Chapter 1: The Self-proclaimed Ranting Dragon
Long ago, in a place known as-
Tiny Tina: HEY RANTING RYUU! WHERE'S THE UPDATE FOR SON OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS?
Ranting Ryuu: Sheesh, it's coming soon-
Tiny Tina: Everyone's been waiting forever for it, slowpoke!
Ranting Ryuu: I KNOW! Milarqui is beta reading it as we speak! When he's done and sends it back to me, I will look over it and then post it, Dangnabbit!
Tiny Tina: Well, it's about damn time…procrastinator.
Ranting Ryuu: I swear, I'm going to take away your cookie privileges if I hear one more peep out of you about procrastination! On with the story!
Long ago, in a place known as the internet, there was a reader of fanfiction, a watcher of YouTube, a young man who craved to shout out his inner thoughts as he pursued his dreams. After years of watching and reading, he finally said, "What the heck, let's give this a shot!" and set out to create.
And create he did. With the powers of the Author, he created a place of his own, using fanfiction itself, such as this very fanfic that you readers are reading…
Crash!
"Dangnabbit! I just rebuilt that fourth wall!"
…Anyways, he created the place known as…The Ranting Realm. And, the author who created this multiverse realm, proclaimed himself as Ranting Ryuu.
The Ranting Realm was a place filled with everything that the author of this fanfic…
Crash!
"Dangnabbit!"
Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, THUMP!
Clutch! "Urrk!"
"Stop breaking the fourth wall, Narrator!"
Wheeze! "Sorry sir!" Cough!
"Ok, resume your task!"
So, um, the Ranting Realm was divided into Regions, or basically provinces, that belonged to different forms of media.
For example, there is the Lord of the Ring Region, a Mass Effect Region, and even a Shriek Region. Each region was basically a section of the Ranting Realm that belonged to either a movie, a video game, a book, a cartoon or anime, and anything else that Ranting Ryuu enjoyed or liked.
Think of the Ranting Realm as a universe, and the different Regions are different galaxies within that universe. With so many different places of wonder, there are more than a few odd occurrences with in the Ranting Realm. If one wishes to hear of them, then welcome to…
Tales of the Ranting Realm!
…So, did I do well enough for those reading this fanfic here, Ranting Ryuu?
Crash!
…oops.
"Don't you dare run away from me!"
Elsewhere in the Ranting Realm…
At the center of the Ranting Realm was an up-side down pyramid with multiple levels visible that was Ranting Ryuu's personal fortress planet. On the top of the pyramid, there were many trees and building visible.
"That looks a lot like my planet!" Beerus, the God of Destruction noted.
Well, Beerus does have a pretty cool looking home. Ryuu liked it so much, he based his own home off of it.
Walking down a hallway was Mr. Nainso Ziska, a character from the Dreamkeepers Webcomic. Nainso was an anthropomorphic cat whose fur was mostly dark brown and with some white markings on it. He wore a business shirt with a vest and tie, looking very professional.
"Hey Nainso!" Came the voice of Tiny Tina as she skipped up. "I need you to sign me some extra nukes for something I'm working on."
"…No." Nainso replied after a moment.
"What? Why not?"
"Because you've already been given your quota for nukes this year." Nainso answered.
"But…"
"No." Nainso stated before continuing on past Tiny Tina.
Tiny Tina stood still for a second, before turning to glance at Nainso's back with her eye twitching in anger.
Reaching the fortress reception room, Nainso calmly sipped his tea as he sat down to look over the paperwork on his desk.
The entrance portal flared up and several figures entered, causing Nainso to look up and mentally sigh at seeing ponies approaching.
"Hello, Mr. Ziska," Greeted Twilight Sparkle, who was accompanied by her friends, the Mane Six and Spike the dragon.
"Miss Sparkle, correct?" Nainso noted.
"That's right. We are here because…"
"Ooooh! Is this one of the ryuu-nekos from the Dreamkeepers webcomic I've heard about?" Fluttershy interrupted. She was face to face with the red-colored creature.
"Yes, he is a fire ryuu-neko named Diligence." Nainso explained.
"He likes to stare in distain, doesn't he?" Fluttershy noted as Diligence stared in distain at the ponies. But, he did that to everyone.
"Fluttershy, dear, we have business that we must take care of." Rarity remarked.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Fluttershy bashfully remarked.
"It's alright, Fluttershy," Twilight spoke before turning back to Nainso. "Anyways, we're here to turn in our application for a My Little Pony Region within the Ranting Realm."
"Ah, yes. Ranting Ryuu has left me instructions on how to handle this," Nainso remarked. He opened a drawer and reached for something. "I'll have your answer in a second."
"Really?" Twilight asked.
"Wow, talk about fast service! I like that." Rainbow Dash remarked.
"Good." Nainso remarked as he pulled out a rubber stamp. He then stamped the application with…
"REJECTED!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Well, that ain't very encouraging." Applejack sullenly stated.
"Yah! I bet there are plenty of bronies reading this who disagree!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"Why is our application being rejected?" Spike asked.
"Simple, little dragon. MLP does not fulfill the requirements to have a region within the Ranting Realm." Nainso answered.
"Doesn't fulfill the requirements?"
"Oh, my dear Mr. Ziska," Rarity interjected. "Surely My Little Pony fulfills any necessary requirements."
"Yah! Ryuu has seen more of TFS's abridged series more than he's watched the official Dragonball Z series, but that anime still has its own region within the Realm!" Rainbow Dash pointed out.
"That may be, but Ryuu has watched full episodes of the official Dragonball Series. He has not seen a full episode of MLP." Nainso refuted.
"Wait a darn second! Hasn't he seen that one episode about Twilight?" Applejack questioned.
"I'd…rather not talk about that episode." Twilight grimaced.
"Ah, come on, Twilight!" Pinkie shouted as she put a hoof around Twilight. "It's for the cause!"
"…sigh…They're referring to…Lesson Zero." Twilight said with a grimace.
"But, did Ryuu watch the whole episode? From beginning to finish?" Nainso pressed.
