Disclaimer: Ranma and any characters depicted in this story do not belong to me.
I am not making a single cent off this story.
Mini-Note:
Since I took time to write this, I thought I'd leave it up on the net instead
letting it collect dust on a floppy disk. However, don't expect this to be
updated anytime soon. I MAY work on this someday, but two fics are more than
enough for me. My core creations, Shadowlands and Age of the Superhuman are
undergoing revisions as you read, with Shadowlands nearing its completion. So
expect to see it sometime within the next week or two.
Age of the Superhuman was a spur of the moment fic, so I never really took
additional chapters into consideration while I was writing it. As such, it is
undergoing a minor rewrite, nothing too fancy, just adding a few things to make
it that much better.
So for those who haven't read this yet. ENJOY!
***= Change in setting or POV. Tread carefully.
IMPORTANT:
Please read Author's Notes at the end of the chapter for important information.
This story has been submitted WITHOUT enduring the scrutiny of a pre-reader. You
have been warned.........
Summary:
The time is now, but the world is not. This is a land consumed by eternal night.
A realm where the golden rays of the sun have not been seen for the last 287
years. This is an existence where the darkness deep in the souls of man has
finally been given form. Creatures of the night exist, dark powers and black
magic are wielded by those who would seek to hunt the innocent. But in this
melding of modern-day and fantasy, there exist those whose sole purpose is to
protect those who cannot protect themselves. Warriors who use the powers granted
to them by the Arts to defend against the dark that has dominated the land.
These are the tales of them and they world they live in. The chronicles of the
Silent Knights...
Chapter 0: The Black Sun
Darkness.
It has been a long-established constant within the world. It is all
encompassing, all encroaching, and it has been an element with which man has to
adapt throughout the ages. The philosophies of yin and yang, good and evil, and
black and white have been mixed to a gray. It was long believed that night was
pure black, a place where only evil could exist and perpetuate.
But here is a world where good can exist within the dark. This is a world where
the absolute borders of conscience have been broken in places. To truly
understand this new-age philosophy, one must see with their eyes instead of
heeding the words of mouth. Such an opportunity has arisen, watch closely...and
learn...
The soft sound of clacking penetrated the night . Shoes against the concrete of
an empty sidewalk brought a monotonous rhythm to the silence all around.
Illumination was not of existence in this area lined with shops, bakeries, and
cafes. However a seemingly prosperous hub of commerce and social interaction was
void of life, as we know it.
The only semblance of existence was that of the soundless fluttering of small
orbs of light, the soft glow being the size of a small marble. These peaceful
creatures gently rode the air on transparent wings, their light a yielding gold
that gave contrast to the obscurity surrounding them.
The creatures known as Espers were the only illumination granted to the woman
who walked down the now barren street. She was of middle age, and in her arms
was that of a small child of tender age. He slept quietly in her motherly
embrace, the child being a sweet symbol of innocence in this time of impurity
and corruption. Her footsteps carried themselves amidst the dark allies between
the establishments. Echoes bounced off the dinged brick and stonewall, mixing
together to form a repetitive jingle of movement.
Then a sound is entrapped in an ear. Her feet halt and her auditory sensors perk
at a sound that might only be her imagination. Her head moves from one to
another, eyes attempting to force their way through the thick soup of darkness
that is patches by dots of light.
She is met with nothing more than silence and absence of life. She attributes
the noise to nothing more than the paranoia beginning to creep into the recesses
of her mind. She continues onward with an increased pace. A sound that was once
constant and fluid was now rapid and forced, but despite her boosted fervor to
be in the safe confines of her home, danger still loomed under her senses.
Predators lurked the streets with her. Dark beings seeking the rich blood of the
unassuming, evils that feed off the night to make themselves that much stronger
than they already are. These beings have found their new prey, and they begin to
move in for the savored kill. Each one shrouded within the black, their eyes
burning the red that is the color of all life-fluid they so eagerly crave.
The woman's pace heightened to a near run. She could feel a chill running down
her spine. A cold sweat was beginning to form on her brow and the beating of her
heart quickened with the onset of adrenaline. Her rasped breathing was the only
thing that she could hear, and the intensity of her drive to get away being the
only thing she could feel. She could sense the darkness beginning to close in
around her. No matter how fast she ran, they moved faster. No matter how much
she prayed to be spared, they would show no mercy. They fed off fear, and to
them she was nothing more than a wounded animal waiting to picked apart by the
vultures.
The sounds of her flight were halted by the horrific presence of twin eyes in
the darkness before her. One could see the twisted malice and mania amidst the
depths of rusted red. She stumbled backward several steps, only to run into yet
another inescapable barricade. She whirled around only to face the presence of a
second nightmare, but the horror did not end there. For in the middle of the
street to her left, a third hellish creation did make its presence known.
All three had a devil's grin that bared fangs that could only be of a vicious
use. Each one exuded an aura of the evil intent and murderous carnage that was
synonymous with the rank of vampire. These 21st century bloodsuckers enclosed
their target as the woman could only search frantically for someway, anyway, to
escape the inevitable.
"P...please...d...don't kill me. I...I have a family......" She hoped to
entertain some semblance of non-existent sympathy. "S...spare my child at least.
Please..."
"Talon, Blade, Crimson! Halt." A detached and commanding presence bade them to
cease their advance.
Each name was called respectively. One was tall and thin and had hair wild in
all directions possible, the second was of a burly stature whose hair was spiked
and cascaded down his back, and the third was the average of the three with
locks of a purple-black variety that parted down the center of his head.
"Give us the child, sweetmeat, and we will spare your worthless life," The same
voice offered.
The mother's eyes widened in horror at such an unholy proposal. To think such
monster's existed, that they would be content to subsist on the most innocent of
human life. Her expression, a mix of shock, disgust, and pure terror, prompted
the three to resume their hungered advance. It was quite the obvious the woman
would not surrender her child to the hellspawn that were poised to suck her dry
and then take the child for their own twisted purposes anyway. The number of
feet separating the oncoming massacre lessened, and the woman began a short
prayer to deity she worshipped that at least her child be spared a slow and
painful death.
Then there movement ceased suddenly. Their collective eyes narrowed, and the
sensation of a new presence crawled through their skin. The woman slowly opened
her eyes, the pain associated with being eviscerated being non-existent prompted
her to see why she was still alive. The trio's sights were on everything but
their prey, their eyes scouring the area around them for the source of this
sudden and formless disturbance.
The luminous flight of the Espers suddenly came to a stop. They floated inert in
the air as if lounging on the calm waves of a sea. Blade looked up, and his eyes
fell upon the darkened silhouette of a figure standing atop the same building
the woman was huddled against. Details were minimal within the black, the
outline of her form suggested a female, and possibly a short-haired one at that.
All three laughed inwardly at this singular threat to their superiority, no one
human could stand against them. That is when another anomaly caught Talon's
notice. He turned his gaze to his right, and found another form in the darkness;
it was some distance away and even more difficult to formulate some semblance of
identification. He raised an eyebrow in slight bewilderment but his attention
was averted from this by a grunt of slight surprise from Blade.
A purple light began to emit from the creature upon the roof. It glowed brightly
like a star in the infinite void of space. This beacon of light then subsided to
give rise to flame. A violet fire encompassed the hand of the being before them;
its illumination allowed them a better view of whoever the foolish wench who
opposed them was. Indeed her hair was short, and it stopped at the base of her
neck, the features of her face told them she was of young age, possibly in the
realm of sixteen to eighteen.
Her hand closed into a fist that was then aimed at Blade, of which Talon and
Crimson were on the right and left of. His eyes only had time to widen slightly
before a tendril of energy shot forth from the top of the hand. Its speed was
like a bullet fired from a gun, and indeed slight recoil could be made out from
the arm of the girl. The tendril coiled and maneuvered down the side of the
building before curving yet again and slamming full-force into the vampire's
chest. The impact buried the wisp partially into its chest before blowing him
clear off his feet and carrying him across the street. He slammed violently into
a store window and onward, blasting straight through shelves and stands before
coming to a skidding stop.
On the outside, the tendril began to slither and retract as if it were alive. It
retreated back to its point origin, and when it did the flame that spawned
disappeared in a flicker. As soon as it did the unknown female launched herself
into the air in a leap that seemingly defied gravity. The remaining duo watched
as she sailed over their heads and landed just in front of the building the
largest of the three hellions had been buried in. Her back was to them, but they
could see that the girl was clad in some sort of skin-tight black suit. Her
attention was not on them, as she appeared to be waiting for something to happen
within the destruction the flying brute had caused.
Talon gave a snarl of rage. Not at the fact that his comrade had just been blown
off his feet as if he weighed nothing, but at the fact that the impudent woman
would dare ignore him. He took a single step, before he was struck with a burst
of remembrance. He gaze shifted back to the unknown visage he had seen down the
street. Indeed the form was of better clarity, as it appeared to be approaching
them at a casual pace. However, that pace was broken by sounds of the footsteps
increasing to a maddening tempo.
In equivalent, the figure began approaching at a feverish speed. Talon turned to
face the newcomer. At that same time the unknown person leaped forward and once
he again he followed her with his eyes...until he realized she had leapt
straight at him. Before he could move to place his position out of the line of
fire, the figures foot found its mark on his face. The inhuman impact of the
blow was like nothing he had felt before. He flew backward and away, slamming
hard into the ground and rolling to a stop.
The figure landed in a crouch, and Crimson fetched a look at the being that had
felled another of his kin. She too was female and was dressed in same way as the
other, and she too had hair cut short, but this one did not possess the precise
cut at the end like the other had. Much like the previous assailant, this one
chose to ignore all others outside her primary target, of which was getting back
to his feet and whose face was enraptured with total rage and contempt for the
female. This sight caught her notice as well, but instead of fleeing at the
danger of incurring a vampire's wrath, she charged forward.
Instead of seeing such an act as an insult, Crimson simply saw it as an
opportunity. He murderous gleam twinkled in his blood red eyes as his sights
fell upon the shaking woman again. She thought she had been saved, she should
have taken the opportunity to run for dear life, but her accursed legs would not
move. Now the last of the standing vampires had his vile intentions back on her
and her helpless child. He once again brought his fangs to bear, and chortled a
vicious laughter that brought images of her own gruesome slaughter running
through her mind.
His forward motion was stopped; a hand gave firm and almost painful grasp to his
shoulder. He cringed and snarled as he looked to his rear and finding a third
interloper. His annoyance at the constant distractions was prevalent, but this
one did not seem to care. He shrugged off the offensive hand and attacked in the
same breath, a backfist hurtling toward her face at a speed only a vampyre could
produce. He expected to see her head knocked clear off her shoulders; instead
his blow was stopped cold in its path, and by a single hand. His face was
invaded by sudden and complete surprise as he found himself being lifted into
air and then sent traveling through it. His arm had been captured and used as
the source with which to send him traveling, courtesy of a shoulder throw.
He instantly ascertained his situation after retrieving his wits in mid-air. The
demon righted himself and came to a landing on both feet a good distance away
from the human. He sneered as he took sight of his opponent. This one was the
tallest of the three, this gave him the indication that her possible age may put
her in the eldest standing between them. Her hair was in contrast to the others,
as it was long and tied off so that it ran down her back.
His sneer turned to amusement in a flash. A sinister laugh filled the area; it
was thick with arrogance and pity for his hapless enemy. Surely these pathetic
members of the weaker sex had no idea as the power he and his comrades
possessed. If they did, they would not walked into this suicidal course they had
set for themselves. His smirk vanished as he noticed that woman in front of him
bore no fear at his presence, it was clear he would have to teach her her proper
place in the scheme of nature. As such he clenched his fists, and a cloak of
black fire that could only be ignited within the pits of hell overcame him. He
thought this night would be boring, nothing more than a helpless kill to satisfy
his hunger. But now it seemed he would have some entertainment with his meal,
and he so loved to play with his food.
