《Seven's One Shots》 Simply a toy ¡°The Gods have gone too far.¡± The being known as Arkhantos the Destroyer, consumer of worlds and walker of infinity, the unshakeable existence, lay his fingers over his lovers eyelids and allowed them to glide gracefully over her eyes. He examined her pale lips and once fair skin which had long been mauled and worn by the ravages of war. The knife which lay nestled in her heart signified much more than the end of her life; it was the end of all there was and ever could be, his very future had been destroyed and robbed from him. Akrhantos lay the body onto the ground and pressed his hands against the cold marble which had once shone brightly in welcome to those who would visit the mountain of Olympus. His fingers brushed across the blood which stained the once majestic columns and traced along their cracks and edges which had been created during the destruction. ¡°Ever on and on I walk through eternity and as I lay across the mountaintop of time I know that you shall be forever dreaming of things you could have changed and the things that could have been. Do not worry my love, perhaps not this day or the next but someday I will return and on that day we will fly in the sky eternal that encompasses the world.¡± Shoulders which had once held up the weight of humanity with ease lay hunched as they tried to take in the reality of the situation around him. Companions whom he had danced with, loved like family and sung the glistening and eternal song of life lay lifeless on the ground. The heavens which had once seemed like a dream to those on earth had turned into a nightmare, while there were none watching the skies it had seemed as though nobody would ever be hurt. That had all changed once the God¡¯s had begun to listen to the cries of those that live on the earth. The begging of fools that did not know their own wealth. ¡°The keys to your dreams lie within our grasp, join us in our domain and all you want shall be yours.¡± The words of the God¡¯s had resounded throughout the globe for all to hear. Ten thousand years had passed and humanity worked together to reach the Gods that had promised them eternal salvation and happiness. But all of humanities attempts had failed. A rustling sound cracked through the air and shattered Arkhantos¡¯ thoughts. The man turned as a bird-like shape appeared beside him and his golden armour was shattered by claws as tough as diamond. ¡°The armour of humans¡­ You should enter the abode of the Gods¡­ without such material objects¡­ I have released you from your bonds Arkhantos.¡± The bird-man spoke in a haggard voice which sounded of the weariness of a being that was tired of life. ¡°Rubak. You survived.¡± The man viewed the creatures eyes and noted the rings of tattoos which circled it¡¯s bloodshot pupils. The bird-man¡¯s killing intent was thick enough to be seen as viewed the human in front of it. ¡°Sasha has been killed.... you have failed us.¡± The demi-human let out a spurt of blood from his mouth and touched his chest. His wings were tattered and dirty with the blood of the enemies it had slain. The red liquid had since dried and caged the creature so that it could no longer fly. The creature looked down at the body which lay on the floor and let out a low moan which contained the cry of one who was alone in the world. He dropped on his knees, ¡°Finish me, Arkhantos. I have nothing left to live for.¡± Arkhantos moved towards the creature and lay his arms around it in a hug that encompassed its whole body. As his hands moved across the beings wings he could feel the lightness of it¡¯s feathers and he moved his hands across the creatures back as smooth as one would run his fingers across silk and snapped the creatures neck. He lay the body down next to his lover, Sasha, and viewed the smile which played across the bird-man¡¯s lips. Although he had been known as one of the greatest warriors to traverse the world, he had died as he lived, with a smile on his lips and torment in his heart. ¡°Do not worry Rubak. Even if humanity has failed, I promise that I alone will be enough to bring the change that you wished to see in the world.¡± The man could feel veins pulsating in anger underneath his skin and across his face as he walked towards the massive diamond stairway which lay at the edge of the battlefield. Adorned with golden rails and ornate jade stone it had been this stairway which was the target of the entire world for thousands of years. Since its appearance eons ago none had figured out how to open the door which lay at the end of Olympus until the Gods sent a final message to the races of earth, ¡°To enter the gates to our world, you must let go of your loyalty, compassion and humanity. Only the greatest of the great shall be allowed to stand within the heavenly kingdom and gaze upon us.