Little Tsu: Ok, I've been comin' up with so many ideas for different stories, that it's unreal & kinda keepin' me from workin' further on any of my other stories that I plan on completin'...=.= But I guess it's ok this way sometimes cause it gives you readers new stories ta read...Especially, my one-shots.

Well, here's another one-shot(?), which is also actually a test-shot ta see how I do with this series type. Hope ya enjoy.x.x"

Truth Behind Scars

The life of a monster hunter is a truly intense thrill.

The dangers, the excitement, the adventure, the quests,...the money...

There's just one liiittle problem with being a monster hunter...

"Oh come on Shinny. Why won't you partner up with me? We'd make a great team!"

That...Problem...

Sighing to herself in irritation, dark amethyst eyes shifted their gaze over towards the one who had spoken through her messy dark teal bangs. It was a young man that weilded a long sword type weapon and from the look of the design, she had to guess it was the Nightshade's Bite one. On top of that, minus the fact that he seemed to prefer not wearing any armor on his head, he looked fully equiped otherwise in Baggi Armor. She guessed this guy really liked going after those Great Baggi and Wroggi cause that's exactly where those materials for the equipment he possessed came from. The rest of his appearance looked to be sharp blue grey eyes and messy brick red hair that touched the bottom of his neck in the back before a thin, low ponytail began, which ended halfway down his back while chin length in the front. He also looked to be about only nineteen years old and stood at maybe 5'7 at the most, which was actually pretty young for a skilled solo hunter.

Of course she was even younger at only sixteen and to make it even more shocking, only 4'11 in height. Her own equipment also consisted of Conga Z armor, though the head piece was a simple Hunter's Cap as she prefered goggles. Attached to her back also, were Flamestorm+ duel blades. They were strong, but she was aiming directly towards working her way up to the Elemenders that were at the end of this weapon upgrade chain.

"Ya know...I really can't tell ya how many damn times I told ya not to call me 'Shinny'. Jus' what the hell, ya moron? Did a Nargacuga's roar make ya go deaf?!" Rising up onto her feet, the small hunter growled as she glared up at the male hunter before her. This hunter had been pestering her for the last three weeks now; trying to get her to form a partnership with him and it was really getting irritating. Couldn't he take a hint that she worked alone?!

Well,...maybe alone wasn't the best word for it. She did have someone that worked on hunts with her, but it wasn't any hunter persay...

In fact, peeking into the Guild through the front door at hearing the teen yell in annoyance was a midnight colored head that looked fruit bat or feline in shape, yet had a bit of a beak as well. Making a curious sound from deep in his throat, a wyvern that was quite possibly only 1/4th of his full grown size scurried into the Guild and bounded up onto the table that the girl had just been sitting at. His sleek midnight scales shined beautifully in the light and his bright emerald eyes - not like his species' usual gold color - stared at the male hunter before him as he cocked his head to the left before cocking it to the right in curiosity before finally releasing a slight roar; the spines on the end of his tail shaking and creating a rattling sound in warning while his winged arms were bent in front of him. He was a little bit smaller than a Great Jaggi right now by about a head or so all around, but that was only because this creature was just a young one.

Glancing towards the creature, the young girl sighed softly and lifted up a glove bracered hand as she rested it upon the top of the young wyvern's head. "Nero, calm down. He's not a threat or tried to hurt me. He's jus' being a thorn in my side." She knew that the Guild had all grown quiet after the entrance the young monster made. It was because of this wyvern beside her though that many hunters had stopped trying to form a team with her.

Why you ask?

Well, because the creature at her side was actually a Nargacuga and though still young, he was not a wyvern to be taken lightly.

Smirking faintly to herself at how her companion silenced the Guild, the young hunter known as Shinzo walked over to the request board and grabbed up a quest. Apparently a Zinogre had been causing trouble lately for a farmer; destroying his crops and eating his 'cattle'. She wasn't entirely sure if she'd beable to handle a Zinogre, but hey. It was worth a try, right? Plus, she knew this farmer. He was a nice older man that gave her materials she needed to make her Mega Potions. As she handed in the quest, she turned around and headed towards the door causing her almost midback length wild spiked dark teal hair to shift with her stride; her Nargacuga leaping down from the table he had still been perched on to land on the ground and follow.

