Ruka to Maou
Summary: In the prelude
Main Pairing: Stan x Ruka
Other Pairings: Undecided, life is fickle, let the characters be fickle.
Warning: Spoilers for the Game
Disclaimer: Okage © of Zenner Works, therefore I own nothing!
Thank-you to the reviewers!
Thanks xxOjou Kagexx for the long review. I'm glad you find it funny. Yes, Stan is an attention hog, ah, that scene is a long ways away. Hahaha, no one respects evil, ever. Yes, that man is terrifying…
Yes, Cyphertext is a side quest, and I will try to incorperate all the side quests. There are lots of cool items you can get. Yeah… Julia was pretty mean, the first time I played the game, I kinda liked it, until the part where she just blows you off…
Yup, that's a spoiler, but I think everyone already knows. I did allude to it a few times in this fic. I'm glad you took the time to review, again thanks for the review, and happy holidays! I hope you enjoy this when you have the time.
Thank-you ChocolateNoodles for reviewing, I'm glad you find it cool, I hope to finish it too, and no worries, grammar isn't my thing either. Here's an update!
Thank-you to the Anonymous reviewer, I'm glad you enjoy it so far, a lot of people tell me I have an interesting sense of humor… though not all of them were nice like you are. You are just so sweet!
I was blushing all morning. I kinda wish for that too, I want people to remember the joys of Okage, hence I writing this fic out! So here's an update! I hope you like it!
KH: Onward slave Ruka!
Ruka: ... Stan, the author is ordering me around
Stan: *Pops up from Ruka's shadow* Don't order around my slave! *fist shaking*
KH: I'll get the princess... *takes out cell phone*
Stan and Ruka : No! *Runs off*
KH: *Giggles maniacally*
Chapter 2: Enter the pink Hero and her Parasol part 1
Remembering his grandmother's request he went to the village, also to stock up on supplies of nuts. Entering the bakery he heard the baker woman exclaimed,
"Oh dear! A gap has formed in the stone bread oven while we were closed!" that's when she noticed Ruka, "Oh, Ruka, I hear that you're off to travel. Remember this. A man should act with dignity! Keep your chin up!" then she noticed the 'Mere Pebble' in Ruka's hand.
"What? From your grandma? This pebble is for me?" Ruka relinquished to her the pebble.
"Hm, I don't know how she does it, but this looks like just the right stone. Great, it fits in the gap perfectly! Your grandma, she seems senile, but she's far from it. She's a mystery. To show my thanks, take this" she handed Ruka 'Bread Crust'
'Hm… I can eat it… or save it… I'm not hungry right now… I'll save it' Ruka placed it in his bag and music played.
After purchasing an energy flower, and two more nuts, totaling in 5 nuts, he set off once more.
Ruka had finally passed the crossroads and kept walking toward Madril, which was a whole plain away… On the road he passed the grounds in which Tenel used for festivals…
'Right the cyphertext…' he runs over to the grounds, there was only one person there… and a green glowing stone pillar… he touched the pillar and got transported!
He warped onto an island surrounded by beautiful ocean… and ruins of a giant stone castle… there were five more identical pillars near the green one, but they weren't glowing…and there was a woman, dressed in black, black hat, black dress, black stocking, and black shoes with her black hair and black gloves…. The only color on her was her white skin and the red rose on her hat.
Ruka tapped her arm and she turned to him slowly.
"Welcome to the Isle of Wap-Wap" she said in a monotonous voice, "Also known as 'Traveler's Island', it connects to all over the world from this stele… If you are to continue to travel, you will have to frequent this place. See you again… if fate allows" and with that she turned back slowly to stare at the vast ocean below…
'Well, there's only one thing to do now…' Ruka ran back to the glowing green pillar and tapped it, and was transported back.
'There wasn't anything there… so maybe it's this person' Ruka went over to the only person standing there, the suspicious guy with the purple hair…
"Humph. Congratulations, you've passed! From now on, you are a member of the 'World Crypto Organization' The World Crypto Organization is a great organization. It 'searches for the world's secrets through cyphers' We are playing… I mean studying the creation and decoding of cyphers. Now we give you, the newcomer the following command. The cipher indicates a location somewhere in Madril" he handed Ruka the second cyphertext.
Ruka acquired 'Cyphertext 2'! He was really getting use to the music now…
"Decode this one, new comer, you must live up to the group's expectations!" And with that he went back to kicking dirt…
Ruka looked at the text as he walked away '5.:ownha 1:Knockth 4:sideoft 3:nthe 6:llofth 2:reetimeso 7:emachines… hm… you just put these in order huh… okay…' shuffling to get a pencil and notebook Ruka kept walking along the dirt path, when he was about to finish he spotted something shiny on the side of the road near the bridge,
Ruka acquired 'Tiny Gear' '…what are these tiny gears… I have 2 now… how many can there be…? Ah, here we go. …. Oh spaces… knock three times on the side of town hall of the machines… I guess Madril has a town hall too… okay, I'll knock there…' Ruka nodded and kept on walking, he was about to step on the bridge when he spotted someone underneath it.
