Disclaimer: I do not own or have any title, interest or right in either
Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon or Shadow Skill. This fanfiction is not being
used for commercial purposes. I own all other rights (to the extent
legally permissible) in connection with this writing.
CHAPTER 1: SUMMONS
* * * * *
A breeze tousled the blond hair of a gentle faced young man. He stood quietly on the balcony as his soft, blue eyes scanned the horizon. The castle swayed beneath his feet occasionally.
Although he had been at the castle for several years, it never ceased to amaze him that the city-castle of Juliannes was built upon massive, floating rocks. Juliannes was also the capital of the Holy Kingdom of Ashliana. It was strategically built above one of the strongest concentrations of magical energy known as Sohma. This mysterious energy was the foundation for the power, prosperity and fame of Ashliana, but very few understood its true nature.
"Sir Quatre!" called out a voice.
The young blond man turned at the mention of his name. Holy Knight Quatre Raberba Winner of the Ordo Codex looked calmly as an attendant scurried towards him.
"Sir Quatre, please come with me!" the attendant cried out anxiously.
Quatre nodded his head and followed the nervous attendant.
"What's the matter?" Quatre asked in a concerned voice.
The attendant's eyes were wide with fear and concern.
"His majesty has requested your presence," the attendant explained apprehensively. "Her highness is deathly ill!"
* * * * *
The sun shined mercilessly on the dry grasslands on the outskirts of the city of Kuruda. There was only a faint hint of a breeze in the late afternoon air. The grasslands were relatively quiet, and disturbed only by the sounds of combat.
"You can do better than that!" taunted Ten'nou Haruka. The tall, lean and muscular woman moved gracefully away from her attacker. Haruka's piercing blue eyes studied her opponent. Her feet never rested as she waited for the next attack. Haruka was dressed simply in a light brown tunic and pants.
The young man across from Haruka was breathing harshly. His penetrating winter, blue eyes peered out from beneath his messy, brown hair. He wore a sleeveless tunic and a pair of dark black pants. His wiry muscles rippled as he launched himself at the taller woman.
Haruka casually spun away from the attack and swept the young man's feet from underneath. He fell to the ground wordlessly.
"Your footwork is still sloppy," Haruka sneered at him. She tossed her short blond hair. "Footwork, powerful kicks and speed of movement are keys to our art. Do you understand, Heero?"
Yui Heero grunted and leaped up to his feet. He went for an uppercut, but Haruka simply slipped away like a shadow. By the time that Heero had recovered his balance, Haruka slammed her right knee into his solar plexus. The young man crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.
"We'll practice some more later," Haruka told him in a calm voice. "But you are still clinging to those Open Skills that you grew up with."
Heero, still doubled over, managed to offer her a defiant glare.
"Good," Haruka nodded approvingly. "Those are the eyes that I remember when I agreed to teach you the Shadow Skills. The eyes of a beast..."
Heero picked himself up and stared at her.
"I want to practice some more," he announced, getting into a fighting stance.
Haruka turned away and started walking back towards the city of Kuruda.
"I'm hungry," Haruka informed him as she continued walking. "Besides, I think Michiru and Hotaru are tired of waiting for us at the inn. We'll practice some more after dinner."
The young man looked on quietly for a moment, before following his mentor.
* * * * *
The small courtyard of the palace of Kisholana was beautifully decorated with lush plants and a jade statues. At the center of the courtyard lay an exquisitely finished white marble terrace. A slender young girl stood on the terrace with a sword in hand. A light breeze caressed her long, blond tresses, which were tied together by a simple, red ribbon. She wore a beautifully woven blue silk shirt and pants.
Aino Minako suddenly erupted into a flurry of movement. Her sword glittered as she swung it in a wide arc. The blade continued to dance like a candle as she spun and whirled. She appeared to be intertwined in a dance with her weapon, as she continued to move across the terrace at a fevered pitch. Eventually, she slowed to a halt and wiped her brow.
"Not bad, nu-ren," smirked the young man standing near one of the doorways to the courtyard.[1] His lean frame was resting comfortably against a wall. The young man's dark hair was tied into a pony-tail and fell to his shoulders. His dark, brown eyes studied the young woman.
Minako looked at the young man. "Good afternoon, Si-Hing![2] You're as grumpy as always. Come on, cheer up!"