"Uhhh…mmm…nooo." Twilight slowly replied.
"Then it doesn't count." Nainso stated, causing the Mane Six to groan.
"Hey, wait!" Spike spoke up. "Didn't Ryuu read MLP fanfiction before? Does that count?"
"Hey, that's right!" Pinkie Pie shouted.
"Ah, Ryuu left a note about that," Nainso revealed as he opened a drawer and pulled the note out. "Which says 'I was bored and desperate for something to read. Besides, it was a crossover with Naruto.'"
"What difference does it make if the fanfiction was a crossover with Naruto?" Twilight asked.
"Since Naruto was the main character of the fanfiction, Ryuu considers it more of a Naruto fanfiction, rather than a MLP fanfiction. Ryuu would have to read a standalone MLP fanfic for you to have grounds for your claim." Nainso explained.
"But that is so unfair!" Rainbow Dash said in annoyance.
"Sorry, but it is Ryuu who makes the final decisions. That's the way things are at this time."
"Ugh, come on, everypony. We'll figure out a way to fix this." Twilight announced as she and her friend reluctantly left.
Nainso resumed his work, but was soon visited by a fellow character from Dreamkeepers in the form of a green cat-like girl.
"Excuse me, Mr. Ziska?"
"Ah, hello Lilith," Nainso greeted Lilith Calah, one of the main characters of Dreamkeepers. "What brings you here?"
"I was just wanting ask if Ryuu told you anything about the proposal for a Dreamkeepers fanfiction. Ryuu did discuss the idea with cjboughton."
"I am fascinated with this possibility as well." Spoke up the sly voice of Lilith's half-sister, Namah, a violet and pinkish lizard-like girl.
"Ryuu has informed me that he is giving considerable thought to the idea." Nainso replied.
"Really?" Lilith exclaimed in joy.
"Eeeexellent!" Namah grinned.
"But, starting the fanfiction will probably be a while off yet."
"Why is that?" Lilith started to ask.
"Hey," Namah interrupted. "Does anyone else hear music of impending doom?"
They all paused as organ music started to play and slowly turned to see Tiny Tina entering the room…
…With the Evil Eye directed at Nainso…
…KOYAANISQATSI…
Tiny Tina continued to walk casually around the front of the desk as she continued to give Nainso the Evil Eye.
…KOYAANISQATSI…
"This is just like that seen from Scrubs…" Namah noted.
…KOYAANISQATSI…
…continued the music as Tiny Tina continued to give the Evil Eye…before it cut off as Tina's path resulted in Lilith and Namah standing between her and Nainso.
"Um, would you two furry hotties mind moving? I'm trying to give brown furry shitstain over there the Evil Eye." Tiny Tina asked.
Lilith and Namah blinked for a second before moving to the side.
"Thank you," Tiny Tina said to Lilith before turning towards Namah. "I appreciate it."
Then…
…KOYAANISQATSI…
…began again as Tiny Tina resumed giving Nainso the Evil Eye.
Then she turned and skipped out of the room.
"…I like her!" Namah broke the silence.
"Uh, anyways, you were about to explain why Ryuu is hesitating about a Dreamkeepers fanfic?" Lilith spoke up.
"Oh, yes. Well, Ryuu would like to wait until the next volume of Dreamkeepers is released. There is still a lot about the setting, plot, and characters that needs to be explained. He still considers the Dreamkeepers comic to be in a rather early stage for him to come up with a properly written fanfiction," Nainso explained before his eyes slide towards Namah. "Not to mention he wants to get a dictionary and a thesaurus so that he can find random words for Namah to use in her dialogue. As well as for other dialogue within the Dreamkeepers universe."
"Ah, I rejoice in great splendor at the understanding possessed by Ryuu for the vernacular and articulation that forms my linguistic speech." Namah declared as raised her head with reverence.
"Argh…"
Everyone turned to see that it was Ranting Ryuu himself who had groaned.
"I think I got a headache from trying to write your line of dialogue just now, Namah." Ryuu said as he rubbed his temples.
"…Ahhh, wouldn't that count as another fourth wall joke?" Lilith asked.
"Rule of three, Sis." Namah pointed out.
"Oh…"
Wisp, who was also from Dreamkeepers, phased through the wall with a grin. "Ooooh! Wisp is looking forward to seeing you try to write the Rhyming Nightmare's dialogue, Ryuu!"
"…no…no! …no, please, NO! I'm not a poet or a rhymer! My brain can't take too much while I'm in collage!" Ryuu moaned.
"Not to mention the Indigo Twins…" Wisp continued.
"Dangnabbit Wisp!" Ranting Ryuu yelled. "I'm getting out of here before you make my head hurt even worse. I'm going to go make sure Tiny Tina isn't making any plans about killing Nainso."
"You can do that, sir?" Nainso asked, with some hope.
"Keep her from killing you. Yes. Keep her from tormenting you…that's a different matter."
"Wait, Ryuu!" Lilith called out. "You wouldn't have to write the dialogue in a Dreamkeepers fanfic that complicated all the time."
"Maybe, but unless I do it on occasion, it's not paying the proper homage to the webcomic." Ryuu replied.
"Well, since you are here, would you perhaps consider doing the Dreamkeepers story idea for one of your previews? I would greatly appreciate it." Lilith asked with a pleading look.
"…Alright, fine." Ranting Ryuu replied before turning to look at you. "To all my awesome readers out there, what Lilith is talking about is that I will show you previews of various fanfiction ideas that I have planned to write at some point in the future. I will also give you brief descriptions about the story ideas. I'm adding this in because I want your input about the ideas, and, after we've seen a number of these previews, I will open a poll so that you can vote on which story I will tackle next!"
"However, keep in mind that I am behind on my stories due to collage. So, whatever story that is voted, I won't be able to start it for quite some time. Not to mention giving you more chapters of this story you're currently reading so that you can see more previews."