She stood in silent wait for the monster to re-emerge, knowing full well the
initial attack was not enough to finish it. People who cared knew this girl's
name to be Nabiki, but unfortunately the enemy before her could care much less
as to what the name of his prey was. His eyes began to emerge from the darkness
of the building he had been sent through. One could almost feel the earth shake
from each footstep of the heavily muscled of the three known as Blade.
His foot touched the outside once again, crushing the already shattered glass
into so much fine powder as he did. He stared at his diminutive opponent, and he
could almost hurl at the fact that this small...thing...had caused him pain. He
would take far too much joy in tearing IT limb from limb and feed the rotting
corpse to the worms. But first...he would have to catch her...
In the blink of an eye, or perhaps even less time, his fist was already cutting
through the air on a course of sure, crushing death toward his enemy. The
wrecking ball of a fist buried itself in the pavement of the street, his
unnatural strength being one of the greatest of his kind. He had expected to a
bloody, pulpy substance upon his knuckles when he withdrew, instead he found
pieces of rock crumbling off his hand. He looked up toward the sky, just in time
see her descending upon him feet first.
The impact did not hurt much; she seemed to lack the raw strength necessary to
physically harm him. However, just as contact was made she launched off in a
back flip. Her push off caused him to lose balance temporarily and stumble
backward several steps. He growled quite audibly as he caught himself and a hand
became enveloped in a dark fire. He thrust the palm forward and a jet of demonic
flame lanced forward seeking to consume its target in its infinite flesh-
devouring hunger. A might explosion lit the air on impact. Chunks of rock and
tar were thrown to the wind as a result, but his target still remained among the
living.
His sights moved to the right to find her unsinged, having apparently avoided
the blast by vaulting left upon landing. This time, both her hand were
enshrouded by the same lavender inferno that she produced earlier. Once again
they were both closed tightly into fists, and one tendrils of the same type
before shot from each one. With the same marvelous speed they cleared the
distance between Nabiki and Blade and coiled themselves around the killer's
forearms. He suddenly felt himself pitch forward as the snake like vines of
purple energy tugged both his arms viciously. He slowly began forcing his arms
back in a display of impressive strength; the girl's planted feet begin to skid
forward against the resistance.
He laughed at the utter ineptitude of the girl. Was she mad enough to try and
test her minute strength against his? Obviously he had given far too much
credit; as little as it was to begin with.
The tug-of-war continued unabated. Any passerby could clearly see that Blade
would be the victor, but it seems that looks are all too deceiving in this case.
Her eyes began to glow with unearthly force of a same color as the tendrils
themselves. Blade took notice of this and gave a grunt of question as to what
this could mean in the outcome of their battle. He suddenly felt another violent
pull, this one far stronger than before. His arms were nearly wrenched from
their sockets, and he was ill prepared to resist. He fought with all his
strength but for some reason he could no longer rival that of his enemy who was
two times his lesser in height and build.
She suddenly threw her arms out to her sides, and in a violent display of gore
the vampire's arms were torn from their host body in geysers of black hued
blood. A near deafening roar escaped the lips of the giant as pain became all he
could feel. The tendrils threw the severed limbs away as they retracted back
into the hands that wielded them with so much proficiency. Her eyes still burned
with the same psionic energy that did energize her hands. His physical strength
may have been more than she could ever match, but it was nothing compared to the
strength of her mind. It was sharper and keener than any her age, and it showed
by the intensity of the flames she commanded.
Her eyes narrowed as she aimed at the monster's head. For the final time a
tendril of psionic energy was formed and sped through air at a frightening rate.
It pierced the brute's skull and continued a path into his brain. It buried
itself into his nerve center, causing already irreversible damage. With but a
flicker of thought, Nabiki sent a pulse surging through the tendril. His eyes
shot open as his brain exploded in its shell.
The tendril created a wet sound as it retracted from the hole followed by a gray
and red ooze that ran down the vampire's face. He collapsed to his knees before
falling aimlessly onto his face in a near earth-shaking impact. The fires around
her hands and eyes subsided, and she let out a breath of relief.
"Bigger they come..."
Talon rolled to his feet after being kicked for who knows how far. He rubbed his
chin that burned in intense agony. How could a human girl possess such strength?
And the speed with which she was upon him was amazing. However, if she wanted to
see fast, he would show her fast.
His eyes fell upon the girl charging him. Once again her rate of movement was
far past normal but this time he was prepared. When he was within range she let
loose a barrage of fists that all seemed to come at once. The creature of the
night kept pace with the torrent as each punch whizzed harmlessly by his face
and body. In a sudden burst of velocity he literally blurred from sight.
He grinned with pompous egotism as he reappeared at her rear. She was obviously
far too slow to be any kind of challenge for the 'Speed Demon' himself. As soon
as he rephased a leg was already reared back and aimed for her temple. His tall
stature compared to her relatively short size made it an easy target. His leg
flew, but it struck air and nothing more.
His soon to be killed opponent had ducked under the blow. It was
impossible...she could not have that fast a reaction. Not enough to know where
he had reappeared and still have enough time to avoid the attack. She then fell
forward on to her hands and sent both her feet crashing into his stomach with
obscene force. Once again he was sent flying backward and he crashed
unpoetically a respectable number of feet away.
He picked himself up quickly and immediately formulated a new course of action.
Hand-to-hand would not work, so he needed to give himself a noticeable
advantage. With that thought in mind, the same shadow blaze that his partners
possessed came to life around his body. He threw both palms forward and twin
balls of the hellish energy launched themselves to rend his enemy to sunders.
Twin bursts of fire and light erupted as the struck the ground where she stood.
The blasts blew her backward and she skidded to a painful halt along the asphalt
road.
Talon took this opportunity to strike. He straightened the fingers of one hand
and by force of will formed a single blade around them, composed of the same
power that all vampires could wield. He charged toward his helpless prey, who
was just beginning to regain herself. He aimed furious slashes in her direction,
the black energy sword cutting swathes through the air with ridiculous ease. Her
precarious position made dodging the lethal strikes a trial in itself.
He grinned as he saw the tide turn so quickly into his favor. The girl would
tire eventually; she could not keep up with him forever. His theory was sound,
for he struck in a diagonal slash and he could the brief surface tension of
blade against skin. To her it was only a flash of black before her eyes, but
before she could contemplate what had happened a fierce backfist that rocked
across her mouth sent her sprawling again.
He chuckled as he looked over his handiwork. A rather malicious gash ran
diagonally across her face, forever marring her features. Blood began trickling
down the corner of her mouth as he had most like knocked some teeth loose. He
raised the blade high, a single swipe would decapitate the nuisance before him
and then he would celebrate with a well-deserved drink. He brought it down, but
instead of it severing vocal chord and artery, it was stopped flight by the
girl's hand that had shot up to intercept his wrist. He instinctively brought
his other hand into play, generating a second blade and letting it fly
horizontally on a collision course with her neck.
Other hand moving at great speed to halt its deadly course stopped the same
result, his wrist. It turned into a struggle of supremacy, with the winner
walking away with their life and the loser seeing the infinity that was the
afterlife. Talon was forced to look upon the face of his enemy, it was overcome
with a rage that rivaled even Blade, but that was not what was causing his eyes
to bulge in astonishment. It was her face; the same horrendous wound that he had
caused was now sealing itself before his very eyes! In the span of seconds the
injury was non-existent, the only evidence of it ever being there was the blood
left behind, and he could take a guess the same had happened to her mouth as
well.
His distraction was her chance. She lunged forward headfirst, sending her
forehead crashing into his in a very disruptive head butt. He disengaged the
grapple and reeled backward, clutching his throbbing brow and dispersing the
blades on each hand. The girl brought her fist back, it shook as she channeled
all the resentment and fury she associated with him. Small arcs of electricity
bounced around before a bright red liquid fire exploded around it.
She launched her fist forward, sending it careening toward the vampire's chest.
It buried itself deep into his upper body, tearing past his lungs as well as
vein and artery combined. Then it found its prey, his lifeless heart. Talon
gasped in voiceless agony as she gripped the organ in her hand. In a minute
surge of strength she squeezed and his center of existence exploded in her hand.
His face was void of emotion as she withdrew her hand from the depths of his
body. He fell backward in a lifeless heap as she shook her hand, causing large
drops of black ooze to spill on the asphalt. The girl known to her family as
Akane breathed heavily as the rush of the fight began to leave her and rage
fueled power she had gathered began to subside.
"Stupid vampires......"
The final standoff was still commencing. Crimson could feel his vampiric power
growing, and by what he could sense, the girl before him was pathetically
lacking in that aspect. He was almost insulted by this front of courage she was
putting up. She obviously had not been taught to recognize her superiors, and he
was going to be the teacher for that particular lesson.
He finally reached his peak and he gave a toothy grin, just so show her what lay
ahead when he was finished slapping the proper sense into her. He reached an arm
out to his side, in a flash a sword composed of the same material that
strengthened him out of thin air. The girl was still seeking to oppose him, and
he would take great sadistic perversity in slowly peeling her delicate skin from
her bones.
His lewd fantasies came to an end when he noticed unusual activity occurring
from the Espers surrounding them. They were gathering around her, encircling her
as electrons do an atom. Their combined golden light radiating outward and
forcing the blood demon to cover his face and eyes.
The surrounding flight pattern ceased abruptly as the Espers then chose to float
a small distance away, as if giving themselves space. Then in a breathtaking
display, small bolts of continuous lightning erupted from each creature. They
all struck the girl at once, arcing and forking as they danced the surface of
her body. Crimson stepped backward as his tolerance for the accursed light was
low. His mind was nearly rush into his overload as he all of a sudden began to
feel her power rise.
What was once empty and nothing was slowly filling to capacity. An aura of
golden fire coalesced around her form. Even her eyes began to feel the surge of
the power as they begin to slowly tint an emerald green as lightning moved
across them. In a burst, the fuel line was cut and the Espers slowly floated on
sightless currents of air, their task completed. Her batteries were fully
charged and it was quite a sight to behold. In the same fashion as Crimson she
reached an arm out. Small ball of golden energy formed at the open palm. The
ball then began to convulse and elongate until it form into a sword of pure
power similar to the vampire's.
Much to his disappointment, it looked like it was going to be a fair fight.
Though it mattered not to him, despite the overwhelming increase in her power,
he still believed himself to be superior. To prove that point, he would cut this
girl down to size and prove that her so-called power was nothing more than an
overdone light show.
His thoughts proved to take too long to run through for the girl. For after
several seconds of intimidating staring, she decided that action would be a far
more effective judge of strength. She charged forward, her sword already bared
and ready to cleave the demon in two. The dark one countered with his blade in a
hastened defense, and the two energy weapons collided in a violent and
spectacular clash of powers.
Arcs of gold and black energy spilled forth from the encounter. Both were equal
and neither one would flinch in the face of the other. The girl's face was of
total calm and obliviousness to the severity of the conflict before her very
eyes. This enraged the vampire even more, and he fought with redoubled effort to
show her why he should be feared and not underestimated.
The two broke off in a rush, each one vaporizing their weapons as soon as they
did. Crimson proved himself to be the most powerful and skilled of the three in
the use of their power. He brought both his palms together, his power gathering
to a single point, causing its effectiveness to skyrocket. From this point fired
a thin beam of a laser's quality that sizzled the air and was capable of cutting
through solid stone like so much butter attempting to resist a hot knife. The
tore through toward its target at light-speed, its firing and impact being one
and the same at such a dizzying swiftness.