'Hey, it's an artist, he's using charcoal. Ah… he just used his finger to erased, it's all black now. Hahaha, he's supposed to use…bread…crust-" Ruka pulled out the bread crust… 'Now what are the odds?' he smirked and ran under the bridge.
Walking up to the man, Ruka though he resembled an eagle… the nose was large and sharp, and he had spiky yellow hair…
Ruka walked up to the painter who was grieving over his canvas muttering, this perspective doesn't work… and something about no motivation, that's when he spotted the bread crust Ruka was holding out to him.
"A-are you giving it to me?" he asked blinking, looking at Ruka. Ruka nodded.
"T-thanks" he swept his hand through his spiky bird like hair, making the charcoal blacken his face and hair, now he looked like a toucan…
"Hehehe!" Ruka giggled with jolly green eyes.
"Ah…" the man blushed, that's when Ruka heard a growl… it sounded feral…
'S-Stan?' Ruka looked down to his shadow, and it was vibrating… 'I wonder if he's hungry… Do shadows get hungry?' Ruka mused.
"Uh, h-here, I'll give you this brush… I'm not using it anymore" he handed it to Ruka. (Music~)
"…Thank-you" Ruka remembered his mother's advice of being polite and courteous and left the man to his drawing, when he spotted a treasure chest off in the distance. He didn't notice the man eyeing him, as Ruka popped open the chest, and pulled out a Holly!
'Holly is lucky, but I already have one…, oh well more luck for me!' He smiled as he held it up to the light.
'I've found my inspiration!' the painter drew and shaded like never before, again Stan growled, but Ruka didn't know why… he ran past the artist and onto the bridge, that's when a ghost appeared. When spotting the ghost the artist ran for cover in the bushes.
"Hehehe…Oh, here are some low class evil beings like the ones in the church that I smashed for you" Stan laughed.
'You did no such thing…'
"But slave, you should improve your skills. Now slave, destroy the one there. A true servant of mine should be able to do this easily. Now go!" and with that Stan disappeared.
The white ghost apparently came with a buddy… whom came up behind Ruka…
"Uh… Hi~!" Ruka smiled… it didn't work…they weren't listening… He was surrounded, and they were closing in on him.
'Darn, trapped… I could jump… but then again, the river is pretty shallow… I'd break something, oh well… I guess I'll have to-'
"Wait a minute! HAAA!" a blonde woman with a belt on her head, in white, navy blue and gold attire, like a naval officer, except it was one long robe… and she had shorts underneath and she held a pink parasol…
She slashed and hacked at the ghosts, barely missing Ruka quite a few times, had he not duck and roll.
"Phew. Recently there are so many cruddy ghosts around. Are you okay?" she asked him.
"Thank you!" he thanked her 'for nearly taking off my head!' his eye twitched…
"T-Thank-you? What an optimistic attitude! Don't walk around here so vulnerable like that! In addition, you don't even have a weapon… I can't believe it! Hold on a sec!
'… is she giving me a sword… well it's better than a branch' Ruka thought as he tossed the branch into the water.
"Here take this! Fight against ghosts with this! It's a cheapie but it's better than nothing!" she told him, pointing to his face.
Ruka took the 'Leftover Sword' when…
"D-Did you hear that?" the woman asked him, while she looked around, only spotting the shaking form of the artist in a nearby brush.
Smirking inwardly, he shook his head.
"R-Right… you are a boy, you should not be such a sissy. Okay? You got it?"
"Thank….you" he hissed through clenched teeth…
"Oh no! It's already late! I have to go now or he will… I gotta go!"
"Goodbye!" Ruka said with a bright smile.
"Pull yourself together, young boy! See ya!" and with that she ran off.
"Damn, I didn't have time to appear. By the way, what was it anyway! You are a pathetic thing, slave. Two lowly beings show up and you cower like a troll. Then you were saved by some passing woman!"
'She nearly took my head off… you call that saving? !' Ruka glared at Stan…
"Oh well… be grateful that my evil hand is merciful to my servants, I may render aid from time to time… But you must still become stronger! Discipline yourself by giving these lower evil beings a thrashing!" Stan stated loudly. Ruka nodded slowly, still miffed at Stan…
"We will have issues if you can't protect yourself. Don't forget that your shadow is important to me now!"
