Talon

[color=teal][i]Kit looked up from polishing hos sword, the moon's call beckoning him to look up, above the forested realm of nature. A cool, moist wind played across his pale skin, fluttering through his ivory hair. The breeze reminded him of his former home, a place he'd left on no uncertain terms a year and a half ago, immediately after his coming of age. Kit scowled. There was no way in the name of Akai that he was going back to Yul-Kash. Never, if he could help it. Akai....Kit smiled upon remembering the message plainly etched into the fallen god's skull, a reminder of days long, long past and a warning for days far, far yet to come. Or maybe not so far, Kit thought. Even now, he felt the skull beckoning him, calling him to it like an aroused lover waiting for her mate. Kit crushed that thought firmly behind a wall of hate. He had no use for petty things like sex. He'd had enough of that with his father hovering over him, leather strap in hand. He'd had enough of it when Jaimie'd gotten pregnant with that rebel's child. He smirked viciously as he reached into his back and pulled out the letter he'd gotten from her, begging him to come home and take care of the child she'd suddenly claimed was his. The child had red eyes. Eyes like that rebellious upstart. No way in Akai's name was that child his. She'd wanted him back ever since he grew a backbone, since he'd graduated as the best warrior Yul-Kash had to offer at the time. Ever since Mikhail had left her. Another, more vicious sneer replaced the smirk, and Kit knew it. He had yet to be bested by any who lived outside of Auro'shi's borders. Kit's clawed right hand curled into a vicious fist, sharp nails miraculously not cutting into his palm. Kit was prepared, Kit was ready. He lifted his pack, settled it across his back, and made sure his skintight tunic was settled properly on his body. He spared a tired, disgusted glance at the letter, now spread on the ground, and gave a quick spit. He never turned back. He didn't have to see the ink running like a lost maiden's cold, wet tears. He knew that's what it was doing.[/color][/i]

[color=teal][i]This was getting ridiculous. Main ran through the streets as fast as he could, trying to avoid battles as best he could. He wasn't watching where he was going, and he was barely aware of Tilbie doing her best to keep. So, naturally, he ran right into the crowd in front of [b]Fourth Avenue Cafe[/b]. Within seconds, he found himself behind a pair of odd spiders with two people, a child and a woman, facing off against them. Main looked up and saw yet another one of those odd messages appear in the sky.[/i] [b]Pincer Attack![/b] [i]Main, of course, stood in his sword drawn position. He mentally noted that he'd have to change it somehow or his arms would get tired in a long-winded battle. Once again, the command screen appeared as the chime was heard. This time, however, Main selected "Card".[/i] [b]Main:[/b] Dwelling within the heart of darkness lies victory! DARK MAGICIAN!! [i]A tall, purple-robed elfin mage appeared as the message "Dark Magic Attack" appeared at the top of the field. The mage pulled back his staff, causing a pulsating glow, until he thrust his staff forward, the blst nailing one of the spiders.[/i] [b]258 HP Damage.[/b] [i]The spider fell even as the other woman began to chant. Somehow, Main knew instinctively that his turn would come soon, but before it reached it, the woman's spell was complete.[/i] [b]Talisman:[/b] Vulcan's fury be upon you! Fire! [b]187 HP Damage[/b] [i]The black magic singed the spider, but it wasn't enough to kill it. One look at the creature's carapace told Main he would be unable to hack it with his sword, so once again, he selected Card. [/i] [b]Main:[/b] I don't rub salt in wounds, I use sulfur! MOLTEN ARROW!! [i]No message appeared this time as a mountain apparently rose from the ground, spitting lava to and fro until one particularly sharp projectile speared through the spider's back. The instant it hit, the mountain disappeared and the damage message appeared.[/i] [b]122 HP Damage[/b] [b]Main and party defeated Arachnia! 250 Exp. earned, 300 gil earned, Bracerx2 obtained, Potionx1 obtained![/b] [i]Main stared at the cafe as the world returned to normal.[/i] [b]Main:[/b]What the hell have I gotten myself into?[/color]

[color=teal][i]Main sat in the lobby, waiting for his form's verification. Of course, it had to be HIM that got saddled with this job. Oh, no, they couldn't pick that guy with the spiky blonde hair, no, he was busy saving the world from a falling meteor. Main sighed and turned in his seat to the guy next to him. The man, about eighteen or so, had a large gash extending across the bridge of his nose and under his eye, and he carried the wierdest sword Main had ever seen, some sort of cross between a gun and a blade.[/i] [b]Main:[/b] Why couldn't you do this job? [b]Man:[/b] .... [i]Main sighed and turned away, picking up his extraordinarily large sword and heading towards the counter, pulling out a card on the way. The instant he got there, an odd, white teddy-bear bat-looking thing with a pink fuzzy on its head handed him his forms, a bright red "APPROVED" stamped on them. Main sighed and sheathed his sword and placed the card back in the deck. No sense in killing needlessly. Main exited the City Hall of the Kingdom of Kingdom for the monster-infested streets and strode off to the nearest bar. Of course, this being an RPG, Main didn't get two steps before the world spun like crazy and he ended up facing something extraordinarily large. Finding himself with his sword held out in front of him, Main found he could not move. He tried his best to dodge the creatures attack, but failed and ended up wounded.[/i] [b]5 HP Damage[/b] [i]Main stared at the little white number hovering over his head before he heard an odd "ting", and suddenly, before his very eyes, appeared a small list of commands.[/i] [b]Attack Defend Card Swordplay Magic[/b] [i]Main shrugged and mentally chose 'Attack'. Without cause, he suddenly found himself launching forward, jumping into the air a bit, and bringing his blade down on the enemy. Main stared as his sword left a white slash trail in the creature that vanished, but little else. Above the creature appeared a similar phrase to his.[/i] [b]600 HP Damage[/b] [i]Main stared again, in his original postion on the "field", which he just noted expanded in all directions and had little in the way of landmarks, as the creature entered its death throes almost a full thirty seconds behind his attack. Main looked up and saw a white message in a blue box appear.[/i] [b]Main defeated Ogre! 30 EXP Earned, 50 Gil Earned, Potionx2 Obtained![/b] [i]With that, the world faded to black and Main found himself once agian walking the streets. Shaking his head, he headed for the bar. Gods knew he needed a drink![/i][/color]

[color=teal]Daermon, Yotska, I am sorry to tell you this, but I can not accept you into the fold. Everyone else, you're in. The RPG is starting soon. Look for it in the Adventure Arena.[/color]