"Since Lilith asked nicely, I will start with the Dreamkeepers preview, and I will even add two more different story previews for you to read in this chapter, because I'm nice like that. I will hold off the poll until several chapters later and we get a larger number of previews written so that you will have plenty to choose from! Let us begin!"
Dreamkeepers: Order of the Dragon (working title, open to suggestions)
Preview Start
Lilith did her best to suppress a sigh as a ribbon was tied onto her tail. She was wearing the most cringe-inducing yellow dress imaginable. Being the daughter of the Viscount had some benefits...well, she thinks it does, but it had its annoyances as well.
The reason she had to wear the unbearably frilly dress was because it was her tenth birthday…and her father was turning it into one of his press conferences. A speech would be given, news reporter's questions would be answered, and many pictures would be taken to 'celebrate' her birthday.
Sometimes, Lilith wished she could be locked up like her sister Namah. Or, rather, at least have a small, private birthday.
"Wow, Lilith. That's…quite the dress."
Lilith stiffened as she heard Xavier's voice. For some reason, her embarrassment was even worse now that her friend had shown up. She turned to meet Xavier's red iris looking at her. She noticed that his pitch black hair was, like usual, a little messy.
Xavier was wearing his usual attire of a white shirt with a black vest. He also wore his black leather gloves. As the only human in Anduruna, as well as placed under the care of the Viscount, he too was to be a part of the photo shoot for Lilith's birthday. Xavier was currently trying to hold back the grimace that threaten to appear on his face at the sight of the dress Lilith was forced to wear.
"Well, I, uh…it's a nice color…" Lilith hesitantly replied.
"I'm not certain that bright yellow is your color…and your face tell me what you really think about the dress." Xavier said with a small chuckle.
Lilith merely let out another sigh.
"Look on the bright side, amethyst eyes," Xavier encourage. "You only have to wear that dress for a couple hours, then you can let Namah dispose of the dress in a creative and chaotic way."
Lilith felt a smile work its way onto her face, happy at Xavier's attempts to help her. "That might be the one time I encourage Namah's eccentrics."
Xavier smiled back, before leaning close to whisper to her. "Later, when we're with Namah, the three of us can celebrate a real party for you and I'll give you your present then."
"But you're holding a present." Lilith pointed out.
"It's your first present. One that will play along with your father's stupid idea of turning your birthday into a news report. I'll give you your real present later."
The two of them were interrupted by Lilith's father calling over to them.
"Xavier! Come over here, my boy!" Viscount Calah motioned for Xavier to join him and the clothing designer, Clair. "Everything will begin soon and you need to put on the outfit that has been selected for you!"
"I'll see you in a few moments, Lilith." Xavier said before heading over to meet the Viscount. "So, what exactly is this outfit you want me to wear?"
"Well, Mr. Xander, the Viscount and I have settled on this for you to wear." Designer Clair answered with some hesitancy, indicating that it was more of the Viscount's decision rather than hers. Nonetheless, she held up the outfit. Upon seeing it, Xavier's face slowly turned into a mixture of horror and disgust.
It was a sailor boy's outfit.
"…Lilith may be kind-hearted enough to not complain when you make her wear a horrendous dress, but you're a bigger fool than I imagined if you think I'm going to wear that monstrosity." Xavier stated.
"Now, now, we believe this outfit would be a great match for you…"
"Just because you found me unconscious in the ocean doesn't mean I should wear an outfit meant for a very unfortunate infant."
"…and we're trying to portray a happy, family image…"
"What the hell does a sailor boy suit have to with family?"
"…although you are not actually a part of my family, I am your guardian and have your best interests in mind…"
"Self-proclaimed guardian, so that you can use the only human in Anduruna for your political agenda."
"Not to mention, we must provide a positive influence for the populace of Anduruna."
"Does it not occur to you how I might make you regret such a decision?" Xavier growled.
Viscount Calah's paused his mini-speech before asking, "What do you mean by that?"
"There's going to be a lot of cameras." Xavier started to explain.
"Well, of course there will be. It's a celebration."
"With lots of news reporters that I'll be speaking to." Xavier continued.
"Well, yes. But, why would…"
"So, if you force me to wear that abomination, how many rumors would you like for me to spread about you…to the news…on live camera…for all of the city of Anduruna to hear?" Xavier said with a glare.
"…"
"…"
"…You know what, Clair?" Viscount Calah said while putting a hand on the designer's shoulder and gesturing towards Xavier with the other. "I think we have the wrong idea in mind. Instead of the sailor boy outfit, maybe we can use Xavier's shirt and vest to portray a 'young professionals of Anduruna' image! It could be great for encouraging our youth for future careers options. Maybe if we get rid of the gloves…"
"No." Xavier stated with his arms folded.
"…or maybe get him a business coat…"
"No." Xavier repeated.
"…matching tie?"
Xavier remained silent this time. The Viscount knew it was the best he would get.
"A matching tie, then! If you please, Miss Jen." The Viscount ordered while mentally sighing. He swore that the human boy was starting to cause him as much stress as Namah did. At least he wasn't as chaotic as his illegitimate daughter.
"Now then," the Viscount spoke up again after Xavier got his tie. "Since we're aiming for a young professional look, we need to think of a career goal in case the news reporters ask. So, have you a future job in mind that you're aiming for, Xavier?"
Xavier stared at Viscount Calah for a second before giving him a small grin.
"Yours."
"Oh, come now, Xavier. Let's be serious. What do you really want to do in the future?"
Xavier's grin changes into a very Namah-like smirk before turning to rejoin Lilith, leaving a bewildered Viscount with horror growing in him.
Preview End
Setting the stage: Now, for those of you who don't know, this fanfic takes places in the Dreamkeepers webcomic. If you have not read it, then I would highly recommend you give it a shot. Basically, it goes like this.
Every individual in our world has a Dreamkeepers counterpart. They each exist in their own realities with no way of traveling between the realities, and no way of communication.
Tiny Tina: Until Xavier appears…but Ryuu will get to that in a second.
(When did she show up again?)
