Secrets Behind the Nine: The Shadow Warrior
Summary: After two weeks of no monster attacks, Randy was dying for some ninja action. He wanted to beat up a monster, maybe destroy a robot or two. Just anything to beat the boredom. What he wasn't expecting was meeting some fox ninja who claimed to be his partner and a now humanized Nomicon telling him that the Sorcerer was nearly on the brink of breaking out.
Disclaimer: I do not own RC9GN or any of its characters. They belong to Disney XD and its creators. I only own the plot, original characters, and anything that isn't part of the canon.
Prologue
~.~
Shadows in the rain,
A fox waits with patient eyes
And a smile wide
If there was one thing that everyone in Norrisville dreaded, it would have to be thunderstorms. Everyone's mood seemed to always drop during rainy days, as if the weather reflected the whole town's state of mind. The usually bright, azure skies were covered with thick storm clouds, grey as stone. Not a single beam of sunlight managed to pass through the dense clouds. Rain came down in harsh sheets, causing anyone who dared to go outside to be soaked to the bone. Everything was wet and cold, from the slick ground to the harsh wind. Sudden claps of thunder shook the town every minute or so, while bright flashes of lightning lit up the sky in dazzling nets of flashing lights. The streets were empty, save for a car or two and a few brave souls. Everyone else was stuck inside, hoping and praying for this unseasonable weather to pass.
Randy Cunningham stared out the window with a bored look on his face, halfheartedly listening to his best friend, Howard Weinerman, as he whined about something his sister Heidi did. Rain pitter-pattered against the window, trickling down the glass like water sliding off a bird's wing. The school hallways were filled with loud voices and the squeaking of wet shoes, almost drowned out by the cracks of thunder from outside. A few students glanced out the windows, while other loudly complained about the dreary weather. Only a few dared to say that they found the weather rather nice, but no one tried to make them think otherwise. They were already grumpy enough as it is. The purple-haired teen rested his forehead against the cool glass, sighing deeply.
There hadn't been a single monster or robot attack for the past two weeks. Nothing new or exciting has happened—save for the constant rainstorms—and Randy hated it. McFist and the Sorcerer had been quiet for far too long. There were plenty of chances for the Sorcerer to stank some students, or for McFist to send out some nasty robots. And yet, they didn't take advantage of that opportunity. McFist just kept on being the "wonderful" businessman Norrisville believes him to be, while the Sorcerer remained idle. It was nerve-wracking, just waiting for them to do something. What could possibly make them stay low for this long? Were they planning something big? Or, was there something else that was going on? Randy wanted to ease his worries by doing some snooping, but Howard prevented him from doing any recon. He was always hassling him for some more bro-time, constantly telling him to chill out. He even made the young ninja swear not to NNS unless there was actually something going on.
"...and then, she blamed me for something that I—partially—didn't do!" exclaimed the ginger. He popped his head out of the locker, quickly glancing over at his purple-haired friend. "Sure, what I did was pretty wonked up, but she made it worse! Can you believe her, Cunningham? Talk a major league bi—you aren't listening to me, are you?"
"Hmm?" Randy turned around, blinking. "Oh. Uh...yeah..."
The pudgy teen huffed, slamming his locker shut. "Look, Cunningham," he began, "I get it. You're the Ninja—you're all about kicking some monster ass and stopping bad guys. I know this whole zero-monster-or-robot-action thing is bumming you out, but come on!" He spread out his arms. "Look on the bright side! Things could be worse!"
Just as he said it, a flash of lightning lit up the sky outside. The whole hallway went pitch black, causing a few students to scream and others to curse aloud. Both teens froze, before slowly glancing at one another. Howard chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head as the taller teen glared at him.
"I...take that back."
Randy groaned, rolling his sapphire eyes as he turned back to the window. "This is so wonk," he whined, banging his head against the glass. "I'm just so tired of sitting on my honkin' butt doing absolutely nothing!"
"And I'm just so tired of listening to you whining about doing nothing," came the snide remark of the ginger. "We all got problems, Cunningham. You should be glad that you finally got the week off."
