was the Bruitalnizers again, and they had cornered a girl who was probably off to school before being entrapped by the gang. A low growl escaped from Ariadne and Kara's throats, well sort of in Kara's case. Taking a quick glance about Ariadne grabbed an iron pipe left within a construction site's leftovers before rushing into the group. "Hey you guys!"
The boss of the gang turned about snarling at the girl, his bandaged flat head nearly erupted as the vain's stretched about his facial features. "Yous again, this times ya's gonna gets a beating yas wont forget."
A smirk played across the Shaman and Guardian Spirit, even though the only ones there to see Kara's smirk was her fellow specter and the other teen boy. Waving her free hand before her, Ariadne's fingers became enwrapped by Kara's form as it became a blue and grey flaming sphere with her facial features etched upon it as the Shaman shouted "SPIRIT FORM!"
Kaze watched in worry as the gang charged in, paying no heed to her current actions even though he knew they couldn't see the amazing sight before them. He gasped as Ariadne brought the flaming form of Kara to her chest sending the blue/grey flames away as her body seem to devour every last bit of it into nothingness as she continued with "INTEGRATE!" just as the collection of the Brutalnizers seem to cave in around her. However no sooner had they smothered her were they sent flying about in different directions, kneeling in an attack pose Ariadne glanced up with whitened eyes as she spoke with Kara's voice fused into her own "Now, either you all leave, or you will be the ones to receive a beating you wont forget."
"Guess again girly!"
The Shaman team turned around quickly, they united eyes widen in shock at what they saw. Kaze was being pinned to the ground by a lankly member of the gang, who knelt down enough to pull the other boys arm back almost snapping it from its socket with a glistening knife waving about his magenta eyes. "Kaze!" their feet shifted for a moment but just as Shaman and Spirit move, the dangerous weapon soon swiped across the boys face drawing a light red mark about his cheek ceasing the unified team's movements.
Now chuckling darkly the rest of the gang began to get up cracking their knuckles as they drew closer to Ariadne and Kara. The monstrous leader began to lick the sharp jagged teeth of his as they boast. "Thats right girly, yas move and yas friend gets somes pay backs for his tricks at the Cemeterys."
All Ariadne and Kara could do at the moment was send messages to one another trying to develop a plan of action.
'Kara we gotta defend ourselves but if we move...'
'I know, Kaze gets harmed. If we could get to him before that knife strikes...'
'God, what are we gonna do???'
As the Shaman girl and Spirit fought with their instincts to fight, the Spirit of a deceased Shinobi looked about for something to use, but despite all his wishes and thoughts nothing was within reach for him to use. He cursed himself for not staying alert for an ambush, he glanced between the enclosing circle about Ariadne and her Integrated partner then back to himself and Kaze. A wild thought played through his mind as he flew down low to glance into the wind named boys eyes "Kaze, there's nothing I can do alone to help."
Paying no mind to his captor the boy gritted his teeth as his arm sent out wave of wave of pain signals to his mind "I know, but Naito ya gotta do something bro! Help them!"
"On my own I cant, but...perhaps as one...."
The gang member snarled at the headband equipt boy as he continued to watch in glee as his fellow Brutalnizers drew closer to Ariadne. He felt a light shiver come from the pinned boys arm, but didn't give it a second thought as he smirked widely at the sight of now unraveled weapons. "Oooh ya, go get her boss!"
"ARIADNE! KARA! FIGHT BACK NOW!"
Left without another option the Spiritual team replied dashing forward into the behemoth leader sending the iron pipe into his guts with the force of a cannon sending the monster into the wall. Grunting in pain the org look alike spat out "KILLS THE BRAT!!!" Kara and Ariadne turned about with a horrified look in their fused eyes as the lankly gangster brought the knife over his head and down. Time seem to freeze, unable to watch the duo shut their eyes as the blade was a mere inch from their friends face. And then the oddest sound echoed throughout the ally, instead of a gushing thud of metal pericing skin, it was metal hitting solid cement.