Chang Wufei snorted. "Good afternoon, Si-Mui.[3] You're as irritatingly happy as always."
"So did you come for any particular reason? Or are you just here to admire me?" Minako teased. She twirled about and fluttered her eyelashes at him.
Wufei nearly choked. The young man quickly turned away.
"I came here to meditate," he stated firmly, folding his arms across his chest. "You should know that you're not permitted to draw your sword within the palace walls, even if it is simply for practice."
Minako had a guilty grin on her face. "I forgot...?"
"Didn't I remind of you of this yesterday?" Wufei demanded.
"Umm...yeah..." Minako began.
"And also the day before that???"
"Well..."
A young man burst through one of the other doorways to the courtyard. The youth was gasping for breath and looked at Wufei and Minako. Minako quickly hid her sword behind her back.
"Chang Si-Hing! Aino Si-Mui!" the youth called out, between breaths. "Si- Fu has summoned both of you!"[4]
* * * * *
A brown-haired youth was sitting quietly in the forest, playing a beautiful melody with a small, wooden flute. The music was carried on the gentle breeze that rustled through the trees. There was a trace of sadness in the musical notes that floated in the air.
The tall youth was dressed simply in a dark tunic and pants, and was resting comfortably on a rock in the middle of a small clearing. The young man enjoyed spending time in the forest. He preferred to quiet solitude of the forest to the bustling city of Felisha. But he had certain obligations that kept him from venturing too far.
He felt a powerful presence approach. The nearby animals scattered from the area as the being drew closer. The young man carefully placed the flute into a small pouch at his belt and he hopped onto his feet.
"Koumafuin...Trowa...Barton..." a voice called out.
Trowa Barton turned around and looked at the being that arrived. The hulking figure stood over twelve feet high and possessed green, metallic- looking skin. There was no discernable head or facial features on the entity. But there was a strong energy that radiated from it.
It was a Lunater.[5]
The city of Felisha was protected by an order of warriors known as the Koumafuins. These warriors were known for their ability to summon powerful beings known as Lunaters to their service. The true nature and origins of the Lunaters were a jealously guarded secret of the Koumafuins.
Trowa recognized this particular Lunater.
"What do you want, Lunater of Kushrenada?" Trowa queried in a quiet voice.
The Lunater of Koumafuin Treize Kushrenada spoke in a slow, hollow voice. "My...Master...seeks...your...audience..."
Trowa raised his eyebrows. It was unusual for Lord Kushrenada to send out his Lunater as a messenger. Trowa surmised that this was an urgent matter.
"Where is Lord Kushrenada?" Trowa inquired.
"City...of...Felisha...castle...throne...room..." came the reply.
Trowa murmured quietly to himself, "This should be quite interesting..."
* * * * *
"Does she have to beat him up so hard?" Tomoe Hotaru asked in a worried voice. The frail-looking young girl was standing fretfully near a table. Her midnight black hair fell to her shoulders. She was dressed simply in a long, dark robe. Her violet eyes looked on with concern as Heero limped into the crowded dining hall after Haruka.
A gorgeous woman with long, sea green hair rested a comforting hand on Hotaru's shoulder. She was also wearing a robe similar to Hotaru's.
"Don't worry, it's part of his training," Kai'ou Michiru stated in a reassuring voice.
Hotaru watched as Haruka and Heero made their way to the table. The blond woman and the young man seated themselves at the table. Haruka looked questioningly at Michiru and Hotaru.
"Are you two planning to stand there while we have dinner?" Haruka inquired.
Michiru gracefully sat down across from Haruka.
"Well, I suppose I can sit down. But I think our poor little Hotaru can't think about dinner right now. You see, she's still too worried about Heero's health," Michiru explained, her green eyes twinkling playfully.
It took a moment for the statement to sink in. A slight blush crossed Hotaru's face and she promptly sat down next to Michiru. The young girl stared at the table, avoiding eye contact with the others. Heero sat stoically at the table and seemed oblivious to the entire conversation.
Haruka snorted. "Heero's not worth worrying about."
Michiru raised an eyebrow. "So why do you even bother training him?"
Haruka shrugged and called out for a waiter. The waiter was wading towards them through a sea of tables at the dining hall. Eventually, the waiter reached them.
"What would you like to have?" the short, young waitress asked in a cheerful voice.
