Bloodline, Chapter 1: The Unsceen Traitor

Justice, what is Justice? One man told me that justice is doing what is right and equaling out the scale of good and evil. Another man told me that Justice was slaying all that opposed the law. Another man told me that justice was simply the rich and powerful enforcing there will upon the weak. So what is justice? Well if you ask me, justice is doing what is right. That is the simple and best answer I can give to the question. I know what is right and wrong changes culture by culture, but for me I will leave it alone. Justice is simply doing what is right, hands down.

The sun rose over the horizon bringing with it the new dawn. The light, and all of its brilliance, shinned down upon the world dispelling the darkness and brining the deeds of man into light. One the open ocean sailed a single man sail boat. It’s flag daring the mark of justice. Laying on the deck and sleeping away the day was a young sailor clad in white T shirt, a pair of blue jeans, some black and white shoes, and an old marine jacket straddled across his back. His hands were protected by a pair of black gloves and his dark brown hair was a complete mess. Next to him lay an iron box locked with a sturdy looking lock, and a map with a red circle on it. A half-eaten orange in a container labeled dinner next to a sealed jar of fresh water.

Ashigaru that was the name the boy had chosen for himself. It was not his true name, but the name he desired. Whatever his name was in the past, he had thrown it away. Now he was simply a soldier, thus he chose the name. It had been a month since he left the last island and his trip out to sea had drained his resources greatly. Even still the young fighter was able to doze away the day. His faith in his navigational skill and the soothing waves of the west blues, he was sure to reach the next island by nightfall.

Story Break

Lighting split the heavens and thunder shook the sea. The weather had taken a turn for the worst as the sun dipped back over the horizon. Now the dim light was not even visible. The dark ominous clouds had blocked it out. Rain fell down like blood and the little ship holding the son of the Little Failure, was nearly overflowing. Ashigaru was no longer dozing away at the day. That half of an orange he had left was stuffed in his mouth and his hands holding tightly onto a bucket. Desperately he began to throw water out of his ship, but raging waves and pour rain made the effort almost pointless.

“Damn it, the more I throw it out the more it comes in”, shouted Ashigaru as he continued to throw water out. He may complain about the results, but he did not stop the action. He was sure now that the only reason he was alive was due to his bucket throwing water out.

As Ashigaru struggled to keep his boat afloat the sea around him raged. The waves seemed almost unnatural as they shifted between small lumps to gigantic titans. Ashigaru had been lucky so far, none of the monster waves had come his way and the ones that were near him only sent smaller, but large, residue waves along. However his luck was soon about to run out.

Suddenly the sea began to quiver, almost as if it was alive. The water began to go into two different directions underneath Ashigaru’s ship. A stream rushed to the left and another stream rushed to the right. There was movement in the front and back, but Ashigaru did not pay attention to that direction. He was more stunned by the feat he was seeing on his flanks than to notice it was going on all around him. A loud roar filled the ocean as the sea began to bubble. It was only then that Ashigaru realized what was actually happening.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No way”, he shouted, but it was too late for him to spring into action. From the sea erupted a gigantic head of some beast? Its black scaly body lifted Ashigaru’s ship out of the sea. One twist of its snake like frame and Ashigaru, along with his vessel was sent flying off at astonishing speed. “The hell going on”, shouted Ashigaru as his ship hit the ocean. The force shattered the little wooden boat into a thousand small fragments. His body itself slammed against the water, and sent a sharp wave of pain down his spine. Staring into the sky Ashigaru could see the fangs of a monster, its mouth holding the iron box Ashigaru had been transporting.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Give it back”, spoke Ashigaru in a low tone as his body sunk under the sea. His eyes bore witness to the rest of the massive beast as he sunk toward the deep. It long, like the ocean itself, and had six different necks sticking out of one gigantic cylinder body. Some kind of snake, thought Ashigaru as everything began to turn black. His consciousness started to fade, but before he could black out he saw a strange figure. A boy, with no shirt and a fish tail had swam up next to him. He said something, but Ashigaru could not hear under water. The young figher’s eyes closed and everything went black. His body turned cold and the salt water filled his lungs.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Story Break

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Blagh”, Ashigaru coughed up a baby crab as his conscious returned. His eyes bore witness to a white beach and a pile of wooden scraps. Air filled his lungs and his entire body throbbed with pain. “The hell happen”, spoke Ashigaru as he turned over his body and stared at the sky. His brain began to process everything that happened and played it back to him in a slow and understandable manner. He had awoke to a storm that threaten to sink his ship, something that should not have been there in the first place. Then came that beast with multiple heads and necks. The creature had taken his metal box. That idea caused Ashigaru to slam his fist into the sand. The force caused the earth to tremble around him as the sand jumped into the air a bit.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Damn, thieving underwater bandits”, shouted Ashigaru as he shot up. His brain tried to remind him of something else, but he threw it away for the moment. He needed to get that box back. It was too valuable to simply let go. He started to push his way back into the sea, but his brain kicked back in and stopped him. There was no point in it. He could not breathe water and the beast was far too mighty for him. The treasure was lost. He was not sure if she would forgive him for that, but at the same time he was a hundred percent sure that they would never find it. Maybe it was the universe way of taking the burden from it, or maybe fate had other plans for it. Still Ashigaru had lost something valuable.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Quickly he is over here”, shouted a high pitch voice in the distance. Ashigaru’s thoughts were brought back to the reality of his situation. Over a high hill overlooking the beach came a young figure of a girl. From what he could tell she was no older than ten years old. She had on a spaghetti string tank top and a pair of dark blue jeans. The knees on the jeans were worn out and a large cut could be seen on the thigh. Her hair was cut short and straight and had the same dark brown color as Ashigaru’s. At the time neither of the two knew that fate had entangled their destines together, but at the moment they were having their first meeting.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Holy crap he is standing”, spoke the young girl as she stared at him in disbelief. She thought the young fighter was dead. She gathered everyone as a formality rather than a call to action.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh thank the heavens then”, spoke an young man in a white marine shirt. His attired gained a glare from Ashigaru. From what he could tell the guy was at the least not a captain, so he might be safe for the moment. Still he did not like the possibility. Ashigaru balled his right fist up, but the strength had left his arm. He could not feel the usual tension, if he got into a fight now.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“He may be up, but he needs to lie back down”, spoke another voice as a village worth of people appeared over the horizon. Leading the charge was a women with thick coke bottle glasses and an outfit that screamed doctor.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“I am fine”, spoke Ashigaru as the doctor moved toward him. The throbbing in the back of his head said otherwise, but Ashigaru did not want their help. That marine, the foolish looking one on the hill, was dangerous. Ashigaru had dealing with them in the past and at the moment he was a wanted man. He was sure the news had spread, but he was not sure about how far or how up to date this island was. As a matter of fact he had no idea where he was. He guessed he was on Western Island, that was his destination, but after the storm, the crash, and the sea monster, he was not sure.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No you are not”, spoke the doctor as she ran up to him and grabbed his arm. Ashigaru had not noticed it before, but blood was flowing from his head. A crimson dot fell forward marked the maiden’s white jacket. A single spot of crimson in a sea of white.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Blood”, spoke Ashigaru as he stared at the mark.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“My god you’re bleeding”, spoke the women as she raised her hand up to look at the wound on his head.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Enough”, shouted Ashigaru as he raised his right hand up and pushed the women back. Despite not feeling a hundred percent Ashigaru still had some power. The women flew back a food and fell into the white sand. A stunned expression crossed her face and Ashigaru’s as well.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey there buddy”, spoke the marine as he jumped off the hill and began to step forward. He was no longer a man in the distance now. Ashigaru could see him more clearly now. By the looks of it he was not much older than he was. Maybe a year or two if you had to guess, probably sixteen though if Ashigaru was betting money on it. The square rim glasses and light brown hair matched the blankness of his shirt. Plain, just like his uniform and his rank.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hold on”, spoke the doctor as she got back to her feet. “He is just confused.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“I am not confused”, spoke Ashigaru bluntly. “I just don’t want your help. I have no need for debts.” The wayward sailor turned and began to walk away from the group. Villagers stared in awe and surprise as the tough guy began to walk away.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Even with him injured as he is, his pride won’t let him receive help”, spoke an old man as he stared down at Ashigaru. The blood drops from the back of his head continued to turn his white shirt a stain of crimson.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No one is charging you”, shouted the doctor. Ashigaru was a good bit away now. She dared not to follow him. He was the aggressive type and she was sure he probably would hit her if she persisted.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“I don’t need charity either”, he spoke. Then a loud thump filled the air as a bottle slammed into the back of his head. The blow had a good bit of force on it and as a result Ashigaru fell face first into the sand.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Shut up you idiot”, shouted the young girl who had guided the group to him in the first place. “Can’t you tell you are injured?! Stop being such an idiot and accept the help that has been offered to you!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Rin”, shouted the young marine as he looked at the girl with anger.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What he was annoying”, she spoke. Her voice was now a high pitch and her arms wrapped around her chest. It was clear to anyone anything the marine would say would not get to her. She was set in her ways.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“And that gives you the right to throw a bottle at him”, shouted the marine. “He could be a dangerous pirate for all we know.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“All the more reason to bottle him then Joseph”, spoke Rin.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Dummy that does not mean that he is one”, shouted Joseph back at the young girl!

