Chapter 1…
It was in the Negev Desert where the ruins were discovered and an excavation taking place. What baffled the archaeologists, though, was that it seemed unlike anything ever seen before. It wasn't Arabic, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Assyrian, Hittite, Hebrew, or even Mesopotamian. The markings and architecture were unlike anything ever seen before.
A motor-vehicle drove across the desert, bearing the emblem of the Hidden Leaf Village on the side. This was a shinobi transport and in the passenger-seat was a teenage girl with indigo hair and lavender eyes that distinctly lacked pupils. She heard some of the theories about the dig—some sort of prehistoric civilization, a newer find of things that pre-dated…basically everything else.
Not that Hinata Hyuga knew much about those theories. All she knew was that she was only hired on for a security mission. Some raiders were hitting them and then running off faster than they could be spotted. Nothing terribly serious, just some small bits of equipment were being stolen. Things could get worse, which was why the main sponsor of the dig asked for a single ninja and, specifically, someone with a Byakugan. Neji was otherwise occupied and Hanabi was still in the academy, so she was the one they sent.
Seeing the ruins, though, made her curious, though. She walked over to the tent where the person she guessed was the dig's sponsor was leaning over some tablets. He was an older man, wearing orange robes and a bald head.
"H-Hinata Hyuga, at your service, sir," She stuttered, standing straight. She needed to look professional, not look as weak or timid as most others thought she was. "You…w-wanted someone t-to help with security?"
"Ah, yes. We needed someone with your skills," said the man, turning around to show warm eyes, a dark brown beard, and a blue arrow tattoo on his head. He shook her hand, warmly, making her recoil a bit. "I'm Tenzin. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Hyuga."
"S-so, you need someone for s-security?" Hinata asked. "Has anything…valuable been stolen?"
"No, not particularly," Tenzin replied. "Mostly just small things. A few CD players, small tools. Cheap enough to replace, but the thing is…we haven't found a trace of them. If they're just seeing what they can get away with, they might go on to robbing the few artifacts we've recovered already."
Hinata looked over Tenzin's shoulder and the tablets. They appeared quite old and had some writing on them. Hinata couldn't read it, though.
"Is, um…i-is this one of those artifacts, Mr. Tenzin?" she asked.
"Just 'Tenzin', please. And we're not entirely sure. People are using every regional language to try and translate it, but to no avail," Tenzin said. "We're mostly making things out a little at a time, but one word keeps showing up—Fictorians."
"Fictorians?" Hinata asked, looking it over. There did seem to be something written there that resembled the word. It seemed so alien to her.
"We're still working on that," Tenzin replied. "We also find things about war and a stone. It's fascinating, though."
"Yeah…" Hinata said, looking at the tablet. "I'll go do some rounds, I need to check out the camp."
Hinata walked out and began to check out the site to try and get a feel for it. She could have sworn that she saw a small flash of some strange energy, but her Byakugan didn't pick anything up. So, she put it out of her mind for now. For now, she had to patrol the dig site.
But that one word resonated with her every step of the way—Fictorians.
Before man, before moon, before history,
In a time of both magic and mystery...
Humans and Fictorians entered their strife,
Fought to possess the Aura's Life.
For whoever holds these stones could shape the world.
But into darkness, both kinds would be hurled.
So, a sorcerer formed a mighty spell…
And formed the hidden Fictorian realm.
Fanfiction Dot Net presents…
A Tohokari-Steel work…
A Fictorian Tale
Come with me
Across the sea of time.
Come with me
Across the sea of time.
Where creatures known only as myth,
From Vampire to the Cat-Sith,
Live by the River's lethal gleam…
Across the sea of time.
Come with me
Across the sea of time.
Come with me
Across the sea of time.
Where man and beast are made as one,
Where there is light, and yet no sun.
Where they rule, but are not free…
Across the sea of time.
Lunatic came to them then, the dreams of all by his side.
A Balance come to the realm and took a Fictorian bride.
And from their union came a line, both Fictorian and god.
Forged a line of great heroes, who left their peers all awed.
Come with me
Across the sea of time.
Centuries passed, Fictorians forged their own land,
With nine guards to give their helping hand,
And all under their master grand.