"I guess." He sighed. "But, I can't help it! It's driving me nuts, thinking about how my arch-enemies are probably planning something big right now. They could be working on some ultimate Ninja-destroying weapon, or figuring out a way to break out the Sorcerer. Or maybe they're doing nothing at all, who knows! I sure don't because of a certain someone."
That last remark came out a bit harsh. Howard flinched, but managed to brush it off.
"Cunningham, relax," Howard said, shutting his locker. "I'm sure something'll happen soon."
"I doubt it." Randy pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.
The bell chimed, signalling that first period was about to begin. Everyone hurried off to class, groaning and complaining loudly. Howard and Randy shared a glance before heading off to homeroom.
The morning classes dragged on at a snail's pace, boring Randy to death. The teachers continue to drone on about whatever subject they were teaching, vaguely aware that the students were zoning out. Randy couldn't decide if they were forcing themselves to continue to teach or if they honestly did not care at this point, but he had a feeling it was the latter. Most of his classmates paid no attention, save for a few of the nerds and teacher's pets. While they were paying close attention, the rest of the class were either napping or going on their phones. Randy swore he saw someone taking a selfie right when the teacher looked their way. Howard was sleeping the entire time, save for the few rare moments when he passed a few notes in Randy's direction. The teacher always caught him, however. Randy, on the other hand, was either doodling or flipping through the Nomicon. A few students gave him weird looks when they saw him reading, but didn't do anything else.
Once lunchtime rolled around, rumors began to spread. Apparently, there were going to be some big changes happening to Norrisville High next week, changes that involved some company called Kakuchō Enterprises. Principal Slimovitz was trying to keep any information about it on the down low, but he sorely underestimated Heidi's determination to get the latest gossip and Debbie Kang's inquisitive nature. Heidi's webcast began blowing up, with the feisty redhead voicing out everyone's speculations about the matter. Some thought that the school was going to get a makeover with the help of Kakuchō Enterprises, while others believed that the staff was going to start to enforce the old rules. Once the subject of the "old rules" had popped up, the student body began gossiping and spreading rumors about what they were. Some spoke of the old rules in high regards, while others spoke of them as if they were some sort of horrible disease. Randy didn't understand what the big deal was about them, but then again he didn't even know what the old rules were. He was just as clueless as everyone else.
By the time sixth period rolled around, everyone was anxious for the weekend to be over and for it to be Monday. It was a shock, since it was unheard of for high school teenagers to be ready for the weekend to be over so they can return to school. But, then again, it is understandable that they wanted to see what the changes were going to be. Some of the teachers themselves were also curious about it, as well.
Once the final bell rang for the day, everyone dashed out and headed home.
"Hey Cunningham!" Howard said. "You have to come over. I just found this online version of Grave Punchers and the gameplay is the cheese!"
"Whoa, really?" Randy asked, eyes wide with excitement. "Dude, what are we standing around here for? Let's bounce!"
With that, the two teens raced down the road.
Randy spent the rest of the afternoon and almost half the night at Howard's place, playing Grave Punchers and messing around with his best bro. Both boys were lost in their fun until Mrs. Weinerman came in and told Randy he had to go home. Despite Howard's protests, Randy promised he would meet up with Howard tomorrow and left the Weinerman household.
The rain continued to rage on, showing no signs of stopping. The moon tried desparately to pierce through the darkness, barely managing a faint glow behind the dense clouds. The frigid air sent shivers down Randy's spine, but the purple-haired teen didn't mind. He continued to walk down the dimly lit sidewalk, until the sounds of heavy footsteps caught his attention. Randy stopped in his tracks. He glanced around the darkened street, his hand hovering over the pocket where his ninja mask was hidden. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until a sudden clap of thunder rang through the air. Randy jumped, inwardly groaning as the rain suddenly came down a bit harder. He was about to pull his hood over his head when his gaze fell upon two figures standing in the middle of the road.
'What the juice?'
Randy quickly ducked behind some bushes, poking his head out ever so slightly. His eyes scanned the area, before focusing on the two figures once again.