Everyone gasped at what was seen, or rather what was not seen. Kaze was gone, he had vanished the moment the blade was about to touch his skin. And in a flash of different shades of blue, three members of the Brutalnizers were brought down. Standing with both feet planted firmly side by side arms spread out slightly upwards from being alined with his shoulders, and his head bowed low was Kaze himself. Before Ariadne and Kara could ask, the boy looked up, his normal magenta eyes now a hollow white like their own, and it dawned on the two "..you..Integrated?"
A silent nod was made as the now awakened Shaman and Spirit gripped at the chains about his backpack swinging them out dropping the case to the ground as the links of metal enwrapped two more members of the Brutalnizers forcing them into dual head butts knocking them into unconsciousness. "This Shaman thing is, interesting." oddly enough a smirk that did not belong to Kaze appeared as both Shaman's rushed side by side into battle.
Moments later in a mass of beaten and bruised Brutalnizers the two fused bodies of Shaman's and Spirits were glancing to one another. Kaze and Naito occasionally looked their body over smirking at the beating they gave the gang about them. Ariadne and Kara just smirked giving them a pat on the shoulder "Well, looks like you are a Shaman Kaze."
However just as she congratulated him, Naito soon shout out of his partners body as Kaze's knees began to go as wobbly as jelly. "T-thanks but I-Im not as cool as y-you and Kara A-aa-Ariadne." Before she could reply Kaze was already on the ground face first snoring like there was no tomorrow.
Soon enough Kara herself was unfused with her Shaman partner blinking at the unconscious form of her fellow Spirits partner. She couldn't help but giggle herself as Naito shrugged finishing off Kaze's statement "Or as physically fit." before he returned to the confines of his former headgear.
With a sigh, Ariadne once again found herself giving Kaze a lift back to her place with a light smirk about her face. This got her partners attention "What are you smiling about Ariadne?"
"Well looks like not only do I have a workout partner, but a student while Im at it."
"Heheh, true, but the question is can Kaze honestly survive it?"
"Hahaha, if he cant. We'll just have another interesting Spirit friend."
The dual chuckled together as they went off back to the place known as their home. Sadly when Kaze wakes up he'll have to get used to a new style of life which he probably wont give up without a fight.
**To be continued**
Hotshot: Hey were's TJ?
Rikumon: Your standing on him.
Hotshot*Blinks looking down before jumping off of TJ*TJ what are you doing down there??
Rikumon: He's out cold like Impmon's social skills.
Hotshot: Why?
Rikumon: To much activity, well hope to see you guys later.
Hotshot: Ya, and Read and Review to please?
Rikumon: Rikumon
TJ: Has been advanced by one extra member! Ladies and Gentlemen, Anthro's, Cyborg's, Superhuman's, and Fans all kinds I am please to introduce my dear friend, Hotshot14!
Hotshot*Walks in* Umm TJ, why are you Introducing me like that?
Rikumon: He suddenly felt like being dramatic for no reason.
TJ: Don't make me hurt you Riku-san
Hotshot: Well as TJ said, we're working together on this fic. Dragons and Demons is what we'll be calling it for now, at least until we think of something better. XP
TJ: Tell me about it. Well obviously from the category, it's a Shaman King fic which neither of us own.
Rikumon: Thank goodness, lord forbid if you owned Shaman King
TJ: Hey! At least I'd make sure the translators wouldn't butcher it!
Hotshot: And those good parts you told me about weren't left out either.
Rikumon: No far taking his side.
Hotshot: Well lets get this show on the road TJ!
TJ *Whispers something to Hotshot*
Hotshot and TJ: ON WITH THE FIC!
Rikumon: Oh Buddha help me, now she's doing it.*BAM*OUCH
Dragons and Demons
By
Hotshot14
TJ and Rikumon
It was early in the morning about the town, it was a place many people would feel most comfortable. The few towering buildings never went past seven stories, while the majority of the houses and shops were two to three stories high. Parks and waterways were in no small abundance, it was in general a nice town. A gentile breeze blew down from a hill not to far from the outskirts of the town. A patter of feet mixed in with the sounds of the breeze, almost becoming one with the enjoyable sounds.