Across the sea of time…
Across the sea of time…
Time…
Across the sea of time…
Time…
Across the sea of time…
Time…
Across the sea of time…
Far beneath the human-ruled surface, in a realm where magic and mystery still reigned deep into the modern day, was the realm of Fictron, a kingdom in the Fictorian Realm. Fictorians themselves, though, took a different turn from humanity. They had become a menagerie of different forms and each had their own abilities, granted by the bright, glowing pink energy source known by them as The River, as it flowed across their world, providing their life and light to the world, decorating the black skies with a bright, pink glow as it flowed next to a massive tree, seeming to glow a little brighter as the various inhabitants gathered around it.
This was the Arboreal Palace, which housed both the Grandmaster who ruled Fictron and their guards. The tree stretched upward, visible for miles and some rumored that it was just short of piercing into the human world above. Now, Fictorians gathered at the roots for a very special occasion—a concert, held by the Grandmaster herself.
At the root of the massive tree, which housed the royal family and Guards, a woman leapt down from one of the sprawling branches. She wore deep green robes and had short, green hair streaked with white and golden eyes that held a sense of youth and vitality in them. Most notable about her, though, here her furry hands and feet, ears, and a prehensile tail that had ring-patterned fur. This was June-Key, a former guard and now the Grandmaster's left hand.
She cleared her throat before proclaiming. "Forty-sixth Grandmaster of Fictron, Ultimecia!"
With a thunderous applause, a woman walked out from the gates of the Arboreal Palace. Her hair was a deep magenta and she wore a luxurious gown. She also had long, rabbit-like ears that stuck out prominently and a tiara with a small, purplish-blue ball on it that glowed with an ethereal light. She had grayish-purple eyes that seemed to have an empty look to them. Many of the Fictorians present remembered when they had been full of life, but many said the sudden, tragic passing of her predecessor had left her despondent for the many years she had been grandmaster. All the same, she raised her hand and waved to her subjects as she walked down.
"And the seventy-second Captain of the Fictronian Guard, the mighty, unstoppable, noble, compassionate, loving, and ever-so-handsome Lunatic the 120th!" June-Key said, snickering to herself.
A powerfully-built man followed after Ultimecia, wearing indigo armor with an ax-like weapon strapped to his back. He seemed human, but his long, crimson hair and beard made one think of a lion. As indicated by June-Key's all-too-flattering introduction, he was also her husband. While she was mercurial, artistic, and more than a little quirky while he was more pragmatic and strict…and yet, somehow, he approached her and tenderly kissed her forehead before following after Ultimecia.
June-Key gave a sigh after her husband before clearing her throat. "And, in his musical debut, scion of Roswell and the newly-dubbed royal court composer! Xem!"
With…considerably less applause came a gangly creature that seemed somewhere in an…odd intersection of Siberian tiger, otter, and a prehistoric raptor. On top of that, he was wearing a red jacket over a black shirt, a yellow cravat, and blue leggings. He seemed quite -content with the applause he was given as he waved with great enthusiasm.
"It's your anniversary as Grandmaster, Ulti," Lunatic murmured to the Grandmaster. "Show a little enthusiasm."
"I'm trying," Ultimecia said. "Can't I just say, 'thank you, enjoy the show, but I have other things to tend to'?"
"You're a public official, Ulti," June-Key said, hopping next to the three as they continued on. "You knew what would happen when you became a Knight. Besides, Xem put a lot of work into it. Didn't you, Xem?"
"Yes, indeed!" Xem saluted, "Poured my heart and soul into this! Trust me, it'll knock you dead!"
"Some music might be welcome, yes," Ultimecia sighed. June-Key snickered to herself. This was hardly the first time she talked her old friend into doing something she didn't want to.
"All of the guards practiced for it, too," June-Key said. "Dez, String, even Fipp got in on the fun. And Teal was the most enthusiastic about it."
"So enthusiastic he never showed up to rehearsal even ONCE," Xem muttered, darkly. In truth, the Knight in question was probably his best friend in Fictron…but that didn't stop him from getting frustrated at him. QUITE frustrated, in fact. He just hoped that Teal's enthusiasm for music would bring about a surprise performance.
Xem made his way to the center of an amphitheater that seemed to have been molded from the earth itself and placed some sheets of paper on a stand. He took a deep breath as he lifted his hands and began conducting. Some musicians began playing their music with grand trumpeting. A few roots erupted from the ground, drawn from the Arboreal Palace itself. As it slowly unfurled, it showed each of the current guards in turn.