[color=teal][i]There once was a peaceful kingdom, far, far away, where nobody went hungry, and everybody was happy. This kingdom lived under the rule of a magnificent monarch, who loved his people very, very much.... But this isn't about them. Nah, it's about another kingdom, much closer, but still kinda far away. This kingdom had lost its storyline. Yeah, we know, a kingdom can't live without its storyline, right? So the kingdom put out a whole bunch of flyers advertising a reward for whoever could find their storyline. One hero found one of these flyers, and since he had nothing better to do, set out to find the storyline. But this isn't even about THAT kingdom. No, it's about the guy that was currently searching for the city's lost plot. He took a wrong turn and ended up in yet ANOTHER kingdom, this one with a bigger problem. Some dude was destroying the world's elemental crystals. Again. This time, the adventurer got roped into it. Of course, he didn't know this was the city of his birth, or that a whole bunch of old friends who would recognize him were there. No. He had amnesia. Duh.[/i] -------------------------- Sign-ups -------------------------- We're sorry, all heroes and adventurers need to register with the "I Wanna Kick Some Monster Butt" office. Just fill out this form.... [b]Name:[/b] Duh. [b]Age:[/b] Of course. [b]Sex:[/b] ... [b]Class:[/b] If you're an adventurer, you know this. [b]Equip:[/b] Weapons you can equip. They'd better coincide with your class, or else! Anything from guns to fans, even ribbons. For dancers. PERVERT! [b]Magic:[/b] Black, white, red, or blue? Black is attack magic, white is status and curative magic, red is a mixture of both, and blue is enemy skills. But you already knew that. [b]Special Ability:[/b] SOmething like "Steal" or "Swordplay" or even "Dance". [b]Experience Level:[/b] How strong are you at this point in time? [b]Appearance:[/b] Include a photo or detailed description of yourself so our hormonally repressed bisexual secretaries can get SOME measure of relief. [b]Personality:[/b] You'd better not be like that last guy! Lemme tell ya... [b]Biography:[/b] What have you done up to this point? I'm just BETTING you're a big-breasted bimbo who's running a bar or some playboy gunslinger who's never shot anyone before....*snicker* ----------------------- Our HERO! ----------------------- "Damnit, not ANOTHER set of forms!" [b]Name:[/b] Main Kitsune Foxtail Ohkami Shinigami Saotome Ninetails Character. I hate my name. So just call me Main, Kit, or if you hate me, Character. [b]Age:[/b] 21 [b]Sex:[/b] No, thank you. [b]Class:[/b] Obligatory fighter with the coolest weapon in the gam-er..rpg. [b]Equip:[/b] A REEEEEEAAAAALLLY bigass sword, brass knuckles, or bare fists. [b]Magic:[/b] A few black magic spells, nothing much. [b]Special Ability:[/b] Card and Swordplay. I summon creatures with my cards, and I can use some serious sword techniques! [b]Experience Level:[/b] Level five. [b]Appearance:[/b] [URL=http://animemyworld.tripod.com/ranmayami.jpg]Click Here![/URL] [b]Personality:[/b] I'm cold, heartless, and I want to have an adventure. And some fries... [b]Biography:[/b] I...uh...can't remember. All I know is I woke up outside this freaky kingdom missing their storyline, went to look for it, took a wrong turn, and ended up here. Oh, and I can summon things with my necklace and my cards.[/color]

[color=teal][b]Name:[/b] Kit Talbain [b]Age:[/b]19 [b]Gender:[/b] Male. [b]Appearance:[/b] See attachment. [b]Personality:[/b] Kit is somewhat cold to those around him, having been betrayed again and again by the people he let close to him. He is slow to trust, and even slower to love those he does trust. He is, however, extremely loyal and would willingly die without thought for what he believes in. Kit is insanely focused and is relentless in battle. [b]History:[/b] Kit grew up in a somewhat sheltered environment, naturally, being from Yul-kash. However, this was a downfall to the poor child. he had nobody to run to. At the age of eight, he was repetetively raped by his own father, a man he loved unconditionally, night after endless night. It was only Kit's first taste of betrayal. Soon after, Kit was taken away to his mother, who had divorced Kit's father for being a rather "disrespectful man". Soon after, she was found dead with slit wrists. Yet another taste of betrayal for the poor young boy. Kit sealed himself up, ignoring everything around him, until he first fell in love. He was twelve. She was eleven. And she acted perfectly as if she was head over heels in love with him, as he really was with her. He thought the world was perfectly alright, that his past betrayals didn't matter so long as she was there as he told her all of his life story. She'd been paid. She didn't really love him. He found out when rumors about his life story began circulating through his school. Things that he'd only told her were public knowledge. But the nail in the coffin was the news that he'd been raped by his father. With that, Kit knew he'd been had, and forswore girls for another three years. His next love had cheated on him, getting pregnant with a grown man's child while she herself was only fourteen. Kit forswore women completely and began a hateful life of the blade. He took up martial arts. Within a few years, he was the most formidable warrior Yul-kash had, and he passed his test of adulthood with flying colors. Painful memories with him, he left Yul-kash on a cleansing journey that took him across Akai'Teth, eventually leading him to the remains of Akai himself. It was there that Kit realized what he was, why his life had been a living hell. It was the work of the Gods, who were trying to kill this believer in Akai. Then and there, Kit swore to destroy all the Gods who had killed the peaceful one and bring peace back, even if it cost Kit his life. [b]God:[/b] Aquarius [b]Realm:[/b] Yul-kash. [b]Weapons:[/b] Kit is a martial artist, first and foremost, though he was trained by a few followers of the Nature Goddess in the ways of the sword. He knows only one spell, and that is merely a water-repleneshing spell for long journeys. [u][i]Takka, Rahzar:[/u][/i] Kit wears a pair of bronze bracers that enhance his strength just slightly, making up for his lack of armor and increasing his lethality in a fight. They are engraved with dragons and take the entire length of each of his forearms. [i][u]Arashi:[/u][/i] A katana seemingly made from water, it is an incredibly strong blade. Kit cannot use it in extremely hot environments. [i][u]Ago:[/u][/i] "Needle", these twin sai are exceptional weapons that Kit can employ flawlessly. They are simple damascus steel sai, nothing special. [b]Spells:[/b] [u][i]Banish Thirst:[/u][/i] A simple spell for long, arduous adventures, it simply allows Kit to refill his canteen whenever he is running low in water.[/color] ~~~~~ Hope ya like it, Imi-chan!