What it did NOT strike and burn through was the flesh of the girl. Its path was
halted by something that could not be seen by the naked eye. An invisible
barrier that had at some point domed around the human female. Crimson pressed
harder, but all the beam could accomplish was generating a bright orange spot
giving respect to its intense heat. Without warning, this non-corporeal shield
to expand, pushing the beam back toward its producer who tried in vain to halt
the advance.
Before he knew what was happened, his beam had been negated and the wall slammed
into at full force. He looked like a fly on the windshield, as he was spread
eagle while being carried off his feet. In seconds time he was pressed violently
against the brick and mortar of a hardware store. He cringed as the unbearable
pressure forced a crater to form in his impression, but relief came sooner than
he expected.
The shield dissipated with a motionless command by the girl. In a blur she moved
into action once again. Without nearly the same fan-fare, the energy sword
reappeared in her grasp and she came upon the demonic villain at great speed.
Just as his pain-wracked body was falling, it was carried back up as the weapon
was rammed deep into his chest. He was now impaled against the wall as the sound
of flesh sizzling against a temperature reaching into the high hundreds. She
grimaced only slightly, but that was all the contemplation needed before a wave
of amperage conducted through the blade and infusing itself into his body.
His screech seemed not of this world as thousands of amps of electricity ran
through his blackening corpse. His form spasmed all too violently as it sounded
as if his darkened soul was being rended asunder. Just as quickly as the
onslaught came, it ended. His sizzling, charred remains lay limp and
unrecognizable while spitted upon the translucent blade. She released her grip
on the weapon, and as soon as she did it vanished into nothingness. The near
skeletal remains of the hell monster fell to the ground in a crunch of flaking
flesh. Cinders and ash wafted through the air as a gentle breeze came.
Kasumi Tendo stared at the remains of the thing that had renounced its humanity
in order to attain great power quickly, but at the cost of its soul. She did not
kill this monster, for it was already dead. Its spirit already in the hands of
the sire that gave it the black fire that empowered it.
"Rest in peace.........whoever you once were........."
The woman could only stare in awe as all three of her potential killers were
dispatched. Her prayers must have been answered, surely this proved that a God
truly did exist, for he had sent his archangels to banish the hellions from the
face of the planet. Of course, her baby then chooses that moment to wail its
displeasure.
All three of the Tendo sisters congregated at the woman's front. The oldest
approaching the righteous frightened woman and speaking a soft tone that
paralleled her features.
"It's not safe outside in the afternoon," She told her. "You should get home
quickly, we will make sure you're not followed."
"T...thank you. I owe you my life and the life of my child," She said frantic
joy.
"You owe us nothing," Kasumi smiled. "Just go home and be safe."
She nodded fervently before regaining her footing and setting off at a fast
pace. All three sisters watched as she disappeared into the night, the tension
slowly releasing from all of them.
It was instantly renewed however by the sound of a slow clapping piercing the
silence of the night. Their faces turned stern as they brought their eyes to the
opposite direction. Within the cloak of darkness a single figure could be seen
giving his feelings a sound. He was young man that looked to be somewhere in the
range of 16 to 18. His skin was brown, and his hair was a mop of pure white. He
was clothed in a dark purple leather jacket that was zipped halfway, as well as
pants of the same material and color. One hand was covered in a finger black
glove, while the other was completely housed within a solid red glove.
"Impressive dear Tendos," He snickered as he removed the sunglasses from over
his eyes. His eyes were of a demonic red that symbolized the power he held
within his grasp. "They were three of my most powerful followers. You seem to be
getting stronger each day."
"Yeah, and one day we're gonna be comin' right after you," Nabiki sneered. "So
get ready, your days are almost numbered."
"I look forward to the amusement," He grinned. "You three have been quite the
irritation to me as of late, denying my followers refreshment at every turn is
causing quite some restlessness."
"Serves those monsters right!" Akane yelled back. "We're not gonna let them kill
anymore innocent people! You tell them that!"
"Spirited as ever," He murmured as he brought his gaze over the oldest of the
three. Her eyes of calm serenity met his gaze of reserved and violent power. "To
you Miss Tendo. I leave my most deepest hopes that we two shall meet again very
soon."
She gave no response, save the narrowing of her eyes at the demon lord.
"Until next time," He bowed and was consumed in an explosion of black and red
flame and electricity. The miasma of power overcame him and in with as much
swiftness it dissipated, leaving nothing behind.
"And there will be a next time," She finally whispered.
***
As you have just witnessed, good can come within the depths of the shadows to
defend the weak and helpless. To lose hope in such a hopeless need not be a last
resort. To lose faith in the kindness of strangers need not take grasp in the
land of endless midnight. Such concepts still have meaning in a world where one
might think hope is dead, where the light of miracles no longer shines, and
where the greatest star of the sky is nothing then a twinkling dot in the
infinity of the void.
The next portion of this tale of introduction to the new world you face not in
the form of another grand display of heroics. This one is merely a portrayal of
a thing called survival. A concept that dictates one man's will to live in the
face of seemingly impossible odds. This is the story of a traveling band of once
strangers, people who have come together for the common goal of growing stronger
in a realm of vicious and inhumanly strong beings of the night. Watch
closely.........and learn.........
The rural outskirts of Japan.
Deep in the forests of evergreen and bushel, even Mother Nature has found the
means to survive in a land where its once glorious giver of nourishment existed.
Life cannot be so easily subverted by the simple disappearance of such critical
elements. Life will adapt, life will evolve, and life will move on. In such
simple organisms such as plants to complex forms of life like humans, this
concept has repeated itself.
Within the depths of the night, five individuals trek through the wood, a great
river to one side and the deep and mysterious majesty of the forest on another.
They walk in a simply but effective formation. Leaves crackle and branches snap
under their footsteps. The sky above is alive with the twinkle of ten million
fireflies in space and the ever-present Espers float lazily by upon the winds of
an ocean of air.
At the head of this pack is a pigtailed boy, probably sixteen or seventeen years
old. His dress seems of a foreign influence. He bears a long sleeved Chinese
oriented shirt of a green texture in color, as well as blackened pants.
To his rear and right walks a boy of heartier stock and also of the same
relative age. A yellow sleeveless muscle shirt tucked into black pants is his
choice of clothing. He wears black wristbands as well as yellow and black
bandanna about his forehead for reasons which he prefers to keep to himself.
To the leader's left walks a young man of a modern fashion. He is sheathed in a
black sleeveless shirt, but upon his feet he wears black combat boots that are
complimented by military camouflage pants. Black gloves surround his hands and a
white headband protects his brow.
Taking up the rear of the diamond is the largest of the group, in waist size
anyway. He is clearly the eldest of all of them, his looks telling of a man in
his mid to late forties. He is clothed in a worn in white gi, a bandanna that
conceals his bald cranium, and sports a pair of glasses that frame a face forged
by experience.
In the center of the pack walks the youngest of the group. A redheaded girl of
about thirteen to fifteen years of age, whose visage gives a familiar feeling
when compared to the boy in front of her. She also possesses a pigtail and her
style of clothing is very similar to that of the pack's head, save the color of
red instead of green. Her eyes are closed as she walks yet she is more than sure
of her path.
Four of the five each carried medium sized backpacks, but it was the man taking
the right side the boar the largest load. He carried he pack that easily dwarfed
him in size by at least three times, but his labor appeared minimal as visible
effort could not be made out. There travels had been peaceful as of late. They
had been allowed to enter Japanese territory without too much trouble, and they
hoped it would stay that way. Their destination was still some days away and the
last thing they wanted was unnecessary roughhousing, they knew it to be
inevitable.
As if to jinx them quickly, the girl at the center stops in her tracks. The lead
had been listening intently at the sound of her footsteps, and at the sound's
pause he too ceased his forward motion. The remaining three, who all turned
their attention to her in question of this new development, soon followed them.
Her eyes opened slowly, they were a bright blue that seemed to glow in the dark
as they warily scanned their surroundings. They moved from right to left, taking
in the darkness around them as if trying to find something in the thick soup.
They came to fall upon the tree line to their left, and it moved about the
treetops as well as everything in between.
Her gaze shifted to her brother's back. He raised his left hand, a simple
gesture that succeeded in garnering the attention of the men guarding his left
and rear. With index and middle finger together he aimed toward the darkness
between the trees. With silent recognition the military aficionado and the large
martial artist each began to suddenly fade from sight in an action that seemed
to warp reality slightly. Within the seconds, all traces of their presence no
longer existed, as if nothing more than ghosts leaving this plane of existence.
Moving on automatic, the pigtailed boy and the bandanna muscleman each moved to
flank to red-headed young girl who sank to one knee.
"Wolves..." The built young man known Ryoga Hibiki spoke as he dropped his all
too big backpack. His well-developed canines could be made out as he spoke.
"Mmmhmmm," His partner simply nodded in sound agreement. His name was Ranma
Saotome, and the girl they protected, Ranko Saotome.
That same girl seemed to be meditating from her new position. Her brow furrowed
slightly as her she clasped her hands together. After a moment of silent
deliberation, her eyes reopened, but this time they shined an unearthly white.
The same effect overtook the retinas of her bodyguards. To them, the dark world
around that surrounded lit up as new unknown sources of light appeared before
their eyes only. Every possible center of illumination, be it wandering Espers
or the reflection of the stars above in the clear blue river, was augmented to a
high degree.
Hearing was the also a recipient of this miraculous treatment. They could hear
every leaf rustle, every branch sway, and every step the monster's that
surrounded took. In the background they could hear the fevered panting of beasts
hidden within the shadows. These pack hunters delighted in the flavor of hunter
flesh, and would do anything to secure such a prized feast. These are the
warrior beasts known as Werewolves; powerful berserkers and even greater
huntsmen. No man has ever set foot within their territory and lived to recount
the nightmare that descended upon them like the wrath of the seven hells.
"They're coming..." She whispered quietly.
Deep in the wooded glade, eyes began to emerge from the black of night. Filled
with frenzy and a cannibalistic tinge born of intense hunger, they slowly began
their advance, all of them hidden within the darkness. Each one possessed the
strength of ten men, and the speed and agility of twenty. Alone they were
powerful, but in packs they were invincible. Normal humans were nothing to them,
just easy prey that existed for the sole purpose of being their food.
Well this time, as the saying goes, the hunter is about to be the hunted...
"They're here..." Ranma whispered.
All at once, six of the beasts exploded from out of the brush. Each one was
roughly twice the size of a man, capable of standing on their hind legs but
preferred four, and had the muscle capacity of Greek demi-god. They moved as one
fluid machine, each knowing what the other was thinking. They surrounded the
trio in a perfect, constantly moving circle. Each one sniffing the air to get
the taste into their mouths before the feast began.
"I got the three on the left," Ryoga informed his partner.
"Right side is mine...," Ranma concurred.
With those last words the pigtailed boy crouched slightly before launching
himself into the air in an impossibly high-leap. Three of the beasts took
notice, snorted, and pushed off on their powerful hind legs in a jump after him.
The remaining three eyed the two left on the ground and licked their lips as
they assumed their ally had betrayed them to save his own skin.
The remaining boy placed himself in front of the still kneeling girl. The
remaining three wolves chortled in their own guttural manner at the singular
obstacle that dared try to oppose his destiny as their dinner. His face was
straight and collected, even in the menacing presence of the furred man-killers.
With that noted, two of the three launched themselves at inhuman speed toward
the boy. A bestial roar escaped the lips of the two as their claws came to bear,
each one capable of rending steel to mere fibers. The mere movement of the
ingrown weapons sent streaks of blue ripping through the air. Their legs pounded
the ground like organic pistons as their velocity brought them upon their
hapless target in half a second's time.
The first one gained altitude with a powerful leap. He sent himself flying like
a torpedo, mouth opened revealing row after row of sharpened fangs that could
tear the hide off the most toughened elephant. He was fully intent on biting the
fool boy's head off his neck and feed on his esophagus, but the boy proved to be
not so easy a kill. The wolf slammed into him full-force, sending the both of
them tumbling to the ground.