First was Dez, a red-haired and red-eyed man with grayish armor and a silvery, lizard tail. Then came Fipp, who had yellow hair, goggles, floppy dog ears, and a tail as well as turquoise armor. Third was the massive form of Dae-Doon, who wore purple armor and was one of the more…monstrous-looking guards, since half of his body seemed mostly human while the other half was that of a green, scaly dragon, complete with wings and a pointed tail. Fourth came Sakkee, wearing green armor and having long, purple hair, lavender eyes, prominent fangs, and a set of folded bat wings over her shoulders like a cape. Fifth was String, a powerfully built woman with purple hair, short bear ears, and whose yellow armor and build gave her a more androgynous appearance. And finally was Hatterton Sphinx, a black cat with fluffy wings and a set of white armor and a faint ankh shape on his forehead. In unison, they began to sing.
Our magic vicinity...
Was a gift from the divinities,
Balances who saw fit to bestow...
The gift of a paradise,
Peaceful and harmonious upon
Fictorians below!
With the River's flow,
We're magnificent!
And shining!
From millennia ago!
The River's flow!
River's flow!
River's flow!
There was a long pause as the music came to a halt, awkwardly waiting as someone was supposed to appear, but didn't. Ultimecia cleared her throat.
"Well…that was…interesting. Now, I have other matters to tend to," she said before walking off.
"Oh, we're not even close to being done, Ulti," June-Key said. She leaned over to Xem. "Just get the next song ready."
With that, June-Key ran after Ultimecia, calling after her. Lunatic sighed as he followed after his wife.
"Does this mean we're done?" Sakkee asked, looking at her fellow guards.
"I dunno, I guess," Dez shrugged.
"I hope so. This is intruding on my valuable napping time," Hatterton said as he began to moodily groom himself.
"Well, guess who we can pin THIS on," Fipp muttered.
"You and Hatterton refusing to carry a note?" String asked. Fipp growled as she snickered.
"Hey, hey, we're not done here yet," Xem shouted as he waved his hands, trying to get the crowd to stay even as they slowly flocked out.
Dae-Doon rubbed the bridge of his nose. Notable by their absence were three people—his two younger brothers and their sorceress friend…
"Teal, Loon, and Fortune…why is it always THOSE three?" he asked, annoyed.
In the human world, three figures darted into some crates. They had to keep a low profile—technically, they weren't supposed to be there. For Fictorians, contact with the human world was for authorized personnel only and the Grandmaster was VERY strict about keeping it limited. And would NOT have permitted the pleasure visit that these three were on.
One slowly poked his head out, a tanned complexion, blue eyes, and wore lightweight red and armor. He had white hair that were actually prickles, like the back of a hedgehog. This was Teal, one of the members of the Fictorian guard dubbed "The Mavericks". Mostly because…this wasn't his fist excursion to the human world.
"So, what's the plan this time, bro?" asked the eager voice next to Teal. Out popped a younger man with big, blue eyes, spiky red hair with indigo tips, a long simian tail, and green and yellow marks under his eyes. This was Lunatic the 121st…or "Loon" as most people called him, to differentiate him from his father. Oddly enough, he was Teal's younger brother.
"We go in, snap up what's in…" Teal murmured as he examined the boxes. "THAT one!"
Teal pointed at one. He wasn't sure what was in that crate, but he KNEW something interesting might be in it. These crates were all filled with interesting stuff. After all, experience showed him that humans ALWAYS had interesting stuff.
"Slow down, will you?" asked a voice. A girl hustled to keep up. She wore a crimson dress, but seemed the most alien of the three—her skin was scaly and blue with white speckles. She also had two fins on her head that almost looked like hair. This was Fortune, a mage and the nervous third member of the trio. "You know I can't go as fast as you guys!"
"Guards wear what they want, Lucky. You're the one who wants to wear a dress," Loon replied.
"It's a hereditary gown belonging to the high sorceresses of Fictron," said Fortune ("Lucky" was her nickname), indignantly. "To wear it is a sign of pride, even—"
"Hey, guys," Teal said, eagerly, as he opened up a crate. It was filled with strange, metal cylinders. To Teal, though, they were as good as finding lost gold. "Look at these! Aren't these cool?"
