Kieko

O.C.C: Um... I just thought of something: are there locks to the school inside? Because couldn't Ashes just pick one of those locks? Just a thought ^_^. ______________________________ I was blacker than midnight in the halls. The only light was coming from the two flashlights they had. Actually, only one of them was on, they were concerving the other's batteries incase he other ran out of juice. It was even MORE dangerous to be walking down the halls now. They had to listen extra carefully and couldn't shine the light too far ahead incase a gunman was coming. They had to listen for their footsteps so that they could turn off the light instantly without the gunmen seeing. They also had to look ahead on the map and look for any hiding places they could use if needed. [i]God, I hope those murderers are stupider than they look. If they aren't they could hear us, or see the light, or something like that and we'd be dead before we hit the ground.[/i] Chris thought to herself. But she knew the odds of the gunmen being stupid like that. You don't exactly commit homicide in a school without a plan, so they probably had it planned out. With that thought, something else flashed across her mind. [i]What if they have seen the blueprints, too? What if they know... I mean of course they know.... that the only way out is the roof exit. What if they were planning to lure us there?[/i] "Guys!" Chris said in an urgent whisper. Everyone stopped and turned around. "Yeah?" Kelly said. "I just thought of something. What if the gunmen were [i]planing[/i] to push us to the roof exit? I mean think about it. They were the ones to lock the doors, wouldn't they know of the only escape route? What if they are planning to meet us at the exit? It would be a whole lot easier for them to kill us all if we were in one sitting like that." Chris said and looked thoughtful for a minute. "The only other possiblity is that they didn't know of the roof escape route and thought they had locked all the doors. But that's unlikely because I mean, come on, you don't exactly commit a homicide like this without analizing [i]all[/i] your escape routes now do you? And besides, the first plan seems to work better." The group stared at her, horrified. They were all thinking the same thing: What if she's right? "Yes, your theory does seem possible, but on the one hand, we have a gang of gunmen waiting for us at the roof exit, if you're right, of course. But, what if you're wrong? Then we'd be heading into the gunmen at the [i]other[/i] exits. So what do we do?" Kyo said after minutes of concentration. "I don't know...." Chris said. "Um, excuse me?" Kelly said. The group turned their attention to her. "Why don't we send scouts?"

O.C.C: Oh, by the way, my character's name is exactly like my Username: "Kieko". K-i-e-k-o. Not "Keiko". K-e-i-k-o. Just swap the "i" and "e" if you spelled it wrong. Thanx ^_^. ______________________________ "Yes, but could I talk to you about it in private?" Kieko said looking cautiously at Garren. "Sure." Arunue said. And they went upstairs to the study and closed the door. "So what did you want to talk about?" "I had a dream." (O.C.C: I sound like Martin Luther King, JR.) "And? I have dreams too, you know. It's nothing special." "Yes, but this dream I only have when someone close to me is about to get hurt. Last time I had this dream my brother was... well... you get it." Kieko was trying to avoid talking about her brother's death. Arunue was speechless. And you would be too if you just found out you could be killed sometime within the next 24 hours. Finally, she mustered up the courage to speak. "Are-are you certain it's me? I'm mean it could be someone el-" "No. It's not someone else. It's you. I'm positive. You were the first one I thought of when I woke up. Same as my brother." Arunue was shocked. She leaned against the wall and slid down. Suddenly she didn't feel like Kalamara the Cascade, she felt more like Kalamara the Hunted. "Do you-do you know who's after me?" "No. But taking a guess, probably one of the people who was sent here because you drove them insane when you killed someone they knew." "Oh, GOD..." Arunue whistpered. Kieko squated down to her eye level. "It's not that bad. You're [i]Kalamara the Cascade[/i]. You can beat this. All I'm asking you to do is to not let your guard down and BE CAREFUL." Kieko got up and left. Leaving Arunue to pull herself together and rejoin Garren in the Kitchen. "What was that about?" Garren questioned. "Oh, nothing! It was nothing at all!" Arunue said faking cheerfulness. But that's something no one can do. "Arunue, what's wrong?" "Nothing. I think- I think I'm going to go lie down for a while. Feel free to explore the house an make yourself at home. There's some food in the fridge, help yourself." Arunue started to leave the kitchen, but Garren caught her arm and turned her around to face him. "Arunue Kalamara, what's wrong?" He said sternly looking her in the eyes, but Arunue couldn't meet his gaze. She could still feel his stern eyes locked on her. She couldn't bring herself to lie, so she told him the truth. "Kieko said... Kieko said... she said that I should be careful because she had a dream that she said meant something bad will happen to me in the next 24 hours." "Arunue..." "But it's ok! All I have to do is keep on my guard! Don't worry about me, I'm Kalamara the Cascade, remember?" Arunue said almost too cheerfully. And with that she left the kitchen.

