Okay, now is where the actual story starts. Please note that this chapterwas actually written about a year or so ago, so my skills in grammar and such will not be as good in it. I went back and tried to fix most problems, but there may be a few here and there, so give me some breathing room on that please.

Chapter 1- Image of a Hero

"Sheik..." he thought to himself as he looked at a hunter giving a speech to members of the hunters guild. "Those men told me it was my name. But... where did I come from? At that, why am I here?"

Sheik was thinking this while listening to a presentation by a greatly experienced hunter of the guild. Sheik was in training, so this was necessary. The HUcast speaking to the rest was purple and white, much like Grey Fox's pattern.

"Grey Fox...he skipped the meeting."

Sheik wasn't surprised. Grey Fox had clearly identified himself as a skilled fighter already. The hunter's exam hadn't proved too much of a challenge.

"He, like myself, was awakened from some sleep too apparently."

His thoughts wandered to when he had been awakened. The first memory he had was both himself and Grey Fox being awoken in a hospital. A nurse in there said that they had been brought there because of a possible coma they had been in. Of course they had not stayed in it long, but scans to the cerebral areas showed possible memory loss. Somehow or another the world they lived in seemed a bit complex for them. Far superior technology than what they felt normal surrounded them It had been overwhelming to think of at first, but it subsided eventually with a bit of aid from the nurses, who helped them to regain their memory on how to work many of these machines. Sheik still felt out of place though, but he accepted it. Maybe fate had good reason for this-

"Now pay attention! These are important for you to do! If you don't..."

The hunters sudden louder voice snapped Sheik back to reality, listening to the words. Sheik had yet to get a classification of hunter, which is why he was here. That, and this was pretty much a preliminary tryout. For some reason his urge to become a hunter was great. Why he knew not. The hunter was explaining how certain hunters received certain section, and how it was already pre-determined for you when your skills were seen, as well as your class of hunter.

Sheik scanned the rest of the hunters with his eyes...or rather, the high technology of the one seeing and targeting device that had been placed on him. The contraption was surprisingly useful. It could lock onto something at his will, then scan its strength and endurance. Not to mention it contained a wealth of intelligence data. One hunter he was scanning now was named Sonic. Apparently he had been well noted for his skills at a practicing arena on pioneer two, and finally decided to sign up for the hunter's guild.

"So with that...good luck to you, and may the best of you make it," after the finish, crowd then clapped and the android stepped down.

The group then started to move into separate doorways. Sheik entered his own to reveal multiple testing sites. At them all was a series of weapons. The blades, as he had discovered earlier, were made up of an energy particle called photons. They were sort of used as sources of energy for many things, including weaponry.

The main testing fields he saw were for those of Hunters, Rangers, and Forces. Species apparently determined which subclass of which you went into, but your abilities determined which of the main classes you were in. Sheik looked around, and then decided to start with the Hunter's test.

He walked over to the station, it being some sort of dueling arena. There was an android in the arena now with the person Sonic, fighting each other. Apparently the object was to knock out the opponent, or get him out of the ring. The android was obviously a trainer.

Just as Sheik stepped up to wait Sonic tripped the android, and hit him with a solid fist, sending him flying out of the ring. Sonic smirked and then bowed to the android when he stood, who then bowed back. Sonic then turned and exited, giving Sheik a pat and a "Good luck".

Sheik then stepped into the room, and the android stepped back into the ring. This one looked somewhat like grey fox, save its head was that somewhat like a samurai's mask, and he was shorter. His coloration was green and red, and he was a more bigger in arm size and such than Grey Fox, who more resembled human.

"Name?" the android asked him.

"Sheik," he replied calmly.

The android nodded, and then spoke again, "Name stored. Test # J5-419 initiated" The androd said, stepped back, and moved into a fighter's stance withp his two fists up,"Begin."

The hunter charged at Sheik, moving in a quick run straight at him. Sheik calmly stood there, not even flinching.

"Haaaa!" the android yelled out as he threw a fist at Sheik with great speed and powe0r.

Sheik's movements were smooth and swift, dodging easily to the side. The android then brought his second fist around, again moving with great speed, but Sheik ducked under it. From the duck, he quickly slid in between the legs of the android, and then stood just as quickly. Before the android could react, Sheik threw a quick chop to the back of his head and he stumbled a bit, falling forward, and to the ground. A computerized holo-screen came up, of which read "Victor: Sheik." But before Sheik could be declared as a Hunter, he quickly exited the arena, a few hunters watching him, wondering what the heck he was doing.

Sheik then came to the Ranger test area. The setup was pretty simple. It was that of a firing range's. At each station was a Rifle, of which was to be used for the test. The test was simple: hit a certain number of targets within one minute to be declared a Ranger. Accuracy had to be above 70.