[color=slategray][i]Duo sighed in resignation as Heero and the others took off in their suits, his own still in desperate need of a camera. Duo shook his head, allowing the alcohol in his system to flush itself and the cheerful mask to fall into a more natural scowl. He needed to be sober so he could go on a death rampage later. At least, that's what he wanted to tell himself. His heart kept throbbing in his chest, from neither the alcohol or the feeling of Heero's fist imprinting itself into his face. Duo felt....hurt. A brief beeping resonated through the hangar, and Duo leapt for it, tucking his diary into his jacket. Duo reached the ground level easily, finding his laptop beeping. He had mail. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Duo was getting a little suspicious. Almost the instant he was alone, he recieved e-mail from an anonymous source. It stank the stnech of "TRAP!!", but Duo really didn't have a choice. Which was why he was currently riding a Harley Davidson. It registered in his mind that it had been Imogen's favorite bike, a fact he'd learned in their brief talk during his last stint in the slammer before Deathscythe had been destroyed. Duo sighed. Nothing he did could get her out of his mind. What the HELL had made him say that? Duo sighed as he pulled up to the warehouse, seemingly abandoned, and stepped off the bike. Shaking his leather jacket off and tucking his helmet into the crook of his arm, Duo pulled his gun out and cautiously entered. The instant he entered, the flourescent lights sang, illuminating the cavernous maw of abandoned space before him. Or rather, under normal circumstances, it would be abandoned. Now, however, the space was occupied by.....[/color][/i] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bwahahaha....bask in my cliffhanger evil!

[color=teal]Yes, please.[/color]

[color=teal]"Read me a story, Daddy!" "Okay, pumpkin. Which story did you want me to read?" "I wanna hear about the Dream Princess!" "Okay, sweetie. Let's see...." [i]Far, far away and once upon a time, At the end of a song, at the end of a rhyme, A princess who danced on skies blue and seas gray, Found herself dancing where the sweet dreams lay. She saw dragons fly and heard princesses sing, She lived robin song and felt sleigh bells ring. Entranced by it all, she saw worlds come to be. All this she saw within the endless Dream Sea. She woke from her nap and she saw a new world. Before her very eyes, many new sights unfurled. The scent of the ocean and the call of the sky, Within her heart lived beauty she couldn't deny. She listened to the birds, she felt for the sun. Through her dreams in many fields did our princess run. Finding herself within the dreamland once more, She snuggled her bear, with Daddy closing the door.[/i] "Good night, angel. Sweet dreams."[/color]

[color=slategray][i]Duo entered the room, grumbling, mumbling, and generally bemoaning his existence. Wufei turned and stared at him as he collected an alcoholic drink, whiskey, from the fridge and slugged the whole bottle in one shot. Wufei's eyes bugged out.[/i] [b]Wufei:[/b] WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF?!?! [i]Duo simply stared at Wufei before the alcohol took effect and shrugged before grabbing a Long Island Iced Tea, slugging that back faster than the whiskey. As he turned to sit at the table, Wufei gathered the sight of an angry red handprint along the side of Duo's face. Insert face smack here.[/i] [b]Wufei:[/b] ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU ARE POISONING YOUR BODY OVER A BAKA ONNA?!?! WHO WAS IT?!?! [i]Duo mumbled something incoherent as Heero entered the room and stared at Duo for a moment before cocking his fist back and slamming it into Shinigami's face. This being done, Duo allowed his eyes to roll up into the back of his head as he submitted to the effects of being drunk. Wufei stomped off to find Imogen, who was nursing her hand in Duo's room. As she cradled her hand, she read from a black book that Wufei recognized as Duo's diary. At that, Wufei exploded.[/i] [b]Wufei:[/b]HOLY CHIRST, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!? THAT STUPID IDIOT OUT THERE'S GONE AND DRUNK HIMSELF TO UNCONSCIOUSNESS!!! IT'S THE FIRST TIME HE'S EVER HAD ANYTHING WITH ALCOHOL IN IT, WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!?! [i]At Imogen's lack of reply, Wufei stared and muttered to words before exploding once more.[/i] [b]Wufei:[/b] Baka onna....[/color]

[color=teal]It would be greatly appreciated if someone could make a banner with the two attachments with this post. All I need is the slogan "Men Don't Cry. They Get Even." or something to that effect, I'll leave it to the artist's discretion. I only need guys in this banner, for obvious reason. Thanks much in advance![/color]

[color=teal][i]Chain led his small party into the inn, his face twitching rather quickly in annoyance. Silently, he asked Farore what he had done to deserve this, and how he'd let himself get roped into allowing to girls to travel with him. Let alone to chatterboxes (to him, anyway) like Imogen and Meiko. Sighing, Chain paid for the room and the two girls walked up the stairs to their room. Chain, sighing in relief, walked into the bar of the inn. That tavern's food had been okay, but they served lousy portions. It completely slipped Chain's mind to remind himself that ever since his training under his master, his metabolism considered ten plates of food to be a decent snack. Entering the bar and drawing his rupee pouch, Chain ordered one of everything the bar served, plus a warm sake. No matter where he was, Chain couldn't live without the rice wine. His master had given him a taste for it. It was a shame he'd had to leave the Land of the Wa for Calatia. It wasn't necessarily a lie he'd told Meiko he was from Calatia, merely a misdirection. Chain smiled as he sipped his sake, eating his food at a (for him) slow pace. He pointedly ignored the stares he was bringing himself. Something was bothering him about it, though. Sure, he always brought stares when he ate in public, but never this many. Looking up, he saw a portrait drawing of his father, the "wanted" symbol standing out in bold print. The image looked almost exaclty like Chain. Chain smiled.[/i] [b]Chain:[/b] Bar brawl. My style. [i]He casually leaned his head to the side as a rather large sword, about two feet in width, came down upon his hardened armor. And broke. Chain was miffed about the tear in his leather jacket, though. He stood and turned, decking the spiky-headed blonde guy who'd been holding the overlarge sword out of the way casually before sidling over to a man in a lincoln green tunic drawing a bead on him with a bow. Chain grinned as the arrow embedded itself in his jacket's shoulder. Oh, yes. This was going to be fun![/i] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I had to throw a couple of cameos in. Guess who they are and you get a cookie![/color]