One was obviously a woman, judging by her thin form and choice of clothing. Long, midnight locks tumbled down past her delicate shoulders, stopping at her back. A tattered, rain-soaked dress hung desperately on her bony body. The dress was white as snow, with long sleeves that covered the woman's hands and a skirt that reached down to the ground. Atop her head was a wide-brimmed, straw hat, shielding her head from the on-coming rain while also obscuring her face. She stood tall and still, as if she was frozen in place. With her old-fashioned clothes and stillness, the woman looked like something out of an old, Japanese painting.
A pit suddenly formed in his stomach. His mind traveled back to his childhood, back when his mom still tucked him in at night and his dad told him bedtime stories when he refused to fall asleep. He remembered the time his Uncle John came to visit, a month after he quit his job as a taxi driver in Quezon City. When his mom confronted him about it, Uncle John explained to them why he had quit. He was working the graveyard shift one night when a beautiful woman approached him and asked for a ride. When the woman climbed in, Uncle John turned around to ask her where she was going. But, he never got that question out. Once he got a good look at the woman's face, he bolted out of the car and never returned. After that, his uncle quit his job and never returned to Quezon City ever again. When his mom pressed on and asked who the woman, all Uncle John managed to get out was "White Lady". His mom never dared to bring up the subject ever again afterwards.
Randy shuddered, shaking his head. He turned his head over to the other figure, trying to ignore that churning feeling.
In the light of the storm, Randy could barely make out the other figure. They stood tall and proud, holding a long metal staff with a curved single-edged blade at the end. They were dressed in some sort of black ninja suit, which was different than the suit Randy wore. Their suit was almost like those training gi people who do karate wear, with sleeves that went down to their elbows and loose pants tucked into black boots. Black gloves adorn their hands, going up to the middle of their forearms. The whole suit reminded Randy of this one ninja he had seen around in the Nomicon; the one that seemed to linger around a temple that had a mural of the imprisonment of the Sorcerer. Dark, misty grey markings adorn the suit instead of the familiar scarlet red, giving the suit a more shadow-like vibe to it. A scarf-like sash was wrapped around their waist, colored blackish-red with the long, loose end of the sash hanging out like a tail. A reddish-black, cloak-like shawl was wrapped around their shoulders, the upper part of the shawl covering their mouth. A hood was pulled over their head, nearly obscuring their face, while the tattered ends of the shawl reached down to the ground. What stood out to Randy was that it seemed that the suit didn't come with a mask. Instead, this ninja wore some sort of Japanese fox mask over their face. The mask was pure black, with grey markings and red designs decorating it. Along with the shawl, the mask obscured the ninja's face from Randy's curious eyes.
The fox-masked ninja took a cautious step forward, careful not to get too close to the woman in white. The woman, however, took a bold step forward.
"You dare challenge me, little girl?" the woman said, her voice a ghostly rasp. "I am the White Lady! I nearly laid waste to this pitiful place with only my charms and my spells. My beauty once brought men and women alike to their knees. My voice enticed others to do my bidding, only to meet their demise. My hexes have brought me untold riches beyond my wildest dreams. This city could have been wrapped around my fingers if it wasn't for you and your meddlesome boytoy!"
The fox-masked ninja said nothing. Instead, they rushed forward and swung their staff. The White Lady dove right, barely missing the curved blade by a millimeter. She extended her talon-like claws towards the ninja, aiming to kill. But, instead, they sliced through empty air as the ninja sidestepped to the left, seemingly sliding across the rain-soaked ground as they swung their staff again. The sharp blade slashed across the White Lady's arm, leaving behind a new wound. She let out a hiss, throwing her hat at the fox-masked ninja as she recoiled back to nurse her wound. The straw hat rammed into the ninja's stomach, causing them to stumble back and nearly lose their balance. The White Lady stumbled back, standing a few feet in front of the bush Randy was hiding in. Randy held his breath, praying to any deity that was listening for the woman not to notice him. However, his prayers were cut short when the White Lady turned her head towards the bush.