Sheik walked to a station, and picked up the rifle. He don't know quite how or why...but this felt rather easy to him. He'd never even known about gun's before, yet somehow he felt like he was more than able to use this one easily. He then took aim, looking down the range. He looked through the rifle's scope, and realized that he didn't need it, his own targeting reticule zooming in at will. The rifle scope could just aid more should he wish it. He then inputted his name, a holo-screen coming up that read "Test #K7-382 initiated", and the range started up.

The targets were of various size, from being small circle's, to large squares, to person shaped, to animal shaped. Sheik pulled the trigger and fired, and fired again. His targeting reticule cross haired each target, and in reflex somehow, he swung the rifle to it, firing it off and hitting.

"Look at him...he hasn't missed one yet," said the examiner of the test, who was now watching Sheik. The examiner had long black hair, and was wearing a small suit, which was black around the center chest part of it, and red on the arms and legs, with black bands around it. Deciding for a bit more challenge, he pressed a switch on his remote, the targets now speeding up their movements, going much faster now. Added to that the targets now decreased more in size.

Sheik continued firing, now moving at a faster pace himself. His score increasing by the second as the examiner counted the targets hit as he did."13,14,15,16,17..." eventually a loud buzzer went off, and Sheik lowered the rifle, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, then again left before his class could be determined. The examiner though was still a bit in aw at the display.

"He...hit every target..." he said with amazement, looking up at the holo-screen that read "Accuracy: 100"

Sheik finally came to the Force testing area, of which was a pretty simple arena much like

the Hunter's test arena, save there was a target on a far wall for each station. Sheik walked into one of the stations and one of the examiners came in after him. This one was a woman, only about half of Sheik's height. She had on a hat that had two pointy ends tipped off with fluff balls. Her outfit was a purple dress, with an inner uniform that was blue, which extended down as her skirt. Her main feature noticeable was her pointy ears. It distinguished her as a Newman. That didn't surprise him. He had learned about the Newman's, and how they were well adept to using their inner strengths.

"Okay then, lets begin. Name please?" she said in a voice much like a little girl's, though she was easily more mature. That could be told by looking at her.

"Sheik," he said calmly.

"Okay then Sheik, beginning test #L3-007. First of all, use this disk if you will," She then took out a small green container, and handed it to Sheik.

Sheik had been told about these. They were apparently how their techniques were learned now. Only those who had the ability could open certain containers. It was how most things were carried now. The item's size was shrank until it could fit within the container, and then it returned to normal when activated. Or at least that's how the weapon containers worked. The item containers usually contained in them a special kind of fluid or some sort of nano technology to aid or heal you. In the disk's case, it contained some sort of power that allowed one to learn and use a spell. Defensive item container's worked two ways. One was the armors, which unfolded from the container itself and then covered the armor of the wearer. The barriers and such were simply devices kept within the container that transmitted a field around the wearer.

Sheik shook the thoughts, focusing on this, and took the disk. He then opened it, and it revealed a bright light inside...which flashed once, and then dissipated. Sheik suddenly found himself knowing how to cast the spell Foie, which was a fireball.

"Okay then, now see how well you can damage that target," she said smiling, and then pointed to the target, which this time was a manikin of a person.

Sheik nodded and then brought his hand back. His arm shook slightly...and he moved into a crouch, thrusting his arm out. Fire seemed to then form and flow from it, moving into a fireball which launched quickly from his arm, flying to the target...which then connected, and the entire target exploded.

"Oh my!" the girl said, putting a hand to her mouth in awe."But...they...weren't supposed to explode..." she then turned to look at Sheik, who had again walked off from the area before his class could be determined.

Sheik looked around, crossing his arms as he looked at all of the examining stations, and he leaned against a wall, eyes darting back and fourth through them all. He knew what had happened. He could've been all probably. The question was, which one was he best at? He passed all test easily, but he was sure one would suit him better.

His eyes, or rather, his thoughts went back to the fact that one eye saw red over everything.

"My targeting reticle," he thought to himself, suddenly the answer becoming clear. His accuracy, the feel of the rifle in his hands. It made sense that it was to be his path. Somehow he felt that even without the targeting reticle, he still would've done just as good at least. He didn't know why, but he finally decided to do this.

Standing from the wall, he looked around, it apparently being close to closing time. Most other hunters had left by then. Only the examiners were there. Sheik walked up to the one from before, staying silent until the man finally turned, seeing him and laughed.

"Well, if it isn't my masked friend. You pulled off one hell of a show today. I've heard from the other examiner's what you did. Damn...I don't know where you came from, but you're one hell of a fighter," he paused for a minute, then continued, "So...did y-"

"A Ranger," Sheik interrupted, knowing what he was going to ask before he said it, "I am to be a RAmar."