"Oh… is that all that's important to you… well if I'm dead… I'll still cast a shadow… even my skeleton will… just let James carry around, why don't you" Ruka glowered.
"…" Stan blinked.
"You did say I could talk back… now will a true King, even an Evil one dismiss his own orders… if so, some King you are" Ruka smirked and walked on, ghosts appeared, but were made quick work of by a peeved Ruka…
Stan just floated there… astounded… "O-Of course, a slave of mine should make quick work of those lower beings, Ahahaha!" he laughed.
'Right… ah, another tiny gear…' Ruka, after crossing the bridge spotted one just underneath it to the right, but he couldn't go down the slope on the right side so he veered left and slid down, and ducked under the bridge, a ghost was about to ambush him when he grabbed the gear, and the ghost disappeared… He had gotten to the lake… and founded two more tiny gears, one in the brush near the lake, and one on the shore of the lake.
"They're everywhere… like those man-eating onions…" Ruka muttered as he pocketed them, he spotted an old man/ traveler. Being a good child at heart he walked over to talk to him.
"I saw it! At the shore of a lake further down south… Soldiers were walking in line guarding some incredible beauty! She must be a Princess!"
'Ah, first an Evil Shadow King… now a Princess…?' Ruka laughed, almost like a madman…almost. 'Why can't I have a normal life?' he drooped and walked on, fought on… and there on the small narrow bridge stood a strange man wearing a lab coat… he had his back turned to Ruka.
Ruka tapped him.
"…" But nothing happened. Ruka tapped him again.
"….Huh?" he turned around, he had crazy grey hair and a big moustache, and yellow and blue striped socks. "What? I am making an extremely important observation now. Do not disturb me" and turned away…
'Okay… he better move before I make him… I'm not in a good mood right now…' though the onions were weak, they came in packs of three… while attacking one the other two deals some damage, and then once getting it down to one it deals another point of damage… after having fought multiple ghosts, Ruka's wasn't feeling all that great.
"…. Hmm. My past calculations projected that my present calculations would show… Nothing!..." he shouted.
"If they present nothing, then move your fieldwork elsewhere you roadblock!" Ruka shouted.
"Huh, what is it?" the man turned around…
"Have you taken root here?" Ruka asked, his blood thirst rising…
"…Huh? What is it? Uh-huh. You want to know who I am?" the man grinned.
"I want to know when you'll move…" Ruka glowered, one hand edging toward his sword…
"I am the famous ghost expert. Gutten Kisling! My hobby is clipping toe nails." He raised his arms up like someone presenting something…
Ruka's eye twitched…
"Well, you have the guts to speak your name aloud in my presence" Stan popped out.
'Not another one… ugh, kill me now!' Ruka bashed his head against the bridge's suspense pole.
"I am Evil King Stan, the lord of darkness & evil. How do you do. My hobbies are world conquest and the harassment of fake Evil Kings"
'So he admits he like harassing people…' Ruka smirked.
"Humph, see the difference. I am a superior class of being. Now get out of my way!" Stan shouted.
'Finally…' Ruka stood up from his slump.
"…Ha, you're still green. A person like you who tells stale jokes to any passerby wouldn't understand. My main concern is…"
'He just keeps on going…and going… and going… echo…' Ruka thought, tilting his head back, Stan looks down at him, a frown on his flat shadow face.
"to construct a new paradigm by hypothesizing the dichotomy of the light wave/particle…"
'Physics again… or rather chemistry… but I also learned this in biology… light is everywhere!' Ruka mused.
"Relationships to supradimensional non-corporeal, malicious existence exuding into the observable planes…"
'Supradimensional isn't a word~ MR CRACKPOT! He's just making things up now… abuse of dictionary is what he's doing!' Ruka thought… 'Huh… Stan can't read my thoughts… Stan just kept staring at the ramble fool.
"And how it permeates corporeal ideas of positive and negative morality and its numerous permutations, through…"
"See the results of dictionary abuse, Stan? SEE!" Ruka shouted.
"Arrrggh! No scientific babble! Just get out of my way! And take your theories with you!" Stan shouted, fed up as well.
'Not theories, assumptions…'
"based on that theory,"
"Assumption!" Ruka actually shouted… Stan and Kisling stared at Ruka…
"in order to establish a feasible hypotheses to plot empirical data we must… The retreating figure in the drizzling rain, on a dark and cold road and other metaphysical metaphors bending time and reality! And there you have it! Cool, awesome, right on!' Gutten Kisling, that's me! Hahaha, So long!" Kisling waved as Ruka drew his sword over his head, and ran off…
"Ah… no more people… Stan… you should kill them all…" Ruka rubbed his temple "before I do…" Ruka muttered as he picked up another tiny gear that was to the left right under a tree.