As they left, the Guild began to pick up on their chats again while the long sword weilder that had been trying to team up with Shinzo just stood there staring at the door. It wasn't that he was stunned or startled by the sight of the monster with her, but rather he really wanted to know why the girl insisted on working alone, save for the Nargacuga that was pretty much her pet. As he silently wondered this, a slightly tired male tone spoke up to him from behind causing him to turn around and stare at an older man in his late fourties who was sipping a mug of rum; his face consisting of a few scars here and there. "Um...excuse me? What was that?"

Taking another sip of his drink, the older man glanced over at the much younger hunter. "I said not to mind Shinzo too much. She prefers to work alone due to a bad past experience about a year or so ago." Straightening himself up a bit from his place at one of the tables, he turned his head so that he could glance over towards the entrance/exit way for the Guild. "That girl used to be in a party with other hunters...However, things didn't really go so well, I'm afraid..."

The young hunter blinked slightly in curiosity now and took a seat across from the man for a moment. "Um...What happened exactly? I mean,...do you know?"

Chuckling softly at the sudden interest the boy was taking in this, he nodded his head lightly. "Yup...I know all right. That girl & her party had taken on a quest to hunt down a Nargacuga. However, what Shinzo hadn't known, was that the one they were supposed to kill,...was actually a mother that was only trying to protect her young. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to stop this and her party not only killed the mother and the young, but also left Shinzo there in the Great Forest all alone and badly injured. She had actually tried to stop her teammates, telling them that the Nargacuga was just a mother trying to protect and feed her young, but in doing so, they even attacked her."

The long sword weilder's blue grey eyes wided in shock from behind his messy brick red bangs upon hearing this. He had heard of a number of stories towards team ups going bad and all, but...this was the first time he had ever heard of someone that had actually tried to protect the monster they had chosen to hunt for the quest from their very own teammates. It was unheard of! "You said that...the mother and her young were all killed...Where exactly did that Nargacuga that's with Shinzo now come from?"

"Hmm...I did say that they had been killed,...but I never said that all of her young were." Taking another gulp of his drink, he set the mug down and sighed to himself in contentment. "That little fella was the sole survivor. He had fled into a brush of plants and hid there amongst the chaos that was ensuing. When the fighting all ended and the hunters abandoned Shinzo to die from her wounds or get eaten, the little guy slipped right on out and went over to the girl. Normally, any Nargacuga, even possibly their young, are very aggressive wyverns that'll attack anyone or anything; especially hunters, but this young one had seen Shinzo actually try to protect his mother and siblings. That actually made him want to save her..."

"...I see..." The young man's eyes softened almost solemnly towards hearing this story and tilted his head down slightly to gaze at the table he sat at with the much older hunter. "...So that Nargacuga helped Shinzo to recover and even protected her from any other monsters that came near her...And after she recovered, she took him in as her pet?"

"Nope...That Nargacuga actually followed her all the way to town. The little guy wouldn't leave her alone; he followed her everywhere. She finally gave in after a few days though. She could see that he had gotten attached to the hunter that had tried so hard to save his family even though she still failed."

"I see now...Those two have a strong bond..." At thinking about that, he smiled lightly before rising up onto his feet and glancing over towards the Guild Receptionist. "Hey! What quest did Shinzo take on exactly?"

"Huh? Why she took on the one that has to deal with killing a Zinogre. Why do you ask?"

"Zinogre, huh? Well, thanks! I'm gonna go help them out on that quest!" With that he turned around and headed off, causing a bit of a panic from the woman.

"Wh-What?! But you can't! You aren't in a party with Shinzo! It's against the Guild rules to go on the same quest as another!"

"Well then, I'll just have to make her form a party with me during it. I'm not gonna let her get hurt or worse even though she has that Nargacuga with her."

"Young man, wait!" The older hunter rose up onto his feet and stared after the younger one in slight shock towards all this. "Just who are you? Why are you trying so hard to make Shinzo form a party with you?"

Stopping at the entrance/exit of the Guild, he rested his hand on the edge before glancing behind himself at him from over his shoulder as he smiled. "My name's Trace and that reckless duel blader was my childhood dream. Heh...And she still is." With that, he quickly rushed out of the Guild, leaving everyone there in shock and hoping upon anything that he'd beable to somehow catch up to Shinzo.

He had until nightfall to catch up. That was when Zinogre were active.

End?

Little Tsu: Hey everyone. Hope ya enjoyed this. Now, you're probably wonderin' why there's a question mark by 'end'. Well, that's there cause I'mma leave it up ta you readers ta decide. Keep this as a one-shot & cliffhanger?...Or actually continue it? Your choice readers.

Till then, later!