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey Lowlanders”, spoke a village elder as he walked up to the arguing pair. “Can you all host your sibling rivalry some other time? We need some help carrying the new comer back to the village. Our old backs can’t really handle the strain.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“The new comer”, spoke Joseph with confusion as he turned back toward the man’s body. The doctor was already at work bandaging up his head and from the looks of it, it seemed that Rin had knocked him out with her assault.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What, that little bottle knocked him out”, spoke Rin as she looked at some old men struggling with the stretcher. “What a weakling, here I thought he looked tough”, she spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Considering the wound on his head”, spoke the old man but Rin cut him off.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Weak”, she shouted as she turned her head and began to walk back up the hill. “I am going to go get some sleep now.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Wait Rin”, shouted Joseph! “We are not done talking yet!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Humph”, spoke the girl ignoring her brother and continuing her way back home.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Joseph”, shouted the old men, which turned his attention to their vein attempt to get the young man up the hill on the beach.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh right, sorry”, he shouted as he rushed in to give aid.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Story break

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Ouch”, spoke Ashigaru as he awoke from his sleep. His memory at the moment was jumbled up and confusion ran king. He was sure he was last on a beach, but now. Well now he was in someone’s house. Looking around he could tell that this person had a good bit of money. The floor was all hard wood, glazed over with what looked like new polish. The furniture was hand crafted and was made of the finest mahogany wood. On a nearby desk was a ship in the bottle and lying next to it was a gold pocket watch. A globe of the world dominated the center of the room, with finely crafted stools next to it. There presents gave testament to the bar that lied within. A ceiling fan twirled just above and a legion of books stormed across the back wall. Fine rugs covered the section of the floor that lead to the only door in and out the room. A beautiful image of the sea could be seen from the big windows on the opposite side of the room along with a stunning balcony.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Where in the world am I”, asked Ashigaru to himself. Sitting up Ashigaru could feel his muscles again. The chair, in which he was laying in, creaked under the strain of his finger’s grip. Letting go in fear of breaking the furniture Ashigaru left a permanent imprint on the tempered wood.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh you are awoke”, spoke a familiar voice. Ashigaru turned to see the doctor standing in the doorway with a bowl of soup. The very sight of it made his stomach grumble with hunger. He was not sure of how long he was out, but his stomach told him at least a day.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Little words were exchanged between the two of them as Ashigaru inhaled his food. It was a good thing because Ashigaru hated talking while he was eating and the maiden did not want food splatter over he good furniture. Ashigaru had already left his mark. The maiden stared down at the impressions of his fingers on the wood of the chair.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Sorry about that”, he spoke as he finished off the last of the soup. “I did not mean too, but my fingers.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Are quite strong indeed”, she added as she stepped forward and took her dishes. A smile crossed her face, which made Ashigaru feel even more guilty.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Once again sorry”, he spoke as he began to rub the back of his head. It was then that he noticed stiches that had been placed in. The rest his memories returned in a flash and anger suddenly filled Ashigaru’s chest. That little wench, though Ashigaru as he thought back to that night.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Look don’t worry about it”, spoke the doctor grabbing Ashigaru’s attention. She had stopped in front of the door and was looking at Ashigaru a bit puzzled.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hum”, murmured Ashigaru as he relied she was staring at him. His cheeks flushed red as embarrassment filled his head.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey”, she spoke, like she came to some kind of decision. “You hate debts right”, she spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Absolutely”, spoke Ashigaru as a serious expression crossed his face. He did not want to, but he was in debt to her now. She not only helped him, but also feed him as well. He owed her, and that very fact bothered him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Well then, forgive Rin for throwing that bottle at the back of your head”, she spoke as a sly smile crossed her face. Ashigaru’s surprise expression told her she had guessed right and hit him where it hurt the most. “She may be a brat, but she is a good girl”, she spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Good girl”, spoke Ashigaru with disbelief as he touched the back of his head. The fighter gave off a long sigh and then stared back up at the women. “You have my word that I will not take vengeance upon her for the incident. I swear it on the name of the name of the Froúrio bloodline.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Froúrio”, spoke the women with surprise and shock.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Huh”, spoke Ashigaru as he looked at her with confusion. For a moment she looked concerned and then she shook her head and dropped it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Never mind, it must be a coincidence”, she spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Wait what”, spoke Ashigaru.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Don’t worry about it Mr. Froúrio”, she spoke. The frown on Ashigaru’s face made her second guess her words.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“The name is Ashigaru”, he spoke. “Froúrio is, well Froúrio is a very close family to me. But trust me”, he spoke with a serious expression. “If I swear it by that name then I mean it with my entire soul!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“That explains a lot”, spoke the maiden under her breath. Ashigaru’s words seemed to thrown something off for her. “I understand Ashigaru”, she spoke with a more cheerful tone. “Now how about we go outside. The fresh air will do you good and spare some of my furniture”, she spoke with a glee filled smile.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">The blood rushed to Ashigaru’s face again as he looked down at his finger prints in her chair. As she lead him out the house it came pretty obvious that she was well off. The entire building screamed nobility. The fine detail of furniture and designed told of much coin spent on its purpose. It reminded him of his grandparents’ home, the one on his mother’s side. His grandfather had spent half his fortune building one house, thought to be honest it was more of an elegant castle. It is ironic that they grew up in a modest home, thought that was due to his father’s choice rather than money. They always had money, but never really spent it. His father was quite the penny pincher.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Well welcome to Western Island”, spoke the doctor as she opened the door leading out the house. A cool breeze filled with rose petals flowed inside as she did so. A rose garden surrounded the two story home. From what Ashigaru could tell the building was at the center of the town and built on a great hill like the cities of old. He could see the entire island from here. A good size city spread out in all directions along with the port, the beach line, and a thick forest of trees. Everything else was on a lower elevation, with the exception of one thing, a mighty castle that loomed in the distance. Sticking out of the deep green of the forest was grey stones and a manmade castle next to the sea.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“The most Western Point in the world”, spoke Ashigaru as he stepped out into the streets. It was a beautiful place, but there was something strange about it. He could not place his finger on it, but there was something off. Before he could come up with what it was a voice came and grabbed his attention.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Quite informed this one is”, spoke another familiar voice. Stepping around a rose bush came Joseph, the marine he had seen at the beach. He had a paper bag in his left hand and a cake in his right.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh Joseph”, spoke the doctor. Her face lit up almost like a Christmas tree. The smile she gave him was much brighter than the one Ashigaru received and had a light to it that gave hint to deeper emotions. Ashigaru felt a bit jealous about it to be honest, but he simply stuffed the information into his back pocket and let his mind move on.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">So those two are together, thought Ashigaru as he made connections in his head. He now began to wonder if this was their house. It made sense when he thought about it. I would explain why she so casually let him stay in the upper room and why Joseph just appeared out of nowhere in the rose garden. Then again that smile, it was a longing one, not a hi honey one. However that was all pure speculation. Ashigaru was not a master of reading emotions from the face, nor was he adapt at detective work. Best to keep it to himself and move on.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Joseph huh”, spoke Ashigaru as he walked up to the man. His eyes immediately began to look the man up and down and make judgement on his fighting ability. From what he could tell the man or better yet boy, was not that strong. He lacked the muscular detail and his uniform.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“That is my name, don’t wear it out”, he spoke. “So what mighty your name be Chore Boy”, he spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Chore Boy”, spoke the doctor with surprise as she looked at Ashigaru with surprise. A suspicion began to rise in her brain, but she soon cut it off.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Seaman First Class”, spoke Ashigaru as his eyes focused in on Joseph. At this point he thought the gig was up. However he was going to let Joseph make the first move. He owed the women to much too simply out right and attack her crush.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Seaman First Class”, spoke Joseph with amazement. His expression confused Ashigaru. He was expecting the young man to attack him, but instead he looked at him like he was some kind of idol. “Look at you, you’re only a year or two younger than me”, he spoke with amazement. “Oh sorry about that”, he spoke as he suddenly straighten up and saluted Ashigaru. “Joseph Lowlander”, he spoke with pride. “Seaman Recruit. I am currently on family leave at the moment.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Ashigaru’s eyes opened wide as he stared at this young marine. He remembered when that was him and the pride he had in his chest when he wore the uniform. Now that pride was gone, it died with the little girl and his acceptance of the iron box. Thinking back onto it Ashigaru grew angry with himself for losing it, but there was nothing he could do. The box was gone.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh sorry”, spoke Ashigaru as he rubbed the back of his head. Confusion filled Joseph face due to the lack of proper marine greeting. Ashigaru however did not keep him waiting for long. He clicked his heels together like a good soldier and saluted the Seaman Recruit as well. “Ashigaru”, he spoke. The name caused Joseph to raise an eyebrow. It was clearly a code name, he knew several marines who had them, but never at such a low rank. “Former Seaman First Class”, added Ashigaru clearing the eyebrow from Joseph’s face. “I retired due to family troubles”, he spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh I understand”, spoke Joseph. His voice clearly showed disappointment. The young marine was hopping he was meeting a true legend that will one day change the course of the world. Instead he got Ashigaru, a young man with potential, but bad luck had washed him out. “Oh I almost forgot”, he spoke as he handed Ashigaru the brown bag.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What is this”, spoke Ashigaru as he took hold of the bag. He looked inside and saw a familiar white uniform. “My clothes”, he spoke with disbelief.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Yeah I washed them for you”, he spoke. “They had blood stains on them so I figured you would want them washed.” Ashigaru stared at him confused for a moment and then took a look down at himself. He was wearing a yellow flower shirt and a pair of tan cargo shorts. His shoes were also very femininely colored. A flush of embarrassing red crossed his faced.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Suddenly the lady doctor burst out into laughter. “You did not realize that we had changed your clothes”, she spoke between her giggling.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey Martha it is not polite to laugh at people”, spoke Joseph, but her laughter was contagious and the two of them were not intertwined in joyment.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Bah, humbug”, shouted Ashigaru as he gripped the man and marched back into the house.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Wait I have cake”, spoke Joseph almost tripping over his own chuckles. He followed behind Ashigaru, but he soon received a yellow shirt to the face.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“I don’t give a damn about the cake”, shouted Ashigaru as he began to strip in the living room. Martha knew better than to walk into the house, instead she enjoyed the weather outside.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“I wonder if he is going to say”, she spoke aloud as she stared up at the sky. Ashigaru would not be the first person to wonder into the town shipwreck and penniless.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Story Break

