Author Topic: Rising Star (Complete At Last)  (Read 75348 times)

Alfred F. Jones

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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #30 on: February 20, 2010, 02:22:59 AM »
Whoa whoa whoa. Shit just got real.

Not like losing Nazrin would be a huge loss. Eh, it would be to Shou. Poor girl. D:

Fetch()tirade

  • serial time-waster
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #31 on: February 20, 2010, 02:47:45 AM »


That's quite a surprise there.

Esifex

  • Though the sun may set
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  • It shall rise again
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #32 on: February 20, 2010, 03:42:58 AM »
This cannot end well.

But, hey, Shou can channel some epic fortune/good luck and stumble across Nazrin at the Higan River and snatch her back, right? :x

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #33 on: February 20, 2010, 04:26:48 AM »
*subverted trope* Who said anything about killing her?

But yeah, depending on what happens next, you may or may not see me in this thread again.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2010, 04:30:29 AM by KimikoMuffin »

Silent Harmony

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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #34 on: February 20, 2010, 07:30:48 AM »


You stole the words right out of my mouth, Mr. Anonymous manga character.

For someone who hates leaving with cliffhangers, that was a damned evil one. :ohdear:

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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #35 on: February 20, 2010, 09:33:38 AM »
EHHHH?!

Shit just hit the fan yo.
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Kasu

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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #36 on: February 20, 2010, 02:08:01 PM »
FFFFFFFFFFFFF-

Crazy stuff is gonna go down now...

Apparently, Thomas the Tank Engine isn't one to take crap from anyone.

Dorian White

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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #37 on: February 20, 2010, 04:14:18 PM »
Something like that was bound to happen, but I didn't expected Vaisravana to be that... Solomonic.
Bella gerant alii, tu felix Gensokyo nube. Nam quae Mars aliis, dat tibi diva Venus.

Esifex

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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #38 on: February 21, 2010, 01:12:57 AM »
Bonds are not physical, of course. Although I wouldn't put it past Shou at this point to take Vaisavaranaanananana's order literally and start sobbing about having to kill Nazrin, just for Byakuren to be like 'yo, it's metaphorical. also magic spear makes you badass without nazrin lolololol'

* Shikiesifeki Yamexadu is shot some more.

FinnKaenbyou

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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #39 on: February 22, 2010, 02:43:38 AM »
This was a cruel joke.

I must have just misunderstood Byakuren and Vaisravana entirely. This was their misguided attempt at humour, another of these human quirks I hadn't learned yet. It was all just for fun - the spear would be made of rubber, it'd bounce off of Nazrin's chest, everyone would start laughing and life would be sunshine and rainbows.

I tried with all my heart to convince myself that was what was happening to me. But as I looked up into Vaisravana's unfeeling eyes, I could see no trace of humour.

I was aware of nightmares now, so maybe I was just dreaming. I'd snap awake in bed, Nazrin would hear me shuffling around, she'd check if I was okay and I'd bury my head in her chest and cry.

I pinched myself. Nothing happened.

"...This is a metaphor, right...? You don't actually want me to...?"

My voice barely made it across the hall. I didn't want to look back at Nazrin, but I could hear her struggling against Byakuren's grip to no avail.

"Your feelings for her have grown too strong to simply disregard. She has already played her part in bringing you here, and she is no longer needed. Her death is unfortunate, but necessary."

This wasn't my Vaisravana. These couldn't be the words of my god running through my ears with that omnipotent clarity of His. It was a fake, a false idol trying to trick me.

"...Shou. You have shown more promise and potential than any disciple has in centuries. Nazrin chose well when she brought you to me. I do not wish to see this natural talent wasted on your foolish love."

...Foolish? Was it really foolish to care for someone, to wish for their happiness? To put the hopes and dreams of another person ahead of your own? After Nazrin opened up to me, I had been so caught up in the euphoria I never considered the notion again.

But...if Vaisravana is saying it...

There were powers I had to answer to. If my god told me I was in the wrong, I was in the wrong. I was being weak in relying on another for my own happiness, and now He had had the good grace to grant me an opportunity to absolve my sins.

I should have been thankful to Him for the chance. Not shaking as my heart fought to a stalemate with my mind, my feelings for Nazrin clashing with the orders a divine being had given me.

My hand trembled as it reached down in front of me, grabbing at the spear's hilt. It was cold, solid steel, as ungarnished as it was deadly. I gripped it in both hands, pricking my finger slightly on the tip to ensure it was as sharp as it looked.

It was.

I squeezed my eyes shut. The last thing I wanted to do now was see Nazrin's face as I walked towards her with the weapon that would end her life. I stepped forward slowly till I could feel warm air brushing on my face. That only made it worse - I drew the image of her in my head, still fighting against Byakuren, her eyes silently begging for mercy as she cried. I couldn't bear it, and I reluctantly opened my eyes again.

Nazrin's face was as expressionless as it had been the day I met her. And that hurt more than any showing of fear ever could.

"...What are you waiting for? Do it."

Nazrin sounded frustrated as she spoke to me. Her eyes seemed to have taken on a darker shade of red, like a light inside of them had flickered out. She had stopped struggling the instant I picked up the spear. She had realised that I valued Vaisravana over her, and settled for second place. She had already discarded her feelings for me, so it was up to me to do the same to her.

Faith for one's god overwrote all else. That was justice.

I lifted the spear up, pointing its tip at Nazrin's chest. I needed to make it quick, painless, so I would stab her through the heart. I took one last deep breath, chanting to myself in my head.

I seek refuge in the Buddha - the example which all of us must follow.

