RicoTranzrig

[COLOR=darkblue]I do like guns just for show but using it against someone else, for defense or something else isn't right. I've also noticed the high price of it. I heard from someone that bullets should be equally expensive because maybe people'll think twice before loading a gun.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue]That would make six of us so far living in California, including Debresko, who lives up north. There might be some kind of anime convention coming up this spring that we could all go to.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]Nervous sweat drenched the small scouting crew heading towards Corneria. The Kareck were able to match their speed without decloaking and Dash got more eager to hit the red hat button on his control stick when they got in range, the beeping sound of his targeting system grew quicker by the minute. It would be 15 minutes before they reached Corneria, dodging astroids and worrying about getting shot at.[/i] Emiko: They're just following us, if they wanted to destroy us, they should have when we flew right next to them. Dash: Should we open fire when they get in range? Tavelak: No...we'll follow standard rules, no shots until we're shot at. Dash: Understood. Noir: We'll play around with them for a while. Tavelak: Remember, we still have a healthy charge of afterburner fuel if we need it. We'll save our weapon energy for later. [i]Several seconds passed and the cloaked ships increased their speed. Dash instinctively released the safety of his missile launcher and rested his thumb across the smooth red plastic...[/i][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]It was an invisible force of energy that hit hard, but did not flow through Kato's body like last time. Instead, a good deal of the damage was absorbed by his horn. He got hurt, but part of that force to make him slightly stronger. Kato held his ground.[/i] Nepenthe: And I thought that you didn't know how to fight. [i]She knew that with each magic attack, his abilities would increase exponentially until she couldn't hurt him anymore. Physical attacks against him had to be plotted out carefully while staying clear of his own attacks. Kato prepared for the next turn of attacks, plotting his feet directly into the ground, shaking up the surrounding earth...[/i][/COLOR]

[color=darkblue][i]The form Kato took seemed futile, only assuming a defensive position as a grounded horse. He kept silent as he dropped his weapon and was engulfed in a white light. The surrounding ground underneath him turned green with new life, extending the forest just a tiny bit more.[/i] Rinalph: Interesting, I wonder how he's going to defend himself now. [i]Nepenthe stared with wonder at the gracefulness of Kato's animal. It was difficult to point a sword at him, but she reassured herself that they were only practicing. Testing him, she flew in close and tightened her fists, aiming to strike him. Kato averted her punch towards his stomach, jumping off to the right. In the other's eyes Kato seemed just a blur in that short instant. Siren smirked.[/i] Siren: She might have a bit of a problem scoring a hit now...[/color]

[COLOR=darkblue]This is a new banner that I've been itching to replace my old one, because it's not Christmas anymore. It's a product of photoshop work; smearing/liquifying two colors carefully and making everything all nice and translucent. Opinions?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]Navigating the dense rocky belt protecting Corneria seemed to be a piece of cake for this small group of rookies. Still, Dash could see the tension in his teammates' faces on his monitor as they scanned for rocks and talked to each other in close trasmission mode, preventing anyone from detecting their communication signals.[/i] Emiko: Hey Dash, how are you holding up back there? Dash: Bumpy ride, but I can take the pressure. Noir: I hope we can get back early. I promised my wife and kids I'd be back as soon as possible to watch the Changing of the night sky. Dash: Hehe, I almost forgot Katina had something that beautiful coming up this winter, when all the smog gets blown away and we can actually see the sky for what it really is. Tavelak: Hey! Stay sharp. We'll be back to see that shift soon enough. [i]Dash looked out from his window, seeing the rocks fly by at low speed. He looked ahead and saw the dark-blue sphere of Corneria becoming fuller as they neared the capital. Everything was beautiful and all, but something didn't seem right. Intelligence claimed that there was a presence of unknown hostile fighters. He hit the comm system again, asking their commander.[/i] Dash: Don't you find it strange that the enemy isn't nearby? [i]Tavelak listented closely. It was too silent. He expected the solar winds to strike against his hull and push him closer towards the direction they were going, but the only noise that he could pickup was the soft hum of their ion engines. Dash looked out again and focused his vision on a nearby astroid.[/i] Tavelak: Nothing...which is strange. It might have something to do with the activity in Solar. Dash: I need to get my vision checked. Emiko: What was that? Dash: Eh, you know me...bunnies, degrading vision... Noir: Not for a while, though. [i]Noir and Emiko looked out as well at the same chunk of rock. Their vision seemed to blur as well. All around them, space seemed to blur up, like looking out of a cookie jar. Dash and his teammates slowly reached for their weapon systems and silently armed them. Heat signatures were detected all over. Tavelak appeared on all their displays. He wouldn't dare speak a word about what they were about to do for fear that their pre-emptive strike would fail. He spoke in the Lylat sign language, a requirement for all Cornerian military personnel.