Shindi opened her eyes. It took a moment or two for her brain to awaken as well, but when it did she got up immediately. She saw that the others were still asleep. She lowered her hands.Then she thought of something. [i]Wha- my strength is fully restored...but, how?[/i] Then Shindi remembered the human pulling out her wand and blue light coming out. [i]The human? But that's near impossible. Only the strongest human magic can restore a vampire's full strength, especially mine.[/i] It was miraculas (sp?), when the clouds came over, the shadow seemed to drain almost every ounce of strength Shindi had. Could it have been a black cloud? It wasn't as intense as Shindi remembered a black cloud being, but maybe it was a new one. Or maybe the human saved them all with her magic. Just then, Shindi felt a slight change in mood from Celestia, not to mention her groan. "Heh." Shindi said and walked to the edge of the cliff they had made camp upon and sat down hanging one leg over the edge and the other close to her chest, resting her arm on it and watching the sun rise. She tried to recall last night's events, but it gave her a headache, so she stopped. "Ah." Shindi heard Celestia say in a soft curiousity. She had probably spotted Shindi. "You're awake. But you're suppose to sleep longer than that else your strength won't be fully restored." "Hm. I feel fine. I'm going for a flight, tell the others if they wake up. And don't worry about getting me breakfast or leaving without me. I can get my own breakfast and I can catch up to you." Shindi said, and she let herself fall from the cliff. Celestia was worried for a second, but when she saw a bat flying into the sunrise, she remembered that Shindi was a vampire and could therefore turn into a bat and fly. Celestia watched for a little bit, it was so beautiful. Now she felt bad that she could ever have hated bats. Shindi's wings moved up and down in a graceful rhythem flawlessly and her body glided smoothly through the fresh morning sunlight. [i]I almost forgot how wonderful this feels. It's like magic. I had forgotten what it felt like to have the crisp morning air blowing through my hair, or how wonderful it feels to be riding on a breeze with nothing but air surrounding you.[/i] Shindi thought to herself. It had been a long time since she had been able to fly like this, and now she wasn't going to waste a second of it. She did loop-de-loops, sharp dives, and speedy flying. It was better than anything she had felt in ages. [i]This is amazing. This is wonderful. This is...[/i] "Fun." She spoke the last word. It sounded rusty and unused. She hadn't had fun in a long time. She hadn't even thought the word in a while. But it felt wonderful to say it. So she said it again. "Fun...fun...FUN....FUN!!!!!!!" She said it over and over again. Eventually it slid casually from her tongue, sweetening the air with it's sound. But Shindi couldn't stay in the air for long, she was growing tired. It requirs a lot of strength to turn into a bat. Or to turn into anything out of the ordinary, rather. But flying wasn't the issue anymore, Shindi had practiced so much when she was young, it was as easy as walking. But, maybe it was like too much walking. [i]Maybe Celestia was right. Maybe I should have slept more to let my strength return.[/i] Shindi shrugged off the fact she was tired, and the fact she was starting to sweat and breathe heavily and turned for the camp. She arrived just as the others were packing up. She then remembered she didn't have any breakfast, but she wasn't that hungry anyway. And besides, skipping one meal wouldn't hurt. "You ok, Shindi? You look kinda tired." Arunue said. "I'm fine." Shindi replied. Arunue still looked skeptical, but decided that if Shindi insisted that it's ok, then she wasn't going to argue. "Ok, then, let's get going." Yusuke said, picking up his small sack. "Alright!" Arunue said cheerfully. "Let's go!" Celestia exclaimed, also picking up her pack. And they set off again into the forest. [i]I wonder what has become of the man. He's not tailing us, I know or I would have felt his emotion. Or, at least, he's not tailing us yet.[/i] Shindi thought as she looked up at the patch of blue sky barely peeking through the trees.

"Look, I know you want to kick their sorry asses, but you can't yet. In case you haven't noticed, they have GUNS, Miriki! They'll blast you to hell if you so much as show yourself. So please, while the others think of a plan, just draw or sleep. Trust me, it's safer to sleep in here than where you last fell asleep." Chris said as they all slowly got up. Miriki was a bit dissapointed, but he knew she was right, if he blew their cover it'd be curtains for all of them. The others got back to brainstorming plans as Chris resumed her position at the art room door and Miriki found a place in the corner and began to draw. [i]Wait a minute! I know what will help! School blueprints! Then it'll be easier to plan an escape route![/i] "Hey, Ashes, you're the best I know at picking locks. Could you get into the top cuboard on the left? There might be some school blueprints in there." Miriki said. "Huh- oh, sure. Good thinking!" Ashes said. And with that she pulled a chair across the floor, then froze as it made a scraping noise. Everyone looked at her intently and they all refrained from movemet for a few minutes to see if anyone was coming. No one came, so Ashes picked up the chair and carried it the rest of the way. She climbed on top of it and took out a bobby pin. She began to pick the lock as she briskly brushed some loose bangs from her eyes. [i]Click.[/i] Finally. The lock was open. She opened the cuboard and took out some dusty papers. They had the blueprints to the school.... and the quickest passages to the exits.

