Real Disclaimer:
Please be informed that I do not own Shaman King or any anime, movie or television series I'm going to rip off. But that's not stopping me from ripping them off. Ole!
The Romancers
Set One
By: Sheo Darren
Arc 1: Shaman King
Iron Maiden and Dowser Knight
Chapter One
To Turn Over A New Leaf
Location: Somewhere in Tokyo, Japan
Dimensional Setting: Shaman King
Agent On-Theater: Rione Asuka Hunter
The girl was amused.
She had been watching them for some time now, the small group of people she was observing from her precarious perch on top of a tree. An apple was in her hand; she had been nibbling at it while waiting for the conclusion to the scene she witnessed.
The first thing that could be said about her was that the girl liked the color black. Her trousers, her blouse, her coat and her Police sunglasses all were the same shade as her dark hair and obsidian eyes. She was elegant in black, totally at home and in control.
The apple sailed into the air for a moment, passing slickly short locks of black with a hint of blue highlights. It was caught in a small but supple hand, and then milky white teeth daintily bit into the remaining unmarred red skin, extracting a small bit of the flesh that was chewed and swallowed in a quietly cute way.
As already said before, she was amused. The ceremony had gone on schedule, just as she had predicted. Were there no surprises to be had this morning?
Her name was Rione Asuka Hunter, and she had a mission for today.
The girl smiled to herself so mysteriously.
"It's show time: Romancers."
Lyserg Diethyl was nervous.
This was the day, the most important date in his life. Well, actually, maybe it was just the second most important date of his life. He had another one in mind to receive the award "For being the most important day in the life of a young orphaned dowser who seeks revenge for his family and is a current member of the paramilitary shaman team X-Laws".
The most important clue to the identity of that day was faintly evident in the long sky-grey tresses of a girl who in the past kept to herself inside an iron casket that inflicted unbelievable pain upon her frail body. Evidences supporting that hypothesis could be stated as follows: Blushing, hesitancy of speech, awkwardness and a general sense of careless forgetfulness with slips of tongue on the part of the green-haired Brit lad when faced with this pretty and lovely young Frenchwoman.
To state it simply, Lyserg was in love with Iron Maiden Jeanne.
We get ahead of ourselves, though.
Today was an important day, not just for Lyserg but for the entire X-Laws. You see, today was when Marco –the team leader of the X-Laws for much of its existence– was going to step down and 'retire'. In his place would enter Lyserg Diethyl, chosen by Jeanne to be the new team captain. A rather good and obvious –if suspiciously biased– choice, we may say.
Marco did not protest much when Jeanne cornered him one day and told him about her decision. The man may have his faults, but he is extremely loyal and devoted to the Iron Maiden. He understood that the times were changing, and the new era called for –no, demanded a new mission-vision, face and strong right arm to the X-Laws.
It was time to turn over a new leaf in the eternal book of histories...
With the defeat of Asakura Hao and relative peace overwhelming the world, the X-Laws were out of jobs. They had been the implacable enemies of the renegade Shaman, ready to fight him at his every step, willing to die in order to accomplish their mission. Although it was Asakura Yoh who really defeated Hao, the X-Laws also played a vital part in that final battle. Iron Maiden Jeanne had helped strengthen Yoh's power through her interceding prayers while Lyserg and Marco had battled Hao's seemingly unstoppable Spirit of Flame.
Because Hao was immensely powerful and brutal, the X-Laws had suffered grievous casualties. Only Lyserg, Marco and Jeanne survived the fated ending, Lyserg himself up to now sometimes unable to believe he had been through that nightmare. He was thankful that Jeanne also survived, though; that was perhaps all that was left that mattered to him.
In their fierce war, the X-Laws had been almost as merciless as Hao had been. It was simply that Hao's minions were almost heartless and cruel as their master, and to match such pitiless enemies, the X-Laws needed to fight fire with fire. Many of Hao's lesser followers had met their end at the armament of the X-Laws and their Angel protectors. There was one notable exception, but as once said, the exception proves the rule. To all those others who had chosen to follow the evil Shaman, death was the only reward.
The war was over now, though. Peace had broken out. Even Hao himself would admit that, if one troubled to search for him and put that question up for answers (and what a courageously persistent journalist who would really go looking for him). It was the new reality for the X-Laws, one they had fought for all their lives but were not ready to follow themselves.
Without any discernible menace to combat, the X-Laws were like the samurai of old during the Meiji Restoration: With only a few reasons to live.
Iron Maiden Jeanne was still there, of course, the inspiring figure that was to be protected and served. The reputation of the leader of the X-Laws was such that she still drew people to her orbits, culling the few special persons out from the mass of humanity and calling them her own.
Yet for all that Jeanne accomplished for the X-Laws, the time when fighting and violence and Power Spirits served as tools was over. Hao was no threat, and his minions were scattered and without power.
Now the X-Laws were peacekeepers, figurative tenders and watchers of a rose come newly to bloom. It was a new mission they faced, and one that Marco was not suited for. It was plain the quietly ruthless Marco was out of his league here. His ways and thinking no longer fit in with the world they walked within. A new leader was called for, a person who understood the new era that was theirs to shelter.
It was so that Jeanne chose Lyserg Diethyl.
Sometimes, though, Lyserg confided to Jeanne that he wished she hadn't chosen him!
Sheo's Thoughts: This chapter is even shorter than my Rayearth stories. Speaking of which, I should tend to Hikaru-chan and Nova-chan ASAP. Sorry, those guys who read my Rayearth stories! I'll start working on it again soon, when my exams are over!
I guess I'll start here short, but I assume my chapters will start getting longer at one point. The reason why I kept this short is because I'm enjoying myself in the story. Here, I'm not out for technical excellence, unlike in my Reminiscent Memories fan fiction also published here.
So, after keeping your attention spans in consideration when I wrote this, please hear me: PLEASE REVIEW! Flames will be considered for any potential positive output. I hunger for your opinions and comments!
Please wait a short while; Chapter 2 is coming soon.