"S-slave…?" Stan asked.
"What…?" Ruka asked, he was really tired… two more ghost had just attacked…
"D-don't you have those nuts"
"… ah, right…" he chew one, and immediately perked up, that's when he spots a woman in a red dress with bright orange hair.
"Hi!" Ruka greeted.
'Note… the slave becomes inconceivably evil when hungry…'Stan thought as he popped back into Ruka's shadow.
"I am a mysterious woman. I use my mysterious words and deal in mysterious arts, currently in Madril there are two gangs. They are involved in a terrible conflict! Please don't-"
"Oh, thanks for the info" Ruka thanked her and left.
"Don't go… He's going anyway! Oh no!" she shouted to herself.
'How does a girl just stand in the middle of the-' suddenly a ghost attacked.
"DIE FLOPPY BUNNY!" Ruka shouted charging at it, and slashing it in half.
"Sigh… what next…? Apparently a square rhino…" after defeating yet another ghost, Stan was laughing.
"Ah… Stan… do you know what these tiny gears are?" Ruka picked up one from nearby a tree next to a red pillar… after finding another one near the boarded up hollow tree stump, and he also found a wild strawberry in a treasure box.
"I don't associate with machinery made by lesser beings" he haughtily stated.
'Meaning… he doesn't know' Ruka smiled.
"…What…?" Stan narrowed his golden eyes and leaned forward.
"Nothing… ah, a red pillar, does it lead back to the island of Wap-Wap… I wonder" he entered it and he did go back to the island. He spotted the monotonous woman and waved, she just stared at the ocean…
'Okay… she seems… distant…'
"Hurry it up slave, the gates of the town where the imposter Evil King is just up ahead!" Stan commanded.
"Yes, your Evilness" Ruka stated and walked back through the pillar. And just like Stan said, the gate were just up ahead.
'A wall…? No giant gears… Maybe this is where these tiny gears came from, hm…?' Ruka knocked the gear and someone shouted,
"Step back!" he did so and soon both gears rotated and there was an opening, within that people could slip through easily, the gears then rotated back to their proper place sealing the town shut…
The town was morbid… it was etched out on the side of a large mountain range… and if one wasn't careful crossing the streets, one would fall over and off the streets… meeting their demise in the canyons below… The ceiling of the town, yes ceiling, was covered in smog… due to the fact there was an upper level to the town…
'I think I'd get very depress here…' Ruka looked around, the houses and buildings were all made of rotating gears… and black steel. Rust was everywhere…
"Hmm. So this is Madril? What a pitiful little town! Haha!"
"Very sad…" Ruka stated glancing about, "Something's not right…"
"Heh, that's to be expected slave, my dark magic must be rubbing off on you. There is a strange mood in the air… Go and gather information!" Stan ordered and disappeared into Ruka's shadow.
Ruka walked over to some people who were whispering to themselves, a man, an old woman, and young boy,
"What should we do? Should we evacuate this town, too? But I'm sure that-"
"Did I miss the party?" Ruka asked,
"What boy? Where did you come from?" the small frowning man in the blue vest and white working shirt asked.
"Tenel" Ruka answered smiling.
"Sorry that you had to come here from so far away in the countryside, but we've got big trouble in this town. Go back home!" the man firmly advised.
'Hm… I'll ask the old lady… this guy looks perpetual pissed' Ruka thought and ran over to the old woman.
The sighing old lady sighed, "What happened?" Ruka asked.
"I cannot believe that we have an Evil King right here in Madril!" she looked horrified.
"Hey, weird old woman! Where is that Evil King you're talking about? Answer me or I'll gobble you whole!" Stan popped out and raved.
"If you did that… you'd get indigestion, master" Ruka smiled,
"Fine…" Stan turned back to the old woman "just tell me old hag!"
"Huh? What's this strange shadow?"
"A handful…" Ruka muttered… Stan overheard and pouted… re-entering Ruka's shadow.
"Sigh, I don't know. I just don't understand you people's sense of humor anymore… If you want to know about the Evil King, go to the Town Hall over there" she pointed to the building with the large blue double doors "Everyone there's talking" Ruka said his thank-you-s bowed and left to the building.
"Master Stan?" Ruka called out just as he reached for the doors, but was ignored…
When opening the doors to the Town Hall he spots a worker muttering to himself "the latest classification table from the capital city… is Evil King…not just one… so many… ah, we live in troubled times…"
Ruka walked over to one of the official looking workers, a civil servant, an annoyed one at that.