Soon the traveler came over the top of the hill taking in the sight before him with a small calm smile. His magenta eyes surveyed the scenery with a dreamy like gaze within them, his light sky blue hair flew about his dark red headband that's long ends trailed down behind his six foot five mild features. His sky blue t-shirt entrapped under his deeper blue jean coat, only freed by the torn sleeves of the more vest like attire. His navi blue sweat pants rustled in the small wind lightly slapping against the top edges of his dirty grey sneakers. The oddest article of his clothing would be his old midnight black book back that had little chibi style angel wings sown into the sides, as long chains wrapped about his shoulders in replacement to the bags own straps.
Another lazy look came over his face as his head tilted to the side just a bit as the final bits of the towns view were taken in before he spoke in a calm voice that held no signs of stress. "What a nice looking place to come to. Hmm, wonder where I should go though?...Ok wind, keep giving me and bro a path to follow." As though the element of air listened to his ever word, the wind began to pick up speeds just a hint as a flying leaf flew about his head along the winds path before going down towards the town with the boy in suit.
Elsewhere in the very town, another person was up before the sun getting ready for another day. Unlike the boy however, she was not lost in a dreamy and lazy state. Within a traditional Japanese house, which in all cense was more like a small mansion a teenage girl was getting ready for her usual routine. The five foot six figure began to wrap her black bandana about her head, the classic symbol of Ying and Yang emblem resting peacefully about the spot on her far head as it encased her black and platinum highlighted hair. Her nearly almond shaped sapphire eyes gazed out the window next to her as she tied the laces of her white tennis shoes, a small hint of grey in her eyes briefly showing itself. Her black shirt's dark color ended only with the Japanese dragon that danced about the fabric about her torso, her black sports shorts as well ending only by the white trim. The amulet about her neck spun for a moment, letting the view of the faces of the angel on one side and a demon about the other side as she attached light arm bracers, one white and its mate black with each opposite's color dragon etched into them. The bracer about her right arm aided by an armband with the Japanese symbol of steel inscribed on it.
Finished with the natural preparations she then strapped large straps of weights to her arms and legs, her athletic and toned body taking a brief moment to adjust to the fifteen pounds of each addition to her limbs before heading out the front door in a fast race. It was no later then five in the morning so there was little light, and virtually no other person in sight. A small smile crept across the girls face as she continued to race down her new path. Ariadne Jun had moved in not so long ago and was only just set to start her days usual routine of exercise, although many people probably would pass out after the first part of it. Which would be the run she was making just this moment. Not long after her start, the checkpoint of her run was coming into view, its peak in the horizon started out with a hint of green. Soon more small towers and a shrine came into view, Ariadne gave a small smile as she came closer to the mass collection of graves. "Ok, a quick pass by, by the Cemetery and the gh...what the???"
What caused the teen girls confusion was another person in the Cemetery, that wouldn't have been nothing but what concerned her more was what he was doing. The boy was currently tugging at a gravestone piece that had been shattered to bits. As Ariadne drew closer she could make out marks about the stone base, it had been pummeled and by the looks of the chains about the backpack not to far from the newcomer she could only guess who was the culprit. Her brows knit together as she stopped her running and began to stomped over to him, her face almost burning in anger at what had happend to the grave stone. Soon she was standing behind him giving him a hard tap on his back causing him to jump in surprise before staring into those blazing sapphire eyes. "Excuse me, what do you think your doing!?"
The boy blinked slightly as his magenta eyes looked up to his headband with a small hint of concentration before shrugging with a small smile "Lifting a piece to a gravestone?" he breath out a chuckle for a moment before the next moment when his head felt a sudden burst of pain. "Ouch! Why did ya hit me for?"
"Why did I hit you? You break a persons headstone, start to fiddle with it and ask why I hit you!? Don't you have any respect for the Spirits!" Ariadne was on the verge of giving the sky blue haired boy another wack in the head, she practically felt her hand tighten into another fist as she got in his face again trying to keep her cool.