[/i] Tavelak: [i]Prepare to scramble and hit the afterburners all the way to Corneria.[/i] [i]Huge tension rose as they drifeted past the first wave of cloaked vessels. Fear of battle, fear of death, they prepared to kick themselves and their ships into an energetic rush once the command was given to make the escape...[/i][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]He hit the hard ground with huge force, hearing a cracking sound, followed by feeling a sharp pain in his back. For a few seconds, he could barely breathe and tears of initial pain mixed with the dust. The others watched as Nepenthe took Kato out with one blow.[/i] Laitina: No! Stop it! [i]Siren raised her arm against Laitina's chest and held her back before she crossed the small bushes.[/i] Siren: Don't....she knows what she's doing. [i]Nepenthe gripped her sword and pulled back, dragging Kato towards her. The chain that was still caught on her sword and seemed to not let go.[/i] Nepenthe: Is this all you have? I've see more in you... [i]Gritting his teeth, Kato got on his feet slowly, assuming a crouching position. It seemed impossible to score a hit on Nepenthe. She seemed way too fast and strong for his abilities alone. But she insisted to continue fighting and find his innate abilities. He closed his eyes and remained silent. Concentrating all of his energy, his rage and frustration, he focused his emotions in his body; his muscles surged and he yanked backwards violently, almost tearing off Nepenthe's limbs if she hadn't let go of her sword. It fell to the ground and shattered into hundreds of pieces, freeing his chain He glared and leered at Nepenthe, now a mere opponent that he had to overcome.[/i] Siren: Didn't I tell you? [i]Nepenthe regrouped her thoughts and took a few flaps backwards. Now she got him active. While she could take him down again with her remaining energy, she knew that there was a possibility of missing, now that he knew what to look for. They key was getting close to him and taking him down from there. Kato straightened out his weapon again, preparing to charge...[/i][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue]The prisoner on death row awaited his final sentencing. He walked the centeral white line leading to his ultimate end. He walked alone, feeling the stares of everyone with uncertainty. He walked with the shackles on his hands and feet, New chains worn by an old body. The guards opened the door for him, leading into a small green room. He sat on the chair that would take his life once and for all. He sat alone, witnesses prepared to record the details of his death. He sat with a white piece of cloth on his head. Old belts strapped his scarred wrists. The protesters gathered at the gates, anti and pro. He was patient, never struggled. He was emotionless, stayed quiet. He was...innocent... Energy flowed through him, and he finally felt power. The shutters closed and all was quiet. He was freed from the metallic cap and white cloth. He was freed from the bounds of shackles. He was freed from the stench of a rotting home. A new life awaited him outside of this reality.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]Kato sent a wave through the chain weapon, straightening it, preparing to swing it around his head and make his strike. It didn't seem so hard learning this contraption of his. It possessed many useful properties to cause blunt damage, hold, and scathe with the cold light metal. He thought it would be amusing to get the bucket part over her head and taking her down in mid-flight.[/i] Kato: This is going to be very interesting given that I don't know how to change form yet, and actually find it useful. Nepenthe: You'll learn, different circumstances trigger different actions in a person. Now make your first strike, before I make one of my own that'll crush you. [i]They others watched the battle between them from the edge of the forest as Kato took a defensive position and lowered his hands, preparing to swing the chain. Nepenthe stood in mid-air, preparing to dodge to prevent from being caught and dragged down to the ground. Her wings flapped slowly, then harder, causing her to bounce up and down, due to the tension of the situation. That was broken when Kato leaned back and shot forward, throwing a test swing. Convienently, the handle did not turn as well, but the chain seemed to stiffen a little. Nepenthe dodged that attack, quickly using her wings to drive herself backwards, but she noticed something as the cap passed dangerously close to her face. Something shined inside, it twisted and she heard it click.[/i] Nepenthe: Nice try, but now it's my turn...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue]That could be it. Maybe they're just uncomfortable getting to know you better, afraid that something more might happen if they do. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]It was strange being with a group after spending a lot of time with Laitina. It felt disturbing to Kato that they would be going into battle to preserve the forest, a place that he never really put a lot of thought into. Just appreciated the calmness around him and the company he was fortunate to have. The others had a lot to fight for, as if this place meant much more than they voiced out. He wasn't even ready to fight, let alone with a strange contraption such as a bucket on a chain. "Come on," he thought, "at least put sharp edges on the outside." Nepenthe noticed his worried look and walked up to him.[/i] Nepenthe: Are you alright? [i]He didn't look straight into her eyes, continuing to look down on the ground, but he did acknowledge her presence.