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">As Ashigaru walked down the streets of the town with Joseph and the doctor to keep him company. Though it was more like they kept each other company than him. Through the course of their conversation Ashigaru leaned that the Doctor’s name was Mimi. A rare name to be sure, or at least rare to him, and the fact that Joseph’s father was a man of great respect. They spoke of him in high terms, a bit too high for Ashigaru. There was clearly something he was missing, but he did not want to but in on their conversation.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">As Ashigaru walked something came more and more apparent to him, things were not right on this island. The moment he got here he noticed it, but threw it away. Now it was plainly obvious. Where in the world were all the young people. Sure there was Joseph and Mimi, and Joseph annoying little sister, but other than that there was no one else. No couples walking around with children, no snot nose brats playing pirates and marines. There was none of that here. The entire town was filled with old people. It was so strange and at the same time very frightening. Ashigaru turned back and looked at the two love birds for a moment. They were laughing about something, but he was not paying attention to their conversation at the moment. The young man’s mind began to go to dangerous places as he considered the possibilities. Finally Ashigaru decided to come right out and say it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey”, spoke Ashigaru as he came to a sudden halt. Joseph and Mimi ended up bumping into him as a result. They were so engrossed into their own conversation that they did not even notice him stop.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh sorry about that”, spoke Joseph as he grabbed Mimi’s hand to prevent her from falling over. Ashigaru stood there like a stone, giving testament to just how much he weighed. Joseph knew that pretty well considering he carried him to the house, but Mimi was caught by surprise.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“My bad we were not paying much attention”, spoke the maiden as she regained her footing. She wanted to ask him why he stopped, but she decided to keep it to herself. They all were supposed to be walking together, not just her and Joseph. The fact that she bumped into him proved that she was not paying her guest any mind at all.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Where are all the young people”, asked Ashigaru without turning around to face them or responding to their statements. The moment his question came out a sudden tension filled the air. It was like Ashigaru had just stepped on a land mind and everyone was waiting for it to explode. A moment of acquired silence filled the air as the love bird duo waited for the other one to say something. Finally it was broken by Mimi.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“They were all spirited away”, she spoke. Her words carried sadness, but at the same time a sense of ageing. It was clear that this did not happen recently, but it happened recent enough that she still felt some pain over it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Spirited away”, spoke Ashigaru as he turned around and looked at the maiden. He needed to look at her face to try and figure all of this out.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hold on a second”, spoke Joseph as he saw a need for him to step in and add some logic. “It is more like we don’t know what happened to them, then them being spirited away”, spoke the marine as he turned toward Mimi. His eyes held a sad expression, but one of concern and hope.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh come on Joseph!” Mimi shouted at him with annoyance in her voice. The love filled tone from their previous conversation seemed to vanish and frustration took its place. “How many times are we going to argue about this?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“As many times as it takes apparently”, spoke Joseph in an annoyed tone.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hold on a moment”, spoke Ashigaru stepping in. It was clear to him how this was about to turn out. Clearly he had just stumbled onto an important issue and a lover splat all in one. The two held two distinct view points on the issue. One believed that there was something else going on and the other believed that people were being spirited away. Science vs spirituality, logic vs belief, Ashigaru was begging to understand why the two of them were not officially dating despite the emotions they shared.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No!” Spoke Mimi violently as she stormed up to Joseph. The marine bulked up ready to take on whatever verbal assault that was about to come his way. No doubt he was going to retort with something just as equally venomous of his own. “Listen people have been mentioning a black spirit or spirits on the roof be every disappearance. They say the figure is visible for only a moment and then vanishes in a blink of an eye!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“And”, shouted Joseph. “That does not mean they were spirited away! That means they were kidnapped. That black spirit they saw was probably a person. You know the guy who probably been taking people off the island.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Impossible”, shouted Mimi. “Reports say the figure flew through the sky like a shooting star. People cannot fly.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Unless they know Rokushiki”, spoke Joseph with confidence. He crossed his arms in defiance as his time with the marines has shown him great wonders.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Rokushiki”, spoke Mimi with confusion. Ashigaru saw this as a moment to step in and try to break the tension.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Rokushiki”, he spoke grabbing the duo’s attention. “Is the secrete martial art style of the World Government.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Wait”, spoke Joseph suddenly. “Are you supposed to be telling this?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Are you supposed to be bringing it up to commoners?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Point made”, spoke Joseph

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Just tell me what it is already”, spoke Mimi losing her patience. It was strange how passion and anger could change people. If you told him that she acted like this back in front of the house he would have called you a lie. Now seeing her in action, he understood that people are amazing creatures.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Yeah sure”, spoke Ashigaru as he turned his attention back onto the maiden. “Where was I, oh right, well Rokushiki is the secrete martial art of the world government. One of the moves in the style called geppo allows the martial artist to jump off air.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“So you’re saying that the World Government is kidnapping our villagers then”, spoke Mimi.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What”, shouted Joseph? The very thought of the idea wounded him to his very soul. Joespeh believed whole heartedly in the World Government and there principles. The idea of the world Government kidnapping people is just ludicrous. “The World Government would never sink so low as to kidnap innocent villagers from their homes.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh so you agree with me now then”, spoke Mimi with a sly smile. “Clearly our people have been spirited away then, and not kidnaped.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“I never said that either”, spoke Joseph as he crossed his arms in defiance. The two probably would have went on arguing even longer if not for Ashigaru.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hold on a second”, spoke Ashigaru breaking the two apart. “You are telling me that people are being kidnaped from your ….”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Spirited away”, shouted Mimi.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey don’t interrupt the man”, spoke Joseph agreeing with Ashigaru. The young man felt a bit of annoyance about the entire thing.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Vanishing”, he spoke with emphasis to show he was not on anyone’s side. “From your island and you are sitting around arguing over whether it was kidnapping or spirited away.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey don’t judge us like that”, spoke Mimi as she gave Ashigaru a stink eye. “It is not like we are dancing over their graves”, she spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Not to mention that the kidnappings…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Spiritual intervention”, shouted Mimi.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Kidnappings”, shouted Joseph even louder. “Have stopped happening for over two months.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Yeah after the evil spirit disappeared”, spoke Mimi.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“You mean the kidnapper”, spoke Joseph.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Evil spirit”, shouted Mimi.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No …”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Enough”, shouted Ashigaru! The young man had enough of their round about argument. “Listen whether or not they were kidnapped or spirited away the people from your island have vanished. Your goal should be to find them, not argue about how it happened.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh come on now”, spoke the both of them in unison.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Who do you take us for”, spoke Mimi.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Yeah”, spoke Joseph. “We have been looking for our people ever since they started vanishing. Well Mimi has. I was out at base fighting for the world.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“His father however was”, spoke Mimi. “Our king”.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“King”, spoke Ashigaru with shock.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh right you did not know”, spoke Mimi