As I said, each human has a Dreamkeeper counterpart, but the Dreamkeepers are anthropomorphic animals…sort of. As each Dreamkeeper counterpart reflects character traits and subconscious aspects, practically no two Dreamkeepers are alike. They often look like a combination of animals that have led to really creative designs. So, if you hear anthropomorphic animals and think of some of the characters in Zootopia, you're a bit off the mark. You will have to read the webcomic to see all the amazing designs that Dreamkeepers have.
Also, at first glance, Dreamkeepers may look like a cutesier webcomic. But, the very first couple of pages in the webcomic will prove you wrong! I don't want to spoil anything, though I will say I myself was shocked and dumfounded when I started to read the webcomic.
Tiny Tina: Anyways, on to the story explanation, starting with the main character, Xavier Xander!
"Why the name, Xavier Xander?" Nainso asked.
I wanted something uncommon, so I choose Xavier. The name Xander was one of several that was suggested to me by cjboughton. I decided to make Xander the last name cause…well, something like this popped into my head.
"Mr. Xander…Welcome back." Agent Smith stated as he strode through the flying crows toward Xavier.
Not that there will be any Matrix stuff appearing…But, maybe a Smith-like character could appear…maybe.
As I said, there is no connection or pathway between the human or Dreamkeeper world…until Xavier is found unconscious in the ocean off the beach of Anduruna, Jason Borne style. And like Jason Borne, he has no memory of who he is or how he got there. All he knows is that his name is Xavier Xander.
To describe Xavier…well, simply put, remember when William from my Son of the Seven Kingdoms fanfic threatened Pycelle in chapter 11. That's kind of how Xavier is going to be like.
Xavier is a mixture of hero and anti-hero. He is generally a good person, wants to improve people's lives, and commit good deeds. However, not afraid of using underhand tactics to achieve his goals, and, as you saw in the preview, wants to be Viscount, the leader of Anduruna. This is because Xavier is an ambitious person. William understands that one must sometimes do things you don't like for the good of many, but he does so with reluctance. Xavier, however, doesn't really have that reluctance.
I'm not saying that Xavier is heartless, cruel, or anything like that. He believes in second chances. He just makes it very clear that if you do not do well on that second chance, you will regret it.
At least, I'm going to try and make him a character like that.
For his appearance, you basically take the younger version of Walter from the Hellsing anime, and give him blood red eyes. His clothes are largely the same, with black pants, white long sleeve shirt, vest, and black gloves. One difference is that Xavier's vest is black, unlike the purple colored vest that Walter wears. That's basically what Xavier looks like. Sometimes, he wears a coat with hood, like what is worn by organizations XIII from the Kingdoms heart series, which was a suggestion made by cjboughton, or some type of trench coat with a hood.
(There's a reason for the hood.) (Tiny Tina: To try and hide his identity when he needs to, since he is easily identifiable as the only human?) (…Thanks for spoiling that, Tina.) (Tiny Tina: No problem.)
Now, for the pairings. At this moment, Xavier will probably be paired up with both Lilith and Namah. Mainly because this was a request from cjboughton when he first requested me to write a Dreamkeepers fanfic. Not to mention, I like the idea.
Tiny Tina: Oooohhhh, sisters! Kinky!
Half-sisters, technically. Anyways, Xavier x Lilith x Namah is the current pairing, with the possibility of more Dreamkeepers characters being added to form a harem. Specifically, Wisp.
Wisp: Really? Wisp will be in the main pairing as well?
Maybe. You may be in the pairing. I haven't decided yet. Which is why I want input from the readers. Oh, and cjboughton has also proposed adding in the twins Kalei and Jeneviv. However, I'm unsure if I want to do that at this time. Let me know what you readers think.
Last, but not least, let's discuss powers. Each Dreamkeeper has their own unique power, ranging from telekinesis (used by a commissioned character named Mana, I believe), creating energy tendrils from your fingertips (Namah's power), to creating fire (power of a character named Bast).
For Xavier, I'm torn between two ideas. The first is Wraith powers from Shadow of Mordor, or rather, something similar to that. Like in the game, he can create a wraith version of himself to dodge or counterattack, he can create a sword made from wrath energy, and he create some form of Wraith fire. It's all based on abilities from the game.
The second idea I had, was that Xavier's power is Mythical Energy manipulation. Basically, the powers of Doctor Strange, or rather, more closer to what is seen in the movie's version where he is basically a kung-fu wizard. I'm not too familiar with the comics' version of Doctor Strange, so I will draw most of my inspiration from the movie. (Can't wait until it comes out on dvd!)
He can create those transparent blades, a whip of tendril made from energy, and learn to create a portal. Eventually, he could become strong enough to start to manipulate reality around him, like what was done by Kaecilius, the villain in Doctor Strange. Truthfully, I like this idea better than the wraith powers.
But, I am open to suggestions on what powers you can suggest for the main character. Also, if you have a suggestion for other OC Dreamkeepers, let me know what they look like, their personality and background, and their Dreamer power.
However, let me stress that I make no promises that I will use proposed OC characters. If I feel I can do something, even a small cameo appearance, I will try. Let me know your thoughts and opinions.
Tiny Tina: Alright, moving on to the next preview!
The Maelstrom and the Storm Dragon (Naruto)
Preview Start
Ninja Academy, Konohagakure
"Ok, everyone. Let's take roll before…" Iruka started to say before he immediately noticed, without needing to take roll, that there were three students missing. "…Where is Naruto, Sasuke, and Arashi?"
He was met with silence and none of the students offered any answer. An angry tick appeared on his forehead as his gaze landed on one student.
"Hinata!" Iruka growled as he towered over Hinata, causing her to let out an eep. "Where is the Trio?!"
"U-uh, a-ah, u-uh, I-I d-don't know." Hinata nervously stuttered as she began to sweat.
"Hinata!" Iruka pressed.
"Eeeeeeeee…" Hinata softly squealed under Iruka's gaze
After another second, Iruka sighed and gave up. He ordered everyone to stay in the classroom before heading out to join the hunt for the Trio. After he had left, Hinata let out a sigh of relief.
