Trouble is Brewing!

The First Witch!

"Crap!" shouted Michael as he leapt to the side of the boar barely avoiding another one of the beast's wild charges. The beast's incredibly large body shuddered past them and into a nearby wall. The wall crumpled as the beast roared through it. Michael quickly grabbed May's bowstring and pulled back, generating another Soul Arrow. He released it and let the arrow fly. The arrow buried itself deep into the beast's hide before it vanished. The monstrous boar let out a squeal and turned its body around and stared them down.

Michael fired a second shot with his bow. The silvery arrow glistened as it flew through the air and into the monster's tremendous back. It vanished soon after it hit is mark. The beast roared forward, its muscles firing on all engines. Michael jumped up and on top of the beast's massive body and wrapped his legs around the monster's neck. He brought his bow down and aimed carefully at the monster's head. He pulled the bowstring back once more and let the third arrow lodge itself straight into the monster's skull. The massive boar slammed into the ground and skidded a couple of inches before coming to a rest.

Michael paused for a second and then fired another arrow into the monster's skull, "just for insurance." He got up and walked away from the monster's body. He kept one eye trained carefully on the monster's large body to make sure that it was down, the last thing he wanted was to fight the beast again because he failed to kill it the first time around. After he was confident that it was down and was going to stay down he turned his head back around and continued down the path.

"That thing was huge," said May, "are all the animals in this temple like that?"

"Survival of the fittest, I'm guessing," said Michael, "most animals don't attack big animals so the bigger they are the more likely they are going to live."

"I want to make some kind of baby back rib reference right now," said May with another glance at the massive pig's body.

"There's nothing baby-like about that monster," said Michael as he continued down the path they had chosen.

"I know," said May, her reflection in the bow looking around at all of the ruins around them. "Its just a…figure of speech, I guess."

(-With Ash and Xander-)

Ash braced himself as they neared the bottom of the chute. They plummeted down and into a big pit filled with an incredibly large amount of mud and dirt. Ash grimaced as the sound of mud splashing and splattering against the walls echoed throughout the room. Ash quickly swam to the nearby ledge and pulled himself out of the mud, he laid on his back outstretched on the cool stone floor.

"Ash?" asked Xander. No response. "Ash, are you still with me?"

"Too much dirt…" said Ash as he sat up quickly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small mud-covered box. He quickly opened it and revealed the contents. It was a box of wet wipes. Ash quickly pulled them out one after another and used them to clean his face, arms, and his entire body in general.

Xander let loose a sigh, "really? A box of wet wipes? What is wrong with you?"

"Clean, clean, clean," said Ash as if it were some kind of mantra as he continued to use the wet wipes to wash his face clean of mud. He pulled his face away from the wet wipe as soon as he felt it was clean. He went back to cleaning his arms. Xander's arm blade form lit up and transformed back into his normal human form.

"I'm not just going to stand around here and wait for you to clean yourself like a cat," said Xander. "I'm going to check up ahead for any witches."

"Clean, clean, clean, CLEAN," said Ash once more as he began to frantically scrub away on his mud covered leg. Xander looked down and shook his head in pity for Ash before turning around and heading down the empty hallway.

Xander got halfway down the path when he froze. He quickly stretched his back straight out and pressed himself against the wall. He peered around the corner. There was someone else down here. The person looked like a little girl, probably no older then 13. She had raven hair. She had on a black tank top and short shorts, both of which were covered up by a black cloak with hood. Her shoes looked like those from a bad magic act, they were boots that curled up at the toes.

She lolled her head lazily from side-to-side, her disinterest in this project apparent. She chuckled softly to herself. "This is fun. So many people will perish once he is released again. His powers will bring the entire world to its heels…it will definitely be the end of the world as we know it. And guess who's gonna be at the top of the list? Me! Me, me, me, me, ME! All Iblis Raven, all the time."

"Hey, sorry about the wai…" began Ash as he was tackled to the ground by Xander. Xander quickly clasped his hand over Ash's mouth.

"Shh," whispered Xander. He leaned back and took another peek around the wall. The witch was walking back out the way she came. Xander picked Ash up. "There was a witch there." Xander said pointing down the hallway.

"Oh," said Ash, "I guess that means we know now which way not to go." Ash stood up, patted the dirt that had gotten on him off, and turned around. He began to head back down the hall away from the witch.

"Where are you going?" asked Xander, "that was a witch! She's probably heading back to the Prison Jar as we speak."

"But…she's a witch," said Ash, "she's going to back to Prison Jar where there will be other witchES! I don't want to fight witchES! I barely want to fight a witch!"

"Oh, come on," said Xander, "suck in your gut! We are men! It is our duty to go in there and fight so that the women we are with don't have to."

"Wow," said Ash, "let me get this straight we are supposed to protect a DEATH SCYTHE! The word DEATH is in their title for a reason! And its not because they serve Death!"

"Well," said Xander, "if you are scared about it and would rather be shown up by someone in heart-print panties and a skirt be my guess."

"I'm not scared and I'm not about to get shown up by…why did you say heart-print panties?" asked Ash.

"Let's not well on the details," said Xander with a short whistle, "let's just go up there and fight us a witch!"

"Xander! Why did you say heart-print panties?"

"Man, Ash, stop talking about panties! What are you? A pervert?"

"You are the one that started talking about panties!"

"There you go, you keep on talking about panties."

"I have to agree with your weapon, it is very, very rude to talk about women in such a way," said a third, feminine, and new voice.

Xander twisted around to look behind him, but he saw nothing. "What was that?"