Before Haruka could respond, the door to the Green Octopus Inn was thrown open by two armed guards dressed in uniform. A man stepped into the room, dressed in the garb of a royal messenger. He scanned the room until he found what he was looking for.
The messenger strode purposefully towards the back of the dining hall until he stood in front of the occupants of the table located at the end of the dining hall.
"This Writ of Summons is for the Sky King, 63rd Sevalle of Kuruda!" the messenger proclaimed in an official voice. He drew a scroll from his sleeves. "His Majesty, King Vy Low, requests your immediate presence!"
The messenger carefully handed the scroll over to a surprised-looking Ten'nou Haruka.
* * * * *
Footnotes:
[1] "Nu-ren" means a woman (literally, a "female person") in Mandarin Chinese. Not the most polite reference (kind of like "onna" in Japanese). It's more common to refer to a young girl as "xiao jie" in Mandarin.
[2] In the context of a martial arts school, the Cantonese Chinese term of "Si-Hing" means a senior brother (either by age or based on entry into the school). But this does not indicate any blood relation, rather, it is a respectful address to senior male students (the closest Japanese term that comes to mind is "sempai"). Yes, I know I'm using different dialects of Chinese.
[3] Similarly, the Cantonese term "Si-Mui" refers to a more junior sister in a martial arts school, but not a blood relative.
[4] "Si-Fu" is how the master of a martial arts school is addressed in Cantonese. The reference of "fu" is derived from the term "fuxin" (respectful way of saying "father"). The master is considered the "father" of all the students. The original Shadow Skill does not have these Chinese martial arts references. I decided to use these references because I thought it would make it more interesting. This is what happens when I watch Shadow Skill and Hong Kong kung-fu films late at night when normal people are sleeping.
[5] In the original world of Shadow Skill, the Lunaters were puppets summoned by the Koumafuins for combat purposes. But the manga and the series did not get into much detail concerning the Lunater, so some of the characterizations and information are not from the Shadow Skill manga/series.
Author's Notes: I'm still working on my other fanfictions (The Celestial Covenant and The Missing Truth of War). But I couldn't resist getting this one out (I wanted to get it written down before the idea got too stale in my mind). I should be updating both of the other stories a little later this week or next week. I hope you enjoy this fanfiction. Please review!
CHAPTER 1: SUMMONS
* * * * *
A breeze tousled the blond hair of a gentle faced young man. He stood quietly on the balcony as his soft, blue eyes scanned the horizon. The castle swayed beneath his feet occasionally.
Although he had been at the castle for several years, it never ceased to amaze him that the city-castle of Juliannes was built upon massive, floating rocks. Juliannes was also the capital of the Holy Kingdom of Ashliana. It was strategically built above one of the strongest concentrations of magical energy known as Sohma. This mysterious energy was the foundation for the power, prosperity and fame of Ashliana, but very few understood its true nature.
"Sir Quatre!" called out a voice.
The young blond man turned at the mention of his name. Holy Knight Quatre Raberba Winner of the Ordo Codex looked calmly as an attendant scurried towards him.
"Sir Quatre, please come with me!" the attendant cried out anxiously.
Quatre nodded his head and followed the nervous attendant.
"What's the matter?" Quatre asked in a concerned voice.
The attendant's eyes were wide with fear and concern.
"His majesty has requested your presence," the attendant explained apprehensively. "Her highness is deathly ill!"
* * * * *
The sun shined mercilessly on the dry grasslands on the outskirts of the city of Kuruda. There was only a faint hint of a breeze in the late afternoon air. The grasslands were relatively quiet, and disturbed only by the sounds of combat.
"You can do better than that!" taunted Ten'nou Haruka. The tall, lean and muscular woman moved gracefully away from her attacker. Haruka's piercing blue eyes studied her opponent. Her feet never rested as she waited for the next attack. Haruka was dressed simply in a light brown tunic and pants.
The young man across from Haruka was breathing harshly. His penetrating winter, blue eyes peered out from beneath his messy, brown hair. He wore a sleeveless tunic and a pair of dark black pants. His wiry muscles rippled as he launched himself at the taller woman.
Haruka casually spun away from the attack and swept the young man's feet from underneath. He fell to the ground wordlessly.
"Your footwork is still sloppy," Haruka sneered at him. She tossed her short blond hair. "Footwork, powerful kicks and speed of movement are keys to our art. Do you understand, Heero?"