"A few more seconds and he would have broken you, eh Hinata?" Ino chuckled as she nudged Hinata's side.
"Y-yah…"
"So, what are the Trio up to this time?" Kiba asked from the row behind Hinata.
"I'm not sure, really. I just saw them head toward the Hokage Monument." Hinata answered.
Hokage Tower
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, let out a breath. He had finally finished the paperwork he had that morning. It was one of the rare moments he had managed to beat the sworn enemy of all Kages. At least, for the moment.
Hiruzen decided to relax a little by continuing his calligraphy project. If he was lucky, he might even finish it before more paperwork arrived.
Alas, as he kneeled and took the brush in hand, fate decided to torment him as his office door slammed open with two Chunin entering.
"LORD HOKAGE!" The first Chunin shouted as he entered. "It's an emergency!"
"This had better be important and don't tell me it's the Trio again." Hiruzen groaned.
"It is them again!" The first Chunin replied.
"They painted graffiti all over the Hokage monument!" The second Chunin explained.
Hiruzen let out a sign, wishing the Yondaime was still alive to relieve him of the stressful duty as a leader.
Elsewhere…
"Why do I keep letting you two idiots talk me into situations like this?!" Sasuke shouted as he leaped from building to building.
"You three get back here!" Shouted one of the pursuing chunins.
"Ah, come on, Sasuke. You know you like the challenge!" Arashi shouted back at his friend as the Trio all angled their jump off a wall around a corner onto another street.
"You troublemakers crossed the line this time!"
"Hahaha! These losers aren't even close to catching us!" Naruto laughed.
"Don't jinx it, Naruto!" Sasuke demanded.
"Whatever." Was Naruto's reply.
After the chase continued for several more minutes, the Trio landed in front of a wooden fence before leaping up onto another building. The pursuing chunin followed after them, but after a moment had passed, a camouflaged sheet in front of the wooden fence lowered to reveal the Trio hiding behind it.
"Did those guys really just fall for a simple trick like that? Are we really just that awesome or did I miss something?" Naruto asked with an eye raised.
"Are you kidding me? They're supposed to be chunin." Sasuke asked in disbelief as he stared after where the chunin thought the Trio went. "Our village is supposedly the strongest shinobi village and our chunin are that easily deceived?"
"The last Ninja war ended before we were even born, so maybe the villages are just more relaxed and slack about their standards." Arashi offered.
"That's no excuse to let the village standards to get lazy," Sasuke argued. "Peace won't last forever, so we should be prepared in case a war does break out. There has to be tension between the great villages and that could lead to war."
"Well, whatever the reason, I still think that we must be getting stronger. We managed to paint the monument unseen until we were done, after all. We're awesome! Believe it!" Naruto declared.
"You really think so, huh?" Spoke a voice behind the Trio.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Arashi all stiffened at the familiar voice. They then slowly turned around with their faces paling.
"…K…k…kaa-san…" Naruto gasped.
"Oh…" Sasuke started.
"…Crap." Arashi finished.
"So, here I was, shopping for tonight's dinner, and what do I find?" Kushina spoke with her eyes blazing. "I find my son and my two charges causing trouble when they should be learning how to be great ninjas. So, try and explain to me why I shouldn't punish you three?"
"We are learning strategy and tactics by coming up with the plan for our pranks." Naruto pointed out.
"We learn stealth by painting the Hokage monument without anyone seeing or noticing until we're done." Arashi added.
"And we're learning speed and evasion skills by escaping the chunin sent to apprehend us." Sasuke concluded.
"All valid points, I'll give you that…but it's still not going to save you three from a whipping." Kushina replied as she created two shadow clones and cracked her knuckles.
Hokage Tower
Hiruzen was about to head out and look for the Trio when the sounds of painful yelling could be heard from his open window.
Well, sounds like I wasn't needed at all, Hiruzen thought with a smile. I can get back to my calligraphy…
The door opened and a shinobi entered with a pile of paperwork and documents.
…Kami-sama, why?
Outside the village…
"You sure this plan will work?" Mizuki hesitantly asked the hidden figure before him. He had no idea who the person was, except that it was a woman. But, she was using some sort of jutsu the covered her in shadows, hiding her identity.
"It will. So long as you don't mess up." The woman replied, her voice distorted.
"It better. This deal sound a little too good to be true." Mizuki said with suspicion.
"I only wish to examine the Scroll of Sealing to see if it contains the knowledge I seek. If it does, I will take that knowledge. Everything else in the scroll is yours to keep, for it is useless to me." The mysterious woman replied.
"Fine, but you better keep your end of the deal." Mizuki replied before turning to leave.
I don't know what this woman wants, but if she's foolish enough to dismiss the secrets of the Hokage's Scroll of Sealing, that's fine with me, Mizuki thought.
After Mizuki had left, the unknown woman also turned to leave. Just before she disappeared into the trees, the jutsu hiding her features disappeared. Had someone been around to observe her, they would have seen her wearing robes worthy of nobility, her pale hair reaching down to her feat. And, strangest of all, there appeared to be two horns on her head, somewhat resembling rabbit ears.
Preview end.
I have to say, my original idea for a Naruto fanfic underwent considerable change then what I had originally planned. I was not planning on having Kushina alive, but then a new idea came to mind and several more ideas started to branch off of that.
So, Kushina will have a large role in the story, as she ends up taking care of Naruto, Sasuke, and an oc character named Arashi Minamoto. The Minamoto clan were originally a samurai clan that adapted into a ninja clan. The clan was among those that tried to hold off the Kyuubi during its attack in order for the Fourth Hokage to seal the Tailed-Beast. Their sacrifice is the reason that Kushina survives, at the cost of all but Arashi dying.
Even though there is an OC character here, he won't be the main character. Naruto is, as he should be, the main character.
