Hey, guys! I know that I said that I'd be away for longer, but I forgot to account for a Beta trip that ended today, effectively getting me out of school for the past two days. :) While I was there, I got bored and typed this up on my phone. Enjoy!

"Go home, Nick," Gold stated. "You'll need the rest. Tomorrow we get to the next step in the plan."

"What IS the plan, exactly? What is it that we're going to be doing tomorrow?"

"You familiar with Zero from Mega Man x?"

"Yep. Started out fairly weak, but he got new sword techniques from bosses,?" I answered.

"Yep," He responded.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Now introducing the Golden FazBlade Mk 1," he announced as a short sword materialized in my hands.

"Whoa," I announced as I inspected the weapon.

It was a fairly simple sword, the blade being two feet long and fairly light, with its weight centered exactly six inches beyond the hilt. It was gold in color and glinted faintly in the dim light. It was gifted with a cutting edge on both sides of the blade. It was triangular in shape, but had a rectangular space missing, going from where the tip would be, down six inches, at the bottom of which was an almost unnoticeable circular hole going down toward the hilt, not serving any obvious purpose. The hilt was wrapped with leather, and conformed to my hand quite nicely.

Overall, the sword was easy to swing around, lending towards lightning-fast flurries if attacks, but the widened blade allowed for easy blocking. It seemed... perfect, as if it was made for me.

"That's because it is."

"Wah!" I yelped, being abruptly yanked away From my thoughts by Gold's declaration.

"You have to name your sword."

"Why?"

"It's tradition, and I'll keep bugging you if you don't."

"Alright then. Hmm... we wield this blade to bring about a brighter future, so how about 'Forward unto Dawn?'"

"Forward unto Dawn it is then."

"One quick question, Gold?"

"What is it?"

"Why is part of the blade missing?"

"It isn't. That's the 'blaster.' Right now, it can shoot a small pellet made of energy that doesn't do much other than cause the target to flinch a bit. That can be modified, however, using the powers of the other Leapers."

"Leapers?"

"That's what we call ourselves."

"Let me guess. We have to kill them to do that?"

"I always knew you had a brain in there somewhere!" Gold teased.

"Thanks!" I reply, not quite getting it yet.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Hey!"