Now that season 3 of Thunderbolt Fantasy is finally over, I've had this idea swimming around in my head for a bit. It's not going to take place at the end of season 3, but rather somewhere after the second movie. It might end up leading to the battle between Tian Ming, Wu Yao, Bu Huan and Huo Shi Ming Huang that resulted in Tian Ming losing her sight. I'm going to introduce an original character of mine to the story as well, someone who holds a sorcerous sword who ends up becoming a traveling companion of the trio.
On another note, when is season 4 going to come out? That ending at the end of episode 13 is definitely preluding to a season 4 x.x
Disclaimer: I do not own Thunderbolt Fantasy or anything related to it aside from the plot and my own OCs. I do not make any profit off of this.
Summary: After chasing off Ying Luo and her group of soldiers, Shāng Bù Huàn, Mù Tiān Mìng, and Làng Wū Yáo spend the next year wandering through Xi You collecting more swords for the Index. One rainy day the trio come across a injured swordswoman being chased by Hou Shi Ming Huang's soldiers. The trio find themselves involved in the struggle for control of the sorcerous sword in the swordswoman's possession...
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Thunderbolt Fantasy: Convergence
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Chapter I: Encounter
Rain poured heavily through the forest as Shāng Bù Huàn, Mù Tiān Mìng, and Làng Wū Yáo hurried to find shelter from the storm looming overhead. The trio had been walking through the woods when dark clouds gathered overhead and rain started falling without warning. Truth be told, it wasn't something they weren't used to, since traveling from place to place had become the norm for them. Throughout the year they spent wandering Xī Yōu, they've endured all of Mother Nature's elemental surprises.
"Up ahead!" Shāng informed the other two.
A pagoda stood in the distance as shelter from the storm, and the trio rushed over just as the rain grew heavier.
"I doubt the rain is going to let up soon. We'll wait here until it subsides," Shāng said.
Mù Tiān Mìng, and Làng Wū Yáo were both busy shaking their clothing dry of water, with the latter taking special care to ensure his talking pipa Líng Yá was dry.
"Man, the rain is relentless! A few seconds more and I'd be wet to my core!" Líng Yá grumbled.
"You're dry now aren't you?" Mù Tiān Mìng teased with a small laugh.
"Yea, thanks to this guy right here."
Wū Yáo said nothing but plucked the strings of the pipa somewhat harshly.
"Hiyaaaaaa! Ok I'll shut up," Líng Yá said.
While the trio waited beneath the pagoda for the storm to end, Shāng took out the Sorcerous Index and looked through the contents. They had made a lot of progress collecting the swords. The index was growing larger, which could invite more trouble for him and his two friends. As much as Shāng wanted to throw the blasted thing away and be rid of it, he couldn't do so without fear of letting Huò Shì Míng Huáng and his group getting their hands on it.
"We've collected over forty swords already, but still there's no signs of this coming to an end."
"Don't forget we'll have to travel to Dong Li once we're done here," Tiān Mìng added.
"Someone's coming!" Wū Yáo suddenly said.
Hurriedly putting the Index away, Shāng glanced at his friend and waited. Wū Yáo had his eyes closed in concentration as his sharp sense of hearing focused on what he needed to know. Distant footsteps were coming their way, and it wasn't just one person, but a group. Wū Yáo opened his eyes again and turned to the other two.
"What did you hear?"
"Lots of footsteps. One injured, being chased by a group of people. The injured one is in bad shape, likely about to lose consciousness soon."
"But why would..." Tiān Mìng trailed off.
"Are you sure of what you heard?" Shāng questioned, though he already knew the bard was never wrong in what he heard.
"Làng is never wrong when it comes to what he hears! You've witnessed this first hand my friend," the red pipa piped up in protest.
Wū Yáo gripped the pipa tightly and turned his head slightly as the footsteps drew closer. He sensed ill intent from the group of soldiers, but none from the injured person they were currently chasing. Not wishing to get his friends involved in the fight, Wū Yáo left the pagoda and ran forward to meet the group head on.
"Oi Làng!"
Blood seeped through a deep wound and soaked the leaves crimson as Xu Qing Yun ran through the forest, a hand pressed against the injury sustained during her fight earlier with Xiào Kuáng Juàn as he and his men chased her. Having been caught off-guard while she rested, Qing Yun nearly lost her life if she hadn't managed to escape in time. The sword strapped across her back was vibrating intensely, screaming at her to be free from its restraint to protect its wielder. Qing Yun couldn't risk letting the sword out or she'd have even more people targeting her.
"Just a little more..." she panted.
The rain made it harder to see as she crashed through a bush. Something suddenly flew towards her and her first instinct was to protect the sword as she drew a dagger from behind her robes and held it up.
Instead the mysterious figure seemingly ignored her and landed behind to face the small group chasing her.
"Who are you?" she asked, still gripping the dagger.
"There is a pagoda in the distance. Take shelter there," her mysterious savior said.
"Thank you."
Qing Yun continued running as she heard a song coming from the mysterious figure. Her legs suddenly stopped working briefly as she turned around to find the soldiers holding their ears in pain.