Chris was leaned against the wall near the door. Kyo and the others were thinking up a way to get out of here alive. Kyo was sitting on an art table by the wall that should of had windows, but thank GOD didn't (art room was once used to store gym equiptment, who knows why because the gym is practacly on the other side of the school). Kelly, who had just arrived, was sitting sideways in a chair, facing Damai sitting mirror her in another table's chair, and Ashes and Cay sitting the same way on the other side of Kyo. [i]Damn. Where is Miriki?? I hope he didn't fall asleep in the hallway, he's playing a serious risk by doing that! What if the boys walked by and shot him? Lets just hope they don't see him, and, if they do see him, that they think he's dead already so they won't waste their bullets to kill him. But, above all, lets hope he's awake and has enough brains to come here and that he's being extra careful. I know he's alive because I would have heard a gunshot otherwise. Knowing him, he'd want to spend his final moments doing what he loves, so he'd go back to his locker and draw most likely. GOD, I hope he makes it here in time,[/i] Chris thought to herself, looking intently out the crack between the black construction paper and the window, allowing her to see a sliver of the hallway outside the art room. "Chris, anyone coming?" Kyo asked. He'd been checking every fifteen minutes. Probably wanting to know if the gunmen or Miriki were coming. Chris was tempted to roll her eyes and say, "There wasn't anyone coming the last time you asked, so why the hell would you think there would be anyone in the next fifteen minutes?? Wouldn't you think I would tell you if anyone came?" But she didn't. Instead she shook her head and said, "No." Kyo nodded. Only once. He knew the danger of Miriki not being here, and he knew the danger of Miriki being in the halls with seven gunmen, especially if he was sleeping or drawing. But, above all, Kyo knew the danger they would all be in if the gunmen found them. If that were to happen, there would be no hope for them.

The only thing that kept Garren from falling backwards at this news was the back of the chair. This was his long lost friend. The one he risked his whole body going numb or him being lost in oblivion for. But one thing wasn't right. "Why did you lie to me?" Garren asked. He had done so much to find her, why would she lie? "Because you said that once Kalamara started to kill... well... you didn't like her as much. And I thought..." Arunue said. But she immediately turned back to her cheery self. "Oh, well! It doesn't matter anymore anyway! You're here now, and you've found me, so lets just forget the whole thing, alright?" "Ok." Garren said, still blinking and slightly dazed. She was obviously unwilling to admit to her mistake because she realized how stupid it had been to draw that assumption. But that's not why he was blinking and dazed, it was how fast she could change moods that got him. Even after all these years, it still amazed him how well this girl could control her emotions. _________________________________ [i]The trees hung over her, crowding the sky with black silloettes. Their branches reached out to grab her. She heard footsteps behind her and, for the first time since her brother was killed, she felt fear. Her feet carried her forward as fast as she could go without hesitation. Trees blurred as she rushed by them, branches broke as they cut her arms, legs, and sides. She jumped over dead, fallen trees and wove between the living ones. But, she made one mistake and tripped over a rotting log. Her face hit the ground and she could taste blood from her nose. She turned over on the cold earth and struggled backwards in a sitting position as she watched a dark figure emerge from the trees. She scrambled up into a fighting position, ready to defend herself. The figure reached into it's pocket...[/i] Kieko awoke with a start. She sat up on the tree limb she was resting on, sweaty and shaking. She hadn't felt fear in a long time, and had forgotten how powerful an emmotion it is. Kieko slowly let her head fall back to rest on the trunk of the tree again. Why did she have this dream? She's had it once before, but it had only gone up to the part of the figure emerging from the trees. She had woken up screaming. Then it hit her. Maybe she only had these dreams before something bad happened to the ones she became close to. She had had the dream the night before her brother was killed, maybe something bad is going to happen to Arunue. Kieko prayed Arunue had the wits about her to be wary and ready for anything so that she could protect herself. But Kieko was sure Arunue wouldn't be as foolish as to drop her guard and not be able to react in time. But Kieko could only hope. She jumped from her tree and walked to Arunue's appartment to warn her. [i]Maybe it has something to do with that new person. It seems they found what they were looking for, so what if they were looking for Arunue to kill her for killing someone close to them and driving them insane? Arunue did that to many in the past and they had to be sent here,[/i] Kieko pondered the thought, then another possiblility popped into her head, [i]What if the new person was Garren? What if he was looking for Arunue and found her? Garren would never harm Arunue... or would he? You can't be too careful in this realm, anyone can betray you in no time flat and that could be the end of your life.[/i] The air was cold, but somehow Kieko couldn't feel it.