A single, perfect, clean stab in the chest. Nazrin let off a few guttural, choking noises.

I seek refuge in the Dharma - the teachings which were left to us that show the path to enlightenment.

"Sh...ou..."

My name was the last thing to cross her lips before she passed on. Byakuren let go of her as she died, her body falling over and leaning on me. I could feel the still-warm blood seeping through her own clothes and on to mine.

I seek refuge in the Sangha - those who seek the same goal I do and uphold our teachings.

"Well done, Shou. With this, you have proven that your beliefs are true and your faith is absolute. You are hereby officially ordained as a disciple of Vaisravana."

The words from the god behind me boomed into my ears. There was no longer any feeling or pride or happiness as I heard them. Any emotions like that died along with Nazrin. I would become a tool of my deity, tending to his wishes and commands. Nothing more, nothing less.

I, Shou Toramaru, seek refuge in these three treasures.

After all, the only other thing I could seek refuge in was lying dead in my arms, wasn't she?

-----

Bad Ending #1: Survival of the Fittest

And now, I need to profusely apologise for stealing Ruro's Bad-End gimmick from White Rose. The temptation was too great, I'm sorry >_<

Anyway, let's just turn back the clock a little...

---

I lifted the spear up, pointing its tip at Nazrin's chest. I needed to make it quick, painless, so I would stab her through the heart. Maybe a few seconds of pain before she slumped into my arms and her blood would start to run all over my robes while her dead eyes stared into mine-

No! Stop thinking about it and just do it!

The spear was shaking in my hands, almost falling out of my grasp. I needed to calm down. Deep breaths. Focus. Concentrate. I would pretend I was just hammering a nail into a wall, like I always did when I cleaning up the temple with Nazri-

"Gah!"

Why did all of my thoughts always turn back to her? Had this one girl managed to become more important to me than the god I had promised to worship? She had managed to put her feelings aside, so why couldn't I!?

"...I said do it, Shou. Hurry up."

I could feel Vaisravana's gaze staring me down, almost a physical weight on my shoulders. The longer I spent doubting, the harder it would be to actually go through with this.

"Shou...please..."

Nazrin spoke again as my hesitation became increasingly obvious. I tried to look away, focus on the sullen look that Byakuren was wearing instead, but my eyes turned to her as if they were posessed.

...Please tell me I'm seeing things. Please don't let those be tears.

I had taken too long. Nazrin had tried her best to return to the emotionless girl that I hadn't cared for, but my own inability to kill her had caused her true colours to shine through again. The light returned to her eyes, and she started to squirm as she let the tears she'd been holding back come crashing down.

"...S...Shou, you idiot. Now look what you've done..."

By now she was back to flailing outright again, Byakuren's expression taking on yet another layer of guilt. My heart was on the verge of crumpling in on itself. Nazrin didn't want to die. She didn't want me to kill her. But then why would she try so hard to fake it? Why would she make such an effort to act like she didn't care?

I didn't want to accept the conclusion that came to me, but it was all that made sense.

She didn't want me to feel guilty for having to kill her. She was willing to give her own life for the sake of my happiness. Her love for me was so strong she would literally die for me.

I heard a moan coming from somewhere in the hall. It was the most pathetic sound I had ever heard, the sound that someone would only give off if they had lost all hope and conviction.

It took me a few seconds to realise it was coming from me.

---

"...Why do you hesitate?"

Vaisravana's voice almost knocked me to the floor. I felt like I was made of paper, ready to collapse at any given moment. The eyes of a god were looking down on me, demanding that I offer Nazrin as a sacrifice to Him.

And I couldn't. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself, I just couldn't do it.

The spear dropped to the floor with a clatter. Now tears were running down my face as well. I looked thoroughly pathetic, and I knew it.

"S-Shou..."

Nazrin's voice almost cracked as she called out to me. She didn't want to see me cast out into the wild again, returned to being nothing more than a mere tiger. She didn't want Vaisravana to invoke His wrath on me and likely my former pack as well.

Every scripture I'd ever studied, every mantra I'd recited, every lecture I'd read, everything passed through my mind right now. Everything told me that Vaisravana spoke the truth - I was too attached to Nazrin, I needed her out of the picture to clear my mind.

And in the midst of that, a new thought jumped into my head. A thought that directly opposed everything I had been taught, everything that made me a disciple of Vaisravana. Everything that I had spent all this time working toward, what had been my life for these last few weeks.

It was these two thoughts that were tearing me apart. Logic and emotion were pitting themselves against one another, and my soul was their battlefield. The stalemate was tearing me apart. But as I looked into Nazrin's eyes one last time, there was a stunning feeling of clarity, and suddenly the two choices were reduced to one.

It consisted of two words.

"I refuse."

Nazrin's eyes widened in shock. Byakuren bit her lip. I wasn't aware of Vaisravana's expression, but at this point I had no interest in it.

"...What was that?"

He sounded incredulous, almost enawed. Was I honestly the first person he had met who questioned Him?

"I said, I refuse. I won't kill her."

Vaisravana's presence in the room grew stronger. The red aura of his robes began to seep into the walls, trailing down like blood.

"You have a lot of nerve, child. You would oppose the orders of a god? YOUR god?"

"When my god has good intentions, maybe I should do what he says. When he orders someone to take a life out of sheer jealousy? Not so much."

The confidence running through me was absurd. It shouldn't have been logically possible for me to debate with a deity with this much self-confidence. But love, it seemed, saw throwing logic out the window as a national sport.

"I'm not going to kill Nazrin just because you don't want me to care for her. You gave me the opportunity to experience real emotions, real feelings, and now you want me to cut away that part of myself? Sorry, but last I checked murder wasn't very good for your karma."