Ryoga could feel the burning hot breath of the beast bearing down on his face.
The organic razors were mere inches from ripping his skin from his flesh. The
only things keeping him intact were his very own hands against either jaw,
forcing the creature's mouth open and keeping his teeth at bay. The wolf
attempted to resist, he bit down with all the strength his jaws possessed but
they would not budge. It felt as if someone had jammed a crowbar in his mouth,
nothing he tried would budge the hands of the boy under him.
He grimaced slightly as he felt that too much time had passed already with this
one assailant. Instead of simply resisting the maw of death before him, he
started pushing against it. The werewolf's eyes snapped to attention as he
realized that he was not willingly opening his mouth wider. The beast could feel
the burning agony as the skin of his mouth was stretched far beyond its limits.
Popping sounds the bone dislocating followed, and in one final, savage heave, a
wet cracking sound echoed in-between them.
The creature went limp, and it the total of its weight came falling down upon
Ryoga. He pushed off with his legs and sent the carcass of the beast flying into
his partner. The wolf showed as much care for the dead as it did for the living,
it simply the cadaver to one side and made his bid for the meal on legs. Ryoga
kicked to his feet and met the manimal head-on. They charged each other this
time and when they collided it was in a near thunderous impact. They both
grasped hands and the battle fell down to a test of strength.
The two dug their respective feet into the ground. Veins began popping into the
arms of the werewolf as he boasted his superior strength, knowing this would not
last long. All werewolves were superior to humans in every physical respect.
Ryoga simply grinned as he saw the gleam appear in the monster's eyes. He
probably thought he could win, quite an error, or so he would soon learn.
The beast was now becoming surprised. Somehow the human was actually managing to
match him. He was exerting all his monstrous strength and yet he was not gaining
sufficient ground in this struggle. The wolf was feeling a growing pressure in
his arm, but he did not, all he could think of was overpowering this human. The
match would continue for a precious amount of seconds, neither one budging from
the other's grasp for any reason.
"It's over."
The wolf raised an eyebrow at what the boy could possibly mean by that. It was
then it took enough time to notice that the pressure in its arms had built to
near unbearable levels. Flesh tearing as bone buckled and bent under the unholy
stress followed a sharp sound of snapping. The wolf howled in murderous agony as
the hellish torture seemed to only increase.
Ryoga withdrew his hands and drew back one fist. The collision of fist to
stomach actually picked the beast off its feet for a brief moment. Right before
the teen's fist exploded out of the monster's back. His fist was covered in the
wet insides of the animal as it too slunk against him, its body no longer
capable of functioning correctly.
The third watched all this with a minimum of interest. The thing that caught his
eyes was the girl the two boys had been protecting. She was now vulnerable, as
her protectors were busy with other matters of a life-threatening variety. She
was simply kneeling their, her eyes distant and unaware of what was going on
around her. It would be an easy kill by far, and likely rattle the cages of the
rebellious enemy they faced.
He surged forward on all fours, making a beeline straight for his immobile prey.
He flew off his feet as he came within range and his fist came up with a hammer
strike that would quite literally reduce her to a spot on the ground. The blow
came down, but just as it came within centimeters of connecting the still
detached girl suddenly became alive with movement. She launched herself backward
as the blow struck home, plowing through the dirt and rock as if it were fragile
glass.
The wolf grunted in confusion as the redhead landed all too nimbly at quite a
distance away. Her eyes were still vacant and yet she had somehow kept herself
alive. Needless to say he was having slight problems connecting the dots, so he
simply threw logic out the window and with a flick of his wrist popped his claws
from their sheaths. He came forward with renewed purpose and sent his death
talons raking through the air toward the thought to be defenseless Ranko.
His claws only sliced defenseless space as his continued attacks were
effortlessly avoided. Her entire body appeared to have gone limp, but her minute
movements always brought her clear out of the beasts killing range. All the
while it looked as if nobody was home. Everything about her was moving on
automatic, reflexes that had been bred so deeply that the simple act of them did
not require thinking on her part.
She had once again landed in a crouch when the beast took that moment of
positional indecisiveness to strike. He had to move fast before she had the time
to regain her bearings, and he did so with frightening effect. He tore through
the air with unimaginable speed and was upon her in no time at all. One set of
claws was already brought back and ready to eviscerate...when his motion came to
a violent and sudden stop.
He turned to see the boy in the bandanna clutching his wrist with savage force.
It was a vice that the wolf could not escape from no matter how hard he tugged.
This resistance was silenced by a fist impacting hard across its face, sending
him flying off his feet and skidding into the dirt far past the girl. Ryoga was
on his feels as he leapt after the retreating figure.
He crash-landed on it as it stopped. His foot dropping all its force into his
upper body generating a cracking sound signifying that the bone had just
collapsed on itself. The wolf's eyes were bulging as Ryoga's hand shot out and
took firm grasp of the beast's throat. In a flexing of strength, the windpipe
gave under his ihnhuman strength, crushing the pathway and ceasing the flow of
oxygen.
All the while, a battle in mid-air was occurring. Ranma and the three sanctioned
to go after him and each made a gravity defying bound that brought them untold
feet above Mother Earth. They each made the peak of their jumps, and found
themselves weightless for a few precious seconds. It was at this point the
beasts attacked, each one trying to gain some form of physical contact before
gravity reclaimed them.
The maneuverability the pigtailed boy showed in the air was uncanny. The first
wolf was coming up directly under him, just as he was beginning his drop. As
such he used the his shoulder's as a springboard to give himself extra hang time
while at the same making the beast's trip down that much faster. He launched him
forward and up, putting on a collision course with the area he deduced the
second wolf would appear. Somehow, in a move should not have been humanly
possible, he reversed his position so that he was flying forward feet first.
Just as he had predicted his feet slammed into the face of the man-beast just as
it reached its peak. He was also used as a catalyst as he pushed off hard,
knocking the animal off kilter and making its drop that much more difficult to
recover from. This time he threw himself into a back flip, only to twist in mid-
air, turning it into a vicious axe-kick that collided with the third and final
enemy. The blow hit square on the top of its head.
The first two landed with an earth shaking impact, but were still capable of
fighting. The third, however, had met with an unfortunate twist of luck and
landed on his neck. His entire throat bent at an awkward angle in respect to his
body, making it quite clear that he was permanently out of the fight.
Ranma landed silently in-between the two remaining hunters, who snarled their
displeasure at being so rudely assisted back to Earth. The boy casually eyed the
both of them before flexing his fingers. A hazy blue surrounded his body as
small sparks popped in and out of existence around his hands. Slowly, ki-claws
began to form from the fingertips. They grew in vaporous length until they were
each an inch in span.
One could hear the beastly laughter escapes the wolves' lips. At that same
moment a mist of red envelop their bodies. They each released a blood-curdling
roar that split the air. The sound of a beast unleashing its fury
upon the world would instantly send anyone into a shaking cower. Their fangs
elongated, their claws grew that much sharper as intense heat began radiating
from them, and their mass began to bulge and increase in certain areas
amplifying their already nightmarish speed and strength.
"Let's hurry this up, I don't have all day..." Ranma said simply.
The two beasts circled their prey, trying to ascertain the best point to score
an instant kill. Ranma was unmoving, allowing them to create whatever plans they
feel were necessary to win. Soon there position placed them at his back and
front, and it was then they chose that time to strike. They each charged in for
the slaughter, knowing he could not defend in both directions at once.
The beast to his rear speared his claws forward; intent on driving them clear
through his bodily structure. The one coming at the front did the same, and it
looked as if the boy would be skewered two ways. It almost looked like they had
succeeded, if it weren't for the fact that his body began to fade away after the
fact.
One of the wolves felt a slight tapping on his forehead. It was the heel of the
boy, standing on his head. The beast's claw instantly shot up to intercept the
annoying pest. The boy moved fast, and drove the ki-claws that accented each
finger into the top of the man-eater's skull. Without waiting to view the
effects he withdrew the weapons and flipped forward, sending himself over the
second beast.
Said animal whirled around in an attempt to retaliate, but could not do so as he
found the same claws driven straight through his throat.
"Took you long enough," Ryoga's voice came from behind. "We're kinda on the
clock here, don't you remember?"
"Yeah, yeah I know," He rolled his eyes as he removed the energy claws from the
unloving beast's throat.
The weapons dissipated, and he shook his fingers to remove the horrid tingling
sensation from them. He had yet to perfect the skill, but at its current level
they made quite effective weapons against larger opponents.
"RYUU! POP! HURRY AND WRAP THINGS UP IN THERE!!!" Ranma aimed the yell at the
forest.
At that same moment, an unknown object dropped out of the trees. It was followed
by another...and another...and another. The severed body parts of so many
werewolves began littering the forest floor like raindrops. Each cut was a
perfect incision, with not a single jagged edge to be seen.
Two figures dropped down from the treeline, the only indication they existed was
the slight distortion they created in the atmosphere when they moved.
"The threat has been neutralized for now," Ryuu Kumon reported as the affects of
the ki-based cloaking technique faded away. "But...if I know wolf hunting
patterns correctly, the friends of these guys are gonna be coming around to see
why dinner is taking so long."
"Indeed. We had best not be here when that happens," Genma agreed as he too
reemerged into their field of vision. "At that point their number will far
surpass ours."
"I can't hear anything anymore," Ranko said quietly as she approached. Her mind
returned to her body and the effects of the enhanced vision and hearing she had
granted her protectors having worn off. "So we should have enough time to get
out of their territory."
Ryoga retrieved his enormous backpack while Ranma took to staring at the sky.
Taking particular attention to the position of the stars above.
"If we keep going this way, we should reach Nerima in three days time," Genma
informed his son.
"Alright, we better get moving then," Ranma then turned to his father. "You know
you still haven't said who the heck this Soun Tendo guy is."
"He is a very good friend of mine and an old training partner from my younger
days," He remembered. "He has three daughters which I think you, Ryuu, and Ryoga
will get along very well with."
"And...how you can be so sure of that, old man?" Ryuu raised an eyebrow in
suspicion.
"HAHAHAHA!" He laughed heartily. "I just have a good feeling, that's all!"
EVERYONE was now giving him glares. If they had learned anything from the man,
it was that everything he did had a double meaning.
"We should get moving," He said quickly as he pressed ahead of everyone.
"Why do I suddenly have a very queasy feeling in my stomach..." Ryoga whispered.
"Just let it go man," Ranma sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just go
with the flow..."
"It'll be alright," Ranko said cheerily as she patted her brother on the arm.
"If he does try anything, we can always feed him to the wolf men."
"Huh..." He seemed to perk up slightly. "Good point. Let's go."
To Be Continued.........
Chapter Inspirations:
"Keep Hope Alive" by Crystal Method
"When Worlds Collide" by Powerman 5000
Author's Notes:
1). First off, I would like to thank Image Comics and its WildStorm Universe
label. This is NOT a fusion or a crossover, I'm simply stating that inspiration
for certain abilities that will be portrayed in this story was inspired by them.
Given that, can anyone take a guess as to whose powers Nabiki's abilities
reflect?
2). Fans of the game will most likely recognize the head honcho that the Tendos
encountered at the end of their segment. And if you don't, his identity will be
revealed next chapter anyway. So it really doesn't matter.
3). I WILL be working on this and Shadowlands at the same time, but chapters for
Silent Knights will come out at nowhere near the same rate as Shadowlands. This
is because I will be working on this story in between chapters of the first.
However, if response to this is that much greater, then the two will switch in
priority.
4). Since this story has not been pre-read (as is my custom for the first
chapter of a new story), C&C is highly valued now more than ever. Of course, it
is archived for later reference.