Yui Heero grunted and leaped up to his feet. He went for an uppercut, but Haruka simply slipped away like a shadow. By the time that Heero had recovered his balance, Haruka slammed her right knee into his solar plexus. The young man crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.
"We'll practice some more later," Haruka told him in a calm voice. "But you are still clinging to those Open Skills that you grew up with."
Heero, still doubled over, managed to offer her a defiant glare.
"Good," Haruka nodded approvingly. "Those are the eyes that I remember when I agreed to teach you the Shadow Skills. The eyes of a beast..."
Heero picked himself up and stared at her.
"I want to practice some more," he announced, getting into a fighting stance.
Haruka turned away and started walking back towards the city of Kuruda.
"I'm hungry," Haruka informed him as she continued walking. "Besides, I think Michiru and Hotaru are tired of waiting for us at the inn. We'll practice some more after dinner."
The young man looked on quietly for a moment, before following his mentor.
* * * * *
The small courtyard of the palace of Kisholana was beautifully decorated with lush plants and a jade statues. At the center of the courtyard lay an exquisitely finished white marble terrace. A slender young girl stood on the terrace with a sword in hand. A light breeze caressed her long, blond tresses, which were tied together by a simple, red ribbon. She wore a beautifully woven blue silk shirt and pants.
Aino Minako suddenly erupted into a flurry of movement. Her sword glittered as she swung it in a wide arc. The blade continued to dance like a candle as she spun and whirled. She appeared to be intertwined in a dance with her weapon, as she continued to move across the terrace at a fevered pitch. Eventually, she slowed to a halt and wiped her brow.
"Not bad, nu-ren," smirked the young man standing near one of the doorways to the courtyard.[1] His lean frame was resting comfortably against a wall. The young man's dark hair was tied into a pony-tail and fell to his shoulders. His dark, brown eyes studied the young woman.
Minako looked at the young man. "Good afternoon, Si-Hing![2] You're as grumpy as always. Come on, cheer up!"
Chang Wufei snorted. "Good afternoon, Si-Mui.[3] You're as irritatingly happy as always."
"So did you come for any particular reason? Or are you just here to admire me?" Minako teased. She twirled about and fluttered her eyelashes at him.
Wufei nearly choked. The young man quickly turned away.
"I came here to meditate," he stated firmly, folding his arms across his chest. "You should know that you're not permitted to draw your sword within the palace walls, even if it is simply for practice."
Minako had a guilty grin on her face. "I forgot...?"
"Didn't I remind of you of this yesterday?" Wufei demanded.
"Umm...yeah..." Minako began.
"And also the day before that???"
"Well..."
A young man burst through one of the other doorways to the courtyard. The youth was gasping for breath and looked at Wufei and Minako. Minako quickly hid her sword behind her back.
"Chang Si-Hing! Aino Si-Mui!" the youth called out, between breaths. "Si- Fu has summoned both of you!"[4]
* * * * *
A brown-haired youth was sitting quietly in the forest, playing a beautiful melody with a small, wooden flute. The music was carried on the gentle breeze that rustled through the trees. There was a trace of sadness in the musical notes that floated in the air.
The tall youth was dressed simply in a dark tunic and pants, and was resting comfortably on a rock in the middle of a small clearing. The young man enjoyed spending time in the forest. He preferred to quiet solitude of the forest to the bustling city of Felisha. But he had certain obligations that kept him from venturing too far.
He felt a powerful presence approach. The nearby animals scattered from the area as the being drew closer. The young man carefully placed the flute into a small pouch at his belt and he hopped onto his feet.
"Koumafuin...Trowa...Barton..." a voice called out.
Trowa Barton turned around and looked at the being that arrived. The hulking figure stood over twelve feet high and possessed green, metallic- looking skin. There was no discernable head or facial features on the entity. But there was a strong energy that radiated from it.
It was a Lunater.[5]
The city of Felisha was protected by an order of warriors known as the Koumafuins. These warriors were known for their ability to summon powerful beings known as Lunaters to their service. The true nature and origins of the Lunaters were a jealously guarded secret of the Koumafuins.
Trowa recognized this particular Lunater.
"What do you want, Lunater of Kushrenada?" Trowa queried in a quiet voice.