O.C.C: Oh, I'm being SUCH a nuicance.... well anyway. Can you guys try to keep my character like she doesn't really show emotions or tell if she doesn't understand? She kind of just sits back until she's needed and uses sarcasm as her only emotion shown. Sorry, I know I'm SOOOO annoying. ______________________________________ Shindi smirked. "Don't worry. There's no way he can kill all of us...unless you don't know your true strength. You don't need to rely on your brother. Do you doubt yourself, Arunue? Or haven't you mastered your strength?" Shindi said. "I don't doubt myself! And I HAVE mastered my strength! I'm just saying that we should be careful." Arunue exclaimed angrily. Yusuke yawned. "Well, I'm getting tired. I think I'm going to take a nap while you two sort this out." "Correction: you. I'm going to be in that tree if anyone needs me." Shindi stated turning into a bat and perching upsidedown in a giant oak near by. "Hmph! Fine then. [i]I'll[/i] get the firewood!" Arunue said irritably, and she stomped off into the darkness of the trees. "We don't need firewood..." Yusuke said sleepily. But Arunue was already out of earshot. [i]Hmm. Those jerks! Making me get the firewood! Their so lazy! Hmph,[/i] Arunue thought to herself. But her expression immediately softened. [i]No. I don't mean that. Right now they're the only ones I've got and, even though they annoy me a little, we've somehow become friends.[/i] Arunue came to a clearing and cut down a tree at the edge of it with her claws. She then broke some limbs off that would be good for firewood. She had almost collected as many as she could carry when she heard someone, or something walking through the forest, heading for the clearing. [i]Stand up. Get in fighting position and don't make a sound,[/i] Arunue told herself. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Everything was silent for a while with the exception of the wind rustling the leaves. After a few minutes, Arunue dismissed the sound as a chipmonk or something of the sort. She picked up her stack of wood and headed back to where the others had made camp. Once there, she lit a fire and they ate and went to bed, although Shindi could have sworn Arunue was still awake, so she stayed up, too. Shindi could tell something was troubling Arunue, but she hadn't told her what. Nor was she going to. Arunue decided not to tell the others of the footsteps she heard in the clearing, let alone the ones she thought she heard following her back to camp.

_Name:Jeremina _Age:22 _Gender:Female _Personality:She is a shadowy character who can be nice when she wants to. She trusts and depends on no one since she was taught to fend for herself. She rarely speaks unless she wants to make a wisecrack or give advise. _Appearance:Jeremina has short black hair that is pulled back into a pony tail all the time. She has darkblue eyes and a pair of ragged pants and a ragged shirt. The only thing worth value on her (besides her staff) is a gold medalion in the shape of a dragon. _Bio:Jeremina's choice of lifestyle has made her a tom-boy. OF course, what else would she have learned to be being the youngest of 8 children-all of which were boys (except her of course). She came from a small farm, just on the outskirts of the village. Their house was on a hill, so they could see everything in the village if they sat on the roof. There was always work to be done, so Jeremina had to help out. She became strong after a few years of hard labor, and would soon need that strength. Whenever something mysterious happens in the town, they blame it on her. They say she's a witch, but have no evidence. She's lucky this town is more civilized and will not go through with something util they have facts. Otherwise they would have burned her at the stake years ago. One night, a mother ran crying into the night exclaiming that her child's soul was taken. A mob immediately formed and marched to the witch's house. Jeremina's parents told her and her brothers to leave the back way into the woods while they faught them off. Jeremina and her brothers did just that, but some of the mob noticed them and began to fire arrows as they gave chase. An arrow hit Jeremina's oldest brother and three others. The closest sibing age wise soon lagged behind and the mob caught him. Eventually, Jeremina found her hiding place she would go to sometimes and the three siblings that were left hid in the tree; falling asleep on one another's shoulder. They could see their house burning in the distance and knew they were all alone. They fended for themselves fairly well in years to come. They made sure no one found out their identities, and stole food from the market. They also grew some food until the eldest brother of the two left became ill and they had to stop planting to take care of him. He was bedridden for two years before he finally passed away. After they burried him, Jeremina and the last brother she had left continued to live in the shadows, never revealing their true identities. _Weapons: A staff given to her by her father after he came back from one of his journeys to other villages. He said the man told him to give it to the child her father deemed worthy of it's magic.