"Xander," said Ash, "weapon form." Xander nodded as his body became covered in an eerie glow as his body shrunk up and grew around Ash's hand forming its normal bladed gauntlet style. "Got to tell you at this close range the Soul Wavelength emanating from the Prison Jar ain't doing much to hide yours."

"Now, why would I be hiding…" said the voice as a new body stepped into view, "from two weak little boys?" She grinned crazily at Xander and Ash, not caring to hide her malicious intent. She was the same one Xander had saw moments ago.

"Hey!" shouted Xander, "there's one weak little boy here and a powerfully awesome one!"

"Don't you think you could be a little bit more supportive of me!" shouted Ash.

"I'm only being honest," said Xander.

"Can't you be both!"

"When I'm talking about you? I don't think so," said Xander.

"Can we please stop with this playground squabbles and move on to the fun stuff, like your deaths?" said the girl.

"I would love to," said Ash, "but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you your name before we begin. I like to know the names of my opponents makes my fights all the more meaningful."

The girl smiled, "Its common courtesy to tell your name before asking someone else for theirs."

"You are right. I'm sorry.

"The name's Iblis Raven," said the girl, "I'm a witch, four-hundred years old, pretty active, my animal is…"

"Let me guess, a raven," said Xander.

"NO! I AM NOT A RAVEN!" she shouted, "It's a crow! A CROW NOT A RAVEN!"

"Sorry, miss," said Xander, " I just figured Iblis RAVEN means your animal would be a raven."

"Yeah, that's what everyone just assumes," said Iblis, "Raven is a raven! Raven is a raven! I'm used to it, just bow down and apologize to me!"

"No," said Xander.

"Didn't your parents teach you to obey your elders," said Iblis.

"Yeah, but my teachers taught me to kill to witches," said Xander.

"You certainly are a friendly one," said Iblis with a mocking tone, "perhaps after I'm done killing, I can take you home and hang you up on my wall like all the others I killed."

"I think that she thinks that we are deer," said Ash in hushed tone.

"Well, I am stag," said Xander, "you are kind of a doe."

"Doe is a female deer!" shouted Ash.

"Exactly why its perfect for you," said Xander continuing to mock Ash's effeminate features.

Iblis' eyes narrowed on the two. "Do you want me to leave you alone until this lover's quarrel is over?"

"We are not lovers!" shouted Ash and Xander simultaneously.

Iblis let out a high pitched chuckle, "I'm so sorry. Its just most of the time meisters and weapons get teamed up because they are either attracted to someone due to their personality or physically attracted to that person. And your personalities are kind of…fire and gas, I suppose the correct terminology would be."

"Well," said Ash, "its kind of funny story that you mentioned that…"

"SHUT UP!" barked Xander, "let's kill this witch! She insulted my manhood!"

"Don't you mean 'our' manhood," asked Ash.

"I'm not sure you have any really manhood to get upset about," said Xander, going back to mocking Ash.

"One of these days Xander!" shouted Ash, "one of these days!"

"I'm sorry," said Iblis as she approached them, "but this is going to be your last day on this planet…alive that is." A large whirlwind of black feathers began to spin around Iblis's body raising her body off of the ground and into the air.

"Xander," said Ash, "I'm going to let you go for now…but only because we are about to get to the hard part of the day. Let's go! Soul Resonance!" Xander's blade began to lengthen itself out and over becoming a much longer blade. It lost its slightly dull appearance and became sharp.

"Ready for some fun, Miss Raven?" asked Xander.

(-With Shi and Saul-)

"I'm still saying we should've turned right," said Shi. Shi was currently walking a couple of paces behind Saul, in its human form instead of weapon form.

"Children's toys do not get a say," said Saul.

"HEY!" shouted Shi, "yo-yo's were original designed as a weapon!"

"Funny," said Saul, "I wonder why they are no longer…That's right! Its because they suck!"

"Don't mock the powers of the yo-yo!" screamed Shi as it ran up in front of Saul and stood on its tiptoes and stared him down.

Saul struck out with his leg and sent Shi scrambling to the floor. "Do you mind? I told you to walk a couple of steps behind me. I don't want people to know I'm with you."

"Oh, yeah," said Shi as it stood up patted its knees clean of dirt and dust. Shi put its hands on its hips, "I think you would be lucky if we were together."

Saul took one look over his shoulder and examined Shi before returning his faze straight in front of him, "Eh."

"What was that!" shouted Shi as he ran back up next to Saul, "YOU DO NOT SAY 'EH' ABOUT ME!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Saul, "did I get the child's toy mad?"

"I AM A WEAPON!" shouted Shi.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," said Saul as he continued down the path. He took a look to his side and noticed a large boar laying on the ground. Its head and body battered and covered with bruises. It wasn't going to get up soon enough. He took a quick glance down at the ground. The dust that would normally be gathered in an isolated temple like this worn away. "Looks like I was right. Straight was the correct answer."

"What makes you say that?" asked Shi.

"One, because you said right," said Saul, "so, obviously right is the wrong answer. Two, I don't like left. And three, the beaten animals to our left and right. Someone had already been down this path." Shi twisted around and launched a powerful kick to Saul's abdomen. "What the hell was that for?"

"Sorry, the WEAPON is still mad at you," said Shi as it began to walk further ahead into the temple.

Iblis Raven, the crow! (gNat2) She's a little psychopathic, sure, but she'll hopefully be fun to read. Especially with her messing around with Xander and Ash. Of course, Shi and Saul are still having fun. Michael and May are still proving around the temple. Sorry, about the lack of Melody and Rochelle, its harder to write as them then you would think.

I apologize for the slightly late update. I was having technical difficulties. Hopefully those will all be cleared up from now on.