The aura along the walls dripped onto the floor, wrapping itself around the discarded spear. It picked itself up without a hand to hold it, flying upwards in a single motion until its tip stood inches from my face.

"I will not accept your insolence! I am Vaisravana! Ruler of the north! Protector of the just! You would oppose me!?"

Death was staring me in the eye, literally. I knew for a fact that He could lodge that spear through my head at any moment, and that would be the end of Shou Toramaru. And yet, even in my old life as a tiger, I had never once shown bravery like this in the face of my own demise. My foe's strength was clear, and I knew I had no chance, but there was no way I would take Nazrin's life willingly. She herself was caught between awe and fear, falling silent, and I nodded to her to calm her down.

"Nazrin did nothing wrong, so she deserves to live. And nothing - not you, not Byakuren, not the Buddha himself - is going to convince me otherwise!"

I turned on my feet, looking back at Vaisravana with determination flaring in my eyes. By now my emotions were beginning to overtake me, my voice rising to a shout.

"Divine justice will only get me so far! This is me standing for myself and what I believe in! What I see as worth fighting for! This is my absolute justice!"

Vaisravana seemed ready to step off the altar and beat me to a pulp himself. For a few short seconds, I braced myself to have a spear lodged into my skull.

Vaisravana uttered two small words.

"...Well done."

My heart skipped a beat.

"You have passed. Congratulations."

The red aura filling the room retracted, retreating back into Vaisravana. I heard the spear clatter back onto the floor again, smashing into a million pieces. His face lightened, and for the first time I could remember I saw Him smile.

"Had you attempted to kill her, I would have stopped you and you would have proven yourself to be nothing beyond the animal you were when you first came here. You would be a brute no matter how far you had been taught, clearly unfit for enlightenment."

He looked behind me, towards Nazrin, who was still too enawed by the entire sight to speak. I looked around to her, seeing tears fall from her eyes once again. This time, though, there was a smile of elation to go along with them, and seeing that made my own heart soar.

"But in showing your refusal to obey an order you do not agree with, even when doing so is in your best interest personally, you have proven that you now posess an emotion that is integral to the life of the believer. The scriptures call it karuna. You know it as compassion."

Pride and joy washed over me like a raging sea. I fell to my knees, tears welling up in my own eyes as well.

I...I did it. I really did it...!

"Byakuren, I apologise for forcing you to play your part in this."

Byakuren shook her head, looking at Vaisravana with that stern expression I so rarely saw from her.

"There is nothing to apologise for. Shou-chan proved herself, like I expected her to, so everything is fine, right?"

She let go of Nazrin at last, and the mouse's immediate response was to run up and wrap her arms around me.

"S-Shou...that was incredible. Y-You actually had the nerve to..."

She was still stunned by the whole ordeal, stuttering over her words. I patted her on the back as I returned the hug.

"Shh. Stop talking. Do you want to look bad in front of your boss?"

"A-Ah, good point. Got it."

We knew that both Vaisravana and Byakuren were looking down on us, but honestly neither of us cared. We were happy as we were.

"Nazrin...I know I ordered you to find a worthwhile youkai in the area, but...perhaps Shou needs to be overseen. Such talent must be guided, so I would like it if you could keep an eye on her for me."

Nazrin looked over to him, smiling like I'd never seen her smile before.

"Yes, sir! Count on me!"

He chuckled to himself, an emotion I had never seen Him show. Gods were as emotional as the rest of us, so in retrospect it was actually weirder that I had never seen Him acting cheerful.

"...Now, let it be known that Shou Toramaru is a fully ordained disciple of Vaisravana. I wish you the best of fortune in your own path to enlightenment."

Vaisravana offered me one last piece of encouragement as He made my ordination official. I looked over my shoulder to Him as His aura began to fade.

"Thank you for everything. I'll do you proud."

And if ever my strength wasn't enough to see me through, I knew for a fact there was someone who would be by my side through thick and thin.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2010, 02:53:21 AM by Roukanken »

Yamachanadu

  • Apparently pre-Yamatrend
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #40 on: February 22, 2010, 03:06:13 AM »
Heh, you had me really pissed at the bad end  :ohdear:

But now I really look forward to seeing where you may eventually go with this fic.
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Fetch()tirade

  • serial time-waster
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #41 on: February 22, 2010, 03:06:33 AM »
Man, I haven't been this caught up in a story since Xenocide. Really well done.

IcedFairy

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #42 on: February 22, 2010, 03:27:01 AM »
Fortunately the bold text gave me a warning.  You had me mildly irked for a bit though.

Also, bad diety!  Don't play mind games that early on!  Ah well at least he had a passably polite fallback plan.

Esifex

  • Though the sun may set
  • *
  • It shall rise again
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #43 on: February 22, 2010, 04:26:15 AM »
You dare defy MEEEEE?

"A-yap. Sure do."

Oh. Righto, then.

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #44 on: February 22, 2010, 04:52:02 AM »
Pfft, saw it coming. Really, with that cliffhanger, it's the only way it could go.

Though the "bad end gimmick" was also unexpected, and also annoyed me, so.

♛ Apher-Forte

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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #45 on: February 22, 2010, 03:59:59 PM »
Deities in Buddhist scriptures hardly play this sorta trick (save the Jade Emperor himself) and I dare say this was my view and objected this quite a lot. Yet, as the story goes, it is within a certain reason.
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Alfred F. Jones

  • Estamos orgullosos del Batall?n Lincoln
  • *
  • y de la lucha que hizo por Madrid
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #46 on: February 22, 2010, 05:18:36 PM »
And now, I need to profusely apologise for stealing Ruro's Bad-End gimmick from White Rose. The temptation was too great, I'm sorry >_<

:dragonforce:

Seeing reactions to bad ends is great. Even though you told me in advance that you were going to do it, I still freaked out a little inside when I actually read it. It seemed so real. Well done.