I am not making a single cent off this story.
Mini-Note:
Since I took time to write this, I thought I'd leave it up on the net instead
letting it collect dust on a floppy disk. However, don't expect this to be
updated anytime soon. I MAY work on this someday, but two fics are more than
enough for me. My core creations, Shadowlands and Age of the Superhuman are
undergoing revisions as you read, with Shadowlands nearing its completion. So
expect to see it sometime within the next week or two.
Age of the Superhuman was a spur of the moment fic, so I never really took
additional chapters into consideration while I was writing it. As such, it is
undergoing a minor rewrite, nothing too fancy, just adding a few things to make
it that much better.
So for those who haven't read this yet. ENJOY!
***= Change in setting or POV. Tread carefully.
IMPORTANT:
Please read Author's Notes at the end of the chapter for important information.
This story has been submitted WITHOUT enduring the scrutiny of a pre-reader. You
have been warned.........
Summary:
The time is now, but the world is not. This is a land consumed by eternal night.
A realm where the golden rays of the sun have not been seen for the last 287
years. This is an existence where the darkness deep in the souls of man has
finally been given form. Creatures of the night exist, dark powers and black
magic are wielded by those who would seek to hunt the innocent. But in this
melding of modern-day and fantasy, there exist those whose sole purpose is to
protect those who cannot protect themselves. Warriors who use the powers granted
to them by the Arts to defend against the dark that has dominated the land.
These are the tales of them and they world they live in. The chronicles of the
Silent Knights...
Chapter 0: The Black Sun
Darkness.
It has been a long-established constant within the world. It is all
encompassing, all encroaching, and it has been an element with which man has to
adapt throughout the ages. The philosophies of yin and yang, good and evil, and
black and white have been mixed to a gray. It was long believed that night was
pure black, a place where only evil could exist and perpetuate.
But here is a world where good can exist within the dark. This is a world where
the absolute borders of conscience have been broken in places. To truly
understand this new-age philosophy, one must see with their eyes instead of
heeding the words of mouth. Such an opportunity has arisen, watch closely...and
learn...
The soft sound of clacking penetrated the night . Shoes against the concrete of
an empty sidewalk brought a monotonous rhythm to the silence all around.
Illumination was not of existence in this area lined with shops, bakeries, and
cafes. However a seemingly prosperous hub of commerce and social interaction was
void of life, as we know it.
The only semblance of existence was that of the soundless fluttering of small
orbs of light, the soft glow being the size of a small marble. These peaceful
creatures gently rode the air on transparent wings, their light a yielding gold
that gave contrast to the obscurity surrounding them.
The creatures known as Espers were the only illumination granted to the woman
who walked down the now barren street. She was of middle age, and in her arms
was that of a small child of tender age. He slept quietly in her motherly
embrace, the child being a sweet symbol of innocence in this time of impurity
and corruption. Her footsteps carried themselves amidst the dark allies between
the establishments. Echoes bounced off the dinged brick and stonewall, mixing
together to form a repetitive jingle of movement.
Then a sound is entrapped in an ear. Her feet halt and her auditory sensors perk
at a sound that might only be her imagination. Her head moves from one to
another, eyes attempting to force their way through the thick soup of darkness
that is patches by dots of light.
She is met with nothing more than silence and absence of life. She attributes
the noise to nothing more than the paranoia beginning to creep into the recesses
of her mind. She continues onward with an increased pace. A sound that was once
constant and fluid was now rapid and forced, but despite her boosted fervor to
be in the safe confines of her home, danger still loomed under her senses.
Predators lurked the streets with her. Dark beings seeking the rich blood of the
unassuming, evils that feed off the night to make themselves that much stronger
than they already are. These beings have found their new prey, and they begin to
move in for the savored kill. Each one shrouded within the black, their eyes
burning the red that is the color of all life-fluid they so eagerly crave.
The woman's pace heightened to a near run. She could feel a chill running down
her spine. A cold sweat was beginning to form on her brow and the beating of her
heart quickened with the onset of adrenaline. Her rasped breathing was the only
thing that she could hear, and the intensity of her drive to get away being the
only thing she could feel. She could sense the darkness beginning to close in
around her. No matter how fast she ran, they moved faster. No matter how much
she prayed to be spared, they would show no mercy. They fed off fear, and to
them she was nothing more than a wounded animal waiting to picked apart by the
vultures.
The sounds of her flight were halted by the horrific presence of twin eyes in
the darkness before her. One could see the twisted malice and mania amidst the
depths of rusted red. She stumbled backward several steps, only to run into yet
another inescapable barricade. She whirled around only to face the presence of a
second nightmare, but the horror did not end there. For in the middle of the
street to her left, a third hellish creation did make its presence known.
All three had a devil's grin that bared fangs that could only be of a vicious
use. Each one exuded an aura of the evil intent and murderous carnage that was
synonymous with the rank of vampire. These 21st century bloodsuckers enclosed
their target as the woman could only search frantically for someway, anyway, to
escape the inevitable.
"P...please...d...don't kill me. I...I have a family......" She hoped to
entertain some semblance of non-existent sympathy. "S...spare my child at least.
Please..."
"Talon, Blade, Crimson! Halt." A detached and commanding presence bade them to
cease their advance.
Each name was called respectively. One was tall and thin and had hair wild in
all directions possible, the second was of a burly stature whose hair was spiked
and cascaded down his back, and the third was the average of the three with
locks of a purple-black variety that parted down the center of his head.
"Give us the child, sweetmeat, and we will spare your worthless life," The same
voice offered.
The mother's eyes widened in horror at such an unholy proposal. To think such
monster's existed, that they would be content to subsist on the most innocent of
human life. Her expression, a mix of shock, disgust, and pure terror, prompted
the three to resume their hungered advance. It was quite the obvious the woman
would not surrender her child to the hellspawn that were poised to suck her dry
and then take the child for their own twisted purposes anyway. The number of
feet separating the oncoming massacre lessened, and the woman began a short
prayer to deity she worshipped that at least her child be spared a slow and
painful death.
Then there movement ceased suddenly. Their collective eyes narrowed, and the
sensation of a new presence crawled through their skin. The woman slowly opened
her eyes, the pain associated with being eviscerated being non-existent prompted
her to see why she was still alive. The trio's sights were on everything but
their prey, their eyes scouring the area around them for the source of this
sudden and formless disturbance.
The luminous flight of the Espers suddenly came to a stop. They floated inert in
the air as if lounging on the calm waves of a sea. Blade looked up, and his eyes
fell upon the darkened silhouette of a figure standing atop the same building
the woman was huddled against. Details were minimal within the black, the
outline of her form suggested a female, and possibly a short-haired one at that.
All three laughed inwardly at this singular threat to their superiority, no one
human could stand against them. That is when another anomaly caught Talon's
notice. He turned his gaze to his right, and found another form in the darkness;
it was some distance away and even more difficult to formulate some semblance of
identification. He raised an eyebrow in slight bewilderment but his attention
was averted from this by a grunt of slight surprise from Blade.
A purple light began to emit from the creature upon the roof. It glowed brightly
like a star in the infinite void of space. This beacon of light then subsided to
give rise to flame. A violet fire encompassed the hand of the being before them;
its illumination allowed them a better view of whoever the foolish wench who
opposed them was. Indeed her hair was short, and it stopped at the base of her
neck, the features of her face told them she was of young age, possibly in the
realm of sixteen to eighteen.
Her hand closed into a fist that was then aimed at Blade, of which Talon and
Crimson were on the right and left of. His eyes only had time to widen slightly
before a tendril of energy shot forth from the top of the hand. Its speed was
like a bullet fired from a gun, and indeed slight recoil could be made out from
the arm of the girl. The tendril coiled and maneuvered down the side of the
building before curving yet again and slamming full-force into the vampire's
chest. The impact buried the wisp partially into its chest before blowing him
clear off his feet and carrying him across the street. He slammed violently into
a store window and onward, blasting straight through shelves and stands before
coming to a skidding stop.
On the outside, the tendril began to slither and retract as if it were alive. It
retreated back to its point origin, and when it did the flame that spawned
disappeared in a flicker. As soon as it did the unknown female launched herself
into the air in a leap that seemingly defied gravity. The remaining duo watched
as she sailed over their heads and landed just in front of the building the
largest of the three hellions had been buried in. Her back was to them, but they
could see that the girl was clad in some sort of skin-tight black suit. Her
attention was not on them, as she appeared to be waiting for something to happen
within the destruction the flying brute had caused.
Talon gave a snarl of rage. Not at the fact that his comrade had just been blown
off his feet as if he weighed nothing, but at the fact that the impudent woman
would dare ignore him. He took a single step, before he was struck with a burst
of remembrance. He gaze shifted back to the unknown visage he had seen down the
street. Indeed the form was of better clarity, as it appeared to be approaching
them at a casual pace. However, that pace was broken by sounds of the footsteps
increasing to a maddening tempo.
In equivalent, the figure began approaching at a feverish speed. Talon turned to
face the newcomer. At that same time the unknown person leaped forward and once
he again he followed her with his eyes...until he realized she had leapt
straight at him. Before he could move to place his position out of the line of
fire, the figures foot found its mark on his face. The inhuman impact of the
blow was like nothing he had felt before. He flew backward and away, slamming
hard into the ground and rolling to a stop.
The figure landed in a crouch, and Crimson fetched a look at the being that had
felled another of his kin. She too was female and was dressed in same way as the
other, and she too had hair cut short, but this one did not possess the precise
cut at the end like the other had. Much like the previous assailant, this one
chose to ignore all others outside her primary target, of which was getting back
to his feet and whose face was enraptured with total rage and contempt for the
female. This sight caught her notice as well, but instead of fleeing at the
danger of incurring a vampire's wrath, she charged forward.
Instead of seeing such an act as an insult, Crimson simply saw it as an
opportunity. He murderous gleam twinkled in his blood red eyes as his sights
fell upon the shaking woman again. She thought she had been saved, she should
have taken the opportunity to run for dear life, but her accursed legs would not
move. Now the last of the standing vampires had his vile intentions back on her
and her helpless child. He once again brought his fangs to bear, and chortled a
vicious laughter that brought images of her own gruesome slaughter running
through her mind.
His forward motion was stopped; a hand gave firm and almost painful grasp to his
shoulder. He cringed and snarled as he looked to his rear and finding a third
interloper. His annoyance at the constant distractions was prevalent, but this
one did not seem to care. He shrugged off the offensive hand and attacked in the
same breath, a backfist hurtling toward her face at a speed only a vampyre could
produce. He expected to see her head knocked clear off her shoulders; instead
his blow was stopped cold in its path, and by a single hand. His face was
invaded by sudden and complete surprise as he found himself being lifted into
air and then sent traveling through it. His arm had been captured and used as
the source with which to send him traveling, courtesy of a shoulder throw.
He instantly ascertained his situation after retrieving his wits in mid-air. The
demon righted himself and came to a landing on both feet a good distance away
from the human. He sneered as he took sight of his opponent. This one was the
tallest of the three, this gave him the indication that her possible age may put
her in the eldest standing between them. Her hair was in contrast to the others,
as it was long and tied off so that it ran down her back.
His sneer turned to amusement in a flash. A sinister laugh filled the area; it
was thick with arrogance and pity for his hapless enemy. Surely these pathetic
members of the weaker sex had no idea as the power he and his comrades
possessed. If they did, they would not walked into this suicidal course they had
set for themselves. His smirk vanished as he noticed that woman in front of him
bore no fear at his presence, it was clear he would have to teach her her proper
place in the scheme of nature. As such he clenched his fists, and a cloak of
black fire that could only be ignited within the pits of hell overcame him. He
thought this night would be boring, nothing more than a helpless kill to satisfy
his hunger. But now it seemed he would have some entertainment with his meal,
and he so loved to play with his food.