[color=teal][i]The thunder rolled ominously as Jack Archer slept calmly and lightly, safely in his childhood room. His leave from the service was going to last a few more, heavenly weeks. In his sleep, Jack barely registered the ringing phone, his mother's footsteps echoing downstairs, and the sound of the phone leaving its cradle. He heard the sobs. He heard his mother repeating "No! No no no!" as she broke down and sobbed, his father cradling her and shushing her before taking the phone. Jack heard his father swear as he entered the hallway. His father had, in all of Jack's twenty-three years, never cursed. Jack hastily walked downstairs, his eyes opening widely as he took in the sight of his mother and father, the former sobbing hysterically, the latter holding the phone out, his face set in anger. Jack took the phone.[/i] [b]Jack:[/b] Jack Archer speaking. [i]Jack's schooled features quickly degenerated as he ehard the news. He was required at the base at 08:00 hours, no questions asked. Jack dropped the phone on the cradle even as the twins entered the room. As they latched onto his legs, he looked up and sighed.[/i] [b]Arielle:[/b] Jack....would you..? [b]John:[/b] Son, would ya like to drop the twins off before you leave? [i]Jack merely nodded as he hugged Sara and Cherie, kissing their foreheads. He grabbed an instant camera and pushed his family together for a picture, putting the result in his wallet. He sent the twins up to bed, they only had an hour before they had to leave and he had to go. As he entered his room to put on his BDU, tears slid down his face. Jack hadn't been home a week and already he had to leave his family behind. At least he wasn't seeing anybody.[/color][/i]

[color=teal][i]Link surveyed all of Hyrule below him. From the Thieve's Desert to the southwest, to Spectacle Rock just underneath the entrance to the very tower he stood atop. A cold, evil grin spread across his face. Perhaps there would be some fun in this after all... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chain slugged his water, staring forward, rather blankly, across the expanse of the ocean before him. Beyond that ocean lay Calatia. Beyond that ocean was his mother, perhaps standing upon a beach and wondering how he was. Chain sighed and picked up his pack, shrugging his armor more comfortably onto his body. Goddesses, did it hurt! Chain shook his head and pulled out the poster, looking around the port town he was in The castle was a few days' march north, a single day's ride. Chain looked into his rupee purse and nodded. He had enough to pay for fare, and then some. Perhaps he'd sit in at the tavern and enjoy a good meal for once. It had been months, actually, since he'd had a meal cooked by his mother. That goddesses-damned voyage on the boat had taken forever. Another sigh echoed from Chain's lips as his thoughts turned to his mother's cooking. Farore, what he wouldn't do for some good cooking, he thought as he entered the local tavern of Fabul Port. A quick meal and then a ride to the palace. CHain rubbed his hands, hitched his swords up, and strode in confidently...[/i][/color]

[color=teal][i]Finally! An RPG where I get to use my mage![/i] [b]Name:[/b] Minuet Diggers, nicknamed Dio. [b]Age:[/b] 21 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Appearance:[/b] See attachment for both personalities. [b]Weapon:[/b] Vampire Killer, the Holy-imbued whip sworn to destroy all creatures of darkness. It is the whip in Dio's hands.[img]http://classicgaming.com/castlevania/art/fanart1/sawamari.gif[/img] [b]Spellcasting Ability:[/b] Dio is somewhat proficient with spells due to a magic incident that occured when he was twelve. Now, under the moonlight, a new personality surfaces. However, he knows only one spell, an instinctive spell, due to the fusion of the dragon spirit with his own. [b]Spells:[/b] [u]Dragon Slave:[/u][/color] [i][color=crimson]?Darkness beyond twilight, Crimson beyond blood that flows, Buried in the stream of time is where your power flows. I pledge myself to conquer All the foes who stand Before the mighty power bestowed in my unworthy hands... DRAGON SLAVE!!?[/i][/color][color=teal] The only spell Dio knows by heart, it uses the spirit of the dragon sealed within him (the nighttime personality) to fire a tremendous blast of energy at the opponents. [b]Bio:[/b] Minuet was a sickly child, never really a very active boy. Being a frail young man, Dio was quickly forced to books to pass the time. One day, in the library, shortly after his twelfth birthday, the child found himself a scroll that outlined how a weak person could be made strong by infusing him with a dragon's strength. Taking the scroll to his father's friend, a mage named Ingram, Minuet was eager to become a stronger boy. Ingram's runic circle was off by one character when the spell was summoned. Nobody noticed it until it was too late, but the damage had been done. Though it did not seem like it at the time, for before them stood a much more imposing figure. Indeed, Minuet seemed to have become stronger and less frail. That night, they realized to Minuet's horror just what had really happened. Instead of bonding just a dragon's strength to his body, the bonded a dragon's SPIRIT to his own, creating a dual personality. By day, he would be reckless, excitable, and somewhat cold. At night, however, he was calm, collected, and centered, but somehow, even more cold than the daylight half. Because of this, he earned the nickname "Dio", a shortened version of the dragon's name Diomedes. Now, years later, Dio's just searching for something to do with his life. This seems like a perfect opportunity.[/color]

[color=teal][i]Koryu was resting peacefully, as peacefully as he could, in the harsh desert. It should be odd, he thought. He should have been screaming his lungs bloody, should have tried to curl up and cry at the images before him, the memories that weren't his. Yet he didn't. For some reason, they comforted him. Koryu sighed and settled deeper into his sleep. But he was denied. Some part of his mind, long locked away, surfaced just a little. Before Koryu really knew what he was doing, he found Arashi in his hand and a smirk on his face, the blade pressing just barely against Hoshi's crotch. Hoshi's blade, however, was a full inch away from Koryu's heart. A line, a zinger from somewhere in his memories, came to the fore.[/i] [b]Koryu:[/b] Ah, ah, aah, Hoshi. You get close to the kill, but when next we fight, you sing soprano. [i]Hoshi audibly gasped as Koryu banished Arashi to its subspace pocket and pulled the sleeping bag over his head, summoning a pleasantly gentle rain to help him sleep. Somehow, some way, the beating of rain on the ground, even in the desert, always made him more comfortable, as if he couldn't quite live without it. Koryu sighed, this time in happiness, as he settled into the sleep he knew would bring more strange memories, yet he was completely calm about it. Hoshi, meanwhile, was standing stock-still, a strange grin on his face. It was happening. Slowly, but surely, his brother was coming back. It was happening a day at a time, but dear Kami-sama, it was happening! Now, if only they could find their other brother. Hoshi's face turned to a contemplative look as they wondered where their wayard kin had gone. Both were completely ignorant of the new company they were about to keep.[/color][/i]