¡± The words had both invigorated and shattered humanity as the races which had been united since centuries past split and begun to amass armies and gather their heroes to fight for the ultimate glory, access to the abode of the Gods themselves. *Crack* A bright light appeared above Arkhantos and his eyes saw the once blue sky engulfed. The hero that was heralded as unfeeling as stone looked to his hands and realised that sweat had begun to pour from his palms. He had gotten nervous over something as insignificant as a light! The light, immaterial and glorious, as though the sun itself had decided to descend to earth. It reached the door and the columns, marble and bodies were bathed in a bright light. Arkhantos closed his eyes and rushed his hands over his eyes to avoid being blinded and when he opened them again he gazed in amazement, the glorious columns once again reached the skies and were as furnished as the day they were made, the marble which had been awash with death and as crimson as the blood River of Sandrill lay sparkling and polished. A bright light emanated from behind the door and bathed the diamond stairs in a golden light which spoke of wonders and surprises beyond the imaginations of mere mortals. Arkhantos stepped up the stairs and reached out to the door slowly, as though it could close and disappear any second. He took a single second to look behind him and view the once glorious armies which had been mustered to fight against one another to earn the glory which lay before him. ¡°It is sad my friend, my comrades and even my enemies. But without your losses this victory would not have seemed so great.¡± The man known as the unwavering king had regained his confidence once he had been bathed in the light of the Gods and turned his back against the enemies which had once seemed like unclaimable walls blocking his goals. As he walked through the door and was enveloped by it¡¯s bright light he breathed in and forgot the worries of the past, he could look only to the future now. ¡°Goodbye my friends, Goodbye.¡± He allowed a single tear to descend down his cheek. He could feel the sensation of his body being dissolved and an extreme sense of disembodiment accompanied him. His eyes could see nothing but the infinite swirling of time and the movements of the universe. As he moved through the endless expanse he realised that the swirls of time were slowly being consumed by an encroaching darkness, the stars of the universe were being eaten and losing their light to the unstoppable force. Arkhantos cried out in horror as he viewed the universe and time itself helpless to fight against the darkness. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. He was not sure when he had arrived at his destination, he looked at his surroundings and shuddered at the darkness which surrounded him. Dark spires towered into the black sky and the only light came from the stars which were ensnared and being consumed within the spires darkness. ¡°A BUG, A BUG HAS APPEARED¡± Arkhantos jumped back as a voice rang out towards him. A giant in shining obsidian armour had appeared in front of him. *Ufu~* ¡°Don¡¯t be so mean Stormy, look at how cute it is!¡± The slender figure of a female accompanied the giant on it¡¯s shoulder and Arkhantos could see that the two were more conversing to each other than to him, ¡°Where am I? What is this¡­ this darkness?¡± *Tee hee* The female, a girl that looked not a day past twelve, put her hand to her lips as she giggled, ¡°You¡¯re at the heart of the world silly, where else would you be?¡± The heart of the world? Arkhantos had heard the phrase spoken as many times as there were stars in the sky, the heart of the world was the Kingdom of the Gods. It was not a place filled with darkness and gloom, a place of unspeakable horrors which not even the universe could hold back. ¡°You lie! Who are you?! Heathens! Where are the Gods I have fought so long to meet?!¡± ¡°THE BUG SPEAKS, IT SPEAKS!¡± The giant looked at Arkhantos for the first time and the hero could see the souls of a thousand planets chained within its eyes, dying as they were drained of all their energy. ¡°I APOLOGISE BUG, TELL ME WHAT YOU SEEK¡± Arkhantos was brought to his knees by the sole power of the beings voice. On earth he had caused entire armies to run at the mention of his name, enchantments which held the world together would unchain at his whim, yet he could not help but feel insignificant before the being before him. ¡°Stormy¡± *sigh~* ¡°you¡¯re scaring him!¡± The child slid off the giants shoulder and Arkhantos found his head moving against him whim to face her. He gasped in pain as his neck began to crack and he gazed into the girls pitch black eyes and let out a sob, ¡°Where¡­ where are the Gods?¡± The girl cocked her head to the side and gazed in confusion upon his face, ¡°Gods? What Gods?¡± ¡°Please¡­ Hastur¡­ Ivana¡­ Oh Gods please help me!