She stood in silent wait for the monster to re-emerge, knowing full well the
initial attack was not enough to finish it. People who cared knew this girl's
name to be Nabiki, but unfortunately the enemy before her could care much less
as to what the name of his prey was. His eyes began to emerge from the darkness
of the building he had been sent through. One could almost feel the earth shake
from each footstep of the heavily muscled of the three known as Blade.
His foot touched the outside once again, crushing the already shattered glass
into so much fine powder as he did. He stared at his diminutive opponent, and he
could almost hurl at the fact that this small...thing...had caused him pain. He
would take far too much joy in tearing IT limb from limb and feed the rotting
corpse to the worms. But first...he would have to catch her...
In the blink of an eye, or perhaps even less time, his fist was already cutting
through the air on a course of sure, crushing death toward his enemy. The
wrecking ball of a fist buried itself in the pavement of the street, his
unnatural strength being one of the greatest of his kind. He had expected to a
bloody, pulpy substance upon his knuckles when he withdrew, instead he found
pieces of rock crumbling off his hand. He looked up toward the sky, just in time
see her descending upon him feet first.
The impact did not hurt much; she seemed to lack the raw strength necessary to
physically harm him. However, just as contact was made she launched off in a
back flip. Her push off caused him to lose balance temporarily and stumble
backward several steps. He growled quite audibly as he caught himself and a hand
became enveloped in a dark fire. He thrust the palm forward and a jet of demonic
flame lanced forward seeking to consume its target in its infinite flesh-
devouring hunger. A might explosion lit the air on impact. Chunks of rock and
tar were thrown to the wind as a result, but his target still remained among the
living.
His sights moved to the right to find her unsinged, having apparently avoided
the blast by vaulting left upon landing. This time, both her hand were
enshrouded by the same lavender inferno that she produced earlier. Once again
they were both closed tightly into fists, and one tendrils of the same type
before shot from each one. With the same marvelous speed they cleared the
distance between Nabiki and Blade and coiled themselves around the killer's
forearms. He suddenly felt himself pitch forward as the snake like vines of
purple energy tugged both his arms viciously. He slowly began forcing his arms
back in a display of impressive strength; the girl's planted feet begin to skid
forward against the resistance.
He laughed at the utter ineptitude of the girl. Was she mad enough to try and
test her minute strength against his? Obviously he had given far too much
credit; as little as it was to begin with.
The tug-of-war continued unabated. Any passerby could clearly see that Blade
would be the victor, but it seems that looks are all too deceiving in this case.
Her eyes began to glow with unearthly force of a same color as the tendrils
themselves. Blade took notice of this and gave a grunt of question as to what
this could mean in the outcome of their battle. He suddenly felt another violent
pull, this one far stronger than before. His arms were nearly wrenched from
their sockets, and he was ill prepared to resist. He fought with all his
strength but for some reason he could no longer rival that of his enemy who was
two times his lesser in height and build.
She suddenly threw her arms out to her sides, and in a violent display of gore
the vampire's arms were torn from their host body in geysers of black hued
blood. A near deafening roar escaped the lips of the giant as pain became all he
could feel. The tendrils threw the severed limbs away as they retracted back
into the hands that wielded them with so much proficiency. Her eyes still burned
with the same psionic energy that did energize her hands. His physical strength
may have been more than she could ever match, but it was nothing compared to the
strength of her mind. It was sharper and keener than any her age, and it showed
by the intensity of the flames she commanded.
Her eyes narrowed as she aimed at the monster's head. For the final time a
tendril of psionic energy was formed and sped through air at a frightening rate.
It pierced the brute's skull and continued a path into his brain. It buried
itself into his nerve center, causing already irreversible damage. With but a
flicker of thought, Nabiki sent a pulse surging through the tendril. His eyes
shot open as his brain exploded in its shell.
The tendril created a wet sound as it retracted from the hole followed by a gray
and red ooze that ran down the vampire's face. He collapsed to his knees before
falling aimlessly onto his face in a near earth-shaking impact. The fires around
her hands and eyes subsided, and she let out a breath of relief.
"Bigger they come..."
Talon rolled to his feet after being kicked for who knows how far. He rubbed his
chin that burned in intense agony. How could a human girl possess such strength?
And the speed with which she was upon him was amazing. However, if she wanted to
see fast, he would show her fast.
His eyes fell upon the girl charging him. Once again her rate of movement was
far past normal but this time he was prepared. When he was within range she let
loose a barrage of fists that all seemed to come at once. The creature of the
night kept pace with the torrent as each punch whizzed harmlessly by his face
and body. In a sudden burst of velocity he literally blurred from sight.
He grinned with pompous egotism as he reappeared at her rear. She was obviously
far too slow to be any kind of challenge for the 'Speed Demon' himself. As soon
as he rephased a leg was already reared back and aimed for her temple. His tall
stature compared to her relatively short size made it an easy target. His leg
flew, but it struck air and nothing more.
His soon to be killed opponent had ducked under the blow. It was
impossible...she could not have that fast a reaction. Not enough to know where
he had reappeared and still have enough time to avoid the attack. She then fell
forward on to her hands and sent both her feet crashing into his stomach with
obscene force. Once again he was sent flying backward and he crashed
unpoetically a respectable number of feet away.
He picked himself up quickly and immediately formulated a new course of action.
Hand-to-hand would not work, so he needed to give himself a noticeable
advantage. With that thought in mind, the same shadow blaze that his partners
possessed came to life around his body. He threw both palms forward and twin
balls of the hellish energy launched themselves to rend his enemy to sunders.
Twin bursts of fire and light erupted as the struck the ground where she stood.
The blasts blew her backward and she skidded to a painful halt along the asphalt
road.
Talon took this opportunity to strike. He straightened the fingers of one hand
and by force of will formed a single blade around them, composed of the same
power that all vampires could wield. He charged toward his helpless prey, who
was just beginning to regain herself. He aimed furious slashes in her direction,
the black energy sword cutting swathes through the air with ridiculous ease. Her
precarious position made dodging the lethal strikes a trial in itself.
He grinned as he saw the tide turn so quickly into his favor. The girl would
tire eventually; she could not keep up with him forever. His theory was sound,
for he struck in a diagonal slash and he could the brief surface tension of
blade against skin. To her it was only a flash of black before her eyes, but
before she could contemplate what had happened a fierce backfist that rocked
across her mouth sent her sprawling again.
He chuckled as he looked over his handiwork. A rather malicious gash ran
diagonally across her face, forever marring her features. Blood began trickling
down the corner of her mouth as he had most like knocked some teeth loose. He
raised the blade high, a single swipe would decapitate the nuisance before him
and then he would celebrate with a well-deserved drink. He brought it down, but
instead of it severing vocal chord and artery, it was stopped flight by the
girl's hand that had shot up to intercept his wrist. He instinctively brought
his other hand into play, generating a second blade and letting it fly
horizontally on a collision course with her neck.
Other hand moving at great speed to halt its deadly course stopped the same
result, his wrist. It turned into a struggle of supremacy, with the winner
walking away with their life and the loser seeing the infinity that was the
afterlife. Talon was forced to look upon the face of his enemy, it was overcome
with a rage that rivaled even Blade, but that was not what was causing his eyes
to bulge in astonishment. It was her face; the same horrendous wound that he had
caused was now sealing itself before his very eyes! In the span of seconds the
injury was non-existent, the only evidence of it ever being there was the blood
left behind, and he could take a guess the same had happened to her mouth as
well.
His distraction was her chance. She lunged forward headfirst, sending her
forehead crashing into his in a very disruptive head butt. He disengaged the
grapple and reeled backward, clutching his throbbing brow and dispersing the
blades on each hand. The girl brought her fist back, it shook as she channeled
all the resentment and fury she associated with him. Small arcs of electricity
bounced around before a bright red liquid fire exploded around it.
She launched her fist forward, sending it careening toward the vampire's chest.
It buried itself deep into his upper body, tearing past his lungs as well as
vein and artery combined. Then it found its prey, his lifeless heart. Talon
gasped in voiceless agony as she gripped the organ in her hand. In a minute
surge of strength she squeezed and his center of existence exploded in her hand.
His face was void of emotion as she withdrew her hand from the depths of his
body. He fell backward in a lifeless heap as she shook her hand, causing large
drops of black ooze to spill on the asphalt. The girl known to her family as
Akane breathed heavily as the rush of the fight began to leave her and rage
fueled power she had gathered began to subside.
"Stupid vampires......"
The final standoff was still commencing. Crimson could feel his vampiric power
growing, and by what he could sense, the girl before him was pathetically
lacking in that aspect. He was almost insulted by this front of courage she was
putting up. She obviously had not been taught to recognize her superiors, and he
was going to be the teacher for that particular lesson.
He finally reached his peak and he gave a toothy grin, just so show her what lay
ahead when he was finished slapping the proper sense into her. He reached an arm
out to his side, in a flash a sword composed of the same material that
strengthened him out of thin air. The girl was still seeking to oppose him, and
he would take great sadistic perversity in slowly peeling her delicate skin from
her bones.
His lewd fantasies came to an end when he noticed unusual activity occurring
from the Espers surrounding them. They were gathering around her, encircling her
as electrons do an atom. Their combined golden light radiating outward and
forcing the blood demon to cover his face and eyes.
The surrounding flight pattern ceased abruptly as the Espers then chose to float
a small distance away, as if giving themselves space. Then in a breathtaking
display, small bolts of continuous lightning erupted from each creature. They
all struck the girl at once, arcing and forking as they danced the surface of
her body. Crimson stepped backward as his tolerance for the accursed light was
low. His mind was nearly rush into his overload as he all of a sudden began to
feel her power rise.
What was once empty and nothing was slowly filling to capacity. An aura of
golden fire coalesced around her form. Even her eyes began to feel the surge of
the power as they begin to slowly tint an emerald green as lightning moved
across them. In a burst, the fuel line was cut and the Espers slowly floated on
sightless currents of air, their task completed. Her batteries were fully
charged and it was quite a sight to behold. In the same fashion as Crimson she
reached an arm out. Small ball of golden energy formed at the open palm. The
ball then began to convulse and elongate until it form into a sword of pure
power similar to the vampire's.
Much to his disappointment, it looked like it was going to be a fair fight.
Though it mattered not to him, despite the overwhelming increase in her power,
he still believed himself to be superior. To prove that point, he would cut this
girl down to size and prove that her so-called power was nothing more than an
overdone light show.
His thoughts proved to take too long to run through for the girl. For after
several seconds of intimidating staring, she decided that action would be a far
more effective judge of strength. She charged forward, her sword already bared
and ready to cleave the demon in two. The dark one countered with his blade in a
hastened defense, and the two energy weapons collided in a violent and
spectacular clash of powers.
Arcs of gold and black energy spilled forth from the encounter. Both were equal
and neither one would flinch in the face of the other. The girl's face was of
total calm and obliviousness to the severity of the conflict before her very
eyes. This enraged the vampire even more, and he fought with redoubled effort to
show her why he should be feared and not underestimated.
The two broke off in a rush, each one vaporizing their weapons as soon as they
did. Crimson proved himself to be the most powerful and skilled of the three in
the use of their power. He brought both his palms together, his power gathering
to a single point, causing its effectiveness to skyrocket. From this point fired
a thin beam of a laser's quality that sizzled the air and was capable of cutting
through solid stone like so much butter attempting to resist a hot knife. The
tore through toward its target at light-speed, its firing and impact being one
and the same at such a dizzying swiftness.