Shindi walked silently through the shade of the trees. She touched the crumpled piece of paper in her pocket that held the information on how to get to wherever the man had sent her and the information of those she was to find out about. She remembered what the man had said to her. She was to ask their names and see if the match the ones he found. Shindi stopped at the edge of the forest. She had always told herself that you should keep out of sight and servey the area before you come out into the open. Years of theivery taught her that. As she crouched behind a low bush, she listened intently to her surroundings. She could hear voices coming from the dojo. She snuck up to the closest wall and peeked in the window. She could see two people there. Hopefully these were two of the people that had a piece of the stone. Shindi straightened up and walked around to the front of the dojo. Then she spotted something. There was a grave to the left of the dojo. Shindi quickly looked away and headed towards the entrance. She didn't want to think about...she couldn't think it. Shindi entered the dojo without a second thought as to ask first. "Are you Arunue and Yusuke? You fit the descriptions and I think, Yusuke, that you were sent here by an elderly man? Is that correct?" "Heh, yeah, that's me." Yusuke said. "Who are you?" Arunue asked. She seemed warry. [i]Who was this girl?[/i] "Hm. I'm Shindi. I hold the yellow stone. It allows me to control weather depending on my mood. I'm a vampire. But I'm sure you already knew that when I told you what stone I had." "Well, now all we have to do is find the person with the green stone and-" Arunue started to say, but was cut off. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. The old man seems to be doing a great job getting all four of us in one sitting so far. I think he'll get the human here just fine." Shindi said and took another sip of the tea she had been served. [i]Yes,[/i] She thought to herself, [i]the human is sure to be along shortly.[/i]

What works for me is just doing work in class, studying the night before, getting a good night's sleep, trusting myself, and trying not to think of the test/clearing my mind. You should try it ^_^! All you have to do is hang around your friends a lot or talk to people a lot and it'll take your mind off the test. Also, [SIZE=4][b]TRUST YOURSELF![/b][/SIZE] Oh, and good luck ~_^ I'll be rootin' for ya!

O.C.C: InuyashaGurl_15, it's not leaving you out, we were waiting for you to post so that we can build on what your character is doing ~_^(If that makes any sense.) Alone again. Kieko usually liked her privacy, but this time it was different. She couldn't tell why though. Something just made her want to be around people today. Or, rather, something drew her to the new energy force in this realm. Another had crossed over. But the strange thing is, they seemed relieved and content. Normally people are panicing about where they are or how they got here, but this one seemed to [i]want[/i] to be here. Had he done something wrong on purpose so he'd be sent here? Or did he know how to cross over? And who or what [i]was[/i] he looking for? The curiousness of his emotional wave told Kieko that he was looking for something or someone. But [i]who[/i]? ____________________________________ [i]I've got to tell him sometime. I don't know how much longer I can keep lying to him like this! He deserves to know... but I can't. He said he became less attatched to Kalamara when she started killing people, so I can't tell him.....yet.[/i] Arunue was arguing with herself about the lie she told Garren about being Church instead of Arunue Kalamara. In fact, she was so destracted, she totally forgot he was there until he spoke. "Umm.... are you ok?" Garren said. His comment almost made Arunue jump as she realized she had been so destracted she was pouring the coffee so much, it was overflowing the cup! "Oh, yeah, I'm ok." But she wasn't, inside she was burning to tell him the truth. [i]NO.[/i] She sternly told herself, but inside she knew the truth... he deserved to know...

Chris sat, tears tempting her eyes; her friends were dead. And it was partly her fault. They were right next to her when they were shot, why hadn't she done something to prevent it? But it was too late to dwell on mistakes. She came from the shadowy underside of the bleachers where her moment of fear drove her to, and looked around the gym. The bodies were about the only thing there. [i]I should head to the art room. It provides the safest protection. And anyway, I'm sure everyone else will be there, if there is anyone else.[/i] But she dismissed the thought immediately. There was bound to be someone else. Locking the doors after giving three thousand kids a two minute chance to escape was bound to result in some stragglers. [i]Well, maybe not. Maybe everyone got out accept the people who didn't panic. Heh. I don't care how smart the nerds say they are, it's those people who's got the brains.[/i] With that, she headed towards the art room. It's a good thing Chris speant most of her time studying the blueprints of the school to get away with little tricks she planted. Heh. She almost laughed as she remembered the time she hacked into the soda freezer and shook them all up. The mess was tremendous, almost everyone went home sticky from soda. Chris snapped to attention when she almost missed a valuable turn; it would lead her straight down the janitor's hall used to get to the art room faster since it was so excluded from the rest of the school. Suddenly, Chris heard voices. "Yeah, did you see me? The way I shot up those two kids? Heh, everyone paniced, you should've seen it." One voice said. "I did see it moron." A second voice. This one was deeper, that of a senior most likely. "And keep it down. Not everyone paniced. There are a few kids that didn't and they're still in the school somewhere. They may be unarmed, but they aren't scared of us and that's the backbone of this. [i]Remember[/i]? The [i]backbone[/i]?" "Oh, yeah! Right, my lips are sealed." The first voice said. Chris saw the two boys pass. One was indeed a senoir, well built, too. The other wasn't as big, but still opposed a threat with his aim. Chris hurried on. Once in the safety of the art room, she noticed that there were kids already there.