¡± ¡°KEKEKE¡± an inhuman laugh erupted from the giant and the girl smiled, ¡°Oh those small things? We already killed them. They were pretty pesty when it came to it. Teehee~¡° ¡°Im-impossible¡­ the Gods cannot be killed. Who are you to lie of such things?!¡± Arkhantos could feel the anger rising within him, his vision begun to blur and all he could see turned a deep shade of red, the shade of fury and death. ¡°ARGH¡± Arkhantos let out a shout and the girl was pushed back through the air as he broke the invisible bonds holding him down, ¡°I shall teach you what it means to lie to your betters. Beings such as you killed the Gods? Do not make me laugh.¡± A red light swirled around his body as he prepared for battle, once he begun to fight there were none who had witnessed his powers in battle and won against him. ¡°THE BUG WISHES TO FIGHT, I WAS GETTING BORED¡± The giant moved forward and as he shifted the dark spires trembled, the light of the stars spilling over the strange land. *Nyargh* the female let out a small cry, almost cat-like, and stepped in front of the giant, ¡°Stormy~ You always get to have the fun, let me play this time~¡± The giant looked towards Arkhantos and the hero shuddered, ¡°VERY WELL, FAREWELL BUG¡± ¡°That was a foolish thing to do¡± Before the female could react Arkhantos had already shifted towards her side and brought his glowing red hands to her neck. At this range her head would be cleanly severed off her shoulders. ¡°Fufu~ you are fun! Let¡¯s play little man!¡± Arkhantos twisted his body mid air as the girl unleashed a spear of darkness before his hand could reach her neck. He smiled, he would win this fight easily. A giggle broke out from behind him, ¡°Where are you looking? I¡¯m over here¡± Arkhantos gazed in horror as the girl in front of him disappeared and he realised too late that it had simply been an image, he could feel a menacing presence behind him. The air began to dry and his skin crisped as the feeling of something growing behind him grew stronger. Arkhantos turned around and came face to face with an inexpressible horror, the child¡¯s body had twisted and grown so that it became bloated and turned into the colour of darkness, no, it was made out of darkness itself. The seemingly innocent face had twisted and cracked until a single dark protrusion lay in its place and a mouth opened up in the middle of the blob, it contained not teeth nor tongue but when Arkhantos looked at it he could see a swirling and infinite expanse, the same darkness which he had seen swallowing the universe. ¡°I-It cannot be.¡± The red aura which had glowed around Arkhantos was swallowed and disappeared into the black void inside the creature and the hero was pushed into the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sasha, I wasn¡¯t strong enough¡± His body collapsed and gave up to the pull of the void. Before he was completely consumed a voice rang out in his head, ¡°You and your Gods, you''re just too damn weak! This was no fun¡± He could hear the voice of the girl and a sobbing sound as she begun to cry and realised that to her he had never been a threat or even a challenge. He had been a toy to be played with until this creature got bored. His life and the life of his Gods was but a simple entertainment, a snack to be had just because it was there. Once the body had been completely consumed the giant moved from his spot and walked towards his companion, ¡°BORING! WHERE ARE THE STRONG BUGS!¡± *Waaah* the form of a little girl lay crying where the once great hero Arkhantos had fought in his final moments. The giant looked towards the child whose body was heaving as it sobbed. ¡°DO NOT FRET! WE SHALL MOVE ON TO STRONGER WORLDS¡± The girl looked towards the giant, jumped onto his shoulder and wiped the tears from her eyes, ¡°This universe was no fun¡± *sniffle* ¡°MAYBE THE NEXT ONE WILL BE FUN!¡± As the two walked forward the last of the stars lost their light as though the last stand of Arkhantos had signified the end of their era, time and the universe collapsed into darkness and the two beings merged with the infinite black which surrounded them, safe with the knowledge that they would seek fun in the next universe, or perhaps the one after that. Legendary Mooning Plumber; Origins Warning: If you''re looking for serious or plot, I''d stop reading here. Those looking for stupidity are welcome :) ¡°I have an assignment for you, Wiz¡± Arch Mage Rodriguez, conqueror of the Saldine Plains and bane of all demons that walk the earth lay comfortably sitting on the sofa in his favourite pants. He looked at the apple of his eye, his beautiful wife Sandrine and nodded. He was ready to do any task she might ask of him. Sandrine smiled sweetly and her eyes curved as though they too were smiling and Rodriguez knew that he would follow her commands even if it meant walking into a volcano or stepping off the edge of the earth. She pointed down the hallway towards the toilet door. ¡°Rodriguez, I¡¯ve told you to fix that leak for months now¡± Rodriguez sighed and begun to shuffle down the hall. He summoned his almighty holy staff Seraph, but his wife stopped him before he move any further than a few steps. ¡°You¡¯re going to need a special wand for this one.