[color=slategray][i]Duo was still smiling as he climbed off of his wrecked mobile suit, leaping to the ground. He was still smiling as he calmly drank a soda, courtesy of a refridgerator that Wufei kept in the safehouses they always seemed to need. He was even still smiling while Wufei tore him a new one about battling allies and being a cocky little bastard. He was still, STILL smiling as he stripped off his flight suit and took a shower, meeting the new crew and an old friend. After that, Duo just smiled his smile and walked into his room, shutting the door. The lock didn't trip. Duo stopped smiling and pulled out his diary. It hurt, everything hurt now, almost as badly as it hurt before. Why was he hurting so much? Why didn't it hurt as badly? Did he really miss combat that much? Did he miss the thrill of fighting for his life, knowing there was a better opponent in a better mobile suit about to tear him apart? No. He'd felt combat thrill, but he didn't enjoy the idea of killing any more now than he did during the war nearly three, four years ago. No, what he was feeling was emptiness. Emptiness at what, though? At this point, Duo had looked up from his diary and sighed, unaware that he was recording his thoughts aloud. Duo sighed as he remembered, rather fondly, the girl with the emerald hair. Oh, how he'd enjoyed her company those few hours when he'd been captured. Certainly he'd known her from those battles, she'd been one of the few that did not rely on her vulcans in a fight. He'd enjoyed the brief conversation before he left, oh how he'd enjoyed it! Somebody else who'd become a soldier, been forced into a battle they never really wanted a part of, and they understood each other. He remembered, quite well, the moment she'd left him alone after he smiled in that room. The other guards had beaten him, sorely, and after that he'd had to hide himself and his Gundam because he knew Oz would recognize him, though it didn't do much good as the very next day, he'd been forced into a horrifying depression from watching as Trowa Barton, a fellow Gundam pilot, destroyed Duo's beloved Deathscythe with one of Oz's new weapons. It wasn't the beating in particular he'd remembered, no, he'd had numerous beatings. A street rat before he'd been found by the Maxwell Church, he'd suffered much physical abuse from others like him. No, he remembered that particular beating in excruciating detail. All because he'd had to hide the bruises and pain underneath a cheeky smile and a thumbs up. [b]By the way, babe, call me Shinigami...and don't you forget it.[/b] Duo looked up and rubbed his eyes, staggering as he saw the time on his wall chrono. He'd written a whole three hours away in a memory!! He smiled slightly, voicing aloud his opinion that perhaps SHE was the reason the emptiness didn't hurt so much anymore, that he'd found her again. He turned around to get a drink and staggered once more, so surprised was he that he failed to hitch his mask of cheerfulness into place, revealing to the person before him all of the tiredness and pain he felt. Before Duo Maxwell stood a crying Imogen Nesbitt. A girl who'd been listening in after finding his door unlocked, who'd been listening since he started to remember.....her.[/i][/color]

[color=teal]Just one long run, no pain to feel. Outrunning a life I don't want to be real. Preparing myself, I don't like what I see, In that eternal mirror resting inside of me. Stabbed in the back by those I'd trust, Fighting my family for what I know I must. Against all odds, this moment is key, Baring the eternal mirror for all to see. Father, my mother, all my siblings dear, My friends and my love, lost to me, I fear. Driven away, as though thrown out to sea, I dredge these memories from inside of me. Driven to namelessness, lost to the sands, Sold away naked to the cruel world's demands. Clothing myself in the hide of a new me, The eternal mirror, for none save I to see. A new name, a new life, the old left to rot, As once they left me in my anger so hot. Tossing away the rags that all could see, I strive for the glory of the man I must be.[/color]

[color=slategray][i]Duo was getting pissed. Chloe had commed in on his system, from where, he didn't know, but Duo didn't really give a flying frag. No, what had Duo concerned was the gang of oddly familiar mobile suits storming towards him, weapons out. Practically screaming hostility, Duo triggered the Vernier engines, activating his suit's prolonged flight mechanism. Duo grinned as he fired up the knife in his right hand, his fingers almost lovingly caressing the toggles on the console, Phalanx dashing forward towards the slender mech hovering above the others. The party backed off, seeing the two pilots engage in combat, Duo holding his own, albeit grudgingly, against the whip-wielding Akaria in his own knife-happy Phalanx. Back and forth, the two flickered across the sky in a maddening duel for supremacy. Unbeknownst to all save the pilots themselves, their was a bit of a conversation going on between the two on a private channel.[/i] [b]Duo:[/b] Well, I'll be damned, you're pretty good. For a girl, that is. [i]Duo slinked that out with his casual, I'm-the-best-and-everyone-knows-it-but-you smirk, his right hand reaching back and flicking his braid over his shoulder. Imogen bit back a retort, up until Duo did that. No way in Hell was she going to be shown up by a bishonen like him! Of course, it completely slipped her mind that she'd seen this boy's face before. But she couldn't care less if she was fighting Duo Maxwell himself. Which she didn't realize she was....[/i] [b]Imogen:[/b] Pretty good? Ha! I'm not even trying hard.... [i]Damn! There was that smirk again![/i] [b]Duo:[/b] Well, sweetheart, I'll just have to make you try harder, ne? [i]Duo was as good as his word. Before the eyes of everyone present, Phalanx ceased action for a moment, flipping its shield over its shoulder, onto its back. As the left hand withdrew, it grasped an odd cylinder on the top-inside of the kite shield, pulling out a long, glowing beam sabre. Duo flipped his beam knife upside down, assuming a perfect blade-fighter stance in midair. Imogen, infuriated, dashed forward to give Duo what was coming to him. Which, of course, she managed wonderfully, if a bunch of missed attacks was what he had coming to him. Imogen smiled ferally, recognizing at last what that niggling sensation at the back of her mind was. She recognized the make of Duo's modified ship. A Taurus. Her opponent was flying a modified Taurus. And no matter how many mods you attached to a Taurus, it still had one huge, glaring weakness. A Taurus had little in the way of armor. And there was no way a Taurus as manuevarable as she was fighting had a decent amount of armor, even for a Taurus. Which meant her opponent was about to meet his untimely demise to a rather long whip to the back. Imogen dashed forward, hoping the Taurus would take the bait and fly over her. It did. After that, everything happened in a haze. Her whip flew up, piercing the Taurus' camera module in the head, totally destroying its pilot's abilities. You can't fly blind. As she brought her whip back for the final blow to the cockpit, a long, draconic hand grasped her weapon. Akaria's camera tracked the length of the incredibly linear arm, shock evident in her face as she beheld the awesome sight of the Altron Custom, Gundam Unit 04, piloted by Wufei Chang.[/i] [b]Wufei:[/b] That's enough!! There is no need for this senseless fighting!! Duo, why can't you hold that triggerfinger of yours in check for a single encounter! I swear, it's like you've got a deathwish! [i]A low chuckle emanated from the comm of the defeated Phalanx.[/i] [b]Duo:[/b]Heh. If you're joking, that's cruel, but if you're being sarcastic, that's even worse. [i]Wufei wisely refrained from commenting on that as he manipulated the Altron's controls into dragging the, for all intents and purposes, carcass of the formerly awesome Phalanx. Duo ejected and rose up to ride near the shattered camera, the comm on his suit active as he rode, a gentle smile on his face as he looked at the Earth sunset for the first time in over two years, and a low whisper, heard by all nonetheless, escaped his lips.[/i] [b]Duo:[/b]I'm Duo Maxwell....I run, I hide, but I never tell a lie....who am I, really? Have I forgotten after so long? I've missed too many sunsets.... [i]Oddly, that moment stuck with Imogen. How could a pilot so horrifyingly defeated be in such a good mood?! It just wasn't right. Then it struck her that she'd attacked Duo Maxwell, reconstuctor and reparations master of the L2 colonies. Imogen needed some aspirin, and bad.[/color][/i]