FinnKaenbyou

  • Formerly Roukanken
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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #47 on: February 26, 2010, 02:44:29 AM »
We had a feast that night, at least for our standards. A meal that had a recognisable form beyond a gelatinous grey mass was monumental to Nazrin and I, and Byakuren took extra care to make sure that her food actually tasted of something. As we dined on fresh rice and vegetables, the elation wiped away the painful aspects of the last few hours, until only the good memories were fresh in our minds.

A few minutes in, Byakuren offered up her cup of tea as a toast.

"Well, then, here's to Shou-chan and her ordination!"

Nazrin and I stared blankly at each other for a moment. This was a piece of courtesy she hadn't bothered to teach either of us, and Byakuren had to catch herself before she looked too awkward.

"Um, you hit the glasses against each other. You two didn't start drinking yet, did you...?"

We looked at each other with the same awkward expression, our eyes turning to our cups. I could barely see a drop of tea left in mine, and Nazrin's inspection didn't seem to turn up much beyond that in her own.

"Uh..."

"Actually..."

We both started on our excuses at once, unable to come up with anything intelligent. Byakuren giggled.

"Well, it's the thought that counts, isn't it?"

We both let out sighs of relief, Nazrin's much quieter than mine. The three of us reached out and clinked our cups together.

"To Shou-chan!"

"To Shou!"

"To, uh, me!"

With that, Byakuren took a proud sip of her drink while Nazrin and I acted out the motion. We smiled at each other before losing ourselves in dinner.

"So, Shou-chan," Byakuren said inbetween bites, "I couldn't help but notice you called me by my first name during that little monologue of yours."

"Ah, did I?!"

I'd been so caught up in the moment, being polite had sort of taken a back seat in my mind.

"W-Well, sorry. Would you prefer if I stayed with Hijiri-sama...?"

"Hijiri will be fine, actually."

My eyes widened slightly. She wanted me to drop the honorific? She saw me as an equal?

"R-Right. Got it."

I choked out a response before getting back to my meal, but I couldn't find anything else to say for the rest of the evening. I still hadn't fully processed the magnitude of my achievement, and being told to refer to her as just Hijiri was enough to remind me. There were a few moments where a familiar mindset threatened to make its way into my thoughts - 'Am I really up for this?' 'What if I screw up?' 'This is a setup, right? It can't be that easy...?'

Then I looked up at Nazrin, at those beautiful red eyes, and those thoughts were gone again.

---

I caught a sight of the night sky as I sat in my room after dinner. The memories of my first day here were still strong - the night where I lay on this bed, weeping as my secret was unveiled for the first time. The stars adorned the sky, like they had on that night, and once again a single light shone brighter than the rest.

I couldn't sleep. The adrenaline rush from earlier hadn't worn off completely, and besides that my mind was still racing. Even as I sat in bed I found myself fidgeting like I had on my first day on meditation, unable to put my mind at ease.

...Maybe I should go for a walk.

It was an idea that came to me for no good reason, but I made no effort to question it. I stood up, still dressed in my robes, grabbing my pagoda as I slipped out of the room. I made sure to stay as quiet as possible so that Nazrin and Byakuren didn't notice my disappearance.

Strolling down the shrine's steps, I thought back to the first time I'd climbed them. My feet now fit on the steps with ease, to the point where it was hard to even remember having those overgrown paws. I thought of how Nazrin had been then, rude and uninterested, and for a moment I winced when I considered the emotions that must have been hiding behind that mask of hers. It warmed my heart to remember the joy she'd expressed on the night the pair of us had both taken the largest risk of our lives - a risk that had paid off so far.

Reaching the bottom of the steps, I found my feet guiding me ownwards without any conscious thought. The path I found myself taking was strikingly familiar - though I was more used to seeing it from a few feet lower. The pawprints left in the mud beneath me were enough to confirm my suspicions, and for a while I simply stared down at them as I continued onwards. The pack seemed to still be sizable, and I smiled as I saw that they were managing fine without me.

...Hm? What's happening?

The trails started to even out as I moved along, stopping with a set of firm tracks gathered around something made of stone. Each set was facing towards the object in the middle.

...They didn't. Did they...?

I looked up, and immediately a smile jumped onto my face. The object they had been gathering around was the old statue of Vaisravana - the one we had used to take turns urinating on. But any signs of those former disgraces were long gone, and now the statue looked almost respectable. Leaves from nearby trees had been placed on it in order to cover up the cracks, and the edge of His crumbling spear had been replaced with an arrowhead. It was hardly extravagant, but considering it was the work of a pack of tigers it was enough to be proud of.

"...Oh, you guys..."

I couldn't keep my gratitude to myself. They really had offered their faith to Vaisravana after my departure. They'd kept their promise-

"Rawrr!!"

What the?!

A growl from behind me, giving me only instants to dodge before the spot I'd been standing on had a set of claws impaled in it. I rolled to the side, thanking Vaisravana for the reflexes this form had given me.

Wait...it's!?

My aggressor quickly pulled his claws from the earth beneath him, turning to me with murder in his eyes. They were familiar eyes, but not as familiar as the mark on his face - a set of scars, crescent-shaped, running down one side.

Scars that I left on him.

"G-Gaoo!"