The ranger nodded, laughed, and smiled, "Well then, in that case," he then held out his hand to Sheik, "Welcome to the hunter's guild. If you'll follow that android over there, she'll take you to where you need to go," he said, pointing to an android girl, a RAcaseal only about up to Sheik's neck in height, mostly pink, including her hat and what seemed to be a skirt, with a grey colored face, legs, and forearms.

Sheik nodded and then went over to her, slightly bowing his head. She smiled to him and then spoke.

"Congratulations on passing the test sir. Its nice to see that you decided to become a Ranger. If you'll follow me then," she then turned, and moved to a door, moving through it, Sheik following right behind her.

They were in some sort of store house, which contained various item containers. At the end was something that looked like a teleporter, save the color of the light triangles that floated up in small intervals was yellow.

"Step into the fitter if you will. It will give you your outfit to your best suiting," she said, while moving over to a shelf labeled for Rangers.

Nodding, Sheik walked by her and stepped into the fitter, and stood there. The intervals of the light increased, and then there was a beep, followed by a flash of bright light. When it cleared, Sheik now had on a RAmar's armor, which was fully body. The legs were blue mostly. His feet had white bands on the outer sides of them. On the bottom half of his legs starting from the front where his leg met his foot a black pad started, and moved up to just above his knee cap. The pads were on each leg, and held by two black bands that went around the back of his legs. The top half of his legs near his groin area on his inner legs had aqua green cushion/pads, which were also held on by two black bands that wrapped around the leg each. Starting at the waist was white armor, which then moved up all the way to around his shoulders, and around his neck. A small part of the armor in the front was black, and there were two slight grooves in it, one hole each slightly above his breasts. The part around his neck extended upward around the sides, moving around to the back, though not going past his shoulder line. The back of the armor bulged slightly farther out, then came against him as it moved more down his back, and the white color stopped when it met an light aqua green band which went around his back until it met the black part of the front of his armor. His arms had large square shoulder pads, which had light aqua green bands on the top of them, and white bands on the front and back. On his forearms were two white cast-like pads that wrapped around his forearms, stopping at his wrists and elbows. Looking at one of the grooves again, it suddenly filled with a small emblem, of which slowly turned on, powered by his suit, glowing a aqua green light.

Sheik looked at his new armor, amazed at how such things could be made. The armor was unbelievable. It felt as if it was a part of him, yet he could tell it was incredibly well built. He walked from the fitter, and met his gaze to the android girl, who smiled lightly, or at least it seemed she did.

"Wow...that is...sorry, never mind. Anyhow here's your beginning items," She then handed him a few of the containers, of which were a handgun, a few monomates and monofluids, basic armor and a basic barrier, some meseta, and something labeled "mag".

Sheik was aware of most of those. The armors and barriers and the handgun were self explanatory. Monomates are what could be used to heal one, and monofluids recovered one's Tp, or the energy used for techniques like Foie. Meseta was currency used on Pioneer 2. But the mag...he wasn't sure about.

The android lady smiled a bit at the mag box, then back to him, and handed him a card."This is your I.D.," she said, "It will identify you to others," she looked back to the mag once more, somehow again seeming to smile, then back to him, "Good luck to you Mr. Sheik," she then turned and walked from the room.

Sheik had already shrank the containers and put them in slots within his armor, save the one with the mag. He held it, looking at it still even as he walked from the room, back out into the room, and into the teleporter that led to the hunter's guild in the city. Still looking at the mag, the green ring of lights that flowed up in intervals flashed and hummed slightly, and he was back in the hunters guild. He looked up from the mag finally, looking around the room. The secretary was still behind her desk, typing away at her computer. She was green-haired, and had a yellow hat lined with red, her uniform being much the same. Sheik looked to the center column, which had a shielded object floating in between two metal cylinders, the object like two pyramids stacked on their bottoms to each other, two light rings encircling it and flowing around it in various directions.

Sheik moved over to the window, looking back out into the black starry space. He then finally looked down at his mag, and decided to open it. As soon as he did, a small metal object, flat on its bottom and arching on its top until it reached its pointed back, only about the size of his fist flew from it. Sheik ducked really quickly as it flew over his head, and he tensed himself ready for battle...but the mag settled next to his head, slightly back from his shoulder. Sheik blinked a bit, scanning it with his targeting reticle. It showed no hostility. In fact when it beeped, and the small circular light at the front flashed, almost as if it was blinking, Sheik saw it as kind of nice. Sheik reached out to it and patted it lightly, and it again beeped seemingly happily. Sheik, despite it being hidden by his black mask that covered all but his left eye, smiled. He then stood and looked back out the window, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

"So... it seems my journey begins" he said, looking to his mag once more, then back out, staring into the space. One that would soon show the planet, Ragol.

Finished with this submission. This is about as far as I'm going to go too until I see whether it's liked or not. Depending on the responses I get to this, I may or may not continue. We'll see how it goes soon enough.