[color=royalblue][i]Koryu was having fun. Admittedly, it's hard not to have fun while running across hot sands at over a hundred miles per hour, but then, to Koryu, today was a rare treat. With a slight ripple and a growl that sounded somewhat like a chuckle, Koryu exploded across the sands, a black streak against the tan horizon of the desert. With another ripple of his shoulder muscles, Koryu was rocketing back the way he came. Now, Koryu was no werecheetah. With the exception of his friend Brittany Diggers, there weren't any left. Well, unless you counted that living golem Raphael, but naturally, Britanny Diggers was the last werecheetah. Not that it was particularly saddening, no, she and her husband Strype were working on that matter. Still, Koryu may not have been a werecheetah, but he was a werepanther. While not a fast as a werecheetah, Koryu had a hell of a lot more stamina and strength. Meaning, in his hybrid form, he could run, flat out, for a full hour and a half and lift roughly ten tons. Hell, Brittany had said something about benchpressing oil tankers to build up her strength, but Koryu beat her out, even without his extensive training. Which explains why Koryu was rocketing around Seer's Desert as fast as he was. Though in and of itself, running wasn't fun, what Koryu was doing was. Koryu, at the moment, was in his full panther form and running as fast as he could, but this was where it got fun. His master had rigged him up with a CD player from Earth, Britanny's home. Hoshi-sensei had given him a strap that held firm, the headphones of the CD player would remain in his ears regardless of his form. And right now, Koryu was bobbing and weaving across the sands to a particularly rapid song, Faint, by a band called Linkin Park. Koryu gave a brief, passing thought to where the hell they came up with that name as he shifted into his shirtless hybrid form, exploding into a kata to the song...[/i] "[b]I am[/b] A little bit of loneliness, A little bit of disregard. Handful of complaints, But I can't help the fact That everyone can see these scars." [i]Koryu leapt twenty feet in the air, tucking his feet to his chest and somersaulting in the air. As his head turned to face the ground, he thrust his legs out in a scissor kick to an invisible opponent's throat.[/i] "[b]I am[/b] What I want you to want, What I want you to feel. But it's like no matter what I do, I can't convince you To just believe this is real!" [i]Koryu landed, immediately sweeping the sand and his nonexistent opponent. As he returned to a standing position, he thrust his palms into where his falling opponent's ribs would be.[/i] "[b]So I[/b] Let go, watching you Turn your back like you always do Face away and pretend that I'm not But I'll be here, 'cause you're all that I got!" [i]Koryu brought his knee up, breaking his opponent's back, then swept his hand back so that his forearm blocked a blow form another one.[/i] "[u]I can't feel The way I did before. Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored Time won't heal This damage anymore... Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored![/u]" [i]Koryu spun his opponent, dropping him and putting a knife-edge palm into his neck in a would-be death strike.[/i] "[b]I am[/b] A little bit insecure, A little unconfident, 'Cause you don't understand I do what I can, But sometimes I don't make sense." [i]Koryu drew his sword to block another attack from behind, then shifted his sword and turned an attack from the front into a lethal riposte.[/i] "[b]I am[/b] What you never want to say But I've never had a doubt. It's like no matter what I do, I can't convince you For once just to hear me out." [i]Koryu spun and met an invisible block from his shadow opponent, and spun on his left heel, bringing his blade and right heel up, slamming his would-be opponent's blade into himself, killing him.[/i] "[b]So I[/b] Let go, watching you Turn your back like you always do. Face away and pretend that I'm not, But I'll be here 'cause you're all I got"! [i]Koryu swept his feet again, this time rolling back to dodge a hammer blow.[/i] "[u]I can't feel The way I did before. Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored Time won't heal This damage anymore... Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored![/u]" [i]Koryu stood once more, he brought his blade up, slicing his opponent in half.[/i] "[u][b]No!! Hear me out now!!! You're gonna listen to me, Like it or not!!! Right now!!![/u][/b]" [i]Koryu dropped his blade back into stuff space, leaping into the air once again and focusing his energy into the clouds above.[/i] "[u][b]Hear me out now!!! You're gonna listen to me, Like it or not!!! Right now!!![/u][/b]" [i]Rain began to pour around Koryu's training field as the martial artist slammed his elbows into yet another shadow.[/i] "[u]I can't feel The way I did before. Don't turn your back on me, [b]I won't be ignored!!![/b][/u]" [i]Koryu dropped a painful knee into a fallen opponent's back, then swept the feet from under his unseen elbow-slammed opponent.[/i] "[u]I can't feel The way I did before. Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored Time won't heal This damage anymore... Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored![/u]" [i]Koryu began to wind down, slowing into a kata of kicks and punches for a few minutes.[/i] "[u]I can't feel.... Don't turn your back on me! I won't be ignored![/u]" [i]Koryu slammed his knee high up, thrusting his palms to either side, then spun on his planted foot, bringing his knee around in a bone-shattering temple slam.[/i] "[u]Time won't heal... Don't turn your back on me! I won't be ignored![/u]" [i]Koryu brought his knee to the ground from the slam, and cooled his blood from the exertion. A feral grin on his feline face, Koryu shifted into his panther form once again, exploding back towards his master's camp, unaware of the eyes that watched him and his still-pumping summoned downpour. As Koryu entered camp, he shifted to his preferred human form, the energy from the numerous transformations in one day hitting him like a ton of bricks, leaving him exhausted. A smile graced Hoshi-sensei's face as Koryu stumbled into the bath, undressing for what would now be a chore for the martial artist. Perhaps tonight, Hoshi's former brother would reawaken to his old self. Maybe, maybe not...[/i][/color] ~~~~~~~~~ Credit where credit is due. I don't own Linkin Park or Faint, but they're both awesome. Therefore, I disclaim any rights to any money the above post might net the artists and song in question. Now that that's outta the way, I've been listening to LP for too long.... [b]Edit:[/b]Gah....sorry, Flynn. I was NOT working on all my gears right then. I'm not right now, either. Sleep gooooooood.....

