Jade Green...it's been awhile.
Really, really quick summary...a girl from the present gets tossed into the Meiji era by forces unknown. While all she wants to do is find a way home fast, the gods have something else in mind as she and Sano get romantically tangled. Sano, who was never one to fall for a pair of pretty eyes, finds himself ensnared in the gaze of one woman's jade green eyes...
Oro...Okay, for all of my faithful readers, and hopefully some new ones, I have a VERY long and lengthy explanation. Here goes...
Ahem. When I first starting JADE GREEN, it was my very first story on fanfiction.net, and I was newbie at writing fanfics. So, to put it lightly, my chapters were short and stupid. Well, then I wised up a bit and sharpened my writing skills. I was on chapter seven when I realized that the story wasn't going the way I wanted to, and the plot just sucked royally. So, I changed a few details about the characters and added a hell of a lot better dialogue, and rewrote JADE GREEN. So, for all of my loyal fans out there (you know who you are), here is the new and improved JADE GREEN.
Also, I know some of you were ready to kill me because I didn't update enough...so, it will make you happy that I have found time to fit writing in my schedule regularly, and will probably update once a week. If not, a least once every two weeks. The chapters will be longer though, so you have a little more to look forward to.
About the changed details...Yoshika has now become Xan, and several other characters' names have changed as well. She lives in the US, not Japan, because it was easier to put myself in the character's shoes and imagine my surroundings. I do not live in Japan, so it was kind of hard imagining life as a Japanese teenager. Anywho, I just wanted to let you know!
You guys must be ready to kill me with all of my explanations...but I have some more, so hold on! Ahem...my name is Buritsutsunei, but if I do an author note, I will refer to myself as Tsunei or Bri...both are nicknames given to me by a close friend...her account name is Tsuraseyu, aka Seyu. I have another story, called Walking the Plank (it's a PotC), but I plan on working on this one more. Don't worry!
Last but not least...the disclaimer! (My favorite part)
Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, I do not own Kenshin and co. However, Xan and all the residents of Middleville are mine, so you can't have them! Nya! Well, if you asked nicely...also, if anyone has great plans of kidnapping Kenshin, I want to help!
And the part you've all been waiting for...the story!
Chapter One-Xan
The rain beat a steady pattern against the sidewalk as I trudged down the side of the road. My mood matched the weather; salty tears dripped down the side of my face. A car sped by me, splashing dirty street water onto my school uniform, but I hardly noticed, as I was already sopping wet from the rain. Several couples tittered by, laughing and playing as lovers do. I tried to ignored them, but the sight of happy people caused me to grow green with envy as I recalled the happy times I had with Andrew, the times that would be no more.
*Flashback*
"Xan, babe, can I talk to you?"
"Sure!" I slammed my locker shut and glided down to my boyfriend, Andrew. "What do you need?"
Drew sighed heavily. "Hon, our relationship just isn't working out." My mouth grew dry as I heard those words. Not working out? He continued, "Anyway, this just isn't going to be pretty. We're not close like we used to be. I-I need to spread my wings and fly away. Sorry, but Drew and Xan are no more."
He kissed me gently on the lips in a final farewell, grabbed his bag, and walked out of the school into the increasing downpour. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks, and my lips still buzzed from our last kiss. "Drew and Yoshi are no more."
*End Flashback*
"Stop it!" I ordered myself. "There's no used in getting all depressed. Just forget about him-he's trouble!" But my heart ignored my words, and the pain only grew more. As I rounded the corner, I saw a sight that lifted my leaden heart: my favorite coffeehouse. My heavy-footed pace turned into an all out sprint. If anything could take my mind of Andrew, it was a double fudge espresso.
"Xan, honey! I ain't seen you in ages! Where ya be, hon?" greeted Mary Brown, the coffeehouse owner. Known as "Ma" to the locals, she had been my unofficial adopted aunt ever since I discovered the wonderful taste of coffee.