Instinct alone caused me to let out a familiar roar, albeit with none of its former majesty. The tiger's eyes widened in surprise as he caught sight of me fully - not because he recognised me for who I was, but for my striking similarity to someone else. His eyes turned to the statue, then back to me, then to the pagoda hanging around my waist.

They remained wide open, but the shock was soon replaced by awe as he walked up to me. The aggression in his stance disappeared, replaced with a feeling of respect, and he bowed his head down before me. It was a familiar sign of praise that tigers gave to those they saw stronger, and I realised just what conclusion he was coming to.

He...thinks I'm Vaisravana...

My heart fluttered slightly. I'd never realised how good these robes were at hiding my gender, but now I was literally able to convince my old packmate I was his deity. There was a hint of sadness thanks to him not knowing who I was, but who in particular I'd been confused for was enough to fill me with pride once again.

"...Heh. You've done well."

I reached down with one hand, scratching behind his ears. He let off a pleasing purr, enough to remind me of the time that Byakuren had done the same to me.

The irony was not lost on me. For some reason, I felt slightly older now.

"Now, you guys keep doing good, you hear?"

He probably didn't understand the words, but he caught the sentiment. He nodded, smiling to me as I pulled my hand back. I felt my eyes gain about an extra ton of weight - exhaustion had taken a strange time to overrun me, and I decided it was a good time to head back to the temple and get some rest.

As I lay myself to sleep that night, I wondered whether it was coincidence that I stayed up long enough to witness my pack's faithfulness to our cause. As my eyes slid shut and I fell into a peaceful slumber, I decided that a divine hand was almost definitely at work.

Yamachanadu

  • Apparently pre-Yamatrend
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #48 on: February 26, 2010, 03:01:10 AM »
Awwwwww(continue ad nauseum)

Great job on that Rou, you never cease to amaze me.
<%convider> with the nose on top it looks like a lovecraftian sam fisher

Dorian White

  • The most handsome non-vampire diplomat you ever encountered ~
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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #49 on: February 26, 2010, 11:53:18 PM »
It is probably just my (Catholic) interpretation but...
... In terms of power and righteousness, He was like nothing I had ever seen before. Even being in his presence filled me with awe.

And, along with it, a desire to become like him. ...
He...thinks I'm Vaisravana...

... but who in particular I'd been confused for was enough to fill me with pride once again. ...
this may become a problem.
Bella gerant alii, tu felix Gensokyo nube. Nam quae Mars aliis, dat tibi diva Venus.

Esifex

  • Though the sun may set
  • *
  • It shall rise again
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #50 on: February 27, 2010, 03:03:41 AM »
It is probably just my (Catholic) interpretation but...this may become a problem.

Well, here's to hoping that Shou can learn an important lesson about pride and power. They aren't purely 'good' or 'bad', but it's instead how much of each you have that can cause their alignment to shift. Pride of a job well done is pride earned, and a desire to better yourself is a good thing - it means you want to make yourself worth something.

Pride for the sake of being proud and power for the sake of controlling, however... that's beyond the point where the line blurs.

FinnKaenbyou

  • Formerly Roukanken
  • *
  • blub blub nya
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #51 on: March 05, 2010, 02:29:20 AM »
gah i didn't mean to go for so long without an update i'm sorryyyyyyyyyyyy

---

"Shou."

I winced as I heard Nazrin call my name. Not from hearing her say it, of course, but from the dowsing rod she prodded me in the forehead with. I hadn't slept in for weeks now, but apparently yesterday's nostalgia trip had taken longer than I'd thought. This was her form of a wakeup call, and so far it had never failed.

"Gaah, that late? Sorry, gimme a minute..."

I pulled myself up into a sitting position, yawning as Nazrin pulled the rod away. My hair was in a state most young women would be disgusted by, but I'd always seen it as more unnatural to preen myself. Hair was for keeping you warm, not for making you look pretty. I rubbed at my eyes, still not quite awake.

"Guess I thought I'd get a day off after ordination. Vaisravana never waits, right?"

"There's something you need to see."

I managed to raise an eyebrow as I just about stepped out of bed. Nazrin pointed one of her rods at the window, and I trodded haphazardly over to it as my eyes started to gain focus.

"What's all the fuss about, Nazrin? What could be outside that-"

I stopped myself as I realised exactly what she was talking about. It was only a few feet away - just outside my room, but it definitely hadn't been there the night before. At first I thought the window had been boarded up - planks were running across its entirety. As I moved in I realised these planks were just part of a larger structure, but all that did was make me blink again.

"Nazrin...is there a ship parked outside the temple?"

"Yes."

"And it's on...dry land? As in...not water?"

"Pretty much."

"...Am I dreaming?"

I felt a rod being poked into my back.

"Ow!"

Nazrin smirked.

"Guess not."

Well, that settled it. The sheer bizarreness of the sight in front of me was enough to jolt me awake. I shook my head quickly to knock away any last traces of sleep, and grabbed the pagoda from the table I left it on every night.

"Guess we're on inspection duty, then. Hijiri is probably busy meditating, but we should be able to handle this ourselves."

It was still weird calling her that. Uncalled for, too high-class for me, but at the same time...pleasing. There wasn't time to be dwelling on that, though - Nazrin was biting her lip, which was never a good sign.

"You've...never fought before, have you? In that form, anyway."

"Ah-"

She raised a good point. If there was anyone on that ship I couldn't exactly pounce on an enemy and claw them. I'd never learned how to properly wield a weapon, either, not even the spear that Vaisravana was always meant to pose with. Nazrin sighed.