[color=slategray][i]Duo Maxwell was not your average teen. Not by a long shot. He was a young man with a braid, often dressed in a priest's garb, and always wearing a mask of cheerfulness. But that wasn't why he wasn't normal. Albeit, for that, he is somewhat odd, but the real strangeness is his abilities. Duo Maxwell was a pilot, and a damned good one at that. No, his strangeness was in what he used to pilot. Deathscythe, Gundam Unit 02. And Duo couldn't help but wish for that gundam at this point in time. As it was, he was busy fighting atmospheric friction in the old shuttle he'd requisitioned from a former OZ base. Duo smiled briefly at the irony of that as he came down towards the beacon flashing in the Arizona desert. Duo grinned.[/i] [b]Duo:[/b] God damnit, Wufei, you just HAD to beat me to the new hangar again. Well, Phalanx, let's land and get our act together. I have a feeling things are gonna get hectic soon. [i]Duo stared at the news report repeating on his handheld mini-tv. He was about ready to cry, but he hid that behind his mask, just like he did the massacre at the Maxwell Church. Duo toggled a switch on Phalanx's control panel, shattering the hull of the shuttle he and his mobile suit were resting in and ejecting from the resulting wreckage. Entering a dive, Duo hit the thrusters just in time to prevent gravity stress in his knee joints as he hit the area next to the hangar where he and Wufei were setting up a base where they could tweak their suits for Earth combat. Duo was completely unaware that his recent landing had shown up on radar at another compound in the Arizona desert, and so, failed to act accordingly as an emerald-haired girl named Imogen ordered his suit tracked down. No, Duo was just looking forward to trading stories with his old war buddy. And getting a nice nap, Hilde could be a big BITCH sometimes.[/color][/i]

[center][u][color=royalblue][font=palatino linotype]Though darkness may overwhelm you, there is always hope. When all is clouded, look to the cleansing rain....[/color][/center][/u][/font] [center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center] [color=royalblue][i]Koryu Kurohyou stared out at the expanse of desert with his one good eye for the thousandth time that month. He knew that it wouldn't change, no matter how many rainstorms he summoned. The land was not choked of life, persay, no, this desert had a life all its own, it just didn't need the vegetation that Koryu was trying to lend it. Koryu sighed, drawing in his arcane energies once more, misting the landscape even as his sensei entered his rather limited line of sight. A smile tugged at the corners of Koryu's mouth. His master, ever the clown, had finally gotten his own a few days ago. In the form of a rather "shocking" bath full of the lingering effects of a particularly nasty Dejin Hadou Ken right into the bathing pool. Rather than a beating, though, Koryu had gotten a clap on the back as Hoshi-sensei whooped to the desert that his pupil was FINALLY learning.That was days ago, however. Koryu nodded at his master's subtle command, exploding into a graceful kata, so fluid it made water look like molasses, so graceful it made a swan look like a bear. Though it was a beautiful dance to behold, it was deadly, a dance of death. A show of beauty that hid within itself a lethal danger. The kata continued for a length of two hours, and as Koryu ceased his movements, his master nodded.[/i] [b]Hoshi:[/b] Very, very good, Koryu. You have exceeded my expectations. You're a master in every way. We'll leave this place at the end of the week, for Seer's Hamlet. We need to tell Dryad and Undine of your remas..er...graduation. [i]Koryu merely nodded, oblivious to his master's slip, and moved to the bathing pond, putting his hand in it to make certain his master hadn't Frosted it over while Koryu was being inattentive. Nodding briefly at the temperature of the water, Koryu jumped in, relaxing completely. Nothing, nothing at all, could worry him at the moment. Not the mischievous gleam in his master's eye, not the everyday nagging feeling at the back of his skull that he was more than he seemed, and definitely not his inability to keep a girlfriend for more than a week. That certainly didn't bother Koryu, to him, the Art came first. After that came his family, and after that...well, after that came the Edge Guard. Koryu smiled gently to himself as he remembered his friend Sheila's grin when he said he would return and join the Edge Guard and make her proud. Briefly, he entertained thoughts of what Sheila would say if he beat that kami-blasted womanizing weretiger she loved so much into a pulp before the heat of the springs lulled him into a sleep...[/i] [center]-------------------------------------[/center] [i][u]Koryu stood, staring at a shattered mirror in the middle of an intense darkness. Around him, there was nothing. Just that shattered mirror. Before his eyes, however, the spider-webbed cracks seemed to heal themselves, and Koryu looked on in horror as he saw his reflection. It wasn't him. It was a shadow he couldn't see, but Koryu knew it wasn't him.[/i] [b]Reflection:[/b] Koryu... [b]Koryu:[/b] Who...who are you? [i]The reflection laughed. It wasn't unpleasant to koryu, who found the person in the mirror to be oddly familiar.[/i] [b]Reflection:[/b] That isn't important, Koryu. HE is awakening. [i]Koryu couldn't explain why that single pronoun made him shiver like a newborn babe in a snowstorm, but it terrified him. Koryu looked up, remembering his creed as a martial artist of the Storm class, and nodded once. The reflection smiled, though Koryu didn't know how he knew a shadow was smiling. Suddenly, the shadow dissipated into... Koryu gasped. It looked like him, ages older. With a few small differences, however. Where Koryu's hair was short and framed his face, the reflection had a long, smooth ponytail. Where Koryu's eyes were a gentle, almost stormy blue like the sky before a summer rain, the reflection's uncovered eye, for the right eye, Koryu's blind one, was covered with a black patch, glowed a brilliant gray, like the roils of a fierce autumn storm. Koryu's jeans and jacket combination almost matched the red-and-black armor that the figure wore. And at its side... Arashi. The sword that Koryu himself wore strapped to his back. Koryu was about to question the refelction about it when...[/i][/u] [center]-------------------------------------[/center] [i]Hoshi laughed maniacally as his charge spluttered in the mouthful of snow he'd dumped on the boy. A quick, baleful glare later, and Koryu was completely dressed for sleep. He couldn't place it, but he felt that he'd dreamed something important. If only he could remember it... Koryu shrugged and settled into his tent for bed, completely unaware of his sensei outside snapping his fingers in frustration.[/i] [b]Hoshi:[/b] Dangit!! I thought for SURE it'd work this time! Koryu, I'll wake you up yet![/color]