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Mimi”, spoke Joseph with annoyance.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hold on a second you are a”, spoke Ashigaru. “Wait that means”.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No and don’t worry about it”, spoke Joseph. “I am no king and yes I am a royal. However I have no intention of taking the throne, nor am I obligated. My younger sister was elected to be the next ruler in the first place.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Wait that means that…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Yep, you got bottled by the queen of Western Island”, spoke Mimi with a sly smile. “Well not Queen yet”, she spoke while placing a finger over her lip.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“That is right”, spoke Joespeh. “My sister can’t become queen till she avenges our father’s death by either turning in the culprit or killing them herself.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“On right, you did mention that your father died recently, but I never expected…”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“For him to be a king, or me a prince”, spoke Joseph. A sly smile crossed his face.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Well neither of them”, spoke Ashigaru. “Still, let’s stay on subject. We need to find out who is kidnapping the villagers.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Spirited away”, spoke Mimi in defiance, “and what is with this we stuff. You’re just an outsider. It is not your responsibility to find them.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“An outside who received help from your village, free medical care, and free food”, spoke Ashigaru with a smile. “It is as much my responsibility as anyone else in this village.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Not to mention a member of the marines”, spoke Joseph and he walked up to the young lad and placed his hand on his shoulder. “You honor your uniform well”. His words inspired pride, but instead brought a sad expression on Ashigaru’s face. The young prince had no idea of the horrors Ashigaru saw that day. The day the pride in his uniform was washed away and replaced with the stench of blood. “Did I say something wrong”, asked Joseph.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Nah”, spoke Ashigaru as he shook the expression from his face. Joseph had no idea about the events that Ashigaru was forced to witness, nor did he care to enlighten him. Instead Ashigaru shook it off and threw up a cover up. “I am just a bit sad that I am going to have to take it off soon”, he spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">A frown covered Joseph’s face as he thought back onto Ashigaru’s words about him leaving the marines. They were losing a good soldier. Still family trouble was family trouble. He himself was back here due to his father’s death.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Alright we need to compile information”, spoke Ashigaru as he began to walk down the street again.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Wait what”, spoke Mimi and Joseph in unison.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“We need to gather up all the information we can from the village. You know, if we plan to solve this mystery.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Don’t bother”, spoke Joseph as he looked at Ashigaru with contempt again. Here he was stumping on the pride of his village. “Come on man, don’t you think we would have already done that by now. My father, himself, question everyone on the island. We have all that information stored away back at the castle.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“All of it”, spoke Ashigaru with concern as he looked up at Joseph. The prince had no idea what Ashigaru was trying to say.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What he means is do you have the information from the spiritual side”, spoke Mimi looking back at Joseph with contempt. “You and your father both are so logical. You never thought that maybe spirits might be involved.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh please”, shouted Joseph as he put his hand over his face. “Mimi this is an investigation, not a …”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“She is right”, spoke Ashigaru as he began to walk back toward Joseph.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Now you too”, he spoke looking at Ashigaru with disbelief. He was sure that Ashigaru was on his side, but now.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“We need to look at all the evidence”, spoke Ashigaru. “Not just the ones that fit your prefect mold. If people saw some weird things that were out of place then that might be a clue to the kidnappers.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hmm”, spoke Joseph as he began to consider the idea.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Well I for one still think that spirits did it”, spoke Mimi, holding true to her hypothesis. “However your father thought the same thing Joseph.” As the maiden spoke her eyes and the marine’s eyes meet. All thought clearly left their minds as the two simply stared at each other intensely for a minute straight.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey, hey, hey”, shouted Ashigaru after a minute worth of screaming. His voice finally reached them and pulled the two song birds back to reality.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Joseph”, a voice came out of nowhere destroying the thought process of the trio. Out from a house came rushing an old man clad in armor. Though using the word armor to describe him did not do him justice. The first thing that comes to one’s mind would be the clunky metal tin suits that protect the knights of stonewall. This man was clad in more, well lighter armor. It was oriental style and from of the look of it was much lighter than a Stonewall’s metal suits. Samurai armor, if I had to put a finger on it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Tompa”, spoke Mimi with surprise. Ashigaru tried to guess the reason, but he did not have enough information. The first thing that came to his mind was a vanishing victim, but that soon faded once he saw the white hair of the old man.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey take it easy old timer”, spoke Joseph as he rushed over to the man. His instincts were correct as the moment he reached him old Tompa fell to the ground.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What are you doing out of bed!” Mimi shouted at the old man as she rushed over to him. Ashigaru however took his time walking over. There was nothing he could do to help and to be honest he really did not want to deal with the old man right now. They had a mystery to investigate and solve. He wanted to pay back his debt to these people as soon as possible and then get off this island. His little sea trip had thrown his pursuers off his trail for a bit, but he was sure they would show up on this island eventually.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No time to rest”, spoke Tompa as he reached up and grabbed Joseph’s shirt tightly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Come on Tompa”, spoke Joseph as the old man took three oxygen deprived breaths. “There is no need for you to run all the way here. We would have …”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Rin has been spirited away”, shouted Tompa at the top of his voice.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What”, shouted Joseph!

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No not Rin”, shouted Mimi! Tears began to flow from her eyes as she thought of what those spirits would do to her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Wait what”, shouted Ashigaru.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hold on a second”, spoke Joseph as he calmed himself down. “I am sure she is just hiding out …”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No you don’t understand”, shouted Tompa as he got to his feet. “I saw her. She was taken by the black spirit. The thing with the crimson eyes. It swooped down from the sky and …”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Aha, so it was kidnapping”, shouted Joseph.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“NOT THE TIME”, shouted Mimi as she punched Joseph in the back of his head. On the outside it would seem as if the young man was being very light hearted about this, but on the inside Joseph was being torn apart. It was the only thing he could do to make a joke about it. Other than that he would break down and cry.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hold on a second”, spoke Ashigaru. “Where was this spirt heading towards”, shouted Ashigaru.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What”, spoke the old man as he looked up at the white clad hero? “Who are you again”, he asked? His memory had been failing him in recent years, but he was sure he never meet the lad. Well he thought he never meet the lad. He prayed that that was the truth of the matter.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No time for that”, spoke Joseph as he began to focus. A gigantic knot appeared on his head as he began to speak with the old samurai. “Where did they take my sister too? Where did they take our queen?!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“You mean it”, spoke Mimi in the back. Now she was falling back into the old argument, but nobody payed her any mind. They had important business to handle.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Toward the beach”, spoke the old man as he pointed toward his right. He was going to say something else, but Joseph took off with such speed that it left Ashigaru stunned. “Wait, there are more than one of them this time”, shouted Old Tompa. However neither Joseph nor Ashigaru were around to listen. Ashigaru took off as soon as he saw Joseph sprint. Mimi however stayed behind to listen to the information.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Ashigaru always considered himself to be quick on his feet. He could outrun almost all of his siblings and on the island he had a little nick name the hare. However Joseph, well Joseph made him look like a turtle. The speed in which he zoomed down the road was astonishing. Ashigaru could hear nothing but the wind in his ears when he ran, he was sure Joseph probably could not even hear that. The power of sibling love was strong indeed, either that or Joseph was the fastest man alive.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Joseph”, shouted an old voice as the duo hit the great hill overlooking the sea. The marine had stopped to catch his breath when he heard his name being called. Sitting in an old rocking chair was an old women. She was pointing toward something in the distance just behind a giant rock. “There ship”, she called and Joseph instantly understood.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Where do you all think you are going”, shouted Joseph. The marine placed his hands together and stretched out his arms. From his hands came a brown disk that smelled divine. Ashigaru arrived just in time to bare witness to the creation.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“A cookie”, he spoke with disbelief. The marine then throw the disk with all of his might down toward the beach. As it sailed through the air he jumped onto its chocolate chip covered surface and rode it like a surf board. The sight caused Ashigaru a moment before he could follow. Unable to summon up cookies out of the blue Ashigaru was forced to take another path down. Taking five steps back Ashigaru sprinted toward the surface. With all of his strength he leaped over the edge of the hill and stared out toward the open space between the cliff and the beach. Ashigaru fell at least twenty feet before he hit the surface. He came down with one knee hitting the ground and his fist smashing against the soft sand. The force of his landing caused the earth to shake and the sand to be compressed down into a flat surface.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“By the great bingo board”, spoke the old women as she looked at the spectacle. Clearly Ashigaru had the need to go on a diet, or he had increased his weight somehow. The old lady did not get a chance to ask as the young man was already bolting after his cookie riding friend.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Story break