[/i] Kato: I'm not sure I do want to fight. It feels like every time I get into something is because I get pushed into it. [i]She sat down next to him, looking over the small natural pool.[/i] Nepenthe: You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Kato: I don't have a definite answer for you. I do have will to fight for a good cause, but my skills are nothing compared to what any of you have. Nepenthe: Well, you need to find out where your talents are. Kato: And how can I do that in such a short amount of time. [i]A short silence almost deafened Kato's ears. Nepenthe got up and looked towards the sky.[/i] Siren: Going somewhere? Nepenthe: I'm going to take our friend to the field. If anyone else wants to come along, I'm open for it... [i]Kato stood up and dusted himself off, dragging his weapon behind.[/i] [/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]Laitina was drawn to the picture of the same white horse that Kato touched. But this time, she reached above the horse, to where someone would've mounted themselves on. Her eyes seemed to glow, reflecting the color of the light source from the waters behind them. Kato was beside her when she extended her arms and, in front of her, lay a long, strange chain, with a metal bucket at the end and a comfortable leather grip on the other.[/i] Laitina: Wow. [i]She crouched down and picked it up. Surprisingly light, she took it by the handle and gave it a crack. A pair of blades fell out of the bucket and created a light thud on the dusty rock. She picked it up and immediately fell in love with them. She wielded each Sai with continual grace and free form. She stood there, developing harmony with the weapons found inside the strange weapon, if it was a weapon at all.[/i] Kato: I guess you've found your baby. Laitina: What can I say? [i]Nepenthe picked up the chain and bucket.[/i] Nepenthe: That's strange, this has never happened before. Two weapons? [i]Siren reached for it and felt the smooth surface.[/i] Siren: I'll be fine without a weapon. Kato! Take it. [i]He took it into his hands. It was surprisingly light. But it didn't seem to serve any other purpose than to wack people with it. Judging from where Laitina touched the picture, it had a lot more that it actually seemed.[/i] Kato: Weird weapon... Nepenthe: I'm sure you'll find it useful in time. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]Time seemed to drift away in high speed. Conventionally, they would've taken months to reach Corneria, but they arrived slightly distal from the astroid belt when the proximity sensors kicked in and dropped them out into normal space.[/i] Tavelak: Alright, stay sharp, we're going to navigate around this place, evading the enemy. This is going to be a strange formation, but follow my lead, single file, through all these rocks. Alter your course accordingly, but don't stray away from my booster trails. [i]The sqaudron heard loud and clear. Dash waited since he was in the rear of the formation, and they headed out, Dash last, hoping that none of them would make an error in this complex course...[/i][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]Kato looked around at the different battles that were occuring. He noticed a white horse that stood out. This piece of the huge mural was no battle at all. Nature surrounded the horse. Though it's feet were bloodstained and the shadow of a human figure stood in front, but was not shown. Kato noticed, from where he was standing, that the shadow seemed to come from him. The light source was there, but when he walked forward, it didn't change. Imitating Nepenthe, he reached out and touched the painting. He didn't recieve anything, but something felt different.[/i] Siren: No luck huh? Kato: I thought anyone could get a weapon from this place. Siren: Well, not it's not always about weapons, but more in the lines of, things that might help you later on. Nepenthe: You might have a difficult time realizing what you got because you don't have it right in front of you. But we're going to train, then perhaps you will know.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue]I just picked it up and started playing again after a few years of a dusty SNES lying in a corner box. What's interesting about it now is that I get a lot of the jokes that the game is stuffed with it's crazy how almost every person you talk to has a weird, but very human-like thing to say. Maybe that why they called it Earthbound. :bluesweat:[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue]I know I haven't talked with you one-on-one before but I am aware of what's been going on. I guess that no one ever sees the true side of a person until it's too late. Many people have something to hide and only a few are honest and open with everything. Above all, the comfort of friends is greater because you can be treated right. It feels good to have people around when you're healing. You know they care about you and that you do mean a lot to them. Already, you can see it here.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue]With more and more laws against begging/pan-handling being made, it'll be harder and harder for the homeless to survive. Each one of them have different circumstances and homeless shelters provide a whole lot. Kinda like what someone said in FF7 about the slums underneath Midgar city, they have no choice but to live there. The other desperate option would be committing a crime or going to jail or the military, if they make it through basic training. It would be great if there were a place devoted to giving a homeless person a place to stay and help them find work to get them back on their feet. And not to mention, be safe from crime.