Randy's heart nearly skipped a beat as he stared at the ghostly woman. Adorning the her face were nasty-looking bruises and gashes, marring away any features that could identify the woman as human. Crimson blood gushed out of her grisly wounds, mixing with the tears that streamed down her cheeks from the milky white orbs she had for eyes. The sides of her mouth were slit open, revealing sharp teeth that could easily tear through meat. Now getting a good look at her, Randy realized that she wasn't something that could have come from an old Japanese painting. No, this woman looked like something straight out of whatever hell the Japanese believed in. She was like a ghost that would haunt abandoned temples, or a demon that devoured anyone that dared to cross her path. Though she was too gruesome to look at, Randy couldn't help but stare.
"Damnable vixen!" she cried. She turned around, her words piercing the air like tiny daggers. "Pathetic virago, I'll kill you!"
The White Lady rushed forward again, this time quicker than before. The fox-masked ninja evaded the attack by leaping up and sailing over the woman's head, seemingly flying through the air. However, the White Lady expected this. With a smirk, her hand snapped out and grabbed the ninja by their ankle. With a cackle, the White Lady tossed them across the street. Their body flew through the air, slamming into a nearby street lamp. With a groan, the ninja's slid down the lamp until they fell onto their knees. They placed their staff in front of them, leaning against it for support. The White Lady pursed her lips before suddenly appearing in front of the fallen warrior, her hair flowing in the cold, damp winds. She reached forward and grabbed the ninja by their neck, her claws barely slicing through the thick fabric of the ninja's shawl. A smile found its way onto the her face as the ninja let out a strangled gasp, dropping their weapon onto the ground as they tried to pry the woman's hands off of their neck.
In the light of the storm, the White Lady leaned in close and gave the ninja sickly smile. Her eyes gleamed with hysteria, not caring about the rain or the thunder or the lightning around them. She focused on the meddlesome ninja before her, the one that dared to challenge her. So what if she was murdering a few drunkards? She was killing them for the greater good! They were disgusting pigs who didn't respect women and treated them like property. If anything, she was doing those poor girls those bastards were harassing a favor! No one was going to help them, anyways. But, of course, this damnable vixen had to waltz in and play hero. They always did this, always barging in and getting in the way. Oh, but tonight, that would change. Tonight, she would turn the tables and have the odds stacked in her favor. She would get rid of this bothersome creature once and for all.
"What are you going to do now?" the White Lady cooed, her voice sickly sweet. "You have no weapons. You have no tricks up your sleeves. No one can save you now, Kitsune!"
The ninja, Kitsune, merely chuckled. The White Lady raised a brow, her grip on their neck loosening.
"What's so funny?"
Kitsune offered no answer, showing no signs to indicate the cause of their mirth. They merely tilted their head at the White Lady, smiling underneath their shawl. Gritting her teeth, she shook the little vixen and bared her sharp teeth.
"I asked you a question, stupid fox!" She shook the Kitsune, though that only made them chuckle even more."What are you laughing at? What could possibly bring you joy when you're about to meet your demise? What—?"
"SMOKEBOMB!"
The White Lady whirled around, nearly dropping the Kitsune. A cloud of red smoke appeared in the middle of the street, just a few feet away from the two. Standing at the center of this cloud was none other than the blasted Norrisville Ninja.
"Alright, White Lady," he called out. He stood tall and proud, with his eyes narrowed at her. "I don't know what's going on here, but I'm gonna have to end this!"
Her scarred lips twitched, a small smirk finding its way onto her disfigured face. So, this was the newest incarnation of the Ninja?
"Ah, look who finally decided to show his face in this part of town!" the White Lady scoffed with a wave of her free hand. "May I say that it is a pleasure to finally be graced with your presence, Ninja! I thought I would never get the honor to meet you again after all these years."
"Uh..." The Ninja furrowed his brows, his defenses dropping just a bit.
"Oh, yes! Silly me." She dropped the Kitsune onto the ground, floating over towards the Ninja. Bowing her head, the White Lady offered the young warrior a Cheshire cat-worthy smile. "I am Lady Bai Riko, the White Lady of Kazuya. I was killed by one of your predecessors for conjuring up a storm that was going to wipe Kazuya off of the face of the planet. After my death, I became a vengeful storm spirit who kills anything that I come across."