"This is really annoying. One day, posters were hung up all over the walls in town. Evil King of not, this was really not a nice thing to do. Taking them down was such hard work. I worked overtime and managed to take them all down, though I think one poster is left. It's hung over there" the man pointed and went back to work after using Ruka to vent…
There was a young man blocking the poster, but he was reading it aloud,
"I am the 'Sewer Evil King.' I plan to conquer the world. I am doing evil things in Madril's underground sewer. Currently wanted, Evil Monsters, Young people with cool haircuts, come apply' Evil monster… maybe I should apply…" he muttered to himself.
The Town Manager was sleeping on his desk… drooling… and murmuring, 'let the hero's handle…not my problem… hero's club…sandwich…'
He walked over to the guard.
'I presume it's the hero's club… not a sandwich; that would be one large sandwich'
"This is the 'Hero's Club'. You want to ask the heroes something, boy? Usually, I would just let you in, but… it's crazy in there right now with everyone preparing to go on Sewer Evil King Punishment expedition" with that Ruka left the building…
'Punishment expedition, huh…? Hm, I wonder how can I get in on that' Ruka thought as he stared at his shadow, which averted his eyes by slipping pass his feet, to cast behind him… while the lamp was behind him…
'Oh dear lord…' Ruka thought while rolling his emerald colored eyes.
"Master of darkness and all that is Evil, the one and only Evil King Stan. I am very sorry for my obstinacy… I-I don't know what came over me… please forgive me" Ruka pleaded, feigning hurt with his face cast downward.
Stan popped out, and looked down, Ruka kept his head low, "…I see you've seen the errors of your ways" Stan stated nodding, "Fine, let us be off slave."
Ruka smiled, still with his eyes closed, as he lifted his head, looked at Stan and nodded. Stan popped back into Ruka's shadow and Ruka was off. But that's when he spotted a blonde kid with a buzz cut.
"Hey, hey, you'll be sorry if you think that I'm just a little kid! I might not look like much, but I'm a member of the spotted cat team, the ruler of shadows in Madril!"
'Rulers of shadow- oh no…' Ruka shook his head, Stan soon popped out and said in the most sarcastic tone Ruka's ever heard.
"Rulers of shadows, eh?" Stan crossed his arms, "Those are big words, small fry. I'll put you in your place" Stan announced.
"Just ignore him…" Ruka tried to reason with the Shadow, the kid was only a kid.
"Whoa! Hey, what's that? How cool!" Stan smirks at the complement, "That shadow looks bad!"
'Okay… if shadows could glow… I think he's glowing!' Ruka grinned,
"Oops. I mean… um you with your shady tricks! Your must be a whisker-mole team spy! I will report to my leader later! This town will never be yours, Whisker Mole Team!" the boy shouted.
'?' Ruka and Stan look at each other and blinked… Stan popped back into Ruka's shadow as Ruka said "O-kay…" and walked off to where soldiers were lined up, blocking the road to the eastern part of town.
"*Yawn*… I became a temporary soldier at the Hero's club request. But it's so boring just standing here" the militia soldier with the number 2 pinned onto his coat stated.
"Due to current Evil King Punishment expedition no one is allowed beyond this point. So beat it! Man that felt good. I've always wanted to boss people around like this" the militia soldier with the number 1 pinned onto his coat stated.
Since, they weren't allowed entry, they had to gain entry… so they return to Town Hall, when Ruka remembers the cyphertext and ran to the side of the Town Hall. There he spots a mysterious hole, in which he knocked three times, and received 'Cyphertext 3' music played and the mysterious hole spoke.
"…the next cyphertext is btquxbkhee:
:
dvsmzdmjgg"
"What in the world… oh well, I'll figure this out later…" Ruka muttered, that's when his stomach told him 'Feed me damn it!'
'Well, a couple of nuts aren't going to sustain me for long…' Ruka turned and headed back from where he came from.
"Where are you going slave?" Stan asked popping up from behind Ruka.
"I'm sorry Master, but…I'm human, therefore I need nourishment" Ruka stopped, and waited for Stan's approval because he didn't want more trouble.
"Very well, but once done, acquire more information, seems we need entry into the sewer…and once that is done, we'll subjugate that rat that so dare claim the title Evil King"
"Right…" 'Rat, huh…? Wouldn't surprise me if it was… what else would live in the sewers, except alligators…' Ruka thought as he opened the door to the Screwdriver Inn, (which was located near the elevator?)
'Right, this place is two stories. I keep forgetting that…' Ruka mused as he enter the inn, the hostess came running up to him. Though she was an old woman, she was fast.
"We call ourselves the Screwdriver Inn but it's not like we serve screws for dinner. So don't worry and eat with us" she proclaimed and took out a notepad.
'I hope not…' Ruka smiled and said "Do you have pizza?"
"Yes, is that all?"