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Let me go, you pervert”, shouted Rin as she struggled. At the moment she was tied up inside of a rug, a dirty rug to be exact. Her kidnappers did not bother to even bring a bag. Instead they had simply taken up a random rug from one of the nearby homes, aka Tompa’s house. The rug was covered in grim and dirt and Rin, the future queen of the island, was stuck in the middle.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Shut up already”, spoke a young voice as a ten year old girl walked beside another young lady. The young maiden had hair as white as snow and skin as flawless as a pearl. Her milky white skin was accompanied by beautiful periwinkle eyes that even made Rin, who was being kidnapped by the way, jealous. She wore a white v neck T-shirt, which was very inappropriate for a young lady, and a pair of black baggy pants. Her tennis shoes were also boyish and were simply colored black and white.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“I can’t believe you are hanging out with this pedophile”, shouted Rin as she looked down at the girl. “Aren’t you scared his going to try and do something weird to you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Pedophile”, spoke the thing that was carrying her. Its tall black body stood out like a sore thumb. Its eyes burned an unnatural crimson. The figure had not clothing and no real features. The best way to describe it would be a three dimensional stick figure human.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“She is probably freaked out by your Dark Man form”, spoke the young girl.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Dark Man form”, spoke Rin with surprise. “You’re a… hammer”, she spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hammer”, spoke the figure with confusion.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“I think she means devil fruit user”, spoke the girl.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Duh”, spoke Rin as she rolled her eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh”, spoke the Figure. “Yeah I am a devil fruit user. I don’t naturally look this way.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Well I figured that out after your ugly fiends said something”, spoke Rin now turning her insults toward the little girl. The maiden however ignored her and kept on walking. There ship was not far now and she wanted to be done with the deed.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Wait till my brother gets here”, shouted Rin as they got closer to the ship. She was trying to make a lot of noise hopping to attract someone to her rescue.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“I hope he doesn’t”, spoke the figure.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Pshaw, you would coward”, spoke Rin.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Coward”, spoke the figure taking offense. “There is no way I would be scared of anyone on this weak island.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Whatever coward stick”, she spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“You can insult me …” spoke the figure, but he was cut off by the little girl.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What he meant to say was that he hoped not to see anyone else die”, spoke the young maiden as she looked up at Rin. Her eyes were a flash with excitement and her muscles seemed to be twitching out of control.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What is wrong with you”, spoke Rin as she stared at the girl in disbelief.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Sorry, I am just excited”, spoke the girl as she seemed to have gotten her muscles back under control. “Just the thought of battle exuberates me.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Rin gave the young maiden a look that was reserved for bugs and the most repulsive creatures. “You know I thought you were better than sticky here, you know since you were a girl in all, but …” Before the maiden could finish an expression of anger crossed the young girls face.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh no”, spoke the figure.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Put her down, hard”, shouted the young girl. The figure gave a long sigh, as the ship was just a stone throw away. However he did not want to deal with the maiden’s temper so he dropped her onto the ground. The rug smashed against the sand and as a result Rin got some sand in her mouth.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Yuck”, she complained, but on the inside she was ecstatic. She was holding out just for this moment. If she could keep them busy somebody could show up and save her. Maybe her brother could. Suddenly the maiden felt a strong jerk on her hair. She expected to see the Figure, but instead she was meet by the girl. Her periwinkle eyes stared into her own with an intensity and rage she had never seen before.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“First off”, shouted the maiden as fire suddenly erupted from her back. The flames burned with an unholy color and Rin could feel part of herself burning off her despite the fact the flames where nowhere near her. “I AM NOT A GIRL!” The young boy’s rage sent the flames soaring. Its heat even began to burn away at the figure standing next to him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey Scott”, shouted the figure. “Calm that down or you are going to kill me along with her!” His words did not seem to reach the enraged boy. The flames were now moving up his back inching closer and closer toward the maiden. Fear began to rise up in Rin’s heart, much greater than she had ever experience. She could feel her very soul burning away as the flames began to dance around her. Whatever this boy was, she was sure it was evil.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“HOW DARE A WORM LIKE YOU CALL ME A GIRL”, Shouted Scott!

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Stop your flames now”, shouted the figure! “If you continue you will kill her just like you killed the king!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Father, thought Rin as she turned her eyes stared into the periwinkle gaze of the kingslayer before her. She remembered reading the report and looking at his body. It seemed so hollow, there were no burned marks but. His body looked as if it had been chewed up in the flames of a pyre. Was that going to happen to her? Was she going to burn away like her father? She was not sure of what devil fruit that this boy had, but she was sure of its deadly powers.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Scott’s flames only grew hotter as the young boy began to focus in on her. “Remember what Jex said”, he shouted. The word, the word before the last one, he reacted to it. Suddenly the flames died down and the boy’s spirit calmed as well.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Right”, he spoke as he let go of the young maiden’s hair. “He wants her alive.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Taking a moment to be sure that the young boy was calm the figure decided to join in on the conversation. “Well it is more like the employer wants her alive”, he spoke while still watching Scott. The man walked up and then picked up the rug. Rin was never so happy to be in the hands of a stranger, but his height alone insured that Scott could not reach her. That alone was enough for her. The expression he held, it pieced her to the soul, and her body quivered in response.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Story Break