"Hey, Ma," I said, dropping my bag on the maroon carpet and seating myself onto one of the cushioned bar stools. "I'll have my usual, thanks. Extra whipped cream and add a cookie to my bill." Ma tutted softly, as I only asked for extra topping on really bad days. Filling up a large Styrofoam cup with dark liquid, she plucked a chunky peanut butter cookie from a bin and set it on a flowery Dixie plate. A moment later, she brought both the hot drink and sweet over.
Grabbing a chair, Ma sat across from me and asked, "What's the matter hon? You can tell ol' Ma Brown anythin'." So, school uniform still dripping from the rain, I spilled everything to Ma's listening ear. By the time I finished, tears where once again running down my cheeks. Ma fished a tissue out of her apron pocket. "It's okay hon. You're gonna be fine," she said, handing me the Kleenex. Wiping my eyes, I hiccupped loudly. The door opened; someone came into the coffeehouse, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that I could cry all I wanted, and someone would listen. Ma Brown began to speak again, but her voice was cut off sharply by a deep, male's voice.
"Hello, Mrs. Brown. Can you Sarah and I a coffee?
I knew that voice. Spinning around, I found myself face to face with my ex- boyfriend- and my worst enemy. Drew smiled brightly, though I could see the guilt underneath it. Dating him for the past few months had taught me to look beneath the false smiles he often wore around people he wasn't comfortable with. "Hello, Alexandra! I didn't expect to see you here!" he said, pulling off his coat.
Liar. He knew this was my favorite spot. And since when was I Alexandra? Even before we started dating he had always called my by one of my several nicknames.
Sarah waved, a smug grin plastered on her angelic face. "Andy and I are going out. Isn't that great, Alexa?"
I hate Sarah. She was my best friend up through Junior High, but as soon as we entered High School, it was WHAM! Best friend gone, see ya later, I have better things to do that hang out with a loser like you. She left me standing wide mouthed as she publicly declared that we were no longer friends. And since she was and is the head cheerleader, my popularity and self-esteem dropped like flies.
Sarah interrupted my train of thoughts. "I said, isn't that great?"
I couldn't take it anymore. My worst enemy had just stolen the love of my life, and all she could do was ask my opinion on their relationship. Grabbing my bag, I burst out of the coffeehouse. The rain had long since stopped, but I hardly noticed. I ran and ran until I reached my favorite spot in the entire world: the tallest tree in Brewer Park. Whenever I felt sad or upset, or even just bored, I would flee to my haven in the leaves and let myself cry or scream or whatever until I felt better. And that's exactly what I planned on doing right now.
Heaving myself and my bag up on the highest branch, I sat within the protective covering of the leaves. As it was the middle of May, the foliage made an excellent barrier from the outside world. Leaning against the rough bark of the trunk, I hid my face in my hand and bawled.
I don't know exactly how long I sat in that tree and cried, but by the time my eyes dried and I had stopped sniffling, the local boys that played soccer in the field nearby had gone home for dinner. I sighed. I would have to be getting home soon too. Not that my parents would be expecting me; I had moved out of my parent's home and into my own apartment six months ago, but I needed to get dinner and take a shower before I headed to work at the veterinary office. Yawning, I leaned into the curve of the trunk and was rudely poked in the back. I sat up straight, and looked for the offender, but all I could see was a tiny, rolled up scroll jammed into a nook in the tree.
"What the?" I started, grabbing the paper. Unrolling it, I was greeted by a single word: Ameratusa. "Ameratusa?" I read aloud. It had no meaning to me; I thought it might have been written in Latin or something. But as I read this foreign word, a blinding light enveloped me and I was thrust into a dark, shadowy void. Swirls of color flashed by me as I fell into nothingness. Thoughts of terror and panic went through my mind, but they dispersed at I landed abruptly on a soft, moss-covered ground.