What it did NOT strike and burn through was the flesh of the girl. Its path was
halted by something that could not be seen by the naked eye. An invisible
barrier that had at some point domed around the human female. Crimson pressed
harder, but all the beam could accomplish was generating a bright orange spot
giving respect to its intense heat. Without warning, this non-corporeal shield
to expand, pushing the beam back toward its producer who tried in vain to halt
the advance.
Before he knew what was happened, his beam had been negated and the wall slammed
into at full force. He looked like a fly on the windshield, as he was spread
eagle while being carried off his feet. In seconds time he was pressed violently
against the brick and mortar of a hardware store. He cringed as the unbearable
pressure forced a crater to form in his impression, but relief came sooner than
he expected.
The shield dissipated with a motionless command by the girl. In a blur she moved
into action once again. Without nearly the same fan-fare, the energy sword
reappeared in her grasp and she came upon the demonic villain at great speed.
Just as his pain-wracked body was falling, it was carried back up as the weapon
was rammed deep into his chest. He was now impaled against the wall as the sound
of flesh sizzling against a temperature reaching into the high hundreds. She
grimaced only slightly, but that was all the contemplation needed before a wave
of amperage conducted through the blade and infusing itself into his body.
His screech seemed not of this world as thousands of amps of electricity ran
through his blackening corpse. His form spasmed all too violently as it sounded
as if his darkened soul was being rended asunder. Just as quickly as the
onslaught came, it ended. His sizzling, charred remains lay limp and
unrecognizable while spitted upon the translucent blade. She released her grip
on the weapon, and as soon as she did it vanished into nothingness. The near
skeletal remains of the hell monster fell to the ground in a crunch of flaking
flesh. Cinders and ash wafted through the air as a gentle breeze came.
Kasumi Tendo stared at the remains of the thing that had renounced its humanity
in order to attain great power quickly, but at the cost of its soul. She did not
kill this monster, for it was already dead. Its spirit already in the hands of
the sire that gave it the black fire that empowered it.
"Rest in peace.........whoever you once were........."
The woman could only stare in awe as all three of her potential killers were
dispatched. Her prayers must have been answered, surely this proved that a God
truly did exist, for he had sent his archangels to banish the hellions from the
face of the planet. Of course, her baby then chooses that moment to wail its
displeasure.
All three of the Tendo sisters congregated at the woman's front. The oldest
approaching the righteous frightened woman and speaking a soft tone that
paralleled her features.
"It's not safe outside in the afternoon," She told her. "You should get home
quickly, we will make sure you're not followed."
"T...thank you. I owe you my life and the life of my child," She said frantic
joy.
"You owe us nothing," Kasumi smiled. "Just go home and be safe."
She nodded fervently before regaining her footing and setting off at a fast
pace. All three sisters watched as she disappeared into the night, the tension
slowly releasing from all of them.
It was instantly renewed however by the sound of a slow clapping piercing the
silence of the night. Their faces turned stern as they brought their eyes to the
opposite direction. Within the cloak of darkness a single figure could be seen
giving his feelings a sound. He was young man that looked to be somewhere in the
range of 16 to 18. His skin was brown, and his hair was a mop of pure white. He
was clothed in a dark purple leather jacket that was zipped halfway, as well as
pants of the same material and color. One hand was covered in a finger black
glove, while the other was completely housed within a solid red glove.
"Impressive dear Tendos," He snickered as he removed the sunglasses from over
his eyes. His eyes were of a demonic red that symbolized the power he held
within his grasp. "They were three of my most powerful followers. You seem to be
getting stronger each day."
"Yeah, and one day we're gonna be comin' right after you," Nabiki sneered. "So
get ready, your days are almost numbered."
"I look forward to the amusement," He grinned. "You three have been quite the
irritation to me as of late, denying my followers refreshment at every turn is
causing quite some restlessness."
"Serves those monsters right!" Akane yelled back. "We're not gonna let them kill
anymore innocent people! You tell them that!"
"Spirited as ever," He murmured as he brought his gaze over the oldest of the
three. Her eyes of calm serenity met his gaze of reserved and violent power. "To
you Miss Tendo. I leave my most deepest hopes that we two shall meet again very
soon."
She gave no response, save the narrowing of her eyes at the demon lord.
"Until next time," He bowed and was consumed in an explosion of black and red
flame and electricity. The miasma of power overcame him and in with as much
swiftness it dissipated, leaving nothing behind.
"And there will be a next time," She finally whispered.
***
As you have just witnessed, good can come within the depths of the shadows to
defend the weak and helpless. To lose hope in such a hopeless need not be a last
resort. To lose faith in the kindness of strangers need not take grasp in the
land of endless midnight. Such concepts still have meaning in a world where one
might think hope is dead, where the light of miracles no longer shines, and
where the greatest star of the sky is nothing then a twinkling dot in the
infinity of the void.
The next portion of this tale of introduction to the new world you face not in
the form of another grand display of heroics. This one is merely a portrayal of
a thing called survival. A concept that dictates one man's will to live in the
face of seemingly impossible odds. This is the story of a traveling band of once
strangers, people who have come together for the common goal of growing stronger
in a realm of vicious and inhumanly strong beings of the night. Watch
closely.........and learn.........
The rural outskirts of Japan.
Deep in the forests of evergreen and bushel, even Mother Nature has found the
means to survive in a land where its once glorious giver of nourishment existed.
Life cannot be so easily subverted by the simple disappearance of such critical
elements. Life will adapt, life will evolve, and life will move on. In such
simple organisms such as plants to complex forms of life like humans, this
concept has repeated itself.
Within the depths of the night, five individuals trek through the wood, a great
river to one side and the deep and mysterious majesty of the forest on another.
They walk in a simply but effective formation. Leaves crackle and branches snap
under their footsteps. The sky above is alive with the twinkle of ten million
fireflies in space and the ever-present Espers float lazily by upon the winds of
an ocean of air.
At the head of this pack is a pigtailed boy, probably sixteen or seventeen years
old. His dress seems of a foreign influence. He bears a long sleeved Chinese
oriented shirt of a green texture in color, as well as blackened pants.
To his rear and right walks a boy of heartier stock and also of the same
relative age. A yellow sleeveless muscle shirt tucked into black pants is his
choice of clothing. He wears black wristbands as well as yellow and black
bandanna about his forehead for reasons which he prefers to keep to himself.
To the leader's left walks a young man of a modern fashion. He is sheathed in a
black sleeveless shirt, but upon his feet he wears black combat boots that are
complimented by military camouflage pants. Black gloves surround his hands and a
white headband protects his brow.
Taking up the rear of the diamond is the largest of the group, in waist size
anyway. He is clearly the eldest of all of them, his looks telling of a man in
his mid to late forties. He is clothed in a worn in white gi, a bandanna that
conceals his bald cranium, and sports a pair of glasses that frame a face forged
by experience.
In the center of the pack walks the youngest of the group. A redheaded girl of
about thirteen to fifteen years of age, whose visage gives a familiar feeling
when compared to the boy in front of her. She also possesses a pigtail and her
style of clothing is very similar to that of the pack's head, save the color of
red instead of green. Her eyes are closed as she walks yet she is more than sure
of her path.
Four of the five each carried medium sized backpacks, but it was the man taking
the right side the boar the largest load. He carried he pack that easily dwarfed
him in size by at least three times, but his labor appeared minimal as visible
effort could not be made out. There travels had been peaceful as of late. They
had been allowed to enter Japanese territory without too much trouble, and they
hoped it would stay that way. Their destination was still some days away and the
last thing they wanted was unnecessary roughhousing, they knew it to be
inevitable.
As if to jinx them quickly, the girl at the center stops in her tracks. The lead
had been listening intently at the sound of her footsteps, and at the sound's
pause he too ceased his forward motion. The remaining three, who all turned
their attention to her in question of this new development, soon followed them.
Her eyes opened slowly, they were a bright blue that seemed to glow in the dark
as they warily scanned their surroundings. They moved from right to left, taking
in the darkness around them as if trying to find something in the thick soup.
They came to fall upon the tree line to their left, and it moved about the
treetops as well as everything in between.
Her gaze shifted to her brother's back. He raised his left hand, a simple
gesture that succeeded in garnering the attention of the men guarding his left
and rear. With index and middle finger together he aimed toward the darkness
between the trees. With silent recognition the military aficionado and the large
martial artist each began to suddenly fade from sight in an action that seemed
to warp reality slightly. Within the seconds, all traces of their presence no
longer existed, as if nothing more than ghosts leaving this plane of existence.
Moving on automatic, the pigtailed boy and the bandanna muscleman each moved to
flank to red-headed young girl who sank to one knee.
"Wolves..." The built young man known Ryoga Hibiki spoke as he dropped his all
too big backpack. His well-developed canines could be made out as he spoke.
"Mmmhmmm," His partner simply nodded in sound agreement. His name was Ranma
Saotome, and the girl they protected, Ranko Saotome.
That same girl seemed to be meditating from her new position. Her brow furrowed
slightly as her she clasped her hands together. After a moment of silent
deliberation, her eyes reopened, but this time they shined an unearthly white.
The same effect overtook the retinas of her bodyguards. To them, the dark world
around that surrounded lit up as new unknown sources of light appeared before
their eyes only. Every possible center of illumination, be it wandering Espers
or the reflection of the stars above in the clear blue river, was augmented to a
high degree.
Hearing was the also a recipient of this miraculous treatment. They could hear
every leaf rustle, every branch sway, and every step the monster's that
surrounded took. In the background they could hear the fevered panting of beasts
hidden within the shadows. These pack hunters delighted in the flavor of hunter
flesh, and would do anything to secure such a prized feast. These are the
warrior beasts known as Werewolves; powerful berserkers and even greater
huntsmen. No man has ever set foot within their territory and lived to recount
the nightmare that descended upon them like the wrath of the seven hells.
"They're coming..." She whispered quietly.
Deep in the wooded glade, eyes began to emerge from the black of night. Filled
with frenzy and a cannibalistic tinge born of intense hunger, they slowly began
their advance, all of them hidden within the darkness. Each one possessed the
strength of ten men, and the speed and agility of twenty. Alone they were
powerful, but in packs they were invincible. Normal humans were nothing to them,
just easy prey that existed for the sole purpose of being their food.
Well this time, as the saying goes, the hunter is about to be the hunted...
"They're here..." Ranma whispered.
All at once, six of the beasts exploded from out of the brush. Each one was
roughly twice the size of a man, capable of standing on their hind legs but
preferred four, and had the muscle capacity of Greek demi-god. They moved as one
fluid machine, each knowing what the other was thinking. They surrounded the
trio in a perfect, constantly moving circle. Each one sniffing the air to get
the taste into their mouths before the feast began.
"I got the three on the left," Ryoga informed his partner.
"Right side is mine...," Ranma concurred.
With those last words the pigtailed boy crouched slightly before launching
himself into the air in an impossibly high-leap. Three of the beasts took
notice, snorted, and pushed off on their powerful hind legs in a jump after him.
The remaining three eyed the two left on the ground and licked their lips as
they assumed their ally had betrayed them to save his own skin.
The remaining boy placed himself in front of the still kneeling girl. The
remaining three wolves chortled in their own guttural manner at the singular
obstacle that dared try to oppose his destiny as their dinner. His face was
straight and collected, even in the menacing presence of the furred man-killers.
With that noted, two of the three launched themselves at inhuman speed toward
the boy. A bestial roar escaped the lips of the two as their claws came to bear,
each one capable of rending steel to mere fibers. The mere movement of the
ingrown weapons sent streaks of blue ripping through the air. Their legs pounded
the ground like organic pistons as their velocity brought them upon their
hapless target in half a second's time.
The first one gained altitude with a powerful leap. He sent himself flying like
a torpedo, mouth opened revealing row after row of sharpened fangs that could
tear the hide off the most toughened elephant. He was fully intent on biting the
fool boy's head off his neck and feed on his esophagus, but the boy proved to be
not so easy a kill. The wolf slammed into him full-force, sending the both of
them tumbling to the ground.