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“There they are”, spoke Joseph aloud. He had forgotten that Ashigaru was not with him when he jumped onto the flying cookie. He turned around to see his new found ally not there and his mind pieced it all together. “Dang it”, he spoke to himself. He was sure Ashigaru would follow, but he had no idea on how long it would take him to catch up. The wayward marine would have to first scale down the hill to the beach and then sprint down to the location. His cookie freebie was much faster. Joseph was already upon the kidnappers.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Rin”, he shouted giving away his position. The young girl’s eyes lit up like a fire in the dark as she heard the voice. The figure turned around to see where the sound was coming from, an unwanted guess of course. As it turned its face was meet with the soft chewy goodness of a chocolate chip cookie. The only problem was that the cookie was not in his mouth and was several times larger than his head. The well baked sweat sent the figure falling over while Joseph, coming straight down from the air, fell upon his chest grabbing the rug that contained his sister. With an epic thump Joseph had not only secured his sister, but buried the mysterious figure into the dirt.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Joseph”, spoke his sister with surprise as she stared at her older brother. She had known Joseph her entire life, but she had never seen him like this. Joseph was not the heroic type. She had heard the marines had changed him, but she had not seen any sign of it in the village once he returned. Now however, well she could see what they meant.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Don’t worry, big brother is here”, he spoke to her in a confident voice. A smile crossed his face. Joseph had dreamed of this day many times in his past, not that he wanted something bad to happen, but he wanted to play the role of a hero. Time and time again he would read stories and hear tales of heroes arriving at just the right time and he always wanted to be that person. He wanted to be the guy who stood strong in the face of evil and save the day when it counted the most. What could have counted more than the saving of his own flesh and blood?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Next time…”, spoke Rin before she could got her ungrateful thank you out a sinister feeling rushed down her spine. She remembered that the big guy was not the only threat. There was one other, one that just might be even worse than he was. The chill down her spine reminded her of that instantly. “Joe…”, she shouted, but she was too lage. Suddenly Joseph’s body was flying backwards and an expression of pain filled his face. Blood erupted from his mouth as the force of the attack caused it to leap out of his throat.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">The hell, thought Joseph as his mind clinged to consciousness. It felt like a cannon ball had been shot into his chest. Looking down he wondered if it did happen. His flesh was unbroken, thank the gods, but his shirt had a circular hole ripped into it. Everything in the range of that hole hurt like hell. It was almost as if somebody took a blinder and tossed his internal organs into it. Joseph barely felt the pain of falling into the dirt, his internal organs scream of agony override any exterior pain.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hurts doesn’t it”, spoke a voice. The cruel, but soft tone reminded Joseph of Rin. Thought the maiden never reached this level of harshness. Looking up from the sand Joseph bore witness to what he could only see as a boyishly dressed girl, no older than Rin, walking his way. Her fist seemed to be giving off some kind of steam, nod bout from the blow delivered to his gut. Though Joseph could hardly believe it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“How in the hell”, spoke Jospeh as he attempted to sit up. His organs screamed even more under the pressure.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Look out”, shouted Rin. Her voice was ignored by Scott as he was sure that she was safely contained. “He has this strange fire that.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Damn it”, shouted Joseph as he stared at Rin. The blow had done its work. He wondered if this was the result of the mysterious flames that Rin had screamed at him about.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“So weak”, spoke Scott as he came to a halt a few feet away from Scott. He turned back to look at the figure standing up off the ground. “You’re ok Zhong”, asked Scott in a sarcastic tone.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Don’t play with me boy”, spoke the figure as it whipped the rest of the cookie off its face. Anger could be seen in its eyes as it turned around and faced Scott and Joseph. “Is it dead”, he asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Of course not”, spoke Scott with disgust. “Remember Jex said to leave the bastard son alive.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Jex, thought Joseph to himself. He had heard the name before, but it was a very long time ago. Not to mention it could not be the same person. Still the name Jex was kind of unique. These two were responsible for the disappearance of their people, or at least Joseph thought they were. The evidence was damning, but they had not true proof. They could be a pair of one time kidnappers moving in on the island due to the rumors of people vanishing, or they could be the culprits. The Black Figure guy matched the description of the spirit well.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Well we are going to have to change that plan”, spoke the figure as it began to walk toward Joseph. “You little runt”, it shouted! Clearly it was not happy with cookie and a little love stump Joseph had given it. “I am going to beat you black and blue for that little stunt of yours.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey”, spoke Scott in a serious tone. The pressure had once again returned, but this time it was focused toward Zhong rather than Joseph. “What part of leave the bastardy son alive that you don’t understand?” Scott’s eyes were filled with rage now as he leaned his head sideways and stared at Zhong angrily.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">It was clear that Scott was contemplating attacking the man. Small fires began to form on Scott’s hands and Zhong got the message. “Don’t worry”, he spoke rather than agreeing with the boy. The very idea that he had to change his plans due to a preteen really got under his skin. “I won’t kill him, but I will hurt him really really bad”, he spoke as a slasher smile crossed his face. Scott however seemed to be either unamused or not caring at all. His hands were not placed into his pockets and his muscles had relaxed.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“I can care less about what you do to him”, spoke Scott. “As long as you don’t kill him that is”, he spoke with a killing intensity that made Joseph break out into sweat.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">As the two argued however Joseph recovered. The young marine could not stay down. Everything in his gut screamed in agony, but the way ward marine rose to his feet. He had a mission to do. He needed to save Rin and he was not going to fail now that he was so close. The power of sibling love flowed through his body as he staggered to his feet. Zhong had already crossed the distance as Joseph struggled against his own pain sensors.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“This is for the cookie”, he spoke as he slammed the circular tube that was his arm upside Joseph’s head. The young hero flew back a few feet and slammed into the dirt. An expression of pleasure filled Zhong’s eyes as he watched the man fly. Serves him right, thought Zhong. “Alright let’s finish the job”, spoke Zhong as he turned back toward the maiden wrapped in a rug. An expression of astonishment wrapped her face however, not one of terror.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Too early”, spoke Scott as he began to grip the side of his arms. Beforehand he had crossed them and watched as Zhong handled business. It was expression of boredom, now however, excitement filled the air. Scott’s fingers began to press into his skin as an evil smile crossed his face. He already knew what was transpiring before him, but Zhong was not in on the know.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Zhong turned around to look at his should be downed opponent. Instead of seeing a man face first inside of the dirt he saw Joseph standing up again. He was breathing heavy and his body was covered with bruises and scratches. He looked like he could barely stand, but there he was still standing. After having his organs assaulted by Scott and a punishing blow from Zhong the young marine was still on his feet.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“So you want more then”, spoke Zhong as he rushed toward the marine. His giant tube arms slammed, smashed, and berated the marine. Each time he hit him Joseph would get back up. The fight in his eyes seemed to burn even more brilliant with every knock down.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Pshaw”, spoke Scott as his fingers began to dig into his arms. Scott had heard about this from Jex once. The will to keep fighting even when one’s body was at its limit. Still he never expected to outright see it. The users of the Angelic Fist were far too skilled to ever get in that kind of desperate situation and their opponents, well they never stood a chance.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“The hell”, spoke Zhong as he stared with amazement. At this point he counted at least twenty to twenty five separate blows. Each one strong enough to knock the man off his feet, but yet he still stood. Proud and firm, did Joseph stand. His eyes always shifted back to his sister once he hit the dirt and his haggard body would pull itself back up to its feet. “Go down already”, shouted Zhong with finality as he pulled his arm back with all his strength.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Wait don’t kill him”, shouted Scott as he realized Zhong was putting his all into the attack. The warrior tried to move, but his cross arm position required him to release his own shoulders first. That action slowed him down enough to prevent him from getting to the blow in time.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Die!” Zhong shouted with everything. His tube hand came down with the force of a giant. A great eruption of sand and dirt exploded from the area. The dust, blocked the view of the figures from all eyes staring at the fight.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“You fool”, shouted Scott as he waved his arm to dispel the dirt cloud. “Did I not tell you to leave him alive”, he shouted! A ball of evil flames erupted in his palm as he prepared to burn Zhong alive with his fire. However his flames soon burned out as Scott stared with astonishment.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Don’t you dare lay another one of your filthy tubes on my little sister”, spoke Joseph as he stood proudly on the ground. The sand in the beach had been blown away for flatten and Joseph himself was now in a small crater on flat ground. His eyes held the hatred of murder and his glasses were shattered to a thousand little pieces. Zhong’s tube arm was caught inside of Joseph’s right hand. However Zhong himself was knocked unconscious. Lighting raged all around them as somehow Joseph body became maelstrom of electricity.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Could this be”, spoke Scott to himself. The warrior had considered this to be a devil fruit, but he soon remembered the cookie. There was no way that cookie was baked naturally, or at least he thought. Now however he was shooting out electricity, so there had to be something going on. Cookies and electricity have nothing to do with each other.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“So it is true”, spoke Rin as she stared at her brother. She, and only her alone, was the only one in on the know. Joseph was indeed her brother, but he was only her half-brother. Her mother and his mother were not the same people. His mother was rumored to have been a beast, but Rin always chalked that up to political cow dung. Now that she saw the lightning she wondered if it could have been true. Though beast and lighting did not seem to go together in her mind. However strange blood often gave strange powers in the legends.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Lightning Demon”, shouted Joseph as the lighting seemed to increase. The voltage surged through Zhong’s body violently causing the man to collapse to the earth. Not to Joseph’s surprise the man transformed from the black figure and into an actual person. His dark brown skin suggested a new world descent, but at the moment Jospeh could not care less. Lighting erupted from his body as his expression turned cold. “So you are next”, he spoke as he turned toward Scott. Confidence filled his chest and fear was far gone.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Story Break

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Why did he not wait for me dang it”, shouted Ashigaru as he sprinted across the beach. He could see a flash of light in the distance and an explosion. He did not understand what was going on, but he knew one thing, Joseph needed him. Ashigaru picked up the speed. He needed to get there as soon as possible.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Dashing across the sand was not easy. His footing was all jacked up thanks to the soft nature of the sand and the numeral small dunes of sand extended the distance even more. Still Ashigaru was focused. This little jog was not going to slow him down, nor was it going to impede his ability to fight. Well he thought it would not slow him down. He soon found out that fate had another plan.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">As Ashigaru rushed across the sand he suddenly felt a thump on his foot. His collision with the unkown objected ended up with a high pitch scream and Ashigaru falling to the sand. “What the”, spoke Ashigaru as he began to pick himself up. He would have shot off after his friend if it was not for a sudden and unexpected out burst from behind him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey watch it”, shouted a female voice. Ashigaru turned around and immediately he was hit. It was a single shot straight to the heart. Dumb founded the warrior stared in awe as a young maiden stood up from the sand. Her clothing was wet and covered in dirt, but it did little to hide her beauty. Even with mud clinging to it her silver shinned beautifully in the sun light. Her skin was paler than the moon and as flawless as silk. Her eyes shinned like the stars and her perfect frame…