Also, as you can tell, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki will have a greater role in the story. I actually liked the concept of her character and story, I just hate how she was suddenly introduced at the end of the Naruto Series, almost completely out of nowhere, as the main villain. I actually like her as a main villain, I just wish she had appeared much earlier in the series and was more fleshed out.
Not to mention, the possibility of Kaguya, who is practically a goddess, facing Kushina, one of the top five kunoichi to live (in my book, at least. I mean, she pins down the Kyuubi, who is basically the equivalent of a nuclear warhead in the ninja world, using nothing but chains made of chakra. That shows that Kushina is a badass.) just sends shivers up my spine.
Now, I am planning, at this time, to eventually give Naruto the Rinnegan. However, he is not going to be like Pein and have multiple bodies that he controls. (Although, he may find a way to apply his shadow clones ;) This is because I never like how he was made to rely too heavily on Kuruma, aka Kyuubi. With that being said, there will still be situation where he needs Kuruma's help to win a fight. For pairings, I am currently planning on Naruto x Hinata x Sakura, with the possibility of several other girls added. I'm debating on adding either Ino, Temari, or Shion to the paring. (Probably a maximum of four. Open to suggestions.)
For Sasuke, he may still get the mangekyo sharingan, but probably nothing beyond that. (I accepted the eternal mangekyo sharingan only for Madara.) He is most certainly not getting a Rinnegan in one eye. (The idea of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan becoming Rinnegan was stupid in my opinion. I liked it better as a separate bloodline trait! It's was a ridiculous decision!)
Tiny Tina: Ryuu! Now's not the time for ranting mode!
Sorry. Naruto is one of my favorite anime, but it's also the one I criticize the most.
Anyways, since Kushina was good friend with Mikoto, Sasuke's mother, she decides to take care of Sasuke after the Uchiha Massacre. For the pairing, it's going to be Sasuke x Tayuya. If people have other suggestions to adding another girl for Sasuke, I'm willing to hear it. But, I like the idea of Sasuke and Tayuya because I think Sasuke would like a girl who is strong and independent. Tayuya is a strong kunoichi and doesn't take shit from anyone. She is nothing like the usual fangirls that chase Sasuke and doesn't care about the fact that Sasuke is an Uchiha. The fact that she won't faun over him like a fangirl alone might catch Sasuke's attention. Those are my thoughts at least.
Finally, the OC character Arashi Minamoto. As I already mentioned, he is from a samurai clan turned ninja, so he is going to be more of a swordsman than most other characters, although he will have other skills as well. He will also have a doujutsu kekkei genkai like the sharingan and rinnegan, but I still need to develop it and its powers. I actually have pics of what it looks like on my deviantart page, if anyone is interested in looking at it and giving ideas and suggestions about it.
For pairing, I think I'll pair Arashi with Fu, the seven-tailed jinchuriki, Samui from the Land of Lightning, and Kurotsuchi, the granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage. Like Naruto and Sasuke, I am considering other options for adding to Arashi's pairing. Tenten is actually a strong candidate to also pair up with Arashi, since she uses weapons and Arashi carries a katana. But, again, the preferred limit is four.
Sasuke: Why do those two idiots guaranteed harems and I'm not?
Cause I don't like you. Just because I'm not making you as much of a self-centered asshole like the series doesn't mean I'm not going treat you as good as Naruto.
Last, but not least, Arashi will be part of his own team, so I need suggestions on who his two teammates will be and who their jonin instructor will be. The two teammates will be OC, so while I do have some ideas already, I'm willing to listen to more. For the jonin instructor, I'm leaning towards it being Anko, but, again, I'm open to suggestions.
Arashi: Wait, what? (Looks over to see Anko with an evil grin)
Let me know what you all think!
Tiny Tina: On to the next Preview!
Bleach: The Kudo Twins (working title, open to suggestions)
Preview Start:
"Heh, if this is the power of an arrancar, I'm not impressed." Tatsuki stated as she placed her shield, Aegis, on her back.
"Are you alright, Tatsuki?" Orihime asked her friend in concern.
"I'm just fine, Orihime. That guy was probably just a small fry," Tatsuki said with a grin. "Come on, let's go help everyone with getting these dang arrancar out of Karakura…"
Tatsuki was cut off as a garganta started to open in the night sky above a nearby rooftop. She quickly pulled Aegis back out and raised the shield up in a defensive stance, placing herself between the garganta and Orihime.
As the emerging figure's foot stepped out onto the roof…
…THOOM…
Matsuri froze as she felt the wave of spiritual energy flow over her. The same dark energy that she felt so long ago and would never forget.
"T-this spiritual pressure…" Rukia gaped in shock.
"W-what's…what's g-going on?" Momo breathed in fear.
"…No…it's…it's him…" Matsuri whispered as the horrible memories came back.
"What! Is…is this a joke?!" Apacci exclaimed, a look of disbelief on the arrancar's face.
"No…there's no question about it. It's him." Sung-Sung said with a grimaced.
"But why the fuck did he come here?" Mila Rose wanted to know.
…THOOM…
"What the hell?" Ikkaku said as he jerked his head in the direction the spiritual pressure came from. "Who's giving off that much spirit pressure?"
His opponent, the arrancar Edrad, also turned his head towards the source.
Why did that person come here for? Edrad wondered.
…THOOM…
Toshiro Hitsugaya eyes widened as the pressure wave passed over him.
This pressure! Is that him? Is that the one that the Head Captain warned us about? Toshiro thought in concern.
…THOOM…
Fujimaru froze as he felt the spirit pressure hit him. The memories of the horrible war, and of the horrible fiend that started it came back to him. Fujimaru gritted his teeth, remembering all the soul reapers that died that day roughly a hundred years ago. He turned towards the direction the wave of pressure came from.
"It's him. That monster is back…" Fujimaru whispered in suppressed rage. "…Arturo Plateado…"
…THOOM…
Ichigo and Grimmjow both flinched as the power passed over them.
"What the hell?" Ichigo exclaimed. "Whose power is that?"
"Dammit…why the hell did Arturo come here for?" Grimmjow muttered.