O.C.C: Not meaning to sound rude, but if people don't get their post length up (Arunue, you're doing fine) this thread will be closed real soon. "Come [i]on[/i] Toshi! Let's go! Toshi!" Ora was now completely exasperated. Toshi had always been stuborn when he wanted something real bad. He must want an answer. "I don't know how to get back. I was asleep, too." Arunue said. "Hmmmmm. Ora, how did you get here?" "I don't know, I was...a...sleep, too!" Ora replied. Toshi was thinking up a plan. He knew it. "You," Toshi said pointing at Kieko. "How did you get here?" "I was asleep. That's what you wanted to know, right? So I need not explain more." It was a lie. she was not asleep when she came here. She had always been here. ______________________________ Later, in her favorite tree, Kieko was watching the sunset. She was feeling guilty that she'd lied, but that's what you have to do in this world to survive. Her father had always told her that civilization was based upon trickery, but she never believed him much. Except now she pretended to believe it as an excuse, but even then could not trick the guilt into leaving. She finally cleared her mind and began to wonder about the important. [i]Why had everyone been asleep when they came here? Was that the way you got here, or did the government transport you here while you were asleep so you wouldn't know how to get back? If sleeping was how you got here, why couldn't you get back by sleeping?[/i] Then it hit her. Dreams or thoughts. What had they been dreaming about? Maybe that was how.... It was too late at night to dwell on the thought, so she thought about something slightly different. [i]Why didn't the government want her to go to the Realm of Imaginations? Why were they so eager to stop her?[/i] Kieko knew it wasn't just population. Something else was on their mind. She thought about it as long as she could until her eyelids became heavy and she could see the moon light bluring, mixing with the night as she drifted off to sleep...

Tsicoro began to tell his encounter and what he knew. At least now Raven would have to destroy two people to keep her secret from getting out, and by the time she tried to, it would probably be too late; the two had already begun to climb the stairs to seek out the others. Miroku was of course leading, since Tsicoro didn't know the way. This was a good thing though, because then Tsicoro wouldn't question why Miroku had a thoughtful look on his face, he would be able to think without being desterbed. [i]How did I not guess it? Kikyo had about the same evil force as Raven! How had I not concidered the two being in cahoots? We must find Kikyo and see if she knows anything about what Raven is planning to do. The best and probably only way to stop her, is through knowing what she's going to do ahead of time.[/i] Miroku was so caught up in his thought, he was starting to day dream and almost missed a turn. It was a vital turn, too, because they turned into the main room that branched off into the others' rooms. The first one they decided to visit was Kyp's. Then Kitty and Sango, then Inu Yasha and Kaira (or rather they went into their room, but only told Inu Yasha the story for obvious reasons), and then Sesshomaru and Kagome's. Once everyone knew, they (everyone able) decided to meet and descuss a plan concerning the topic. They would have to figure out something quickly, Raven already knows they know her secret.

Arunue sighed as she walked along, staring at the crusted dirt. She didn't feel up to anything. In fact, if it wasn't for Kieko trudging along besided her, she wouldn't even be out. She'd probably be inside, thinking about her dream. She shuddered. Suddenly she was much more thankful Kieko was there, she didn't want to think about the dream. Trying to take her mind off it, Arunue started a whole different conversation, or at least tried to. It's hard to develop a conversation with Kieko. "You know what's weird?" Arunue asked. Kieko looked a little shocked at the random question, but her surprise only lasted about a millisecond. "No." Was her answer. "The government sends people here as punishment, but it's not. This place is far from what I'd call a prison. I mean, sure, we can't leave unless permitted to, but it's not exactly a cold concrete cell with barred windows. And it sure as heck isn't a steel cage." Kieko had no reply, which was to be expected. She did look thoughtful for a moment, and the expression was not lying. She WAS thinking about it. This place, her homeland, wasn't as bad as what people in the Realm of Imagination lead it up to be. She only knew they made it a big deal because everyone she'd met that came from that realm always asked the same question Arunue did just now. They always wonder why the government sends them here as punishment when it's actually more like paradise compared to a dungeon cell. "Kieko? You ok?" Arunue asked. Kieko regained control of her expression. She had just realized she let her face slip into the expression of hatred that she allowed herself to hold against the government. She hated them. She knew why they sent people here and made this realm a bad reputation: so that the people in this realm would never see another person from the other realm, and therefore adapt to the crude habitat of this realm and only commit more crimes in the other one. Then they would be sent back here. She knew why the government did it, too. Population. The other realm was over populated so they sent people here. Sometimes they didn't even have to make up an excuse to, sometimes they sent people here privately, so no one would know, then kill their families quietly if they got a bit suspicious. "Kieko?" Arunue repeated. "I'm fine." Kieko said. But anger was already burning within her. "Well, anyway. I better get going. See ya around!" Arunue said, trying to sound cheerful. It was a hollow cheer though, there was no emotion put into it. It was just words. "Yeah, bye." Kieko said. She decided she would stay in the park and think a little while. She would think about the government and the dream the girl running in the opposite direction had. Kieko would have a lot to think about, especially alone with no one to make her forget her thoughts or break her concentration.