The Ninja stared at her with wide, sapphire-blue eyes. "What—the—juice?!" he said, pausing between each word. "Wait, how did you—?"
"I guess your little book didn't tell you any of that, hmm?" Lady Bai Riko asked, pressing a finger against her lips as she giggled.
Before the Ninja could answer, her eyes flashed blue and she lunged forward. Acting quickly, the Ninja grabbed Bai Riko by her wrists and held her back. But, he sorely underestimated the White Lady's strength. Bai Riko broke free from the Ninja's grip with ease and began swinging her claws. The Ninja bobbed and weaved, blocking the lady's talon-like nails and managing to land a punch or two. They danced around each other, ignoring the harsh winds that swirled around them and the buckets of rain that fell from the stormy heavens. Their gazes were locked on one another, trying to evade the other's attack while trying to land a blow of their own.
In the past several months as the Ninja, Randy had never been in such a heated battle before. Sure, McFist's robots were pretty tough and the Sorcerer's stanked monsters were always a challenge. But, Randy knew what to do during those fights. He knew McFist and the Sorcerer, knew what they were capable of and what their tricks were. There was no surprise he wasn't ready for when it came to them. But, this Lady Bai Riko was a different. Randy had no idea who she was and what her motives were. Randy knew a thing or two about White Ladies—thanks to his mom and her stories about Filipino monsters—but Bai Riko wasn't anything like the White Ladies from his mom's stories. She was something new, and that scared Randy.
Lady Bai Riko swung her claws again, this time landing the blow. Randy let out a gasp as she sliced through the front of the suit, nearly piercing through his skin. He stumbled back, looking down at the blood that was beginning to trickle from his chest. Bai Riko was about to strike again, but Randy was quicker this time.
"Ninja electro ball!"
A softball-sized, emerald green ball flew through the air. Once it hit Bai Riko, it released a blast of electricity. The White Lady let out a screech as the ball shocked her, the pain even more excruciating thanks to the rain. Taking his chance, Randy ran over to the Kitsune, who was on their feet and holding their staff in their hands. The Kitsune looked at Randy, tilting their head at him.
"You're hurt," they said, revealing a soft voice that was laced with a charming accent that was obviously Japanese. She motioned towards the rip in his suit, the rip mending itself but not the wound.
"Yeah, no kidding," Randy chuckled. "So, fox ninja—"
"Kitsune," they corrected.
"—Kitsune, mind telling me what's going on here?" He paused. "Also, who the juice are you!?"
The Kitsune stayed silent for a few seconds, as if they were deciding on what to say.
"Several nights ago," they began, carefully, "Lady Bai Riko escaped her prison in the Spirit Realm. She's been raising hell in the streets of Norrisville; causing car crashes, scaring some citizens, and slaughtering others in cold blood. I've been trying to send her back to her prison, but she is an elusive shrew that refuses to be kept down."
"Yeah, no kidding," the Ninja snorted. He glanced over to Bai Riko, who was slowly recovering from his earlier attack. "Is sending her back to the hell she crawled out from the only way of getting rid of her?"
Kitsune followed his gaze, the grip on their weapon tightening. "No, there is another way to kill her indefinitely."
"And that way is...?"
They turned their head towards Randy, a sly smile creeping up onto her face. "I'll give you hint, Ninja. This method of execution is favored by the Queen of Hearts from 'Alice in Wonderland'."
Randy glanced at her staff, eyeing the glinting blade, before looking up at her. "Off with her head?"
"Off with her head, indeed."
A raspy laugh rang through the air, catching the attention of both ninjas. They turned their heads towards Lady Bai Riko, who was laughing her head off at them.
"You fools!" she boomed. "You think you can kill me? The last fool who attempted that died like the pathetic simpleton he was! What makes you think you two have a better chance?"