¡± Sandrine handed him stick with a peculiar rubber dome at the end of it, ¡°a plunger?!¡± His wife shook her head in exasperation, ¡°Can¡¯t you just use it?¡± ¡°What am I, a plumber?! I don¡¯t even know how!¡± Rodriguez marched into the toilet and viewed the overflowing water which carried excrement and a distinct rancid odor, as though a tuna fish sandwich had been rotting for weeks just to let out all its smell at this moment. It was at this moment in his life that Rodriguez remembered the wise advice his master had given him for times of emergency, ¡°Just go with the flow.¡± But looking at the spool of feces on the floor, he would be going with the overflow. He watched as a tiny glop of poo wiggled in the flowing water, ¡°There are some things even magic can¡¯t fix.¡± He walked towards the toilet seat and gazed into its watery depths to spy what the problem was, something was clearly blocking the pipes. He raised the plunger and bent over to begin sucking out the muck with the device. As he was working he felt a subtle shift of his weight, a tug of fabric as his paints pressed against his firm buttocks and a sudden draft as his crack experienced the glorious light of day for the first time in years. It was at this moment that he realised that his calling not in working magics and conquering kingdoms, but by calling himself a plumber. **** ¡°Rodriguez!¡± Sandrine rushed him holding a kitchen roller in her right hand a making a fist with her left ¡°Is it possible to hurry it up mister?¡± Rodriguez lifted his head from underneath the kitchen sink. Ever since he had found his calling as a plumber his wife had been bothering him non-stop. ¡°Now will you fix that leaky faucet upstairs instead of the damn sink?!¡± He ignored her and continued fixing the piped attached to the sink, ¡°This pipe is stuck. If I could just..¡± The pipe suddenly broke and a rumbling sound began to resonate through Rodriguez¡¯ ears. *Gulp**gulp* *gulp* He gulped and immediately regretted it as soon as he swallowed at least a litre of tainted green water and he was sure not even god knew how bad the taste was. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re a plumber?! I can¡¯t even see your butt-crack!¡± His wife continued to taunt him, oblivious to his predicament. Rodriguez got up and looked around, the entire world was swirling and he had the most excruciating headache. ¡°Can¡¯t you just use duct tape?!¡± He looked around to see where his wife was calling out to him from but could only see a floating bronze block with a question mark. He had an unstoppable urge to punch the block ad perhaps he would get something good out of it. ¡°YA-HOO¡± He was too short to reach the block so he jumped into the air and lifted his hand to punch it, it hurt slightly but he had never felt better. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± His wife¡¯s voice called out to him from the block, but Rodriguez wouldn¡¯t be fooled, ¡°Shut your mouth, foul demon!¡± He lifted his secret weapon, his plunger, and used it to cover the mouth of the talking block, ¡°Now you know! Never get on the wrong side of a plumber!¡± Looking around the house he realised that it had been invaded by walking mushrooms and turtles. He began jumping around trying to squash them but they wouldn¡¯t die. The only way for him to survive was to escape to the outside. He ran out of his house yelling and screeching into the moonlight night, ¡°Do not underestimate me! I¡¯m a plumber, No! I am THE plumber.¡± He gazed into the night sky and saw that the moon was blood red, a phenomenon which had only happened in myths. Rodriguez saw the red light shining down on him, ¡°I am the Legendary Plumber!¡± He threw down his pants and lifted his buttocks towards the moon. *Smack* *smack*He waved his butt high and noble towards the sky! ¡°Moon? What moon?! Behold my moon! Face the splendour of the Legendary Mooning Plumber!¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Rumours say that in the nearby town of Chandry the populace cowered in fright from the shrieking of monsters late into the blood moon night. This was only the beginning of the legend, soon the entire world would know of the Legendary Mooning Plumber. **** Long and slender legs raised seductively above the water line as the woman tempted her husband to join her in the warmth of the bathtub. Her husband¡¯s eyes wandered down the edge of her toned thighs, bubbling sliding off and back into the water blow. His forehead creased as his eyes bulged in concentration and he tried to pierce through the bubbles on the surface to see what lay beyond. *SLAM* The woman and man jumped up in fright. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m just the plumber.¡± A slightly overweight and unattractive man entered the bathroom wearing overalls and carrying a wrench. ¡°W-what are you doing in my house?! Don¡¯t you know who I am? I¡¯m the mayor of this town!¡± The mayor was red in the face in fury. His wife¡¯s cheeks were flashed with embarrassment, ¡°KYAA¡± she shrieked and tried to cover her body with the bubbles around her. The man crinkled his nose, ¡°I¡¯m here to fix your bathroom sink of course!¡± ¡°Preposterous! How did you even know that it was broken?¡± Indeed, the bathroom sink had been broken for several days now. Several layers of fat jiggled and the mayor could feel the cool steel pressing against his lips as the man put his wrench to his mouth. ¡°Do not underestimate me. I can hear the voice of things not living. I listen to those that are broken and in need of a physical form, calling to me to bring them back to life!¡± The man moved towards the broken sink and bent over. His overalls loosened and a jiggling mass of flesh protruded into two outstanding bubbles shaped like moons. ¡°KYAA, he¡¯s mooning us honey!¡± As the flesh struggled to escape their denim prison they moved about in luxurious circle motions, drawing the mayors¡¯ gaze towards them as they flopped around and out of the pants. The mayor could not help but think of them as entrapped doves, trying to escape their prison. As the hypnotic site of wiggling flesh drew him further into its wondrous dance, the mayor could see that the various layers of fat were not simply the signs of a man that had let his weight go. They were the marks of a man that took pride in his work, his life, and stood taller than any other man even while he was kneeling like those that were the most common of men. A scent began to drift through the air and the mayor could not help but think that it was the most awful pong he had ever had the displeasure of smelling. It was the scent of all that was wrong with the world, a scent which normal men would not tread near without fear. He could not help but gaze in wonder at the ass that belonged to the magnificent man that could withstand this odor head on. The man that thrived on fighting against this terror and going against all odds to plug it and make sure it could ever rear its ugly head in the world again. Truly this person was a man among men. The mayor looked around and realised that while watching the plumber working his knees had given out in awe. This magnificent posture, the perfect full moon greeting him, he had heard of only one man that could accomplish such a thing. ¡°Mooning Plumber!¡± The man turned around, ¡°C-could it be¡­ That you are the Legendary Plumber that people talk about on the streets?¡± Rodriguez laid a single, dirty hand on the mayor¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It is not for me to brag. I am but a simple plumber. I work my trade for the sake of this world just like any other man.¡± The plumber¡¯s fat bounced merrily as he left the room. He left only the wafting smell of tainted tap water and ass sweat in his wake. ¡°Who the hell was that?!¡± The mayor¡¯s wife was frothing at the mouth and she smacked her husband over the head before he could respond. She had been forced to sit naked in water which had long gone cold, as an unknown fat man opened her sink from which a most ungodly stench had begun to breeze through the room, clinging to every single exposed pore of her body. The mayor gave his wife the most serious look she had ever seen him wear. ¡°That was the greatest man this world has ever known. The only man that is worthy of the title passed down through generations, that man was the Legendary Mooning Plumber!¡± Author''s note: Wrote it while I was bored. It''s really just a bunch of random plumbing comment put together >:) I also don''t do much comedy, but oh wells, when you have to write you have to write! A Difficult Decision ¡°Who are you?¡± The girl asked nervously. Standing in front of her was a young boy that looked no older than her, she being a girl of fifteen years, wearing nothing but a Japanese kimono and a pair of sandals. ¡°It is a lovely place¡± the boy ignored her question as he looked around at his surroundings, he was standing on a patch of grass, to his left lay a bird bath, exquisitely set to compliment the miniature lake in front of it and clearly designed by a sculptor of some skill. The girl couldn¡¯t understand how the boy had come to be in front of her. Behind the boy lay a wall six meters in height and it extended all around the estate. In front of him lay a bridge which was the only way to cross the man-made lake which lay between them. Under normal circumstances it would be impossible for an intruder to have entered without being noticed beforehand. The boy brushed aside a lock of dark hair which had stuck itself in a rather unsightly manner over his right eye; his gaze lingered over her as though he was noticing her for the first time. ¡°Excuse me, I appear to have lost my way¡± the boy grinned sheepishly, as though he was a lost lamb that truly had no idea as to how he had entered the palace grounds. ¡®The minister warned you there would be times like these Luna, just stay calm¡¯ she thought to herself, out loud however; ¡°If you¡¯re here for my life, I¡¯m afraid it will be of little use to you at this time.