"Yes, yes, very cool," Fortune said, a little hesitantly. "Now, can we just go home now? The others probably know we're gone by now, so…"
"Oh, come on. We only just got here," Teal said. "There's much more to see! Look, they're busy digging stuff! It's the perfect chance!"
"Not AFRAID, are ya Knight of Valor?" Loon asked, playfully.
"What? N-no, I'm not," Fortune said, timidity clear in her voice. Indeed, she was the Knight of Valor in the Fictorian Guard. All three of them were Guards, each representing a different Fictorian Virtue—Loon was the Knight of Loyalty while Teal was the Knight of Empathy. "It's just, I've…got this cough."
Fortune made a few unconvincing coughs.
"Okay, you don't have to come if you don't want to," Teal said. "You just stay here and watch out for hunters!"
"Thank you, thank you, Balances praised," Fortune sighed as Teal and Loon began looking over the crates, moving about among them. "Yeah, you put yourself at risk while I watch for…hunters…"
The neuron fired when Fortune realized what she had said. With a yelp, she darted among the crates, narrowly evading the sight of a certain man, wearing leather and carrying a crossbow. He growled, thinking he heard something. He reached over to the crate where the three had been just moments before…
SNAP!
"YAGH!" he yelped, pulling his hand back…revealing a mouse trap stuck to it.
Loon snickered in satisfaction. This wasn't the first time he went to the human world. And that human in particular was fun to mess with. He didn't know WHY, he just had funny reactions.
Fortune quickly caught up with the two, who were staying low. Teal would occasionally tap on a box. When he found one interesting, Loon cut it open with a set of serrated chakram attached to his wrists. Teal began rummaging through it.
"Is it moral to do this?" Fortune asked. "I mean, we are STEALING from these humans…"
"If they needed it, they wouldn't put them in these big boxes," Teal said.
"I don't think that's the case," Fortune murmured.
"But why should THEY have all the cool things?" Loon asked. "Don't WE deserve cool things, too?"
"I'm still having a moral crisis."
"Wonder what this is," Teal murmured as he plucked out an oil lamp before putting it in a sack he brought with him. "Maybe Xem'll like it!"
"Um, Teal?" Fortune asked.
"What about this?" Teal asked, holding up a steel ring.
"I dunno," Loon said, sliding it on. With a loud, demonic roar, an explosion of darkness emerged. He quickly removed it, ending the whole thing. "Uh…probably not something to mess with."
Quickly, he tossed the ring over his shoulder. Unfortunately, their previous actions seemed to get the attention of the people.
"Hey, who's there?!" one shouted.
"I know! It's the thieves," another shouted.
"We got 'em now," a third yelled.
"RUN!" Teal hissed as he, Loon, and Fortune began running away. Bullets zipped across the area, narrowly missing the three ne'er-do-wells.
"Maybe we gotta rethink our strategy a bit," Loon laughed as they bobbed and weaved out of the way.
"Not now," Teal yelped. "Lucky? Have something?!"
"Oh, um…" Lucky's eyes began to glow as she drew a silver quill out of her sleeves. Quickly, she sketched out a few symbols. The three suddenly came to a halt.
"Where'd they go?"
"Damn, lost them AGAIN!"
"That ninja girl better be able to solve this thing…"
With a series of disappointed groans, the men went back to their camp. One seemed quite annoyed, despite being quiet—the man Loon caught with a mousetrap. The only thing there were a few rocks and a dried-out plant…
In a small swirl, Fortune dispelled their glamor. They panted, heavily, feeling relieved that the danger passed.
"See? Piece of cake," Loon chuckled.
"Piece of cake? That was a piece of LUCK," Fortune said, bent over.
"No, it was a piece of brilliance. Did good there, Lucky," Teal panted, giving her a pat on the back.
"This was the whole reason you dragged me along, wasn't it?" Fortune asked, giving him an annoyed side-eye.
"Basically…but you're good at it," Teal replied. "Now, to look over our winnings…"
In the distance, there was a gunshot.
"ELSEWHERE," Teal said, running away. Loon and Fortune followed after him, eager to get as far away as possible. What they didn't know were three animals following them, letting out eerie chuckles.