My head spun from my sudden landing. I looked around, but the familiar setting of Brewer Park was gone. In its place were a flowing river, a grassy hill, and a tiny wooden building. I still leaned against a giant tree, but was a weeping willow, not the familiar black oak. Wherever I was, I certainly wasn't home.
This thought scared me. If I wasn't in my hometown of Middleville, then where was I? With my history in geography, I could be in my neighbor's yard. However, it didn't seem like I was still in the United States. To say I was lost was an extreme underestimate.
I was so busy worrying about my location that I almost forgot about the scroll clenched in my shaking fist. Unrolling it once more, I read the tiny piece of parchment, scanning for the strange word that had brought me here. But I was instead greeted by a new word: Edo. This word, unlike the other, was no stranger to me. I had read it several times in my large collection of manga.
"Edo is Tokyo. Could I be in Japan?" I asked myself, shakily rising to my feet. Quantum physic theorems raced through my frazzled brain, but I ignored them, as they only made me dizzier. Grabbing my bag, I staggered up the hill towards the building. If I were to get back to my home, I would need help. And if I wanted help, I would need to find people.
When I was naught but a few yards from the gate in front of the house, the silence that had once surrounded me was broken by a sudden shriek, followed by a menagerie of angry voices.
"Ai! Sano, get out!"
"Ow! Hey, I was only saying the truth!"
"Yeah hag!"
"Yahiko, you jerk!" "Ow!"
"Oro..."
I stared laughing as I heard this. Apparently, a very violent someone (a girl?) had made an exceptionally bad meal, and the men were complaining about it. And what was up with that 'oro'? And I'm asking them for help? But semi-crazy people were more help than nobody at all. I trudged towards the courtyard gate, dragging my bag behind me. I had just reached the gate and opened it when a flying frying pan whacked me on the side of the head. I crumpled on the dirt ground, my world going pitch black.
Hmm...not too bad. I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow, okay? Now click that lovely little button on the bottom and review! Until next time, cheerio!
Really, really quick summary...a girl from the present gets tossed into the Meiji era by forces unknown. While all she wants to do is find a way home fast, the gods have something else in mind as she and Sano get romantically tangled. Sano, who was never one to fall for a pair of pretty eyes, finds himself ensnared in the gaze of one woman's jade green eyes...
Oro...Okay, for all of my faithful readers, and hopefully some new ones, I have a VERY long and lengthy explanation. Here goes...
Ahem. When I first starting JADE GREEN, it was my very first story on fanfiction.net, and I was newbie at writing fanfics. So, to put it lightly, my chapters were short and stupid. Well, then I wised up a bit and sharpened my writing skills. I was on chapter seven when I realized that the story wasn't going the way I wanted to, and the plot just sucked royally. So, I changed a few details about the characters and added a hell of a lot better dialogue, and rewrote JADE GREEN. So, for all of my loyal fans out there (you know who you are), here is the new and improved JADE GREEN.
Also, I know some of you were ready to kill me because I didn't update enough...so, it will make you happy that I have found time to fit writing in my schedule regularly, and will probably update once a week. If not, a least once every two weeks. The chapters will be longer though, so you have a little more to look forward to.
About the changed details...Yoshika has now become Xan, and several other characters' names have changed as well. She lives in the US, not Japan, because it was easier to put myself in the character's shoes and imagine my surroundings. I do not live in Japan, so it was kind of hard imagining life as a Japanese teenager. Anywho, I just wanted to let you know!
You guys must be ready to kill me with all of my explanations...but I have some more, so hold on! Ahem...my name is Buritsutsunei, but if I do an author note, I will refer to myself as Tsunei or Bri...both are nicknames given to me by a close friend...her account name is Tsuraseyu, aka Seyu. I have another story, called Walking the Plank (it's a PotC), but I plan on working on this one more. Don't worry!