"Huh? Oh but I..." but before his statement was finished a collection of laughter and whoops filled the air causing both teens to turn about. Standing not far off from them were several other teens, probably in their sixteen's through eighteen's. Many of them had their hairs streaked back in spike style symbolizing that they were punks, some had torn clothing and many of them had weapons like chains and bats. One of the more brutal looking of the group walked into view for the other two teens jerking his thumb to himself and his fellows "He didn't bust that stone. WE did toots. Now this is our turf so beat it before's we's hurts ya."
The sixteen year old girl felt her cheeks warm up for a brief moment for jumping to conclusions, she pushed the thought aside before standing straight giving the gang before her a hard look. She was about to resort to their threats but was beaten to it by the boy she had just accused. What surprised her more was how calm he seemed as he spoke "So you guys are the 'Brutalnizers'? Weird, I pictured you'd guys be tougher looking. Although if you're their boss I gotta say you remind me of an Ogre, specially with those broken teeth." At this the 'Brutalnizers' leader was bursting in anger. His massive fists clenched so tightly that Ariadne was sure his hands would start bleeding any second. She had to admit, this guy either had guts for being so calm, or just nuts. But something dawned on her suddenly, how did he know what their gang name was?
With a small chuckle the sky blue haired boy tightened the knot on his headgear as he steeped up some more before continuing to speak "Well the Cemetery isn't yours. You could have kept staying here, but your bugging and making fun of the dead. So you'll have to leave now ok? So bye." he emphasized the last part with a small smile and wave. However he quickly found himself being lifted to the air by his shirt calor to the enraged face of the Gang Leader who all but snarled in the smaller teens face.
"FOR THAT I OUGHTA BEAT YA'S TO A BLOODY PULP YA PUNK!!!" The monstrous Boss of the Burtalnizers bellowed into the headband wearing teen boy, his face hardened so that every last muscle in his massive body was erupting in his skin. But his anger seem to get worse as the boy chuckled some more in his vice grip as he shouted once more "WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHEN AT PUNK?!!! AND WHAT IS WITH YA STUPID HEADBAND!!!" soon one of those massive hands let go of the boys calor and reached for the read headgear.
"Sorry to tell you but only I can touch my lucky headband." the boy said with a small hint of warning in his voice. Ariadne was all but ready to move in to help the teen before her eyes gazed to his headband, and a small gasp escaped her lips. A small black mist seem to flow from the cloth about the boys head as it grew bigger, and soon more defined in shape. "A.."
The black shape moved in a blur of motion and fluid grace streaking above the massive monster of a teen and the chuckling light blue haired teen striking at a branch atop the hill they stood next too before disappearing back to the clothe wrapped about the smaller teens head. The branch creaked for a moment before falling down into the massive flat skull of Brutalnizers leader. With a heavy crash the behemoth fell to the ground knocked out by the broken wood as the rest of the gang gasped at the small teen boy who simply shrugged his shoulders brushing off some fallen leafs.
"I tried to warn him, some people almost died from simply touching it." he chuckled as the gang grabbed their unconscious leader dragging his bulk down the Cemetery path out of sight screaming about curses and spirits. Soon the sky haired boy turned about looking to Ariadne with a small smile waving to her "Like I said, I didn't do it."
With a shake of her head, the teen girl got back her composer as she walked over to the boy nodding. "Umm ya, listen Im sorry about hitting you back there. Listen, how..did you do that with the tree branch?" to be honest she knew fully how. She just needed to see if he did for real.
With a small glance of curiosity he shrugged before pointing to his head gear chuckling "Its got a curse on it." He let the moment linger as she shook her head also chuckling, although for her it was for the fact she knew it wasn't true. "Seriously? Its got a spirit stuck to it." That got her to double take him as he waved his hand making his way back to the gravestone "Ya I know, Im nuts right?"