'Wow, she's in a hurry isn't she… though I don't see why…' "bread and water too, please"
"Okay, pizza, bread, and water" she read back and once he nodded she sped off.
"Okay…" looking around, there were only three other people in the entire Inn besides the hostess. 'I might as well chat… might find something out from them'
First Ruka spoke with the young looking folk, two males, first the blonde told Ruka about the 'automatic vertical transporter' that and because of the Evil King it isn't operational. Next the brunette…he was just obsessing over an idol called Miss Madril, so last was the man sitting at the cogwheel tables. He was sitting on a screwdriver stool. Apparently the older man in the brown suit and green tie was Mr. K.I.A.
'Not Mr. Killed In Action…Mr. Know-It-All' Ruka's mind wandered as Mr. K.I.A babbled on about knowing everything about anything…
"What would you like to know, my son?" Mr. K.I.A asked.
'Son…? Well, if you know everything, then what is the circumference of a mongoose?' "I'd like to know about…about Evil Kings in Madril…please" Ruka remembered to mind his elders.
"An Evil King who calls himself 'Sewer Evil King' apparently, lives in the town's underground sewer."
'That much I've gathered from a poster …' "What else?" Ruka asked.
"Lately, there have been posters hung up all over the town about some plan to conquer the world. I call myself Mr. Know-It-All, yet I had no clue that an Evil King lived in the town's Sewer, I'm ashamed!" the man wept.
'You should be… I knew all this from the poster that the Evil King himself placed up!' "Sigh… nothing new" Ruka mumbled as he sat down at a different table as his food arrived. Using the money he had gotten from the ghosts, keeping his 1000 separate, he paid for his meal and left.
'Maybe I can persuade the hero association to let me join them temporarily… but Stan would be upset…sigh…' Ruka ruffled his hair.
"Slave, what's wrong with you?" Ruka didn't see it, but Stan did look worried for a moment.
"Nothing… let's see if I can't get us into the sewer" Ruka smiled. Stan blinked and nodded, as he disappeared back into Ruka's shadow. Again they were at the Town Hall… but something was different this time. The guard blocking the door to the hero's club was getting bombarded with complaints… by the woman with the pink parasol. Walking up carefully behind the woman he listened, while he wondered, 'How did I get here before her?'
"What do you mean I was too late? ! Do you know how far I had to travel to get here? You'd better let me in, or else!" she shouted.
"Hey don't get mad at me, but we're not accepting anymore hero applicants. No one is going in there"
'Well there goes that plan…' Ruka sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Never mind, let me in!" the blonde woman shouted again, but this time she points her sword at the guard.
'I should have done that! Oh well… what's done is done' Ruka thought.
"Y-Yes ma'am! But wait your parasol-" But the woman rushed in, the guard moved out of the way so that the sword wouldn't impale him. "Oh, there she goes inside with it open…" he muttered as he went back to guarding the door.
"Excuse me" Ruka called out as he tapped the guard's shoulder. The guard was about to dismiss Ruka again when,
"Hmm… I don't really understand why, but I sense that I'll find that dreadful Hero Hopkins right in there!" Stan announced.
"Huh? What's that shadow?" the guard asked arching an eyebrow, his three pointed spear tilting in indication of Stan.
"Oh…my master is all" Ruka stated before Stand would announce that he was an Evil King thus alerting every hero in the next room…
"Oh, well. I hate to break it to your master but, Hero Hopkins is the name of the Great Hero from 300 years ago"
"Wow master… you are old" Ruka smiled. The guard blinked as Stan stuttered,
"S-Shut up!"
"But it's the truth~" Ruka played innocent, as he fluttered his eyes, and then grinned.
"I don't know what you're thinking but that person's been dead for a long time now" Ruka had a moment of silence for the man, thought he didn't know him.
"What? So who is the hero today?" Stan asked, not at all phased that he had found out his rival was dead…
"Well, it's hard to say who… there are more than a dozen heroes in Madril alone right now" the guard announced.
"W-What did you say? You fool! There can only be one hero! That's just the way it is, isn't it?"
'Things change, Stan…' Ruka felt bad for Stan again, things he knew from before… could all be a lie now 'So… maybe the other kings aren't fake… so is Stan a fake now…?' Ruka wondered.
"Oh, whatever. I don't really care. Here, I'll let you in so you can check it out yourself" the guard stepped out of the way.
'Nice going Stan!' Ruka ran through the door as Stan disappeared again. On entering he heard two heroes arguing.
"Hahaha, you're ranked 164th, I'm 161st. I win!"
"B-But that's only a three rank difference!"
Ruka wondered what they were talking about… apparently there was a ranking or rather a rating system to pick out the best hero to determine the great hero who will fight against the Great Evil King that is said to come again someday… or so said a clerk in the corner.