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Stop staring at me”, shouted the maiden in a cold and chilling tone. Her eyes stared at Ashigaru as if he was worse than garbage. It pained Ashigaru to see such a reaction, but he was not going to simply curl up into a ball and let this moment pass. Cupid had hit him with an arrow and his mark was always deadly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Hey what’s your name”, blurted out Ashigaru as he jumped up off the ground?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Excuse me”, spoke the maiden in the same calm tone as before. She stared back at Ashigaru with disgust. She already knew what the young boy was after. It was not her first time being hitted on by a guy.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What is your name?” This time Ashigaru spoke in a more stable voice. His eyes focused in on the maiden’s face and not on her body. He knew first impressions were important and he wanted to salvage this one.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Now staring at her eyes Ashigaru finally noticed something he missed last time. She had horns. Two of them to be exact. They were coming out of the side of her head going straight out east and west. Then they both suddenly make a round turn and point at a slight angle up towards the front of her face. Most people would probably find this fact to be a bit repulsive. Horns are a natural trait on some humans, but most people don’t really have them. As a result horns were seen as a bad thing to most people. For Ashigaru it is the exact opposite. The horns simply added to her charm. It made her more exodic.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Giving off a long sigh the maiden realized that her glares and body language was not going to shoo Ashigaru off. That look in his eyes, like a love sick puppy. She wondered how in the world she even attract such a fool. Taking a moment of her own to look at the stupid horn dog the maiden finally noticed his marine uniform. The moment she registered it her eyes lit up like a fire. An angry glare shot toward Ashigaru’s innocent staring eyes. She began to look into his question in a different light. Was he trying to scope her out? Did he know who she was? Was he going to try to arrest her? These were all questions racing though the young maiden’s head as she stared angrily into his eyes.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Huh”, spoke Ashigaru in confusion as he finally noticed her angry expression. For a moment he was contemplating the horns and awaiting the answer to his question. That moment made him miss the initiation of the maiden’s anger. However his dumb founded monologue saved the day. The stupid expression on his face told her that her assumption was false and that he was indeed yet another male in heat.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">The maiden gave off a long sigh as her expression turned back to normal. “Wait did I miss something”, asked Ashigaru. His face was starting to turn read as embarrassment started to creep in.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No,   just, don’t worry about it”, spoke the maiden as she turned her gaze back to the sand. She was now clearly looking for something. Ashigaru began to stare around slightly hopping to figure out what she was trying to spy.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“You are looking for something”, asked Ashigaru as he volunteered himself to join the search. “You know I can help you …”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Bosma”, spoke the maiden suddenly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Huh”, spoke Ashigaru as he stared at her with confusion.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“My name is Bosma”, she spoke again. Her eyes never left the dirt. “Now if you will excuse me I need to find something”, she spoke as she continued her search.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Well I can lend …”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“No”, spoke Bosma in a tone of finality. “I can find it on my own. I don’t need, nor want your help. Go back to what you were doing before you ran into me”, she spoke staring at the love sick puppy.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Whoa, whoa”, spoke Ashigaru as he raised his hand defensively. It was then that everything clicked. He remembered where he was going and why. He got so distracted by the appearance of the maiden that he forgot that Joseph was probably fighting for his life. “Crap”, he shouted as he began to dart off. However the arrow of love, or better yet lust in his situation, struck deep and hard. Ashigaru turned around to face the maiden once more while running backwards. “I will catch you later Bosma”, he shouted as he waved goodbye. Bosma stared on with mild annoyance as the young man finally began to leave.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Alright time to kick…”, spoke Ashigaru to himself as he prepared to dart across the sand. However his foot once again meet an unexpected object and Ashigaru toppled over again. This was all in the line of sight of Bosma, who despite her cold nature, could not help to giggle at the fool’s clumsiness.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Damn it”, shouted Ashigaru as he raised up a katana! The blade was still in its sheath, thank the gods, but its wooden scabbard was now damaged by Ashigaru’s heavy boots. “Who leaves a sword lying around on the beach”, he shouted.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Wait”, came a voice from afar. Ashigaru turned around to see Bosma right up on him. The maiden had crossed the distance in a blink of an eye. A surprising development that Ashigaru did not see coming.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“That is mine”, she spoke as she took the sword from Ashigaru. She drew the blade from its sheath and began to inspect her sword.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh”, spoke Ashigaru as he realized that he had found what she was looking for. “See …”, he spoke, but he suddenly stopped. He remembered his duty and his purpose. “Well good luck with your sword”, he spoke as he began to dart across the sand once more. As Ashigaru became a blur in the horizon Bosma began to place her sword back into her sheath.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Looks like I owe him one”, she spoke to the wind.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Story Break