[color=teal] This will start when Ron gets his butt up and posts his sign-up, which ought to be soon. I'm sorry, SadAngel and Overlord_Ray, but you didn't make the cut. Everyone else, be prepared to post soon. Eternity, you're in, too. *drools at the post quality*[/color]

[color=teal][b]Name:[/b] Jack Archer [b]Age:[/b] 23 [b]Country:[/b] America [b]Occupation:[/b] Special Forces - Infantryman [b]Appearance:[/b] See attachment. [b]Bio:[/b] Born to a wealthy family in Maine, Jack excelled at anything hands-on. A very smart individual, when Jack was ten, his father took him on a world-wide trip to many schools, universities, and libraries, expanding Jack's knowledge. However, one library really caught Jack's notice, a library in a Shaolin monastery. This library contained many scrolls detailing martial arts syles and codes of honor. Asking the head monk for lessons, Jack took to martial arts like a fish to water. As Jack progressed in school, he kept a strict training regimen up, constantly wearing weights to school. He even altered his school uniforms so that they could support wieghts within them. As a result, when Jack was merely fourteen, he was incredibly strong. This brought the attentions of many people, including a young man named Shaun. The two struck up a quick friendship, and Jack began teaching a few brawling techniques to Shaun. Shaun, in return, introduced Jack to a whole new world that occupied his mind day and night. Cars. Anything that could be driven, actually, Jack could drive it. Jack began street racing, making a lot of money in short amounts of time. There was nothing Jack couldn't drive. Jack thought everything would be alright in his life until Britain violated the treaty. He was at home when open war was declared, forcing him to pack up and leave his father John, his mother Arielle, and his two little sisters, Sara and Cherie, both just starting elementary school, for the front lines. Worried for the safety of his family, Jack has thrown himself into his work, although he does seem to keep an eye on the nurse that helped set his broken leg after an accident in the I-Course. Due to his clean record, though he is a bit of a loose cannon, and outstanding performance, Jack was given the privelege of becoming a member of the American Special Forces. [b]Personality:[/b] Carefree and energetic, Jack always has a joke ready for any situation. Though he may seem to be happy-go-lucky, when the situation needs, he can be very serious and focused. Namely when he's in the crossfire with automatic weaponry going off on all sides. Even then, though, Jack is light-hearted and never lets the situation get him down.[/color]

[color=crimson][b]Name:[/b] Ranma Higurashi [b]Age:[/b] 18 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Nationality:[/b] Japanese [b]Human or Gear:[/b] Human. [b]Faction:[/b] Currently working with Sol Badguy in an impermanent affiliation with the Renegade Gears faction. [b]Personality:[/b] Serious and cold, Ranma is brutal to his opponents. He does have a lighter side, and smiles quite often. However, upon insulting his family (all of whom are dead), the temperature of the room will drop a few degrees. Ranma has a strong sense of honor and refuses to kill without cause, and as such rarely draws his blade. He respects all life, Gear, Human, or animal. There is only one being he wishes to kill, that being Justice. [b]Physical Description:[/b] See attachment. His hair is midnight black, and his eyes are ice blue. Though it is hidden by his jacket, Ranma has a scar extending from his left shoulder to his right thigh on his back. [b]Weapon of Choice:[/b] A titanium katana, forged with Ranma's blood infused into the blade. Ranma prefers to use his fists to the sword, however, feeling that all life, human or otherwise, is valuable. [b]Innate Magical Element[/b]: Water [b]Preferred Jinki:[/b] Senga [b]Bio:[/b] Ranma was in training to be a martial artist, all of his life had been dedicated to the Art. Developing techniques under his father's tutelage, Ranma became a fierce fighter by the time he was ten years of age. With this training, Ranma being herded to many Asian temples, Ranma became a master of many styles of the martial arts, including Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Kwon Do, and especially his famliy's style, the Higurashi Tears of the Naked Blade Ryu, a style adapted especially for the defense of civilians. As Ranma learned these styles, he learned the principles on which they were formed. As such, he gained a strict code of honor as he grew older, eventually earning the status of master and gaining permission to return to the home he'd spent ten years away from. Upon returning, Ranma found his father, who had left him to the monks at a monastery high in the Himalayas a year before he achieved mastery of his unarmed fighting, battling a group of Gears led by a tall Gear in a suit of high-tech armor. Ranma recognized the suit by the survivor stories he'd heard by many injured patients seeking treatment in the monasteries. Justice. Ranma, with the aid of his father, knocked many Gears into unconsciousness. For a while, it seemed like the odds were in Ranma's favor, until Justice decided to strike. Ranma struggled as a group of Gears converged on him, keeping even his formidable strength in check. Ranma stared, wide-eyed, as his father's neck broke in a simple backhand from the armored behemoth's fist. Ranma, in a rage, attempted to break free, but Justice silenced the martial artist by lifting his mother, unconscious, from the rubble of the burning house. With a quick chop, Ranma was an orphan. By this time, Ranma had grown so angry that even the Gears could not hold the boy back. Using his strength, Ranma broke free and blindsided Justice as she lifted her hand to kill Ranma's younger sister, Kagome. Picking up his sister's unconsious body, Ranma rushed away from the battlefield, ignoring all that he was running through until he came to a stop, free of all pursuers. Laying his sister on the ground, Ranma checked fervently for a pulse. He found one. Thanking the gods, Ranma pulled out a waterskin and eased some of the fluid into his sister's throat. Before she could swallow, however, a gout of blood escaped her lips. Shocked, Ranma could only watch helpless as his younger sister died slowly from internal bleeding. Picking up his sister's body, Ranma retreated into the forest, making a funeral pyre and giving his sibling an honorable funeral, he then used the flames of her pyre to begin smithing a new katana. SLicing his hand open, he poured his blood into the alloy mixture, as well as dropping some of his sister's ashes into the blade. With this, Ranma swore vengeance against Justice and set out for the headquarters of the Holy Knights. Before he could reach the Order's headquarters, however, he was found by a wounded Gear, a man calling himself Sol Badguy. Aiding Sol's recovery while improving his own skills, Ranma has devoted himself in every way to the destruction of Justice.[/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anything you need me to change, send me a PM.