"I'm not exactly experienced myself...well, I guess we'll just have to hope we don't end up in any trouble. Let's go."

Her words were hardly comforting, but rather than sounding critical I could make out concern in her tone. She was worried about me, which made my heart rise a little, but at the same time I couldn't let her go in on her own, so it was either both of us or neither.

There was an ornamental spear lying in one of the unused side rooms that I quickly grabbed before slipping out of the temple. Nazrin led the way, walking around the side of the temple until we came to the mysterious ship parked right next to us. There was a wooden ramp leading down from the deck, presumably so its residents could depart. There was no sign of anyone, though, and we snuck onboard unnoticed.

The ship, for all its size, was remarkably unimaginative in its design. It was all the same wood, not even so much as a drop of paint for decoration. It looked more like a half-finished model ship - at least, one that a giant had forgotten about.

The door leading further into the ship hung open precariously. I noticed that the two of us had slowed down our walking pace - out of concern for the other or fear of something powerful lurking within. Maybe both. Eventually we slipped in, and found ourselves greeted by endless corridors of planked-wood.

"This place is big. Better stick together so we don't get lost."

Nazrin nodded as I offered some advice. I led the way, holding the pagoda so we could get some much needed light, while Nazrin kept track of how to get back to the entrance. Our steps echoed throughout the corridor, almost giving the impression that someone was trailing right behind us.

I was worried. Moving a ship like this would require immense power, assuming it wasn't magical. Someone had to be controlling it. Nazrin slipped a little closer to me, her arm rubbing against mine. I was grateful for the contact, relaxing a little.

"...Boring..."

We both froze in place as a voice echoed through the corridors - barely audible, but we could just about make out the words. The voice was young, female. Rough and agitated. As bad an idea as it probably was, we started to sneak up on the source, both of us stepping as quietly as possible.

"...How long is this gonna take? How long can that woman sit there with her legs crossed and hum to herself? Or is Ichirin off talking to that cloud friend of hers again? Ah, I dunno, but they'd better finish up soon!"

I didn't know who this 'Ichirin' person was, but the first person being mentioned was almost definitely Byakuren. I felt my pace quickening, along with my heartrate.

Before I knew it, we'd reached the room where the voice was coming from. It was behind a closed door, but definitely not locked. There was no doubting whose room it was - the words 'CAPTAIN MURASA MINAMITSU' had been written on the door itself in large, childish letters. It seemed almost too dramatic, too infantile, and for a moment I'm pretty sure Nazrin and I smiled as we entered the room.

There were a few trinkets lying around within - golden coins, torn parchment, nothing really in a well thought out place. Oddly, there was an anchor hung up on one of the walls, but I assumed it was just there for show. At the end of the room was a steering wheel, which was being idly spun by a young girl in the stereotypical white uniform of a sailor, her short black hair visible beneath her cap. She was so absorbed in this action that she didn't hear the door open behind her, and I stepped inside with caution.

"...This is ridiculous. I'm freakin' Captain Murasa Minamitsu. What makes these people think they can leaving me hanging while they have their fancy-schancy philosophical discu-"

This was around the time Murasa became aware of the footsteps behind her. She shut up, standing to attention with impressive formality as she adjusted the sailors' cap into its proper place. She turned her head as the wheel skidded to a halt, seeing Nazrin and I looking at her with a combination of confusion and fear.

"You're not who I was expecting to see."

It sounded joking, but there was a threat concealed within. I unconsciously took on a battle stance, strapping my pagoda to my side and wielding the spear in both hands. Nazrin had her twin dowsing rods primed and at the ready.

"I am Shou Toramaru, disciple of Vai-"

"I don't care who you are. There's only one thing that's important to me, kid."

Kid? That hardly seemed like a fitting term, given that this girl looked younger than I was. Still, she said it with enough authority and determination that I was hushed with ease. She turned to face us, and I got my first look into her pale teal eyes. She smirked with a disturbing confidence in her own ability.

"This is my ship. And I have no idea who you're supposed to be. Last time I checked, that made you an intruder."

She held one arm out to the wall, in the direction of the anchor. For a moment I had to resist laughing simply because it seemed totally ridiculous, but then I saw the heaving piece of metal wriggle a little. My heart froze.

I turned to look at Nazrin. She had the same worried gaze hanging in her eyes, and I knew for a fact she was thinking exactly the same thought as I was.

We're screwed.

"If we were at sea, I'd have you two stowaways walking off the plank..."

The anchor broke away from the wall, flying through the air and towards its owner. Murasa caught it at the handle, wielding it like a makeshift sword. The weight of it seemed irrelevant to her - she was lifting it like it was nothing.

"...But as it is, I'll have to settle for a good old-fashioned beatdown!"
« Last Edit: March 05, 2010, 02:43:55 AM by Roukanken »

Esifex

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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #52 on: March 05, 2010, 02:38:04 AM »
I've never played UFO (or anything beyond IN, for that matter), and haven't really caught up at all on the new characters - but now suddenly I love how badass Cpt. Murasa is.

Also I totally <3 how awkward Shou is Is that sarcasm? :VNo, that's me just being 'moe-yay'. I have a weakness to moeblobs.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2010, 01:33:22 AM by Esifex »

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #53 on: March 05, 2010, 04:10:34 AM »
Quote
infantile, etc
CAPTAIN MURASA is too badass for your foolish notions of dignity! *anchor'd*

FinnKaenbyou

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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #54 on: March 07, 2010, 03:24:06 AM »
agaghgahgahgaghagh fight scenes are hard to write

---

Neither of us were really sure what to expect from Murasa. She was lifting the anchor with ease, true, but there was still a good five feet between her and us, and less than that between us and the door out. What could she do with it that would stop us getting out?