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]The inner depths of the cave had a slight blue haze as Kato and Laitina fell. They held close so they would be able to land right without killing themselves from the fall. They saw Siren pass in a flash, then saw Nepenthe and Rinalph, already partly dry, and walking the stone path leading towards a strange piece of art etched on the wall. Kato looked down and saw the blue water beneath them, glowing from the reflection of the sun. He saw the shallowness of the water and panicked. They were going in too fast and they would hit hard rock when they collided with the waters. Laitina's eyes opened wide and she looked up at the sun and let go of Kato. In the few seconds they had left, she spun in mid-air around and embraced him closely. She herself horizontally, with her back facing the water. Once she touched it, her body liquified, becoming exactly like the water, but she didn't let go of Kato giving him a place to fall safely. Once they rose back to the surface, she shifted back into herself and they both swam to dry rock, catching up with Rinalph and Nepenthe.[/i][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue]Kato: Either way, we'll beat the crap out of whoever these guys are and take our experience with us back home. Rinalph: You're probably going to be needing me then. Laitina: Yeah, all of us. Siren: Well, almost everyone. Someone needs to hold down the fort, while the rest have their time outdoors. Kato: Do you want to do it? Siren: No way...I'm pale as is. I need some sort of sunlight to signify what good is left inside me. [i]Jenica opened the door for them.[/i] Jenica: I'll stay. It'll be fun watching the trees grow. Kato: Um, okay... [i]Before they walked out, Jenica raised her voice and called out.[/i] Jenica: Nepenthe, you know where the stocks of weapons and other armaments are. See to it that our two "young" members are treated to some of it. Nepenthe: I got it...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]Dash passed up the smoke rising from Katina's centeral building, a few miles apart from the city. He gave a sigh of relief, then the console screen in front of his dashboard began to flicker. It was his commander, once again. He was in a standard military fighter plane, specifically designed for both vacuum and atmospheric environments. The glass behind his commander shown a background of stars, signifying that they had already made preperations and done the difficult launch into space.[/i] Tavelak: I wonder what you're still doing there, Dash. Emergency situtation. I've uploaded my location onto your map, you should be able to see it now. [i]A picture-in-picture display appeared. The map dominated 3/4 of the screen, leaving his commanding officer's video feet in a small box.[/i] Dash: What are my orders? Tavelak: The obvious...Catch up with us!!! We're preparing for a jump to Corneria to meet up with the rest of the fleet. We're going to encounter resistance on the way there so get up here with us first and I'll brief you then. [i]The transmission ended. Dash was heavily confused with the sudden change of plan. He only had a slight hint as to what was going on. Fron the looks of the posters and flags hung high in the city, to what his parents had told him, to the mysterious explosion and the sirens that followed after, it seemed like the entire Lylat system was at war, once again. Once Dash hit the wastelands, he pushed forward his throttle to 150% and retracted his wings, turning his Scouter into a sharp diamond. He pushed down, plotting a crash course with the ground, the suddenly pulled up, using the G-forces as a means to bounce back upwards at extremely high speeds. Dash always hated going into space with the extreme turbulence and the sudden shift into zero-gravity. Without light. He clenched his teeth and balanced the yoke and throttle to successfully breach the atmosphere. After the three minutes had passed, he felt his stomach churn and all of his insides turn upside down. He had made it, and his squadron held formation around him, making room. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the controls of his plane. Shutting off the thrusters, he extended the wings again, reset his gyro sensors and opened up a communications line with Tavelak.[/i] Dash: I've made it in once piece...wasn't pleasent though. Tavelak: No time to think about that. I hope your engines have cooled on this dark side of the planet. [i]Dash looked at his temperature gauge and saw the readouts had negative values.[/i] Dash: It's good... Tavelak: Okay, this is it...prepare your engines for high-speed travel. We're on our way to Corneria to be briefed on the situation. It seems that place is the most secure for deploying ships in mass numbers. It's expected that we will encounter resistance along the way so I want you to stay sharp and dodge everything that comes at you. Your ships are designed for that. Dash: Question. Who are we fighting? Tavelak: We don't know yet...or at least I don't. There has been a large presence of these mysterious fighters in the astroid belt of this system. They're extremely hostile, kinda like they own the place. Our main objective is to reach Corneria, and eliminate any threat that comes close to our flight plan. [i]Dash looked at his console again. They were planned to drop out of warp and go around the hottest spots. It was a sigh of relief for him and his teammates. But the sound of Tavelak's voice told them it was time to show what they've learned and developed. The main engines were left at 50% and the warp drive booted up. They were left cruising until Tavelak hit the afterburner (200%), engaged the drive, and disappeared. The rest followed. White light surrounded them...