¡± It was important to keep a calm mental state even during times of crisis. Under the tutorage of a master of martial arts Luna had learnt many lessons and was confident enough in her skills that she felt she could ward off any ordinary attacker or assassin. The boy took a step forward onto the wooden bridge before him and leaned to his right, resting his arm on the railing. His eyes locked onto hers and his gaze transformed into a sharp stare, as though he was trying to look past Luna¡¯s eyes and into her very soul. ¡°Now why would you think of something as silly as that?¡± He broke off his stare. He looked troubled as his eyes seemed to cross as he entered a state of deep contemplation, ¡°You look like a girl that has a very heavy weight on her shoulders, the type of which no girl your age should have¡±. Luna¡¯s heart began to beat faster ever so slightly. It was clear that this man is no ordinary man, for indeed, in these times of trouble when even the youngest of children could pose a threat to her life, Luna no longer counted age as the separating factor between a boy and a man. Luna thought for a second, ¡°Indeed, I often come here to think about matters involving life, and also those that involve death.¡± She decided that she would play along with him. Normally she didn¡¯t like to stall for time, as precious a commodity as it is in these times, but this man intrigued her. The man lost his sheepish grin, and she noticed that there was a deep scar running down his left cheek, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know anything about words as deep and meaningful as the ones you talk about, after all, I am but a simple man from a gentle town.¡± He lifted his hands to strip off his kimono, leaving only the underclothes, and took another few steps over the bridge. He held out his hands in front of his face, his right and left hands in a palm shape, with the right hand in front of his left. It was a movement Luna has seen hundreds of times during her training in her master¡¯s dojo; she was being challenged to a fight. She wasn¡¯t the type of girl to simply engage in a meaningless fight, ¡°so after your words, in the end all you want is to simply kill me?¡± The man made a clicking sound with his tongue, ¡°nothing like that. I always felt as though all that¡¯s needed to clear the mind is a good training session.¡± Now that she viewed him closely, she could see that his garments consisted of rather shabby, yet tight-fitting and flexible, material. If it had been any other situation Luna would have taken the young man to be a practicing martial artist, rather than the assassin that he clearly was. Luna jumped, soaring through the air, and landed in front of the man, her outer attires falling in a neat heap where she had been the second before. Appearing before the man was a completely different girl, one that was outfitted with tight, black clothing designed to be both flexible and unnoticeable underneath her outer clothes. The girl standing before him was a warrior. The bridge trembled slightly as the two faced each other. There was a silence for a split second, and then Luna gracefully lifted her leg and sent a powerful right kick towards the man¡¯s face. He effortlessly blocked it with his left hand. Luna ducked as a swift right straight quickly came towards her face, a counterattack which had started the moment her foot had left the ground. She swiftly retracted her foot out of grabbing range and jumped back slightly, ¡°you would seek to kill me, even before I have made my decision?¡± the man simply cocked his head to his side in confusion. He was not refuting her claim. ''Perhaps he has decided to give up all pretenses as to his reasons for being on the grounds.¡¯ ¡°Very well, the introductions are over!