Nazrin and I realised this in unison, and darted for the door-

"Not so fast!"

I could make out Nazrin turning her head back at the pint-sized captain. Then, without a moment's thought, she threw herself at me.

"Ah-"

We hit the wooden floor hard. Or at least I did, Nazrin was lucky enough to have me as her human cushion. I grit my teeth in pain.

What the hell did she do that for?!

I didn't have the chance to turn my thought into words before the anchor flew past behind us, slamming into the door. It left a sizable mark on the wood, and for a moment I winced as I realised it would have left a larger mark on me.

...Never mind. Good call.

The anchor retracted, returning to Murasa's hand. Her eyes still spoke volumes about her own self-belief.

"Geez, are you two cowards or what? I haven't had a good fight in forever!"

I pulled myself to my feet, Nazrin following suit. Escape wasn't a tactic either of us were keen to try again, so the only option left was attack. But still, even at a glance we could tell this girl was much stronger than either of us. We had to play it smart.

"You take the right, I'll take the left."

Nazrin muttered Basic Tactics 101. I'd like to say it came to me as clearly as it did to her, but I was more than slightly distressed at this point. I envied her ability to keep cool when it mattered.

"R-Right!"

We split up, each taking one side of the room. Murasa's smirk didn't fade in the slightest. In fact, as we charged her from both sides, she only seemed to be more excited.

"Now THIS is more like it!"

If she blocked me, Nazrin would beat her senseless with her dowsing rods. And if she went for Nazrin, this spear would at least be sharp enough to do some considerable damage.

Which is why she went for neither, slamming her anchor into the floor instead.

"Whoa!"

From the spot where the anchor's tip hit the ground, there was a tiny explosion that distracted my sight for an instant. From within it, a series of light-blue dots emerged, flying towards both of us at once. I was too caught up in my momentum to stop entirely, and the best I could do was turn to the side and narrowly dodge the barrage aimed in my direction.

I felt it cut into the robes at my shoulder. There was pain, and blood. Nazrin was more fortunate than I was, escaping with only a few holes in her dress.

Murasa's smirk shifted into an outright laugh.

"Aw, come on! Don't tell me you kids have never heard of danmaku before?"

I grimaced, as beside me Nazrin's stern face started to fall. Neither of us could fight at a distance, and if Murasa could attack like that we had no hope of getting near. The captain was as aware of her superiority as we were.

"Don't worry, kiddies. Captain Murasa's gonna give you a quick lesson!"

She lifted the anchor up again, and swung it in an arc. The tip of the air drew a line in the air, and another stream of bullets emerged from within. This time it spread across the entirety of the room, closing in on us with haste.

So many...! Is there a way out of this?!

There was no time to think, and I reacted on instinct alone. My body twisted and turned, trying to wean its way through the advancing storm of bullets. I felt near-misses grazing my arms, my legs, my sides, not enough to disable me but more than enough to hurt. But as the last bullet flew past me, the pain was enough to tell me I had survived.

Nazrin, again, benefited from being smaller than I was and managed to find a way to advance amidst the barrage. She broke ahead, wielding her rods as makeshift weapons and charging the captain head-on. She was gambling on an opening after an attack like that-

"Idiot!"

A gamble that earned her an anchor to the face.

"NAZRIN!"

She spun a full 360 degrees through the air as the impact sent her into a wall. I could make out blood dripping down one side of her head as she lay slumped on the floor, grimacing.

Immediately my body flew into overdrive, and logical reasoning fell out the window. I charged at Murasa fearlessly and recklessly. She hurt Nazrin. She was going to pay. I lunged forward, striking at her with my spear-

"Too easy."

-and gasped as she sidestepped it without a second thought. She caught the weapon in one hand, stronger than any force I could match. The spear stopped dead as she raised her anchor again, this time pointing the handle at me.

"I'll deal with you later."

The hook of the anchor caught me in the neck as it flew backwards across the room, smashing into the opposite wall. It dug itself in to the point where it nearly choked me, and my efforts to budge the weapon were unsurprisingly in vain. She had taken us both out with embarrassing ease, leaving us on opposite sides of the room.

She walked up to the still slumped Nazrin, who by now was trying to use her rods as makeshift crutches. I could just make out the glint in the captain's eyes at the sight of it.

"Now, you're clearly the brains of the package. There's only one punishment fitting for stowaways, and that's a trip to Davy Jones' Locker. But since we aren't at sea, this will have to do-!"

She clicked her fingers, and Nazrin winced as she expected the bullets to tear through her. A flash of light enveloped her, and as it faded she found herself encased in a bubble of water.

Panic entered her eyes instantly. She immediately reached out for the edge of the entrapment, only to find that some unseen force was stopping her. She started to pound at it with her hands, stab at it with her rods, but her watery prison refused to budge. Murasa laughed.

"Not so tough now, are you, you little rat? This is what you get for messing with Captain Murasa Minamitsu!"

Nazrin was too busy beating away at the walls to notice. She was getting dizzy. She couldn't see, she couldn't hear, and she couldn't hold her breath forever. And all I could do was watch her from a distance, caught in place by this anchor.

"Nnnnnnnnngh!"

No amount of effort on my part was going to free me. Murasa's anchor wasn't notably heavy, but she must have been consciously holding it in place. My strength couldn't hope to match that.

The feeling of helplessness was horrifying. Nazrin was dying in front of me, and there was nothing I could do about it. The thought that I was next didn't even cross my mind.

"B...bbl..."