[/i][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue]Kato: Yeah, I guess it's not worth being a burnt corpse just for target practice. Laitina: But do we really have to test it out here? [i]Everyone looked to Nepenthe. Laitina and Jenica felt apprehensive towards testing their abilities in such a serene place.[/i] Nepenthe: Well, you can do it however you want, just come back here when night falls. Rinalph: On the mountainside should suffice enough. Laitina: No... [i]He turned to her and questioned her small ounce of authority with his posture. She backed up a little and spoke her reasons.[/i] Laitina: You never know what we'll hit out there. And, besides, I'm used to that place. I want to go somewhere I haven't been before. Kato: Like cloud nine? [i]Laitina pushed him and slapped him on the arm.[/i] Kato: I was only kidding. You always longed to go out of the forest and into the west. Laitina: Yes...can we train in the flats? Nepenthe: It's your choice... [/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]Kato kept his back towards the wall, hands folded and relaxed.[/i] Kato: So we should fear you? Jenica: My fangs not making much of an effect on your composure? Kato: It would, If you were my enemy and since we're all under the same roof, it wouldn't be very polite if you tried to bite my head off. [i]Jenica's eye twiched. He didn't know who he was, but his eyes were mysterious as if he were shrouded in veils of ice. Though, he did have a warm nature and not that of a fighting spirit. She could change that, or at least someone in her clique.[/i] Siren: Now you must explain yourselves... Laitina: Well, to keep a very long and boring story short, I've kept careful watch over this forest for more than a millenia, watching it rot away...then *points to Kato* that guy over there happened to notice me in my hiding place and drew me out. At that time, I woke up and the forest was okay again. I blame it on him... Nepenthe: Interesting. Kato: I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. Jenica: Oh? But someone already has... [i]Kato thought for a moment...[/i] Kato: Very funny, poor Nelynn. Laitina: I think she wanted to eat you. Rinalph: Until she learns how to control her lust for unicorns, it'll be hard to keep you safe. Laitina: :rolleyes: Siren: Are you still drunk? Laitina: Kato said it'll help me get relaxed in front of a lot of people. Nepenthe: Okay, back to business. This forest is changing once more, in all events, to the state Laitina mentioned. And I don't think my companion would we too fond of that. Jenica: Hmph! Kato: So what can we do? Nepenthe: You, particularly, can start by learning how to control your abilities. We've seen you...travelling about in the forest...and your animal form can prove very useful in aiding Laitina, granting her the gift of speed. Kato: That'll be tough. Rinalph: We all have difficulties changing, it will develop overtime. Laitina: And how long do we have?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue]I know 'cause of the recent shuttle accident, it's been a big blow to my interests in space. I've loved astronomy and space exploration ever since I was a little kid. But just in the past decades, we know it's possible to travel outside Earth, even though it might take a very long time to refine propulsion and safety techniques so we can go and visit far away places like in those Sci-Fi flicks. And this was all due to the Cold War. Just like with the Bronze Age back in ancient China, we have the "Information Age" today. It's brought a lot of people closer together. Just in the past century, it's expanded like crazy and now you've got information overload just because ARPAnet was invented. I also think that technological/scientific advancements can be harmful because we might discover certain things that we don't want to or we might be advancing too fast, which makes us worry a whole lot more.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkblue][i]A short period of darkness englufed the city, further agitating the tension in Dash's mind. During those few seconds, he looked up at the sun and made out a silhouette of large ships dangerously close to be prodoucing that kind of shadow. In a bright flash of light, The sky returned to normal again and the emergency situation in the city raged on. Beside Dash were his parents looking out over the balcony. His communcicator went off and was automatically answered. Dash held up his wrist and the holograpic display came online with his commanding officer, sergent Tavelak.[/i] Tavelak: Dash! I'm aware that you're on vacation right now, but we need you and your piloting skills to prepare for an upcoming invasion or possible attack attack against the Lylat system. Dash: What's going on, the explosion... Tavelak: I'll explain everything when you arrive. There's not much time... [i]The transmission ended and Dash turned to his parents.[/i] Dad: Go out there and save this place from whatever's coming, we know you're one of the best pilots out there. Dash: Thanks dad...mom? Mom: Come home safely, we have a vacation to finish. Dash: Okay. [i]Dash grabbed his bags headed back up towards where his Scouter was docked. This time, his parents followed him to wave goodbye when he took off. Dash unlocked his ship and threw the bag in the rear seat. He jumped in and began launch, powering the engines and putting on his helmet. The thrusters made contact with the roof and began to hover in midair. Dash took a final look at his parents before hitting 100% boost and left the city faster than he could be heard.[/i][/COLOR]