Ariadne sighed with a hint of relief as she grabbed him by the shoulders twirling him about so they were face to face again with a smile spreading across her face "You can see spirits too?" her smirk broadened at his confused stare, she watched about as more of the spirits come into view. One of which seemed to be a young girl who was clinging onto a stuffed dog toy next to the fallen bits of the gravestone. "Can he see you guys, yes or no?"
The girl spirit nodded as she floated up off of her gravestone's remains as the boy blinked about pointing to the Sapphire eyed girl "She can see you guys too? Whoa. Cool, so Im not a nutcase. Unless we both are that is."
"So you're a Shaman?" she pressed on getting a few of the Spirits attention to the two of the living. She was pretty excited at the thought of another Shaman in town to talk with. After all, what better way to train for the big Shaman Fight then with another Shaman?
The boy looked thoughtful for a moment as he blinked in confusion answering. "A what-man?" he blinked in more confusion as she sighed letting her head hang low, and unfortunately letting her arms rest too well on his shoulders causing the weights to drop him down like a sack of potatoes "OOF!"
"Oh jeez sorry! Here let me help you up...umm, what's your name?" She asked pulling the boy to his feet again brushing off the bits of dirt from his coat. "Im Ariadne Jun by the way."
The boy gave a playful smirk as he lowered himself to one knee with his other leg stretched out before him as he placed his left arm placed at the base of his hips and his right pointing to the now lightened horizon "I am a spirit, forever trapped in the currents of the wind. I shall forever roam the earth where the breeze whips across the terrain. My name forever blown away from the sands of time. I am known as Kaze Kokoro, Spirit of the Wind!!" the moment seem to froze right there. Several of the spirits as well as Ariadne fell in classic anime style, some of the younger ones laughed and awed while a few of the girl spirits murmured amongst themselfs in wonder where he got that bit from. "...was it something I said?"
After getting back her composer, Ariadne was back up helping 'Kaze' with the spirit girls gravestone while explaining what Shamans were. "So, were links to the physical world, and the spiritual one. I guess you just have a good sixth scene if you can see these guys. That.."
Kaze blinked as he set another piece of the stone back in place like a puzzle. He was interested in this Shaman thing now, which for Ariadne may not find so good later on. "That?? And is there something else?"
With a light chuckled she held the last stone in place as the glue hardened fixing the stone once more seeing the grateful child's face before she flew off with her fellow spirits "Only decent people can see spirits. Now here's a question, if your not a Shaman how come you have a Guardian Spirit then huh?"
"Guardian Spirit?...You mean the Spirit in my Headband?" she gave a nod as he shrugged in reply "He's stuck with it. A......what's the word? 'Fixated Spirit'? Well this was his favorite thing when he was alive, so when he died he stayed with it. He's never let anyone but me wear it. Right Naito?" on cue, the black mist erupted from the headgear about Kaze's head starting to swirl into a clear define shape. He was a built man, dressed in all black, save for the exact same headband about Kaze's head. A deep scar running up his visible left arm as a slightly metallic face guard added to the mystery of his facial expressions seeing that his eyes were trapped within the shadows.
"Your too stubborn to kill off either way."
Ariadne had a blank expression on her face as Naito came out with such a reply, however when she saw how much Kaze laughed it dawned on her it was an inside joke between them. With a slightly confused smirk she broke into the now lighthearted and dark quips being thrown to and thru from the two "Umm excuse me but...did Naito..try and kill you?"
"Ah ya, but he accidentally saved me when he did it. So I haven't let go of this headband since, even though Gram's kept saying about 'the dark curse of the headband'." the live half of the duo replied chuckling some more as the Spirit shook his head a bit looking over to his fellow ghost's as they went about their daily lives, so to speak.
Rolling her eyes a bit as she began to walk down the set path waving to the occasional specter, Ariadne gave a small smile glade a few people with the sixth sense could get along with Spirits, even if the one in company had a twisted sense of humor. She was already in a jog starting to speak again to the boy. "So tell me, why is it your traveling?....Kaze?" She had jogged no more then three blocks before turning around to see the crawling panting form of the sky haired boy in question, exhausted from a minor degree of exercise. "...Umm are you alright?"