Nazrin's hands moved to her mouth. Bubbles started to slip out, in larger and larger quantites by the second. Seeing her suffering like that...in so much pain...I couldn't take it.

"Glb...blagl...Shou...!"

Hearing her call for me was the last straw.

Somewhere, deep down, I snapped.

"...You..."

My hand lifted itself of its own accord. At my side, the pagoda started to let of another brilliant light. Murasa turned to me, only vaguely interested. I wasn't planning tactics or thinking through a plan of attack. There was only one thought running through my mind, one I made loud and clear.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

I cried at the top of my voice, the old ferocity of the tiger returning for an instant. A faint green orb appeared in front of my hand, and from it emerged a like-coloured line of light which threw itself across the room at Murasa.

"Heh, amateur..."

Unfazed, Murasa simply stepped to the side again. From what she knew of danmaku the laser would simply continue on its course and miss her entirely, colliding uselessly with the wall.

I had never learned anything like that, though. Seeing her dodge, I willed the laser to curve to the side and hit her.

To both of our surprises, the laser complied.

"...the he-"

Murasa didn't have time to finish her exclamation before the laser caught her with a direct hit. It slipped through her body visibly, leaving no marks on her, but as her eyes glossed over it was clear it had done its job. The proud captain fell to the floor in a heap, motionless.

The bubble of water collapsed, leaving a soaked and spluttering Nazrin lying in a large puddle. Likewise the anchor in the wall gave way, and with some effort I managed to free myself from my own bonds.

"Nazrin! Are you okay?!"

I dashed across the room the instant I could, wrapping my arms around her. I hoped she wouldn't be able to make out my tears for the water hanging on her face. She choked out a response between gasps for air.

"Haah...Shou...next time...mind doing that...a little sooner? You didn't have to...cut it so close..."

The wisecracks were enough. She was talking, she was alive. I hugged her with all the strength I had left.

After a few minutes, I managed to pull her to her feet. Neither of us had got away unharmed, but youkai were pretty good at recovering from physical injuries. Already I could barely make out the head-wound Nazrin had taken earlier. We had survived. It was over.

"...No..."

Or so we thought.

No way...!?

The body on the floor did not stir, but the pair of us heard a voice rising from it. A pale-green flame swathed its way across the body, enveloping it completely. Within instants only the fire remained, and it rose into the air and took shape again.

A shape neither of us wanted to see standing or talking.

"What the hell was that?! You dirty little cheater! Lasers aren't meant to curve! How was I meant to see that coming!?"

Murasa's body had taken on a green tint by itself. I slowly became aware that this her true form - the body we'd managed to destroy was just a shell.

She had been a ghost this whole time.

"Do you even know how long it takes to manifest a body like that? Hours! You two have wasted enough of my time, you hear me?!"

Murasa opened her arms out, and in front of her a line of anchors appeared from nowhere. Each carried the same pale tint as she did, but there was no doubt as to whether they were dangerous. The look in her eyes had transformed into sheer anger.

Yeah, we're definitely screwed.

"Murasa, wait!"

The still-dented door was pulled open, taking the three of us by surprise as a new voice echoed through the room. Byakuren rushed in, followed by a girl I didn't recognise - a white dress, with some sort of blue headdress where some of her own light blue hair still seeped out. A large pink cloud seemed to be balanced over her shoulder, but that was the least of my worries at this point.

The captain turned to her side, agitated. The anchors still hung in front of her menacingly.

"What is it, Ichirin?! I'm sort of busy dealing with a pair of stowaways here!"

"These two are aligned with Vaisravana, Murasa. They are with me."

Byakuren showed her rarely-seen stern look as she stared the captain down. Murasa's face jumped from anger to shock, then to confusion.

"What?! But they...they..."

"Wait, you know Hijiri?!"

I was as surprised by this turn of events as Murasa was. We stared at each other with identical looks of puzzlement.

For almost a minute, we let the realisation dawn on us.

"...I, uh...did try to say who I was, but..."

Murasa's green tint was starting to give way to a faint red. She began to take an interest in the floor planks as the anchors in front of her faded away.

"...Lucky shot."

I had to smile at that one. When she got flustered, she was almost...cute.

"Now, now, you two. Let's get back to the temple. I have some tea ready for all of you, if you'd like. And I'll need to see to your clothes, you two - Shou, your robes are torn all over the place, and Nazrin - oh, we need to get you into something else before you catch a cold!"

Byakuren shifted back to camaraderie-mode, seeing no need to lecture the ghost any longer. It was strange seeing the atmosphere change in the room so quickly, from sheer aggression to awkward friendship.

In retrospect, I can't say it was the best start between Murasa and myself as friends. But to this day I've never quite met someone in the same way I met her. Which may well be better for my health...
« Last Edit: March 07, 2010, 03:45:47 AM by Roukanken »

Esifex

  • Though the sun may set
  • *
  • It shall rise again
Re: Rising Star
« Reply #55 on: March 07, 2010, 03:44:54 AM »
Shou's curvy lasers strike again!

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #56 on: March 07, 2010, 07:24:05 AM »
Shou's curvy lasers strike again!
More like, they strike the first time! |3

Re: Rising Star
« Reply #57 on: March 07, 2010, 08:31:22 AM »
This has to be one of the best fanfics i've read in my life, keep up the good work!

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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #58 on: March 09, 2010, 07:05:57 AM »
yet another interesting update, Rou, keep on writing!
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Re: Rising Star
« Reply #59 on: March 09, 2010, 11:19:12 PM »
Love how even the characters think Shou's lasers are goddamn cheaters.

Also, ICHIRIN~~~