Randy opened his mouth to answer, but the words died in his throat as Kitsune leaped forward and swung her weapon. Lady Bai Riko dove back as the blade sliced through her dress and torso, leaving behind a bloody gash. Once the Kitsune dove to the right, they swung again and slit her leg. Bai Riko stumbled, nearly tripping over herself. Following the Kitsune's example, the Ninja rushed forward and brought out his sword. He thrusted the sword forward as the White Lady tried to twist away, the long blade piercing the woman's side. Bai Riko let out a guttural wail as she backed away, but was cut off when the Kitsune appeared behind her and drove the blade of her weapon through the White Lady's back. Everything seemed to slow down as Lady Bai Riko froze, her eyes wide and her mouth opened in a silent scream. She fell onto her knees as the fox-masked ninja pulled out her weapon, her head hanging low. Randy watched with wide eyes as blood poured profusely from her new wounds, staining her once lovely dress and the ground she knelt down upon. The urge to vomit was so great that the young ninja forced himself to look away.
Big mistake.
His eyes went to his sword, which was now smeared with the crimson liquid he was trying to avoid. A nagging voice creeped up into his mind. What was he doing? Was he really going to kill somebody? It was a stupid thought, since Randy spent most of his time killing McFist's robots and monsters. But, they were different. Robots and monsters didn't have blood. They bled oil and that weird green stuff Krackenstein had. They weren't living, breathing creatures, but machines brought to life by a mad scientist. As for the Sorcerer's stanked victims, Randy didn't kill any of them. He just had to rough them up until he destroyed the thing they held most dear. That was it. He didn't kill people, didn't spill blood or cause fatal wounds. He was just doing his job as protector of Norrisville. This right here was uncharted territory. This whole situation right here felt wrong to him. He couldn't chop off Lady Bai Riko's head and be done with it, that wasn't him. Randy Cunningham was a fighter, not a murderer. Even if she was a cold-hearted ghost that killed others for fun, Randy didn't know if he could go through with this. He didn't know if he can stomach the thought of him killing someone.
"Ninja!"
Randy turned to find the Kitsune looking at him. Their hood was pulled down, with their mask was pulled away from their face and resting on the side of their head. A fox-like face stared back at him, with light brown skin and thin lips turned down into a frown. Red markings, similar to the red and grey markings that decorated the fox mask, adorn their face. Fox-like eyes were filled with worry; the whites and irises of their eyes taking on a bright, golden shade of amber and their black, slit pupils were almost like that of a cat's. Their hair was of a dark, reddish-orange hue that blended silvery white, pulled back in a messy bun with many loose tresses framing their face in wavy curls. If Randy wasn't convinced that they were fox before, he was certainly sure of it now.
"I know you are having second thoughts," Kitsune said, lowering their weapon as they placed a hand on their chest. "I know you find this absolutely sickening and that you cannot fathom the thought of killing someone, even if that someone is a twisted beast with no morals. But, you must focus! To continue is power, to give in is weakness. You must remember that this is a cold, heartless monster we are fighting. This is not a defenseless civilian we are trying to slaughter, nor is this a poignant victim of the Sorcerer's enchantment. The blood that is staining your blade is not that of a harmless innocent, but that of a dangerous malevolent."
They pointed the blade of their staff towards Lady Bai Riko, who had her head raised up towards him. Randy could see the tears that were streaming down her face, the pleading look that adorn her marred features. She opened her mouth to say something, but she only managed to cough out blood. A pang of guilt resonated within Randy. He couldn't do it, he couldn't.
"I am aware that you have no idea who I am and have no reason to trust me," the fox continued on. "And, I am fine with that. But, if you truly cared about Norrisville, you will kill her. Remember, the mind can be deceived, but the soul always knows."
Randy looked at the fox, his brows raising sightly. He stared at them, then at Bai Riko, and then back at the Kitsune again. A sense of familiarity filled Randy's chest. Somehow, the Kitsune reminded him of the Nomicon. Though they were not a book filled eight hundred years of ancient ninja knowledge, the way they spoke and handled themselves were almost like that of the old book. They seemed to know what they were doing and had a few cryptic riddles up their sleeves. It was almost comforting to Randy. If the Kitsune was just some other ninja that were on the same level as him, then he would be suspicious or wary. But, something in his gut told him he could trust them.
'The soul always knows...'