Arturo? Isn't that the arrancar that Fujimaru once mentioned? Ichigo thought before he sensed something else. "Wait a second…Orihime and Tatsuki…they're both at the source of that power!"
Ichigo turned to rush off, only for Grimmjow to flash in front of him.
"Get out of my way!" Ichigo demanded.
"Listen, Kurosaki, I don't like admitting or believing that someone is stronger than me…but even I'm not stupid enough to try and take on Arturo," Grimmjow stated before he settled into a stance. "But if you're suicidal enough to challenge Arturo, do it after you and I finish our fight."
"…Fine. But I can't afford to waste any time," Ichigo replied. He then pointed Zangetsu at Grimmjow as his power began to rise. "BANKAI!"
…THOOM…
(Insert DBZ Resurrection 'F' OST – Frieza and his terrible Power!)
As the figure stepped out of the garganta and let his power flow out, Tatsuki stiffened in shock as his spiritual pressure passed over her. She glanced down at her free hand and saw that it was twitching.
Am…am I really that afraid? Damn it! Come on, Tatsuki! Pull yourself together! Tatsuki mentally shouted at herself. She looked over her shoulder at her best friend. "Orihime, I want you to stay…back…"
Tatsuki eyes widened in shock. Orihime was staring at the ground while hugging herself. Her entire body was shivering while her breath came out in gasps. Orihime's face was one of complete horror.
"…T-this…feeling…T-this spiritual energy…it feels…it feels so wrong!" Orihime gasped out. She was much better at sensing spiritual power than Tatsuki. The power that she was currently feeling from Arturo was different from anything she had felt before. It felt foul, sick, and dark at the same time.
"…Orihime…" Tatsuki whispered in concern.
"Hmm, who are you two?"
Tatsuki jerked her attention back at Arturo when he spoke.
"You're clearly not soul reapers," Arturo noted as he observed Tatsuki and Orihime. "…Could it be that you two are some of those humans who I've heard possess spiritual powers?"
"Hmm, I must admit that I never thought that a human could wield any power. I am curious to see as to what kind of power a human may have." Arturo remarked as he started to walk forward.
"That's close enough!" Tatsuki shouted. "I don't know what your plans are, but don't think you and your fellow arrancar can threaten our home!"
"Ooh? 'Fellow arrancar?' Please don't lump me with weaklings like Aizen's pet Espada. Those pathetic, artificially created arrancar are beneath me." Arturo refuted.
"T-Tatsuki, we should leave." Orihime begged her friend.
"Leave?" Arturo raised an eye. "You really think that you can simply leave, silly girl? You obviously haven't heard very much about me. Come now, I'll give you a chance to show me what kind of powers a human can have. Then, I will show you what you are truly dealing with."
Arturo then raised his hands to the sides, prompting the two girls to attack. "Come, humans. Show me what powers you have."
"…You want to see what humans can do? Fine!" Tatsuki shouted back while drawing out her spiritual power.
Tatsuki threw the shield, amplified by her spiritual energy, towards Arturo. Serrated blades of energy appeared on the shield's edge, turning it into a spinning saw. Arturo lazily raised his arm and Aegis bounced off with no visible damage.
Tatsuki was already moving, charging towards Arturo as she summoned Aegis back to her, catching the shield from the air. She was aware of the iron skin techniques used by the arrancar, but she was still slightly surprised that there wasn't even a scratch on Arturo's arm. She decided to try a different tactic.
"Lion's Roar!" Tatsuki shouted, causing a cone of energy to shoot out of the face of her shield. She kept charging, intending to follow up with a shield bash.
Arturo's hand shot through the shockwave, catching the top edge of Tatsuki's shield and stopping her in her track. Tatsuki's eyes widened at seeing that her attack had once again done nothing, and that Arturo had stopped her using nothing but pure strength.
"Is that it? I'm disappointed." Arturo stated before clenching the hand holding Aegis.
The sound of grinding metal could be heard as the edge of Aegis that Arturo was hold crumpled from the strength of his grip, causing Tatsuki's mouth to drop in shock.
H-how? No one, not even that Shinigami Captain that Chad and I face was able to damage Aegis. It absorbs the energy from attacks, but this arrancar can damage Aegis with just pure strength? Tatsuki thought in disbelief.
"You don't seem to understand the situation you are in, do you, human?" Arturo's voice broke through Tatsuki's thoughts.
Tatsuki slowly raised her gaze to meet Arturo's. When her eyes met Arturo's, realization shot through her. Realization of just how much shit she was in.
"Ahhh…now you understand." Arturo grinned.
There was only one thing Tatsuki could do.
"Orihime, RUN!" Tatsuki shouted. "GET OUT OF HERE-"
Squelch
Orihime stumbled back as blood splattered her face. Her expression turned into complete horror upon seeing Arturo's free arm impaled through Tatsuki's torso.
"T-Tatsuki!" Orihime gasped.
"G-guh…" Tatsuki sputtered blood from her mouth.
"How pathetic. Then again…" Arturo swung his arm, sending Tatsuki flying off it. "You are just a human."
Time seemed to slow down as Orihime watched her friend's body, her best friend, land on the rooftop, and then remain unmoving.
"TATSUKIIIII!"
Preview End.
Tiny Tina: Wow…brutal…awesome!
Ok, let's set the stage. This fanfic's primary character is Fujimaru Kudo. You briefly see him in the preview. He and his twin sister, Matsuri, who you also briefly see in the preview, are the main characters of the Nintendo DS game, Bleach: The Third Phantom.
The Twins lived, and became soul reapers, approximately 100 years before the canon bleach storyline. They actually meet a bunch of younger bleach character, such as Rukia and Renji when they were orphans in the Rukon District, or Soifon when she still served under Yoruichi when she was still Captain of Squad 2.
Then, along comes a monster in the form of Arturo Plateado. This is an ancient, incredibly powerful arrancar who brings an army of Hollows to threaten the Soul Society. His attack is practically an all-out war.