The Lunater of Koumafuin Treize Kushrenada spoke in a slow, hollow voice. "My...Master...seeks...your...audience..."
Trowa raised his eyebrows. It was unusual for Lord Kushrenada to send out his Lunater as a messenger. Trowa surmised that this was an urgent matter.
"Where is Lord Kushrenada?" Trowa inquired.
"City...of...Felisha...castle...throne...room..." came the reply.
Trowa murmured quietly to himself, "This should be quite interesting..."
* * * * *
"Does she have to beat him up so hard?" Tomoe Hotaru asked in a worried voice. The frail-looking young girl was standing fretfully near a table. Her midnight black hair fell to her shoulders. She was dressed simply in a long, dark robe. Her violet eyes looked on with concern as Heero limped into the crowded dining hall after Haruka.
A gorgeous woman with long, sea green hair rested a comforting hand on Hotaru's shoulder. She was also wearing a robe similar to Hotaru's.
"Don't worry, it's part of his training," Kai'ou Michiru stated in a reassuring voice.
Hotaru watched as Haruka and Heero made their way to the table. The blond woman and the young man seated themselves at the table. Haruka looked questioningly at Michiru and Hotaru.
"Are you two planning to stand there while we have dinner?" Haruka inquired.
Michiru gracefully sat down across from Haruka.
"Well, I suppose I can sit down. But I think our poor little Hotaru can't think about dinner right now. You see, she's still too worried about Heero's health," Michiru explained, her green eyes twinkling playfully.
It took a moment for the statement to sink in. A slight blush crossed Hotaru's face and she promptly sat down next to Michiru. The young girl stared at the table, avoiding eye contact with the others. Heero sat stoically at the table and seemed oblivious to the entire conversation.
Haruka snorted. "Heero's not worth worrying about."
Michiru raised an eyebrow. "So why do you even bother training him?"
Haruka shrugged and called out for a waiter. The waiter was wading towards them through a sea of tables at the dining hall. Eventually, the waiter reached them.
"What would you like to have?" the short, young waitress asked in a cheerful voice.
Before Haruka could respond, the door to the Green Octopus Inn was thrown open by two armed guards dressed in uniform. A man stepped into the room, dressed in the garb of a royal messenger. He scanned the room until he found what he was looking for.
The messenger strode purposefully towards the back of the dining hall until he stood in front of the occupants of the table located at the end of the dining hall.
"This Writ of Summons is for the Sky King, 63rd Sevalle of Kuruda!" the messenger proclaimed in an official voice. He drew a scroll from his sleeves. "His Majesty, King Vy Low, requests your immediate presence!"
The messenger carefully handed the scroll over to a surprised-looking Ten'nou Haruka.
* * * * *
Footnotes:
[1] "Nu-ren" means a woman (literally, a "female person") in Mandarin Chinese. Not the most polite reference (kind of like "onna" in Japanese). It's more common to refer to a young girl as "xiao jie" in Mandarin.
[2] In the context of a martial arts school, the Cantonese Chinese term of "Si-Hing" means a senior brother (either by age or based on entry into the school). But this does not indicate any blood relation, rather, it is a respectful address to senior male students (the closest Japanese term that comes to mind is "sempai"). Yes, I know I'm using different dialects of Chinese.
[3] Similarly, the Cantonese term "Si-Mui" refers to a more junior sister in a martial arts school, but not a blood relative.
[4] "Si-Fu" is how the master of a martial arts school is addressed in Cantonese. The reference of "fu" is derived from the term "fuxin" (respectful way of saying "father"). The master is considered the "father" of all the students. The original Shadow Skill does not have these Chinese martial arts references. I decided to use these references because I thought it would make it more interesting. This is what happens when I watch Shadow Skill and Hong Kong kung-fu films late at night when normal people are sleeping.
[5] In the original world of Shadow Skill, the Lunaters were puppets summoned by the Koumafuins for combat purposes. But the manga and the series did not get into much detail concerning the Lunater, so some of the characterizations and information are not from the Shadow Skill manga/series.
Author's Notes: I'm still working on my other fanfictions (The Celestial Covenant and The Missing Truth of War). But I couldn't resist getting this one out (I wanted to get it written down before the idea got too stale in my mind). I should be updating both of the other stories a little later this week or next week. I hope you enjoy this fanfiction. Please review!