The Ninja looked down at Bai Riko. He stared deeply into her tear-filled eyes. Though her face was pleading to him, her eyes told a different story. He could see the emptiness, the cruelty and coldness. Those tears weren't genuine at all. No, those were tears of a crocodile.
Clenching his jaw, Randy stepped forward. A sly smile was beginning to creep up onto Bai Riko's face as the Ninja raised his sword. But, the smile was wiped off when the blade connected with her neck.
The Kitsune pressed their lips into a thin line as the White Lady's body fell to the ground with a loud thud. They glanced up at the Ninja, who was too focused on the bloodied weapon in his hands. The fox walked over to him, carefully stepping over Bai Riko's corpse as it turned into a cloud of white mist and faded away. They placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, offering a patient smile.
"I am deeply sorry you had to do that," they apologized, solemnly. "If I had better control over this situation, we would have never crossed your path and forced you to do something you weren't comfortable of doing."
"Nah, it's cool," Randy laughed, halfheartedly. "I mean, at least it was just some creepy ghost and not an actual human being, right?"
Kitsune clicked her tongue. "You are handling this better than I had expected." A paused. "Or, are you just saying that because you don't want me to feel bad?"
"A little bit of both," he confessed. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "So, uh...now that that's taken care of, can you answer my question?"
"The one where you asked me who I am?" they asked.
"Yeah, that one."
Kitsune laughed, breathlessly. "I supposed it's only fair, since I already know who you are." She bowed her head. "I am Kitsune Tamashī, the Kagemusha of Kazuya."
"Kazuya? What the juice is that?"
"Norrisville's original and actual name," they clarified. "Norrisville is more of a nickname that is used by foreigners that move to here or by those whose families are not natives."
Randy recalled that one history lesson where they were talking about old Norrisville. His teacher talked about how Norrisville was one of three towns that was mostly inhabited by foreigners and immigrants, but was still governed and controlled by the natives. He always found that odd, but he never really questioned it.
"Anyways," Kitsune continued, "I am the Ninja's partner and companion. I help you protect Norrisville from the forces of evil. We work together in order to keep the Sorcerer at bay. We look out for one another, we protect each other."
Randy stared at them in shock, his eyes going wide. "Wha...?"
They turned away, facing the parting clouds and the setting moon. "I'm sure you have many questions. But, now is not the time to ask them. The night has come and gone. It is time for us to take our leave." Kitsune turned back to him, giving him sly grin. "See you around, Ninja."
And with that, they pulled out a small grey orb adorned with black markings. Kitsune dropped it onto the ground, and soon disappeared in a cloud of grey smoke. The scent of peony invaded the Ninja's nostrils, leaving him slightly stunned. He stayed standing there for a few moments until the moon was nearing the horizon. Randy shook his head, and dropped a smokebomb of his own.
Hello again, everyone! It's Dork Asian, here with the long awaited rewrite of my two previous ninjashow stories.
It's...been awhile, hasn't it? I apologize, but I've been very busy these past several months. I rather not bore you with the details, but I've just been working on some other stories and dealing with high school. I've also sorta fallen out of the fandom for a good while, before I remembered I love this cartoon to death and I refuse to leave such a lovely fandom. So, here I am!
Now, to clarify a few things so you guys won't be confused or anything, this story is going to be canon-divergent and almost AU-ish. Part of this AU is that Norrisville is not located in America, but rather in this universe's version of Japan. "Norrisville", as stated in this chapter, is sort of its nickname. More about that will be revealed later on!
The reason why I decided to make this story a canon-divergent/AU-ish sort of story is because there are a few things that I wasn't really satisfied with in canon. I love the show to death, but that doesn't mean I can acknowledge its flaws and whatnot! So, there's going to be headcanons (both mine and others'), OCs, and things that aren't totally canon all throughout this story. I have so much planned for this story, and backstories that are my take on the show's lore and whatnot. However, I'll try to incorporate as much canon as I can manage. I don't want to completely change everything, but I still want to fit in some things that will make it go along with this story's plot.
With that said, I hoped you enjoy the prologue! Please do not forget to leave behind a review. They make me smile, and I love hearing what you guys have to say! I'll see you all later.
Cheers!
~Ari