Ryoga could feel the burning hot breath of the beast bearing down on his face.
The organic razors were mere inches from ripping his skin from his flesh. The
only things keeping him intact were his very own hands against either jaw,
forcing the creature's mouth open and keeping his teeth at bay. The wolf
attempted to resist, he bit down with all the strength his jaws possessed but
they would not budge. It felt as if someone had jammed a crowbar in his mouth,
nothing he tried would budge the hands of the boy under him.
He grimaced slightly as he felt that too much time had passed already with this
one assailant. Instead of simply resisting the maw of death before him, he
started pushing against it. The werewolf's eyes snapped to attention as he
realized that he was not willingly opening his mouth wider. The beast could feel
the burning agony as the skin of his mouth was stretched far beyond its limits.
Popping sounds the bone dislocating followed, and in one final, savage heave, a
wet cracking sound echoed in-between them.
The creature went limp, and it the total of its weight came falling down upon
Ryoga. He pushed off with his legs and sent the carcass of the beast flying into
his partner. The wolf showed as much care for the dead as it did for the living,
it simply the cadaver to one side and made his bid for the meal on legs. Ryoga
kicked to his feet and met the manimal head-on. They charged each other this
time and when they collided it was in a near thunderous impact. They both
grasped hands and the battle fell down to a test of strength.
The two dug their respective feet into the ground. Veins began popping into the
arms of the werewolf as he boasted his superior strength, knowing this would not
last long. All werewolves were superior to humans in every physical respect.
Ryoga simply grinned as he saw the gleam appear in the monster's eyes. He
probably thought he could win, quite an error, or so he would soon learn.
The beast was now becoming surprised. Somehow the human was actually managing to
match him. He was exerting all his monstrous strength and yet he was not gaining
sufficient ground in this struggle. The wolf was feeling a growing pressure in
his arm, but he did not, all he could think of was overpowering this human. The
match would continue for a precious amount of seconds, neither one budging from
the other's grasp for any reason.
"It's over."
The wolf raised an eyebrow at what the boy could possibly mean by that. It was
then it took enough time to notice that the pressure in its arms had built to
near unbearable levels. Flesh tearing as bone buckled and bent under the unholy
stress followed a sharp sound of snapping. The wolf howled in murderous agony as
the hellish torture seemed to only increase.
Ryoga withdrew his hands and drew back one fist. The collision of fist to
stomach actually picked the beast off its feet for a brief moment. Right before
the teen's fist exploded out of the monster's back. His fist was covered in the
wet insides of the animal as it too slunk against him, its body no longer
capable of functioning correctly.
The third watched all this with a minimum of interest. The thing that caught his
eyes was the girl the two boys had been protecting. She was now vulnerable, as
her protectors were busy with other matters of a life-threatening variety. She
was simply kneeling their, her eyes distant and unaware of what was going on
around her. It would be an easy kill by far, and likely rattle the cages of the
rebellious enemy they faced.
He surged forward on all fours, making a beeline straight for his immobile prey.
He flew off his feet as he came within range and his fist came up with a hammer
strike that would quite literally reduce her to a spot on the ground. The blow
came down, but just as it came within centimeters of connecting the still
detached girl suddenly became alive with movement. She launched herself backward
as the blow struck home, plowing through the dirt and rock as if it were fragile
glass.
The wolf grunted in confusion as the redhead landed all too nimbly at quite a
distance away. Her eyes were still vacant and yet she had somehow kept herself
alive. Needless to say he was having slight problems connecting the dots, so he
simply threw logic out the window and with a flick of his wrist popped his claws
from their sheaths. He came forward with renewed purpose and sent his death
talons raking through the air toward the thought to be defenseless Ranko.
His claws only sliced defenseless space as his continued attacks were
effortlessly avoided. Her entire body appeared to have gone limp, but her minute
movements always brought her clear out of the beasts killing range. All the
while it looked as if nobody was home. Everything about her was moving on
automatic, reflexes that had been bred so deeply that the simple act of them did
not require thinking on her part.
She had once again landed in a crouch when the beast took that moment of
positional indecisiveness to strike. He had to move fast before she had the time
to regain her bearings, and he did so with frightening effect. He tore through
the air with unimaginable speed and was upon her in no time at all. One set of
claws was already brought back and ready to eviscerate...when his motion came to
a violent and sudden stop.
He turned to see the boy in the bandanna clutching his wrist with savage force.
It was a vice that the wolf could not escape from no matter how hard he tugged.
This resistance was silenced by a fist impacting hard across its face, sending
him flying off his feet and skidding into the dirt far past the girl. Ryoga was
on his feels as he leapt after the retreating figure.
He crash-landed on it as it stopped. His foot dropping all its force into his
upper body generating a cracking sound signifying that the bone had just
collapsed on itself. The wolf's eyes were bulging as Ryoga's hand shot out and
took firm grasp of the beast's throat. In a flexing of strength, the windpipe
gave under his ihnhuman strength, crushing the pathway and ceasing the flow of
oxygen.
All the while, a battle in mid-air was occurring. Ranma and the three sanctioned
to go after him and each made a gravity defying bound that brought them untold
feet above Mother Earth. They each made the peak of their jumps, and found
themselves weightless for a few precious seconds. It was at this point the
beasts attacked, each one trying to gain some form of physical contact before
gravity reclaimed them.
The maneuverability the pigtailed boy showed in the air was uncanny. The first
wolf was coming up directly under him, just as he was beginning his drop. As
such he used the his shoulder's as a springboard to give himself extra hang time
while at the same making the beast's trip down that much faster. He launched him
forward and up, putting on a collision course with the area he deduced the
second wolf would appear. Somehow, in a move should not have been humanly
possible, he reversed his position so that he was flying forward feet first.
Just as he had predicted his feet slammed into the face of the man-beast just as
it reached its peak. He was also used as a catalyst as he pushed off hard,
knocking the animal off kilter and making its drop that much more difficult to
recover from. This time he threw himself into a back flip, only to twist in mid-
air, turning it into a vicious axe-kick that collided with the third and final
enemy. The blow hit square on the top of its head.
The first two landed with an earth shaking impact, but were still capable of
fighting. The third, however, had met with an unfortunate twist of luck and
landed on his neck. His entire throat bent at an awkward angle in respect to his
body, making it quite clear that he was permanently out of the fight.
Ranma landed silently in-between the two remaining hunters, who snarled their
displeasure at being so rudely assisted back to Earth. The boy casually eyed the
both of them before flexing his fingers. A hazy blue surrounded his body as
small sparks popped in and out of existence around his hands. Slowly, ki-claws
began to form from the fingertips. They grew in vaporous length until they were
each an inch in span.
One could hear the beastly laughter escapes the wolves' lips. At that same
moment a mist of red envelop their bodies. They each released a blood-curdling
roar that split the air. The sound of a beast unleashing its fury
upon the world would instantly send anyone into a shaking cower. Their fangs
elongated, their claws grew that much sharper as intense heat began radiating
from them, and their mass began to bulge and increase in certain areas
amplifying their already nightmarish speed and strength.
"Let's hurry this up, I don't have all day..." Ranma said simply.
The two beasts circled their prey, trying to ascertain the best point to score
an instant kill. Ranma was unmoving, allowing them to create whatever plans they
feel were necessary to win. Soon there position placed them at his back and
front, and it was then they chose that time to strike. They each charged in for
the slaughter, knowing he could not defend in both directions at once.
The beast to his rear speared his claws forward; intent on driving them clear
through his bodily structure. The one coming at the front did the same, and it
looked as if the boy would be skewered two ways. It almost looked like they had
succeeded, if it weren't for the fact that his body began to fade away after the
fact.
One of the wolves felt a slight tapping on his forehead. It was the heel of the
boy, standing on his head. The beast's claw instantly shot up to intercept the
annoying pest. The boy moved fast, and drove the ki-claws that accented each
finger into the top of the man-eater's skull. Without waiting to view the
effects he withdrew the weapons and flipped forward, sending himself over the
second beast.
Said animal whirled around in an attempt to retaliate, but could not do so as he
found the same claws driven straight through his throat.
"Took you long enough," Ryoga's voice came from behind. "We're kinda on the
clock here, don't you remember?"
"Yeah, yeah I know," He rolled his eyes as he removed the energy claws from the
unloving beast's throat.
The weapons dissipated, and he shook his fingers to remove the horrid tingling
sensation from them. He had yet to perfect the skill, but at its current level
they made quite effective weapons against larger opponents.
"RYUU! POP! HURRY AND WRAP THINGS UP IN THERE!!!" Ranma aimed the yell at the
forest.
At that same moment, an unknown object dropped out of the trees. It was followed
by another...and another...and another. The severed body parts of so many
werewolves began littering the forest floor like raindrops. Each cut was a
perfect incision, with not a single jagged edge to be seen.
Two figures dropped down from the treeline, the only indication they existed was
the slight distortion they created in the atmosphere when they moved.
"The threat has been neutralized for now," Ryuu Kumon reported as the affects of
the ki-based cloaking technique faded away. "But...if I know wolf hunting
patterns correctly, the friends of these guys are gonna be coming around to see
why dinner is taking so long."
"Indeed. We had best not be here when that happens," Genma agreed as he too
reemerged into their field of vision. "At that point their number will far
surpass ours."
"I can't hear anything anymore," Ranko said quietly as she approached. Her mind
returned to her body and the effects of the enhanced vision and hearing she had
granted her protectors having worn off. "So we should have enough time to get
out of their territory."
Ryoga retrieved his enormous backpack while Ranma took to staring at the sky.
Taking particular attention to the position of the stars above.
"If we keep going this way, we should reach Nerima in three days time," Genma
informed his son.
"Alright, we better get moving then," Ranma then turned to his father. "You know
you still haven't said who the heck this Soun Tendo guy is."
"He is a very good friend of mine and an old training partner from my younger
days," He remembered. "He has three daughters which I think you, Ryuu, and Ryoga
will get along very well with."
"And...how you can be so sure of that, old man?" Ryuu raised an eyebrow in
suspicion.
"HAHAHAHA!" He laughed heartily. "I just have a good feeling, that's all!"
EVERYONE was now giving him glares. If they had learned anything from the man,
it was that everything he did had a double meaning.
"We should get moving," He said quickly as he pressed ahead of everyone.
"Why do I suddenly have a very queasy feeling in my stomach..." Ryoga whispered.
"Just let it go man," Ranma sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just go
with the flow..."
"It'll be alright," Ranko said cheerily as she patted her brother on the arm.
"If he does try anything, we can always feed him to the wolf men."
"Huh..." He seemed to perk up slightly. "Good point. Let's go."
To Be Continued.........
Chapter Inspirations:
"Keep Hope Alive" by Crystal Method
"When Worlds Collide" by Powerman 5000
Author's Notes:
1). First off, I would like to thank Image Comics and its WildStorm Universe
label. This is NOT a fusion or a crossover, I'm simply stating that inspiration
for certain abilities that will be portrayed in this story was inspired by them.
Given that, can anyone take a guess as to whose powers Nabiki's abilities
reflect?
2). Fans of the game will most likely recognize the head honcho that the Tendos
encountered at the end of their segment. And if you don't, his identity will be
revealed next chapter anyway. So it really doesn't matter.
3). I WILL be working on this and Shadowlands at the same time, but chapters for
Silent Knights will come out at nowhere near the same rate as Shadowlands. This
is because I will be working on this story in between chapters of the first.
However, if response to this is that much greater, then the two will switch in
priority.
4). Since this story has not been pre-read (as is my custom for the first
chapter of a new story), C&C is highly valued now more than ever. Of course, it
is archived for later reference.