Last but not least...the disclaimer! (My favorite part)
Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, I do not own Kenshin and co. However, Xan and all the residents of Middleville are mine, so you can't have them! Nya! Well, if you asked nicely...also, if anyone has great plans of kidnapping Kenshin, I want to help!
And the part you've all been waiting for...the story!
Chapter One-Xan
The rain beat a steady pattern against the sidewalk as I trudged down the side of the road. My mood matched the weather; salty tears dripped down the side of my face. A car sped by me, splashing dirty street water onto my school uniform, but I hardly noticed, as I was already sopping wet from the rain. Several couples tittered by, laughing and playing as lovers do. I tried to ignored them, but the sight of happy people caused me to grow green with envy as I recalled the happy times I had with Andrew, the times that would be no more.
*Flashback*
"Xan, babe, can I talk to you?"
"Sure!" I slammed my locker shut and glided down to my boyfriend, Andrew. "What do you need?"
Drew sighed heavily. "Hon, our relationship just isn't working out." My mouth grew dry as I heard those words. Not working out? He continued, "Anyway, this just isn't going to be pretty. We're not close like we used to be. I-I need to spread my wings and fly away. Sorry, but Drew and Xan are no more."
He kissed me gently on the lips in a final farewell, grabbed his bag, and walked out of the school into the increasing downpour. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks, and my lips still buzzed from our last kiss. "Drew and Yoshi are no more."
*End Flashback*
"Stop it!" I ordered myself. "There's no used in getting all depressed. Just forget about him-he's trouble!" But my heart ignored my words, and the pain only grew more. As I rounded the corner, I saw a sight that lifted my leaden heart: my favorite coffeehouse. My heavy-footed pace turned into an all out sprint. If anything could take my mind of Andrew, it was a double fudge espresso.
"Xan, honey! I ain't seen you in ages! Where ya be, hon?" greeted Mary Brown, the coffeehouse owner. Known as "Ma" to the locals, she had been my unofficial adopted aunt ever since I discovered the wonderful taste of coffee.
"Hey, Ma," I said, dropping my bag on the maroon carpet and seating myself onto one of the cushioned bar stools. "I'll have my usual, thanks. Extra whipped cream and add a cookie to my bill." Ma tutted softly, as I only asked for extra topping on really bad days. Filling up a large Styrofoam cup with dark liquid, she plucked a chunky peanut butter cookie from a bin and set it on a flowery Dixie plate. A moment later, she brought both the hot drink and sweet over.
Grabbing a chair, Ma sat across from me and asked, "What's the matter hon? You can tell ol' Ma Brown anythin'." So, school uniform still dripping from the rain, I spilled everything to Ma's listening ear. By the time I finished, tears where once again running down my cheeks. Ma fished a tissue out of her apron pocket. "It's okay hon. You're gonna be fine," she said, handing me the Kleenex. Wiping my eyes, I hiccupped loudly. The door opened; someone came into the coffeehouse, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that I could cry all I wanted, and someone would listen. Ma Brown began to speak again, but her voice was cut off sharply by a deep, male's voice.
"Hello, Mrs. Brown. Can you Sarah and I a coffee?
I knew that voice. Spinning around, I found myself face to face with my ex- boyfriend- and my worst enemy. Drew smiled brightly, though I could see the guilt underneath it. Dating him for the past few months had taught me to look beneath the false smiles he often wore around people he wasn't comfortable with. "Hello, Alexandra! I didn't expect to see you here!" he said, pulling off his coat.
Liar. He knew this was my favorite spot. And since when was I Alexandra? Even before we started dating he had always called my by one of my several nicknames.
Sarah waved, a smug grin plastered on her angelic face. "Andy and I are going out. Isn't that great, Alexa?"
I hate Sarah. She was my best friend up through Junior High, but as soon as we entered High School, it was WHAM! Best friend gone, see ya later, I have better things to do that hang out with a loser like you. She left me standing wide mouthed as she publicly declared that we were no longer friends. And since she was and is the head cheerleader, my popularity and self-esteem dropped like flies.