¡± again, Luna sent a right kick towards her attackers face, she firmly believed in the powerful blows her legs could deliver. The man simply brought his left palm to block to kick again, sighing as though he had expected more from her. Luna smiled slightly as her foot and leg began to bend backwards to connect with her thigh mid-flight and then just as quickly straighten out again, dodging past the man¡¯s left hand and heading directly towards his neck. Although expecting to hear the satisfactory snap which would often accompany the act, she was surprised to see that the man was unharmed, his right hand holding back, indeed grabbing, Luna¡¯s leg as her feint was effortlessly seen through and her kick smoothly blocked. The man smiled ¡°Such a strong girl, and yet you seen to be so bothered by something, I can only presume that the problem does not lie in the material realm¡±. Luna was beginning to tire of the man¡¯s incessant rambling, ¡°tell me then¡± she began, ¡°what would you do, if the only way to solve a problem is to do the impossible, to fight against the destiny preordained to you by the Gods themselves?¡± The man left go of her leg, ¡®a foolish decision¡¯ Luna thought but did not state it out loud. Suddenly the man¡¯s expression changed, ¡°a girl that cannot decide whether or not she should follow her destiny?¡± as though he had suddenly become quite bored of the conversation, he aimed a punch towards her face. As she moved to the left to avoid his fist, she failed to notice the left hook the man had thrown at her, hitting her on the side of her head and knocking her down to the ground. Luna noticed her vulnerable position, as the man positioned himself in front of her, his shadow eclipsing hers. Suddenly the man crouched down, looking into her eyes once again, and she could see pain behind those eyes, a lingering resentment aimed towards the world. She could not understand, ¡°why did you go easy on me?¡± The man gave a small laugh, ¡°a woman of your standing, I should be asking why you went easy on me.¡± Again, she was frustrated by his lack of answer, ¡°Am I so pitiful, that you would choose to battle me without using your element?¡± It was common sense that everyone in the land was born with an affinity to a certain element provided to them by their God, one they could use in battle, every creature on the continent of Aeos held the ability to manipulate the elements through magic. The man didn¡¯t look like he was going to answer her any time soon. ¡°You never answered my question¡± she tried a different approach, the man looked confused, he could tell that Luna was not the type of girl to procrastinate in the wake of her impending fate. Stolen story; please report. She continued, ¡°If you had to make my decision, choosing between living the way that has always been expected of me or defying my own destiny. Attempting to create a new way of life for myself, which choice would you make?¡± The man blinked in surprise, in front of him he could see a lovely woman and it was the first time he noticed her ebony black hair, her fair complexion. Yet her eyes still held the fright seen in children that cannot see a way out of a dark room, she was simply a girl that could not decide the answer to a difficult question. It was undoubtedly an answer which would inevitably lead to the loss of countless lives, no matter what choice she made. He pointed to the sky, ¡°Just as how the sun rises in the morning, and the moon flies across the sky at night, a person¡¯s destiny is always predetermined; to defy your fate would be the same wishing to stop either of these unstoppable forces, an action which the whole world would laugh if you so much as thought of attempting it.¡± The girls face fell, as though he had just confirmed her greatest fears, ¡°However¡± he again began to speak, bringing his hand down in-between her breasts and pointed towards her heart, ¡°if the final acts of a person¡¯s life, is to go with what everyone believes in, and what they themselves do not wish to accept. What kind of life would that be?¡± He gave the girl the gentlest of smiles he could muster, and noticed a light slowly forming in the deep pool of her eyes, the light known as hope, ¡°I see from your eyes, you have made your decision. Just remember, pain or loss, they define us as much as happiness or love, whether it¡¯s the world or destiny, everything has its time, and everything ends.¡± Luna watched as the man stood up again and turned to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± the man stopped mid turn. ¡°I would like to know your name.¡± It was common practice after sparring against new people to inquire as to their name. ¡°What is my name? My name is Gilgamesh, and I am the man that will become the mightiest of all warriors.¡± The man gave a smile at this statement, one the lay contrary to the pain he held in his eyes, ¡°Perhaps a task as laughable as yours?¡± He turned around to leave. A disbelieving laugh rose in Luna¡¯s throat and then died as she realised that the man was not joking. It was not unheard of for men to follow the path of the ultimate warrior. It would mean that the being in question would have no land for themselves, no people to call their own, no one to understand him or take him in as friend or family. The man finished turning around, and began to walk off, ¡°I know that look in your eyes, but don¡¯t worry. In the end, I guess it¡¯s not only you that wishes to change your destiny¡± She could sense the smile on his face and his back seemed to grow broader as he spoke ¡°You know, I really did come here by accident. But in the end, perhaps we can both show the world that we are not as powerless as destiny has decreed us to be, go forward in your beliefs, just as I will go forward in mine.