'Great Evil King…? That's probably Stan…*sigh* and here I am helping him become all great and powerful again… I am a nuisance to mankind aren't I? Maybe I am a demon… I could have been adopted' while thinking Ruka read through the ranking which was listed on the walls 'Or my family are descendants of a demon or something' then Ruka remembered, in front of his home there was a cemetery, 'Nope, that was definitely a hero's grave, sigh, no use thinking about it now; and Ruka went off in search of the clerk who'd allowed entry into the sewer.
"So like I said, I'll make an exception and give you a number. But you still have to wait for your turn" the clerk, whom Ruka was searching for, stated.
"That won't do! How many times do I have to tell you to get you to understand? Let me pass through the management office now!"
'So it's the management office…' Ruka thought 'Now all I have to do is get there…'
"Well, let me just say this" the clerk started again, "you should be grateful that I'm giving you a number at all. And besides you shouldn't have an umbrella open in doors, you know. You're a hero, you should know better"
"Well it's b-because…" she stuttered.
"Of course, I understand why it bothers you so much, hehehe" the woman looked shocked as the clerk mocked, she then turned red… "Everyone knows your shadow is p-" when SLAP! And the heroine left…
"Ow! That hurt! That wasn't very nice!" the man, who now lay on the ground twitching, shouted.
Ruka walked over to him… "I feel sorry for you…" Ruka shook his head.
"Hahaha. Well, there are all sorts of heroes, you know" the man sat up slowly, a red handprint scorched his left cheek.
"Who was she…?" Ruka asked looking to the door she left through.
"Oh that woman…? I believe her name was Rosalyn. I hear she's a really good hero, but you know… she's got that you-know-what… Hahaha!"
"I don't know what you're talking about…" Ruka said as he watched the grown man roll on the floor…
"Well, why don't you ask her yourself, why she uses a parasol. Be careful you don't let her hit you! Hahaha!"
With that Ruka left, ignoring the cry for help from the man, seems he couldn't get up… Exiting the building Ruka was stopped by his shadow.
"I won't have it. He's just some phony called the Sewer Evil King or something! Why is it that he's the only one that heroes are after, when I am the true Evil King? ! What an insult!" Stan shouted.
Ruka smirked, "You want heroes going after you?"
"Humph! But of course, I'll apply my backhand to those second rate heroes in a flash! Anyway, it is moi who will defeat this so called sewer Evil King! I will show those lamer heroes who the true Evil King is! Slave! Go and begin your search!"
'Hm… but wouldn't it be more beneficial to us to let the hero and the fake evil kings tire themselves out and just take them all down in the end…? Oh well…' Ruka shrugged and was off.
"Hey you! Whisker Mole spy!" the previous blonde kid shouted.
"What now…" Ruka muttered as the kid panted from running up to Ruka.
"It's not fair for you to act too big just because you have a curious shadow! I know everything about this town, but I won't tell guys like you anything!"
'Hm…' Ruka smirked "Oh, but do tell" Ruka smiled staring into the boy's eyes, unsettling him…
"Humph… I will never tell you that there is a back-way that goes through to the east side of town that only we know about! I won't even tell you even if you torture me that Toby watches the secret entrance!" at this point Ruka is jotting this stuff down on his notepad.
"That's enough" Ruka capped his pen.
"Oops…" Ruka was walking back over to the house near the Town Hall, where he stumbled into, meeting a cute little boy who told him his name was Toby, the boy shouted "But I'll never tell as long as I live that my name is Dill!"
"Thanks Dill!" Ruka shouted back, causing Dill to smack himself.
'Hahaha, funny kid' Ruka smiled as he opened the door. Once telling Toby "The Spotted Cat team are the best~" he agreed with Ruka and allowed entry saying,
"Yeah, they're the greatest. And Maggie is so pwetty~"
Opening the door, which was previously guarded, Ruka saw that the spotted cat's back-way was a pipeline that connected to the side of the building and ran all the way to the other side of the street. He muttered "Leave it to cats to call this a back-way…whatever…" Ruka readied himself, taking in a breath and tight rope walked across, not even bothering with looking down.
Stan then popped up shouting "Slave what are you doing? !" surprising Ruka for a moment, but Ruka just shivered and closed his eyes for a moment to take in a breath…
"Getting us to the sewers" Ruka smiled, though his eye was twitching.
"Oh… for a moment there I thought you had a death wish…" Stan blatantly stated.
"If I had a death wish… I would have killed myself long ago Stan" Ruka announced as he walked on and jumped to the other side of the street. There were people walking about so Stan disappeared into Ruka's shadow again, Ruka then spotted the woman with the parasol again, just across the street. She was waiting in a line, presumably the line to the management office…
'Darn it, it's guarded too… with all the heroes here Stan probably can't convince them… sigh, oh well… oh… hey, isn't that a manhole… darn it, she's standing on it' Ruka cursed his rotten luck.