In order to defeat Arturo, the Soul Society uses a powerful artifact to aid them in defeating him, but something goes wrong and the Twins disappear. They are frozen in a state of stasis and, in the game, reappear about 100 years later, not long after Aizen takes the Hogyoku.
In my fanfic, however, the Twins will instead reappear just before Ichigo first gets his Soul Reaper powers, so that they can be more involved in all the events of Bleach. Fujimaru will reappear in Karakura Town, while Matsuri will reappear in the Soul Society, which means that certain events may pit the twins against each other, eventually.
There are other new characters from the game as well, such as the Twins parental figures named Seigen Suzunami, who is a former captain of the Soul Society, and his sister Konoka Suzunami. Both of them will have important parts to play.
Ok, let's talk a little about Arturo. He is an ancient and immensely powerful Arrancar. In fact, he is most likely the most powerful arrancar to exist. I honestly think that even the strongest of the Espada aren't on the same level as Arturo. Personally, I think he is in the same league as General Yamamoto and Aizen. There are several reasons why.
One, in the Third Phantom game, it was claimed that Arturo has wiped out HALF of the Gotei 13 aka the 13 Court Guard Squads in the past. This implies that Arturo had killed half the captains, the lieutenants, and half of all the squad members, which would be hundreds, perhaps thousands of Soul Reapers. And if that wasn't already impressive, he did that as an 'incomplete' arrancar. He was not at the peak of his power and he still wiped out half the soul reapers.
Second, he has never, not even once, in any appearance of his character, used his Resurreccion, the arrancar equivalent of a soul reaper's bankai. It is indicated that he fights several captains simultaneously in the Third Phantom game, and not once does he need to use his Resurreccion.
Finally, the reason he is so powerful…is because he was given a somewhat bullshit power in the game. Arturo's zanpakuto is able to absorb the powers of any soul reaper he kills. So, if Arturo kills a lieutenant soul reaper, he gains a lieutenant level of power added to his own. If he kills a captain, he gains that captains level of power. This does explains why he became so strong and wiped out half of the soul reapers, but it still does feel a little cheap.
Still, he is powerful and dangerous. A bit clichéd in his character, arrogant and overconfident because of his strength, but I'm looking forward to seeing characters of Bleach pit up against him.
Tiny Tina: I think Tatsuki showed us how it's going to turn out for most of them.
Now, even though Fujimaru is going to be the central character, I'm not going to forget Ichigo. There were a lot of decisions concerning Ichigo that were made in the Bleach series that I didn't like and I will address them in the fanfic. The main one being how it seems that every time he gets a new level of his power unlocked, such as Bankai, his base power seems to lower to pitiful levels. Not to mention, I didn't like how he is suddenly part everything, human, soul reaper, hollow, and then Quincy. It's honestly quite ridiculous.
On to pairings! Currently, Fujimaru will be paired up with Soifon, Rukia, Yoruichi, and possibly Harribel. The reason I'm unsure about Harribel is because I haven't come up with much interaction between her and Fujimaru to make a believable romance. I'll think on it some more.
Ichigo will be paired up with Orihime, Tatsuki, Nelliel, and possibly Senna. Now, the reason I'm unsure about Senna yet is because she is from the movie, Bleach: Memories of Nobody, and I'm sad to admit it, but I have not seen that movie yet. However, from what little I've seen and heard, she became very popular, very quickly, and many fans seem to really like the idea of her and Ichigo being together. Apparently, they seem to have good chemistry. If people choose the Bleach fanfic in the future poll, I'll try to watch the movie so that I can make a final decision on Senna.
I'm a little unsure who to pair Matsuri up with. At the moment, I'm liking the idea of paring her up with Hisagi, but I want to hear any opinion you may have.
Now, for those IchigoXRukia fans, I'm sorry but it's not going to happen in my fanfic. Now, I completely understand why you may like this pairing. They do have great chemistry and if this had become the official canon pairing in the series, I would not complain one bit. However, I must confess that I have always, personally, seem them as more of comrades, or two close partners, rather than a romantic couple. That's just my opinion, however. If you prefer Ichigo and Rukia, keep on supporting it.
Tiny Tina: Even though it's not the official pairing anymore and the fight is in vain.
Tina! Try to be a little more considerate!
Anyways, those are the first group of previews you get to see! I'll show you at least three more in the next chapter!
As for the Son of the Seven Kingdoms update, don't worry. As I said at the beginning, my beta reader, Milarqui, is looking over it at this moment, so it will be posted in a couple of days, at the most.
I hope you all enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to feedback!
Will Tiny Tina find a way to get her extra nukes?
Will the Mane Six find a way to become part of the Ranting Realm?
(Ranting Ryuu: Spoiler alert! NEVER!)
Will Nainso be tortured in countless painful ways, but unable to die at the hands of Tiny Tina?
(Nainso: Wait, what?)
Will Ryuu ever finish the next update for Son of the Seven Kingdoms?
(Ranting Ryuu: I told you Milarqui is beta reading it, dammit!)
What fanfic previews will the readers see next?
Find out…NEXT TIME, in…
Tales of the Ranting Realm!
…
Ranting Ryuu: And cut! So, what do you think?
Tiny Tina: …
Ranting Ryuu: That bad?
Tiny Tina: Best let the readers decide that. I'm justa wondering if this attempt at random humor is your thing. Plus, some of it would be better as a visual humor, like if you ever made YouTube videos like you've been wanting to. (Even though big bro Ryuu SUCKS at making videos) I mean, did you see your beta reader's reaction?
Ranting Ryuu: Yes, Milarqui's reaction was WTF. Well, if this doesn't work out, at the very least it gives the readers a look at previews for stories.
Tiny Tina: Did you consider trying to make a forum page?
Ranting Ryuu: …The thought did occur to me. I've looked at forum pages before, but never participated in any of them, so I worry about doing something wrong.
Tiny Tina: (whispers to you: Big bro Ryuu always worries about making mistakes.)
Ranting Ryuu: Well, we'll just wait and see what the feedback will be. Take care of yourselves, everyone!