The banners are wonderful! The only thing is, the first one's text is blurry and I can't read it. The second, I can't tell if it was cropped, but if it was I think it looks a little choppy. But that could just be how the picture came or an effect you used on your graphics program. The others are really good. I especially liked the creativity of the one banner in pieces ^_^. Well done!(Oh, and your avatars are great!)

_Name: Chris _age: 13 _race: White _eye color: hazel-green _hair color: brown (long) _appearance: well, you know her eye and hair color, but she's about 5'3" and wears baggy black pants and a t-shirt. She always wears twin necklaces with Chinese writing on them: one tan and one red. _bio: Chris has moved several times in her life, but it seems as if she'll be staying in this house for good. Her and her parents had always gotten along, until she was hit by a car when she was 9. She lived and recovered within a month, luckly the driver was stopping anyway. But her parents argued about whos fault it was and finally her mom decided that she was going to leave with Chris. When her dad refused, Chris's mom hit him. He hit her back and she got up and stumbled out the door. Chris's dad has never been the same since. Some nights he would go out and not return until late and he was usually drunk. Sometimes he hit Chris out of sheer rage, but he would only hit her once when he did, and it didn't really hurt, so it wasn't that bad. She has also taught herself how to fend for herself and is a (not meaning to brag) great fighter and fair shooter. the dagger she holds in her pocket can be used to it's fullest in her hands ~_^. _personality: Chris normally keeps to herself and doesn't have many friends. her choice of lifestyle has made her a tom-boy, but she doesn't get along with many boys or girls. But, when she gets the chance to make a friend, she can be very friendly and acts like herself within: fun and crazy, but can be serious when she needs to. I hope its ok ^_^". Tell me otherwise if it's not!

Name: Tsimoru Age: 19 Weapon: Two short-blade swords that are crossed on his back. Other than that, his skill in hand combat. Attitude: He's a shadowy character who is quick witted and knows what to say, when to say it, and what to do in most situations. He is determined to reach his goal and has no ties to anyone, since he has no one to make ties to. Apperance: He is a mix of a dragon and human. Dragon form: white scales, thin, wavy body, bluish-green mane that forms a line that goes to just below his neck and the same hair on the tip of his tail. Human form: White hair, black pull-over robe, black pants and no shirt. (and his weapons on his back) Bio: Tsimoru does not like to talk about his past, since he has had a rough one. His parents abadoned him and his older sister, who raise him. But she was assasinated when he was just turning 13, and left him to fend for himself. Soon, Tsimoru decided he needed something to get his mind off his self-pity because it showed weakness. So he decided to prove that he was NOT weak and dominate everyone to prove it. Character: The evil concorer(sp?).

Name: Chinirou Age: 13 Description: Standing at 5'1", Chinirou has red and black hair and wears baggy black pants and a 3/4-sleeve shirt (baggy sleeves). She always wears twin necklaces that have Chinese writing on them and one is red and one is tan. She hides her dagger under her left sleeve so that she can grab it quickly when the time comes. Personality: Chinirou is a shadowy character who rarely speaks and only speaks to make a wise crack or to give advise. She's very determined and cares much about her friends. Bio: Chinirou's parents died when her and her four sisters were still very young, so they went to live whith her grandparents. Chinirou had always been the outcast among her sisters. For one, she's the yougest. Also, three of her sisters are triplets, the prettiest girls in the town, and her oldest sister is the most perfect person anyone will ever meet. The first time Chinirou ever even knew about the dagger that had been sent to this part of her world, was when her grandfather told her the destiny that had been laid out for her. He had called her down from her bed one night, and once she was down, he handed her the most beautiful dagger she'd ever seen. the only problem was that it looked like a peice of a sword that had been loosely attached to a handle. It didn't even look like the maker tried to shape the end to fit into the handle. Still, it was beautiful. She wondered why her grandfather gave it to her over her sisters. He told her the story and how she was the only one the dagger reacted for. She grabbed the handle and the blade glew and ancent writing she couldn't read appeared on it. According to her grandfather, this ment the sword had chosen her to take it to it's other parts and save their world before it's too late. Hope it's ok ^_^".