Ruka went over to the woman and stared at her parasol, trying to figure out why in the world would she have it open… when there wasn't any sun here.
"…What? What are you staring at? Go away? !" she shouted in Ruka's face.
'Sigh…women, can't let a guy concentrate in peace… let's go with a complement and see if she'll calm down' Ruka thought "You have a great parasol" 'What the hell was that…?' Ruka inwardly smacked himself.
"Are you hitting on me? Sorry, I've got better things to do" she turned away.
'Hit on… okay I'm not desperate enough to go out with someone so bi-polar… sigh, I'm just gonna go straight to the point…' tap Ruka tapped her shoulder.
"What? What's wrong with you? What do you want from me?"
"Why do you carry a parasol?" Ruka asked flatly, it surprised the woman for a moment.
"What…? Why do I use- That's none of your darn business!" she freaked.
'Whoa! Stan help, crazy woman!' Ruka backed away, and the woman after seeing Ruka back away hastily and people staring said.
"Oh, I'm sorry" she played innocent "I just lost my temper- I usually don't get mad this easily, you know? Yes, once I was a gentle beautiful girl, leading a fabulous life as an elite of the Hero's university…" she turned away to reminisce. "Yes, my life was wonderful, until that abominable incident! Since then I've been looking for that guy who ruined my life!"
'Ah, boyfriend problems…' Ruka mused.
"It's been a long and difficult journey. You can't blame me for losing my temper from time to time, I guess" she announced.
"Yeah… yeah I can…" Ruka muttered the last part.
"Yes, so I finally searched him out! This sewer Evil King must be the detestable enemy I've been looking for! How can I just sit and wait for my turn?" she got that crazy look in her eyes again…
"But of course! There must be a back route to the sewer somewhere in this town! Yes, there must be! Look for it, Rosalyn!" she shouted to herself and ran off; as she was running she shouted "What am I waiting for! Let's get going!"
"Okay…" 'I feel bad for the guy, if she ever finds him…poor delusional woman…' Ruka thought as he lifted the manhole while people were distracted with the mad woman.
"What was that about slave?"
"Oh, just some crazy woman pouring her heart out, just ignore it… I found us a way to get to the sewers, we just need to go through the manholes" Ruka stated as he climbed down.
"Oh… what are you waiting for?"
"Well it's dark…" 'I might slip and fall… and break an arm or a leg… then I'd be trapped down there, wouldn't I?'
"Hn…a slave of mine, afraid of the dark that's-!" Ruka had gotten half way down, and it was completely dark because someone had noticed the manhole cover and replaced it back on its proper place.
"S-Stan…?" Ruka called out… 'Hm…' "Stan is an idiot!" Ruka shouted, and braced himself for the verbal onslaught but nothing…
'I see, there aren't any shadows because there isn't any light…well, that makes sense, without good there can't be any evil…' Ruka continued walking down the tunnel as he thought to himself, when he walked into a ladder.
"Okay, up we go…" he climbed until his head hit something, the manhole cover…
"Ow, why is it always my head?" Ruka asked no one in particular. Getting out of the manhole Stan re-appeared,
"Slave, what happened…?"
"Without light, there can be no shadows… therefore your presence on this world doesn't exist" Ruka explained.
"…Troublesome…" Stan muttered.
"Don't worry, I'll stay in areas that are well lit, and keep the lights on at night" Ruka stated as he walked toward the first he spotted.
"Why?" Stan asked
"You don't want me to?" Ruka asked, tilting his head.
"No… it's fine, just wondering why?" Stan asked narrowing his gold eyes.
"So you, master, can escape from the other world, the world of shadows… isn't it lonely and quiet there?" Ruka asked.
"H-How did you…"
"I read" apparently there were many books stored in Tenel, especially in Nameless manor. Ruka happened to cross paths with a book about the shadow world, where all shadows go to when night approaches and the moon doesn't shine… not a very happy place, or so he read.
Opening the door to the house, Ruka didn't notice the smirk on Stan's face before he disappeared.
Ruka kinda wished he hadn't entered that particular house… why? Read the sign that says 'Gear Love' that says it all…
TBC…
KH: Gear… Love… they freak me out… And what's this, Ruka knows about shadows… hm, I wonder if this affected him somehow *giggles creepily*
Ow, my head hurts… I should sleep during the night instead of vice versa, alas… I have caught a cold… Well, I'll update when I have the next part proof read, which should take about a day … or two… Of course, knowing me there will always be some sort of error…