"Waaateeeeeeeerrrr."
Well needless to say, after adding some more dead weight to her jog routine Ariane was outside of her home with a new friend in tow. "Is he really that out of shape to be unconscious from only three blocks??"
With a nod the Shinobi Spirit added "Sadly, he can take a long distance walk with ease because he takes it so easy."
"Jeez, it's a good thing he doesn't go to school. Physical Ed would kill him." Soon enough she was inside of the massive house dropping the still out cold Kaze onto the couch sighing in embarrassment at the fact the he couldn't even stay awake after a mere jog. She began to unstrap her added weights as another form in the room took shape, this time it wasn't Naito, but her own Spirit.
She too, much like her Shaman partner were female and well toned in muscle's. Obviously the duo had much in common. Her eyes were a deep shade of green that held some curiosity to them right then. Her shoulder length black hair capped under a sort of deep red ancient helmet with had the slight appearance of a cone shape. To say she had much in attire would be telling a false truth, most of her clothing was just about all armor. She had a chest armor with sections to each layer, with rows of golden bolts holding it together. The next bit of armoring resembled a skirt with panels of each piece of it attached to the silk that flew down just above her knees. Her lower legs had strips of thin armor wrapped around them as the last piece of her clothing was a string attached slippers.
She blinked looking between the two newcomers before looking over to Ariadne again before asking "Who, are these two?"
The Shaman girl shrugged smiling a bit as she nodded over to the unconscious form of the boy "Sorry Kara, the lightweight over there calls himself Kaze. I meet him over by the Cemetery, and don't worry he has a sixth sense so he'll be able to see you. And this is his Spirit friend.."but just then, Ariadne stopped noticing the Spirit of the former Shinobi, he seemed somewhat distressed, even if you couldn't see his face clearly you could feel it from him. "..N-Naito? Something wrong?"
Before he could answer, Kara had floated over to him blinking with some more curiosity then before as she rattled her mind at his appearance. "..Have we meet? Naito was it?"
The other Spirit turned about folding his arms across his chest as he phased back into the confines of his old headgear grunting "Greetings, and no we haven't."
The two females looked to one another blinking as though they both had an explanation for the visiting Spirits action, but both just turned about to ask when it dawned on them someone was missing. Ariadne turned this way and that looking across the halls calling out "KAZE??" It wasn't until she checked the now occupied kitchen did she find him scarfing down on some carrots and such.
"Fey Afiadnf." He spoke with his mouth still full of the bits of the food he was mooching on before swallowing "Don't you have some sweets or something in here? Everything's either health food or needs to be cooked."
Kara simply quirked and eyebrow at the boy before turning to her partner "A Spirit whose antisocial and a human who has a big appetite and as out of shape as a child's drawing. Any more surprises you found Ariadne? Oh, um hello Kaze I am Kara."
While her Spirit partner and guest exchanged formalities Ariadne sighed a bit as she began to make some food for herself. 'Well, at least he's the friendly type compared to Naito...why did he get so uptight when he saw Kara though?' "Say Kaze, has Naito ever act strange around people?"
"Strange? Hmm, not..that I can say. He's not the talking kinda guy. But he's cool to hang out with. Actually until I started to speak with other Spirits, I thought all Ghosts were just the silent types."
After her light breakfast, Ariadne went back to her routine which left Kaze in awe. He simply stared off as she went on with two hundred sit ups, easily hitting a hundred pushups then finishing off with a hundred stomach crunches while she and Kara explained some more about the true powers a Shaman of her caliber was capable of. "In-ter-grate? What's that?"
The female spirit chuckled a bit. Ariadne was off changing into her spare cloths, since the workout had her in a bit of a sweat leaving her to explain about Integration. "Well, you know about possession right? Well Integration works something like that, except of the Spirit forcefully taking over the body, the Shaman allows it to join them. And in doing so, Shaman's are granted the strength, skills and all of the capabilities of the Spirit when they were alive."