[B]I don't know what catagory this would fit under really, but I think it would be Historical Event ^_^[/B] I think I'm going to enter this banner just to give the contest veriety ^_^. [img]http://www.uploadit.org/files2/171103-warbanner.JPG[/img]

Name: Naju Kikara Age: 13 Instrament: Laki (guitar) Description: Naju has spiked black hair, she wears black baggy pants, twin Chinese necklaces (one red, one tan) with Chinese writing on the beads, and a 3/4-sleeved shirt with baggy sleeves. She secretly wears a dagger on each arm under the sleeves, even though weapons were outlawed in her part of the demension. Personality: A shadowy character that rarely speaks and only speaks to make wise cracks or advise. She will go to any length to make sure her friends remain safe. Bio: Naju inherited Laki, the guitar, when she was born. She started playing at two and has baffled listeners with the sweet sound it can produce when used to its fullest. She has lived in the same spot all her life and has never been outside of her village. When her parents abandoned her and her older brother Rotcetorp (row-t-keh-torp), they soon lost the house and continued their lives on the streets. Naju's village was small and poor, so no one shared anything with one another. So, naturally, they ignored the five year old and ten year old on the street corner. This being the case, Rotcetorp stole food from the market and taught Naju to do the same. But, when Rotcetorp was caught one time, he was sentenced to death. Naju can still remember how he always went to any length to make sure she was ok, so she decided to do the same to her friends, in his memory. I hope its ok ^_^"!

Age: 17 Name: Kieko (yes, I'm being myself. Or, at least I think I can, can I?) Special charecteristics: She's a shadowy character, who rarely speaks, but, when she does speak, it's eather to make a wise crack or to give some help or advise. Apperance: Standing at 5' 3"she has spiked black hair, and dresses in a black shirt and somewhat baggy black pants. She always wears a red necklace and tan necklace, both exactly the same with Chinese writing on the beads. She also wears two daggers in each sleeve of her 3/4 sleeve- shirt. The sleeves are baggy, so it is easy for Kieko to reach her weapons and unleash her skill with them. Bio: Kieko, who lived in the Realm of Imagination, has never had very good parents. Up until she was eight, her parents killed and stole. They also took to going out and drinking and not coming home until late and chasing Kieko and her brothers around the house until they caught and beat them. Kieko tried her hardest to keep her brothers from following that example. One time, her parents came home, packed and left without saying anything or taking the kids with them. That night, a mob attacked the house and Kieko was forced to get her brothers and leave the backway. They then had to go to the Realm of Reality. Kieko raised her two brothers and taught them to fight/fend for themselves. But, one day when Kieko went out for a while and came back, they were gone, and never returned again. She met up with Arunue and became friends. She doesn't really trust or rely on anyone but herself, and is secretly glancing around for her brothers everywhere she goes. Is this ok?

Name: Shindi Age: 17 Gender: Female Race/Stone: vampire, the yellow stone, weather control based on mood. Discription: Standing at about 5'3, long blue hair, and fangs that show a little bit over her bottom lip (only at night because she can control them during the day), a striped black and white shirt, light purple skin, a blue tie, a wind breaker, and white/blue pants /a bat. Regular form: [img]http://www.uk-anime.net/images/lina.gif[/img] Bat form: [img]http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/bats.h2.gif[/img] Specil wepons/abilaties?: daggers: one on each leg.. Shindi is very skilled with the twin daggers she has, and (because of the stone) can control weather. She also has a deadly bite, being a vampire. Bio:Shindi is one of the few vampires that tries NOT to bite people. But, when she sees blood, the true vampire within comes out and she is no longer able to contain herself. She has the yellow stone, which is imbeded in her skin near her heart, and that allows her to control the weather based on her mood. When Shindi was five, her parents were killed by the villagers: they attacked them while they were sleeping, and Shindi's parents held them off while Shindi took her brother to a hill, only to turn to see their house and parents being burned to the ground. When her brother was six and she was eleven, her little brother was killed by a demon, whom tried to kill her, but knocked her out and left her bleeding and for dead. But a man came by and took care of her, and nursed her back to health. Then, when she was ready, he introduced her to the others. She doesn't like the fact that her companions are that of the races which killed her family, she barely likes the man that took her in. So, she trusts no one since there was no one to trust. I hope it's good ^_^.

go here: [url]http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22978[/url] If you look in the request forum right below this one, there are three very helpful threads for people making banners as well as those who aren't.

Those are some very good banners. I think some could use a border, but they look fine without one as well. AGH! All these great banners of Oh My Goddess make me want to see it more and more! lol. Great banners, though. I especially like the way you made one of the banner's edges frayed like that, good work!