¡± With that, the man walked off the bridge and Luna turned her back to him. To an outsider it would seem as though the two were in too much pain to say goodbye but in Luna¡¯s heart she could feel that there were no need for goodbyes, she had met a kindred spirit, a man with demons in his heart and a road more difficult to cross than her own. She was sure that they would meet again, perhaps in different circumstances and in different positions in life. Although she did wonder as to how he managed to leave the grounds. As she walked towards the large castle in the middle of the estate grounds, Luna was approached by two servants. ¡°Greetings Princess, we welcome you once again¡± By this time Luna had already re-dressed into her outer garments and walked pristine as a princess should. The servants were the only two present at the entrance; they immediately took her to her king¡¯s quarters. As she approached the king¡¯s bed Luna heard the familiar sound of wheezing and beheld the sight of a sickly old man, a man who would have been an Emperor, as he struggled to gather the strength to talk to her. ¡°My beautiful Luna, I am so sorry.¡± As usual, her father began his speech with an apology, ¡°In any other city you would be guided to my estate by chariots and knights, guarded by impenetrable magic¡¯s and greeted by a flurry of servants. Instead have to come to this, something that cannot be called a castle but should be likened to a small house, alone.¡± Indeed, any other princess would have been accompanied by all these honor¡¯s and more, and any other Emperor would never stoop so low so as to live in a castle that was as run down as this one was. One simply had to compare it to the castles inhabited by the nobility of other provinces to see how much it was lacking. However, Luna simply smiled; it had been nine generations since the province of Darkness''s God had disappeared and since then its nobility and its people alike had suffered invasions from the other provinces, to the point where their lands lay ravished and looted, its people laughed at within other nations. ¡°I have made my decision father¡± The king¡¯s eyes seemed to imply a question, his energy for words spent already, ¡°I have decided to join you and my brothers in your crusade¡± she ignored her father¡¯s growing smile, ¡°know that I have only agreed to this foolish expense in order to find a new hope, one that will give power to our land and its citizens that have suffered for so long.¡± As she spoke, she knew her words were also being heard by her brothers, who were surely listening from the shadows they had hidden themselves in. Indeed, as if sensing the futility of their efforts, they released their dark magic and materialized as though from thin air within the room, to the right and left sides of their father¡¯s bed. The eldest, to the right of the bed, spoke, ¡°as far as we can remember, it has always been our peoples fate to suffer from the harshness of the other provinces, it would be dangerous beyond belief to try and fight this.¡± The second brother interrupted ¡°it is quite possible that we will fail, and that not even a girl as lovely as you will be spared, my fair princess.¡± In her opinion, her brothers were being far too formal. It was only natural for people who rarely spoke to each other except in formal functions, there was no need for a princess in their eyes if no other prince would accept, or want, her hand in marriage. However, she still held several estates under her control as a result of her royal linage; her forces would be needed for the mission the family wished to complete. To gain respect back for her people, she had no other choice but to try and help reclaim the lands that her family had lost over generations. ¡°I have made my decision, we will see if our beliefs can go against destiny, brothers.¡± She looked her father in the eyes, ¡°We go to war¡±. As the man known as Gilgamesh looked around while walking down a street, he could see beggars around every corner, thieves, looking for fresh prey, and mothers hoping to find a good price to buy the single meal they could afford for their child. He held his arms up high in a stretch while walking, and let a smile escape his lips. Perhaps the destiny of these people would change, perhaps it would not. But as long as one person tried to take their destiny into their own hands, how could he not try to do so for himself? For the first time in a long time, the streets were filled with the sound of laughter.