"....huh?" at this Kaze heard a stiffened laugh from behind him, he whipped about seeing Ariadne in a fresh replica of her previous cloths. She shook her head a bit as she continued to chuckle before replying.
"I share my body with the Spirit." She motioned for him to follow as Kara seem to evaporate into a mist, then into a small black tablet that was strapped to her pants. She started to lead the still curious boy out of the house heading out to the now occupied streets wondering about aimlessly.
"Umm Ariadne? Where are we going?"
"From nine to four is pretty much free time. And since SOMEONE had to eat most of the contents in my fridge I figured Id show you the way to the nearest grocery stores....wait, where are you going to stay?"
That got the sky rooted boy to pounder for what must have been two minutes before he shrugged resting his arms behind his head chuckling "The Cemetery seems like a peaceful place to stay. Wont be the first time, sides the ghosts there had interesting stories to tell me before you came."
Ariadne couldn't help but stair at this guy, sure he was calm about spirits but sleeping in a Cemetery? She shook her head before pressing on "Your honestly going to sleep in a Cemetery? What if you wanna wake up early or something?"
"Aw Naito wakes me up with sleep paralysis."
"..at least you have something guaranteed to wake you up." she giggled along with Kaze, but soon a frightened scream coming from an alleyway drew their attentions along with their Spirit comrades. In the blink of an eye the four raced down the street into the darkened ally to several familiar faces and one that wasn't. It was the Bruitalnizers again, and they had cornered a girl who was probably off to school before being entrapped by the gang. A low growl escaped from Ariadne and Kara's throats, well sort of in Kara's case. Taking a quick glance about Ariadne grabbed an iron pipe left within a construction site's leftovers before rushing into the group. "Hey you guys!"
The boss of the gang turned about snarling at the girl, his bandaged flat head nearly erupted as the vain's stretched about his facial features. "Yous again, this times ya's gonna gets a beating yas wont forget."
A smirk played across the Shaman and Guardian Spirit, even though the only ones there to see Kara's smirk was her fellow specter and the other teen boy. Waving her free hand before her, Ariadne's fingers became enwrapped by Kara's form as it became a blue and grey flaming sphere with her facial features etched upon it as the Shaman shouted "SPIRIT FORM!"
Kaze watched in worry as the gang charged in, paying no heed to her current actions even though he knew they couldn't see the amazing sight before them. He gasped as Ariadne brought the flaming form of Kara to her chest sending the blue/grey flames away as her body seem to devour every last bit of it into nothingness as she continued with "INTEGRATE!" just as the collection of the Brutalnizers seem to cave in around her. However no sooner had they smothered her were they sent flying about in different directions, kneeling in an attack pose Ariadne glanced up with whitened eyes as she spoke with Kara's voice fused into her own "Now, either you all leave, or you will be the ones to receive a beating you wont forget."
"Guess again girly!"
The Shaman team turned around quickly, they united eyes widen in shock at what they saw. Kaze was being pinned to the ground by a lankly member of the gang, who knelt down enough to pull the other boys arm back almost snapping it from its socket with a glistening knife waving about his magenta eyes. "Kaze!" their feet shifted for a moment but just as Shaman and Spirit move, the dangerous weapon soon swiped across the boys face drawing a light red mark about his cheek ceasing the unified team's movements.
Now chuckling darkly the rest of the gang began to get up cracking their knuckles as they drew closer to Ariadne and Kara. The monstrous leader began to lick the sharp jagged teeth of his as they boast. "Thats right girly, yas move and yas friend gets somes pay backs for his tricks at the Cemeterys."
All Ariadne and Kara could do at the moment was send messages to one another trying to develop a plan of action.
'Kara we gotta defend ourselves but if we move...'
'I know, Kaze gets harmed. If we could get to him before that knife strikes...'
'God, what are we gonna do???'