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Crap monkeys”, spoke Ashigaru as he arrived on the scene. He was late, no doubt due to his mishap on the beach. By the time he arrived Joseph was faced down in the dirt with his body covered in burns and blood soaking the sand.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Garbage”, spoke Scott as he looked down at Joseph. The young man’s body was broken and beaten and spread out before him. He was surprised by his sudden furry of strength, even more surprised when he took out The Figure. However now it was over. Whatever sibling love power they shared between them it could not help Joseph to rise upon from the beating Scott had given him. “I guess I will finish you off now”, spoke Scott as he raised his hand. Fire erupted from the palm of his hand. The flames that burned soul. “Turn to ash”, shouted Scott as he prepared to fire. Suddenly however his vision was blurred and an image appeared in his head. His body was punched clean though by a fist and a sea of crimson stained the sand.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What the”, shouted Scott as he jumped backwards. As he moved an image of an enraged warrior appeared before him. Leaping though the air came Ashigaru. His eyes filled with nothing more than killing intent. Scott barely had enough time to get out of Ashigaru’s way. His fist however, slammed into the boulder Scott was standing on and shattered it into a million tiny pieces.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Too slow”, shouted Scott as he span his body around in the air and delivered a powerful spinning kick straight to the neck of the enraged beast. The blow however had no visible impact on Ashigaru. As a matter of fact it felt like Scott had hurt himself rather than done damage to Ashigaru.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Not done yet”, shouted Ashigaru as he tossed sand toward the young martial artist eyes. Suddenly however Scott vanished as he kicked himself into over drive. Dodging around the attack Scott rushed in and delivered a devastating blow into Ashigaru’s jaw. The young boy did not have enough muscle power to deal an effective shot against the muscle bound Ashigaru, but he did not need it. A vibration was created inside of Scott’s body and then transferred into his swinging arm. The force of all his muscles acting at once erupted from his fist and moved into Ashigaru’s face.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Angelic Break”, shouted Scott as his blow made contact. Ashigaru’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as consciousness began to leave his body. “Tah, he doesn’t stand a chance”, spoke Scott as he expected Ashigaru to go down. However the hero regained control of his body and with a strong stomp down Ashigaru turned his falling motion into a smash attack.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Shattering Smash”, he shouted as his fist cut through the air. The attack caught Scott off guard. Despite his super speed Scott was unable to dodge this attack completely. Ashigaru’s fist clipped his face, but the force alone was enough to knock him back a few feet and leave quite the scar above his eye.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“You bastard”, shouted Scott as he began to give himself in to his anger. A gash above his right eye began bleed blood, and that blood flowed right into his eye creating a blind spot. “Damn”, he shouted, but the sound of fast pace footsteps turned his attention back toward Ashigaru.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Moving in his blind spot, Ashigaru attacked with the power of a raging Giant. His fist slammed into the sand causing the sand to flatten down into a tight mesh. However sand was all that Ashigaru had. Scott had moved out of the way of his blow and was now dodging around Ashigaru.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“To slow”, he shouted as Ashigaru threw another fist at him. Scott dodged around the blow like it was child’s play. He ducked and dived, swerved and swifted, Ashigaru could not lay a fist on him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Stay still and die”, shouted Ashigaru as he slammed his fist into the side of the mountain. The blow caused the surface to crack and part of the rubble to break off and barrage the beach with falling boulders.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">As the boulders fell from the sky Scott took full advantage of the changing battlefield. With his super speed Scott shot off the ground and then kicked off a boulder. Using the weird angle Scott shot behind Ashigaru and stuck him in the back of the head. “Angelic Break”, he shouted as the blow connected. The force of his entire body shout though Ashigaru’s body. However Scott was not dune. Kicking off the ground he shot to the other side and kicked off another falling boulder. Coming at Ashigaru from another weird angle Scott lunched back and hit the warrior straight in his jaw. “Angelic Break”, he shouted again. As the boulders descended to the earth Scott repeated this movement five more times, a testament to his great speed. The force of the crumbling boulders and spreading rubble battered Rin and her badly beaten brother with dust and stones. However Joseph remained conscious though it all. The power of his bound with his sister pulled him though and despite Scott’s prediction he was able to get back to his feet.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Joseph”, spoke Rin with concern and happiness as her brother approached her rug.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Don’t worry I will get you out”, he spoke. Blood ran down the side of his head as a result of one of the rocks scrapping across his skull.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“You idiot”, she spoke as tears began to run down her face. Cutting away at the rug Joseph was able to free his sister, but the weight of his body became too much for his weak legs to bear. The brave warrior of love fell face first into the dirt.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Sorry, just give me a minute”, he spoke, but his sister was not having it.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Enough”, she shouted! Ring grabbed her brother by his shoulder and stood up. Most of his body was dragging on the ground, but the maiden could care less. “I am getting us out of here”, she spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Oh really”, spoke Scott as he sat smugly on a stone. A pile of rubble stood where Ashigaru was last standing, it was the result of his own attack, ironically enough. “I don’t think you two are going anywhere”, spoke Scott as spiritual fire erupted from the palm of his hand. Rin’s eyes grew wide as she saw the flames. The memory of his threat from earlier was still fresh in her brain. She remembered the way it burnt and what it did to the body of her father.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Well I need you alive at least”, spoke Scott as he looked at Rin. As serious expression crossed his face as he stared at the down Joseph. “You however”, he spoke with displeasure as he stared at the man. Scott was about to make his attack when he suddenly felt a cold child go down his spine. The speedster jumped off the stone he was sitting on as a wave of boulders sailed in his direction.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Dang I missed”, spoke Ashigaru as he stood in the pile of rubble. His body was covered in buses and scratches and his clothing was ripped to tatters. However he was still standing a testament to his willpower and durability.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“How the…”, spoke Scott, but a small rock suddenly appeared in his face. Moving as fast as he could Scott dodged around the small stone, but only to see Ashigaru’s body flying through the air like a missile.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Shirt”, he shouted as he jumped backwards. He barely dodged Ashigaru’s punch, which turned the stone he was sitting on into fragments of dust.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“What the hell are you”, he shouted toward Ashigaru?! There was no way he should be up. He was hit by seven Angelic Resonance attacks and had a cliff dropped on him. There was no way that a mere martial artist could survive that, but here he was still standing and kicking.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“A martial artist”, spoke Ashigaru as he stepped forward. “The same as you”, he spoke. His eyes were a flame and his resole strong.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“You know what”, spoke Scott as he looked at Ashigaru. “Fuck this”, he shouted. Flames erupted from his body at a level unseen by Rin. His flames danced so high she was sure you could see them from space. However Rin had no time to stare in awe. She had to get her brother to safety. As Ashigaru battled Scott they made their way back to the city.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Eradication Cannon”, shouted Scott as he placed his hands together. He began to gather up his spiritual flames into a single ball of fire.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“So he is finally using it”, spoke Ashigaru as he closed his eyes and began to meditate. He had seen the flames before and heard about their grand power. He understood that they ghost flames and that they burned the victim’s souls instead of the target’s physical body. It was marked as one of the scariest devil fruits known to man.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">   “Die”, spoke Scott as he released his ball of burning destruction. The flames erupted out from his hands like that of a volcano. Ashigaru stared on as the flames distorted his vision and consumed his horizon. Like a wave from the sea it spread across the ground like flood waters, its flames destroying the very soul of the grass and consuming all the creatures nearby. The fires raged on barely missing Rin and her wounded brother.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Ashigaru”, spoke Joseph as he looked back. There was no way he could survive that hellstorm.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Burn into nothing”, shouted Scott as he looked out at the carnage. Fires still erupted from his body as he planned to burn away the entire area. Suddenly and unexpectedly a dark figure appeared in the flames. The image caught Scott by surprise, there was supposed to be nothing left below, how in the… Before Scott could finish the thought a gigantic boulder made its present know. The gigantic rock sailed by Scott as he moved to the side. Clearly Ashigaru was still alive down there, somehow. “I just need to …”, spoke Ashigaru when his haki went off. With eyes opened as wide as the moon he turned to see a angry Ashigaru flying toward him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">   The Hero had latched onto the rock he had thrown earlier. Once Scott dodged it he saw the opportunity to strike. “Shattering”, shouted Ashigaru as he pulled back on his attack. Scott attempted to move, but exhaustion from using his massive flame attack had drain his stamina. Scott was vulnerable. The young boy raised his arms in defense, but Ashigaru’s fist came with the full power of the Smashing Rock style. “Punch”, shouted Ashigaru as his fist slammed into Scotts cross guard. The blow from the attack shattered the bones in the young boy’s arms and sent him flying backwards straight into the cliff side. The force drove him straight though the earth and sent him skirting across the dirt on the other side of the island.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Bitch”, whispered Ashigaru as he fell toward the earth. The hero fell into the tough sandy beach with a bang. The force knocked him unconscious and sent him to an early bed.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Story Break

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Ashigaru awoke to the sound of chirping birds and the warm golden rays of the sun. As his eyes opened he looked up to see the doctor leaning over him. “Oh you are finally awake”, she spoke. Ashigaru’s eyes flickered for a moment as he attempted to remember all that happened. He was fighting that boy when he had won. Then his body had given out and all he could remember was falling into the sand.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“How long have I been out?” spoke Ashigaru as he raised his right hand to rub the back of his head. His attempt however was suddenly stopped with a sudden jolt. The hero’s right arm was handcuffed to a rail on the nearby wall. A puzzled expression crossed Ashigaru’s face as he began to try to decipher what was going on.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Two days”, spoke Joseph entering in the room before Ashigaru could utter a word to the good doctor. A firm expression filled his face as he stared odwn on Ashigaru with disdain.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“…. What is going on”, asked Ashigaru as he stared at both the doctor and Joseph. The prior had turned her head away from Ashigaru and rushed out the room. It was clear that guilt was pulling on her for something. The maiden could not face Ashigaru’s innocent accusing eyes and as a result she opted to flee from the scene. Joseph however took everything stoically. This was his plan all along after all.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Justice my friend”, spoke Joseph as he took two steps forward.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Justice”, spoke Ashigaru in a confused tone as he raised his arm up with the handcuffs on it. “What kind of justice is there in hand cuffing me to the wall?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“The same kind of justice when none brings in a wanted criminal”, spoke Joseph. His words and eyes told everything. He had figured out who Ashigaru was. That very fact caused a scowl to cross above Ashigaru’s face.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“When”, he asked simply.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“From the very beginning”, spoke Joseph as he took a seat in a nearby chair. “When I took up your uniform and washed it I called in …”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“You were playing me from the beginning then”, spoke Ashigaru cutting off Joseph.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">The young man took a long sigh and then looked Ashigaru in the eyes. “Of course”, he spoke. He could see the hurt inside of the young fighter. Ashigaru thought that the two of them were cool even before he aided in saving his sister. Now however he began to wonder.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“So that whole thing …”, spoke Ashigaru.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“A set back”, spoke Joseph. “I found out who you were a bit too late and you awoke a bit too soon. You were supposed to be drugged and kept asleep till the marines arrived, but …”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Your sister got kidnapped”, spoke Ashigaru. He figured there hospitality was a bit too good, but this. He should have saw this ploy coming. Rule number one of battle, never let your guard down, and here he was letting his guard down.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Precisely”, spoke Joseph as he pulled out his pistol. He pointed his weapon at Ashigaru’s chest. “Sea stone bullet”, he spoke letting his opponent know the power of his weaponry.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“So that is it”, spoke Ashigaru. The marital artist attempted to bulk up his muscles. A steastone bullet meant nothing to him. His body could be made tough enough to take it and stea stone had no effect on him as a whole. He was a not a devil fruit user. However today it did not matter. During his time passed out the good doctor had given him some drugs to relax his muscles. As much as Ashigaru wanted to bulk up and squash the head of the little traitor he did not have the power. His body was limp and all his strength was gone.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Sorry mate”, spoke Joseph as he rose from his chair. “However justice is absolute. It does not matter how many sisters you save. Justice must be done. There is no room for grey.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Jospeh”, cried a voice from the hallway as three men dressed in marine uniforms entered into the door. Ashigaru knew them well. They were members of his old company in the marines.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Well well”, spoke one man as he walked up to the defenseless Ashigaru. He paused for a moment to light up his cigar and then began to give Ashigaru a sly smile. “If is not our old friend Hikari Froúrio Jr.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">“Go F#^@ yourself”, spoke Ashigaru as he stared into the eyes of the two marines.