Sarah interrupted my train of thoughts. "I said, isn't that great?"
I couldn't take it anymore. My worst enemy had just stolen the love of my life, and all she could do was ask my opinion on their relationship. Grabbing my bag, I burst out of the coffeehouse. The rain had long since stopped, but I hardly noticed. I ran and ran until I reached my favorite spot in the entire world: the tallest tree in Brewer Park. Whenever I felt sad or upset, or even just bored, I would flee to my haven in the leaves and let myself cry or scream or whatever until I felt better. And that's exactly what I planned on doing right now.
Heaving myself and my bag up on the highest branch, I sat within the protective covering of the leaves. As it was the middle of May, the foliage made an excellent barrier from the outside world. Leaning against the rough bark of the trunk, I hid my face in my hand and bawled.
I don't know exactly how long I sat in that tree and cried, but by the time my eyes dried and I had stopped sniffling, the local boys that played soccer in the field nearby had gone home for dinner. I sighed. I would have to be getting home soon too. Not that my parents would be expecting me; I had moved out of my parent's home and into my own apartment six months ago, but I needed to get dinner and take a shower before I headed to work at the veterinary office. Yawning, I leaned into the curve of the trunk and was rudely poked in the back. I sat up straight, and looked for the offender, but all I could see was a tiny, rolled up scroll jammed into a nook in the tree.
"What the?" I started, grabbing the paper. Unrolling it, I was greeted by a single word: Ameratusa. "Ameratusa?" I read aloud. It had no meaning to me; I thought it might have been written in Latin or something. But as I read this foreign word, a blinding light enveloped me and I was thrust into a dark, shadowy void. Swirls of color flashed by me as I fell into nothingness. Thoughts of terror and panic went through my mind, but they dispersed at I landed abruptly on a soft, moss-covered ground.
My head spun from my sudden landing. I looked around, but the familiar setting of Brewer Park was gone. In its place were a flowing river, a grassy hill, and a tiny wooden building. I still leaned against a giant tree, but was a weeping willow, not the familiar black oak. Wherever I was, I certainly wasn't home.
This thought scared me. If I wasn't in my hometown of Middleville, then where was I? With my history in geography, I could be in my neighbor's yard. However, it didn't seem like I was still in the United States. To say I was lost was an extreme underestimate.
I was so busy worrying about my location that I almost forgot about the scroll clenched in my shaking fist. Unrolling it once more, I read the tiny piece of parchment, scanning for the strange word that had brought me here. But I was instead greeted by a new word: Edo. This word, unlike the other, was no stranger to me. I had read it several times in my large collection of manga.
"Edo is Tokyo. Could I be in Japan?" I asked myself, shakily rising to my feet. Quantum physic theorems raced through my frazzled brain, but I ignored them, as they only made me dizzier. Grabbing my bag, I staggered up the hill towards the building. If I were to get back to my home, I would need help. And if I wanted help, I would need to find people.
When I was naught but a few yards from the gate in front of the house, the silence that had once surrounded me was broken by a sudden shriek, followed by a menagerie of angry voices.
"Ai! Sano, get out!"
"Ow! Hey, I was only saying the truth!"
"Yeah hag!"
"Yahiko, you jerk!" "Ow!"
"Oro..."
I stared laughing as I heard this. Apparently, a very violent someone (a girl?) had made an exceptionally bad meal, and the men were complaining about it. And what was up with that 'oro'? And I'm asking them for help? But semi-crazy people were more help than nobody at all. I trudged towards the courtyard gate, dragging my bag behind me. I had just reached the gate and opened it when a flying frying pan whacked me on the side of the head. I crumpled on the dirt ground, my world going pitch black.
Hmm...not too bad. I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow, okay? Now click that lovely little button on the bottom and review! Until next time, cheerio!