"The land is cloaked in deepest blue!
Shadows of eagle across the moon!
Let all the pain and scars now fade away into the past!"
Though she could clearly hear the song, Qing Yun was unaffected and managed to turn around and run.
After making sure the stranger was heading for the pagoda, Wū Yáo faced the group of soldiers calmly. Xiào Kuáng Juàn was the first out of the bushes and immediately stopped upon recognizing the person standing before him.
"Làng Wū Yáo! What are you doing here? If you're here...then that means the Sword-Plundering Nemesis must be nearby! I don't have time to deal with you so move!"
"Not a fat chance buddy! What kind of a magistrate are you? Ganging up on a frail woman with your croonies! You guys make me sick!" Líng Yá mocked.
"Prepare yourselves," Wū Yáo said as he started plucking the strings on his red pipa.
"The land is cloaked in deepest blue!
Shadows of eagle across the moon!
Let all the pain and scars now fade away into the past!"
As he began to sing the soldiers all held their hands over their ears in an attempt to block out the music, but they were unable to resist the enchanting melody and started fighting among themselves. Wū Yáo continued singing while his fingers strummed the strings to send out supersonic wave attacks which knocked the group backwards. Realizing his men were falling like flies, and with the storm impeding his vision, Xiào Kuáng Juàn clenched his hand in anger and ordered the remaining men to retreat.
"This isn't over Làng Wū Yáo!"
The bard watched as the group scrambled away from the scene.
"Hey, let's go check on the girl back at the pagoda!" Líng Yá said.
Once she was inside the pagoda, Qing Yun found herself staring at two other strangers, though she detected no hostility from either of them. By now her exhaustion had finally caught up to her and her legs gave out, but one of the strangers caught her before she could hit the floor.
"Woah there."
"W-Who are you..." she asked weakly.
The other companion, a female musician, came over and checked her over before noticing the injury to her abdomen.
"Bù Huàn, she's injured badly."
The man called Bù Huàn examined her injuries himself and frowned. Qing Yun had no strength to push him away but she did hold onto the strap tied across her chest.
"Tiān Mìng, don't you have that medicine from the old man?"
"The spirit pill? Of course!"
Qing Yun watched warily as the female musician reached into her robes and extracted a small pill before holding it out to her.
"Eat this. It will help you recover."
She still eyed the pill warily and moved slightly further back.
"Don't worry. We're not here to hurt you. Please trust me and take the pill alright?"
As if struggling internally on whether to trust the strangers, Qing Yun hesitantly reached for the pill and swallowed it. Crossing her legs on the floor, she channeled her qi throughout her body and forced through the blocked meridians. Turning her head sideways, she spat up black blood onto the floor and could feel the pill's energy surging through her system.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
By now the red-clad bard from earlier also returned.
"She looks better than before," Qing Yun heard a voice say.
"Tiān Mìng gave her the old man's spirit pill. She'll be alright now with rest."
The female musician named Tiān Mìng helped her move to one of the benches and sat beside her.
"She was being chased by Xiào Kuáng Juàn and his men," the bard said.
"Xiào Kuáng Juàn? That guy wouldn't randomly chase someone without reason..unless..."
"Miss, are you carrying a sword by any chance?" Tiān Mìng inquired.
Immediately Qing Yun drew her dagger and pointed it at the latter.
"Are you going to steal Heaven Strike from me too?" she hissed angrily.
The trio exchanged looks with one another and Tiān Mìng gently eased Qing Yun's hand down from her throat.
"So you are carrying a sword..."
"Heaven Strike...isn't that a pair with another sword?" Tiān Mìng inquired as she looked at Bù Huàn.
Qing Yun's eyes went back and forth between the trio as they were seemingly engrossed in a conversation of their own, though she noticed the red bard never spoke much. Her mind was already working ways on how to escape from her predicament so she could continue her journey to the Ye Clan shrine to retrieve the other sword that was a pair to her own.
"Be quiet and let me think for a moment," Bù Huàn's voice interrupted Qing Yun's thoughts as she looked up.
"Heaven Strike...if I recall correctly...it's a pair with another sword called Sky Echo..."
"That's the sword of the Ye Clan isn't it? We're on our way there after all."
These people were on their way to the shrine as well? Just who in the world were they?
"Anyways with Xiào Kuáng Juàn and his men scurrying about, it's safer to travel with us. We can look after you while you recover from that wound," Bù Huàn said to her.
"It will be nice to have another companion."
As much as she wanted to continue traveling on her own, Qing Yun knew there was truth to their words. It would be safer to travel with them and she could blend in better without looking conspicuous. If her suspicions were correct, all three of them were martial artists of the top tier in their own rights. Which meant she'd have more help in guarding Heaven Strike until her mission was complete.
"Alright...I'll travel with you for now," she reluctantly said.
"I'm Shāng Bù Huàn. The other two are Mù Tiān Mìng, and Làng Wū Yáo. What is your name?"
"Qing Yun. Xu Qing Yun."