As the Shaman girl and Spirit fought with their instincts to fight, the Spirit of a deceased Shinobi looked about for something to use, but despite all his wishes and thoughts nothing was within reach for him to use. He cursed himself for not staying alert for an ambush, he glanced between the enclosing circle about Ariadne and her Integrated partner then back to himself and Kaze. A wild thought played through his mind as he flew down low to glance into the wind named boys eyes "Kaze, there's nothing I can do alone to help."
Paying no mind to his captor the boy gritted his teeth as his arm sent out wave of wave of pain signals to his mind "I know, but Naito ya gotta do something bro! Help them!"
"On my own I cant, but...perhaps as one...."
The gang member snarled at the headband equipt boy as he continued to watch in glee as his fellow Brutalnizers drew closer to Ariadne. He felt a light shiver come from the pinned boys arm, but didn't give it a second thought as he smirked widely at the sight of now unraveled weapons. "Oooh ya, go get her boss!"
"ARIADNE! KARA! FIGHT BACK NOW!"
Left without another option the Spiritual team replied dashing forward into the behemoth leader sending the iron pipe into his guts with the force of a cannon sending the monster into the wall. Grunting in pain the org look alike spat out "KILLS THE BRAT!!!" Kara and Ariadne turned about with a horrified look in their fused eyes as the lankly gangster brought the knife over his head and down. Time seem to freeze, unable to watch the duo shut their eyes as the blade was a mere inch from their friends face. And then the oddest sound echoed throughout the ally, instead of a gushing thud of metal pericing skin, it was metal hitting solid cement.
Everyone gasped at what was seen, or rather what was not seen. Kaze was gone, he had vanished the moment the blade was about to touch his skin. And in a flash of different shades of blue, three members of the Brutalnizers were brought down. Standing with both feet planted firmly side by side arms spread out slightly upwards from being alined with his shoulders, and his head bowed low was Kaze himself. Before Ariadne and Kara could ask, the boy looked up, his normal magenta eyes now a hollow white like their own, and it dawned on the two "..you..Integrated?"
A silent nod was made as the now awakened Shaman and Spirit gripped at the chains about his backpack swinging them out dropping the case to the ground as the links of metal enwrapped two more members of the Brutalnizers forcing them into dual head butts knocking them into unconsciousness. "This Shaman thing is, interesting." oddly enough a smirk that did not belong to Kaze appeared as both Shaman's rushed side by side into battle.
Moments later in a mass of beaten and bruised Brutalnizers the two fused bodies of Shaman's and Spirits were glancing to one another. Kaze and Naito occasionally looked their body over smirking at the beating they gave the gang about them. Ariadne and Kara just smirked giving them a pat on the shoulder "Well, looks like you are a Shaman Kaze."
However just as she congratulated him, Naito soon shout out of his partners body as Kaze's knees began to go as wobbly as jelly. "T-thanks but I-Im not as cool as y-you and Kara A-aa-Ariadne." Before she could reply Kaze was already on the ground face first snoring like there was no tomorrow.
Soon enough Kara herself was unfused with her Shaman partner blinking at the unconscious form of her fellow Spirits partner. She couldn't help but giggle herself as Naito shrugged finishing off Kaze's statement "Or as physically fit." before he returned to the confines of his former headgear.
With a sigh, Ariadne once again found herself giving Kaze a lift back to her place with a light smirk about her face. This got her partners attention "What are you smiling about Ariadne?"
"Well looks like not only do I have a workout partner, but a student while Im at it."
"Heheh, true, but the question is can Kaze honestly survive it?"
"Hahaha, if he cant. We'll just have another interesting Spirit friend."
The dual chuckled together as they went off back to the place known as their home. Sadly when Kaze wakes up he'll have to get used to a new style of life which he probably wont give up without a fight.
**To be continued**
Hotshot: Hey were's TJ?
Rikumon: Your standing on him.
Hotshot*Blinks looking down before jumping off of TJ*TJ what are you doing down there??
Rikumon: He's out cold like Impmon's social skills.
Hotshot: Why?
Rikumon: To much activity, well hope to see you guys later.
Hotshot: Ya, and Read and Review to please?