It came from HP's head... *MATURE CONTENT WARNING*

For pictures & videos or created works such as Signatures, Avatars & Wallpapers.

Moderator: Chaos Incarnate

Post Reply
User avatar
Hylian Pirate
Class S Shinki
Posts: 356
Joined: Mon May 04, 2009 7:34 pm
Shinkis owned: 31
MMS owned: 1
Favorite MMS/Shinki: Arnval
Location: Tampa Bay Area, Florida

It came from HP's head... *MATURE CONTENT WARNING*

Post by Hylian Pirate » Mon May 03, 2010 2:42 pm

Hey, all. I have a confession to make: I am a big kid. Much like little kids, I like to come up with stories involving my toys. Of course, at 24, the stories I come up now with are probably a bit more involved than what I might've come up with when I was 8. And, naturally, stories involving the Busou Shinki would end up being more complex and mature than those that involved my Transformers. I think what I'm going to put here will be a bit different from what most of you are used to seeing regarding Shinki. For one thing, the girls in this fiction are human-sized, and most try to blend into human society, so those expecting a "we live in Master's room and fight in Battle Rondo!" will end up being a bit surprised.

Oh? You're wondering about that "mature content warning?" I'll say right off the bat, it's not sex. Well, there could be some sexual themes if I get around to Graffias and Vespelio, but, being glorified androids, Busou Shinki have no proper sexual definition, and, as such, do not engage in intercourse. The mature content comes mostly in the form of language. Under times of frustration or stress, there will be coarse language. The rest of it is in a few gruesome scenes depicting severe injury. I try to tone these down, but they do happen. I plan on doing mostly shorts that focus on one or two Shinki, and maybe writing bios to share the rest of the information you won't get out of one short story, such as armor and weapon specs.

Following is a testing of waters. This Arnval story will be left uncensored for the time being, but I will gladly change that at a moderator's request. I hope you enjoy it!

***Arnval: The Burden of Responsibility***
It's a typical week. Some hostile force from beyond the Sol System decided that Earth is some sort of threat; either that or they just like to see random destruction. The latter seems more likely. Instead of attacking from space, small groups formed localized raids to burn and pillage. These were either pirates or punk kids with nothing better to do. They came in fast, but not hard enough to pose too much of a threat. In fact, each group has already been dispatched quickly and efficiently. There is some property damage, but it seems no one is severely hurt. In one particular suburb, a blond girl in gleaming white armor hovers, surveying the scene. It is this Angel that vanquished the space pirates from this neighborhood. All in a day's work. Just doing my job, ma'am. Part of the town blazes into the sky, but the houses are vacan-- huh?

While watching the fires, the girl sees something that shouldn't be there. Her eyes, fitted with telescopic vision and the ability to detect life, spot a young girl in one of the burning houses. She cries on the bottom floor while the top burns. Structural collapse immanent, that little girl needs help, now. The bio-mechanical Angel fires up her solid rocket boosters. At the same time, the top floor comes down. At full speed, it would take the Angel less than half a second to come to the girl's aid, but from a full stop, it will take the her 1.5 to 2 seconds to cover the distance. But that doesn't matter this time. In less than a second, the girl will die. The Angel's eyes analyze the girl's face. Sandra Deerlove, age seven, attends the local elementary school, makes the highest marks in her second grade class, and, according to her ballet records, will reach full point in less than a year. Youth, innocence, the foundation for success in her adult life: it means nothing. The Angel watches as her target's head crumples beneath the weight of the burning wreckage. Sandra dies instantly. The Angel doesn't even have the ability to pull out her injured body and state that she'll be alright. She is close enough to hear the Deerloves scream in terror.

"My baby! My baby girl!," Mrs. Deerlove pleads to the Angel, "You have to get her out of there; she'll die!"
"Please, Arnval," Mr. Deerlove echoes his wife's sentiments, "Please save our daughter."
Arnval stares at the couple wide-eyed. "I... I can't," she whispers. Mrs. Deerlove only stares at Arnval open-mouthed, as if the Angel had just said something outrageous.
"Excuse me?," Mr. Deerlove demands, "What do you mean, 'you can't?' My daughter is in that fire and you're just going to sit here and watch it - watch her burn?! You're one of those goddamn robots! That fire won't even phase you! What kind of Angel doesn't help out a girl in need?!"
Arnval places her hand on his shoulder, closes her eyes and shook her head and repeats, "I can't."
Hysterical now, Mr. Deerlove shoves Arnval's hand away. "Don't you dare tell me 'you can't!' Sandra! SANDRA!"
Mrs. Deerlove already knows; her maternal instinct kicked in after Arnval's first whisper. But, in her mind, the Angel didn't fail, she had just exacted the will of God. Such is the work of an Angel. Arnval now stands with one hand over her mouth and one arm across her torso; tears stream down her face. Mrs. Deerlove approaches her.
"He has a plan for us, right?," she pleads. Arnval snaps out of her daze.
"W-what?"
"God. He has a plan for me and my husband, right? H-he must! H-he wouldn't ju-just t-take our little girl from us for no reason, right?" Mrs. Deerlove's eyes plead for answers. "Yo-you're one of His Angels. Puh-please, just tell muh-me there's some good to come from th-this." She can hardly speak through her sobbing.
In response to this, Arnval falls to her knees and sobs with the ferocity of Mrs. Deerlove herself. The flight stabilizers on her knees dig into the Deerlove's front lawn. Her wings, still a luminous white against the billowing black smoke, sag to the ground, dragging the boosters that failed her earlier behind them. This day, MMS Type Angel: Arnval, fails.

***

Three weeks later, Arnval makes a special point to attend Sandra Deerlove's funeural, a closed-casket event. No one recognizes her without her armor. Of course, the black veil helps this matter. During the service, she cries as if she knew Sandra. That's all Arnval can do for the girl she could not save. After the service, Arnval pays final respects at the casket and leaves a boquet of white roses. On her way out, she overhears Mr. Deerlove talking with some of the attendees.

"You know, one of those robot girls was there," he sneers.
"You mean those Busou Shinki?" one asks him, as if there were other robot girls walking around."Which one?"
"The leader, of all things! You know, the 'Angel.'" Mr. Deerlove makes air quotes on the word "Angel."
"Well, didn't she help out?," another asks, slightly dumbfounded.
"Oh, she helped, alright! She helped make sure there was a funeural for a seven-year-old-girl today!"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean she was there and didn't do a damn thing after those... space... things... were gone. It was like she was off-duty after that. She wouldn't go in and get Sandra out of there!"
"That's terrible!"

Having heard enough, Arnval leaves. A car waits for her. She climbs into the back seat. From the rear view mirror, red eyes peer at her inquisitively.
"You done?," the driver inquires.
Arnval lets out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I guess so. Let's just go home, huh?"
"Well?," the driver digs as she pulls the car out of the funeural parking lot.
"Well what?," Arnval replies sharply.
"Chill, girl, geez. 'Welllll' did you talk to them? You know, the parents."
"No, I didn't talk to anyone. In fact, the dad blames me."
"Ouch. That bites. So I guess they didn't even mention you during the service?"
"Yeah, the mom did. She kept on insisting that 'God has a plan for them because that Angel showed up.'"
"Doesn't that ever get on your nerves?"
"All the fucking time!," Arnval suddenly bursts out. The driver's last question makes something snap. "Everyone thinks that I'm some fucking symbol of their God sent down from heaven to deliver them from disaster and sin and other bad... stuff... that... Shit! I don't even fucking know anymore! I just know that I'm not what at least half of them think I am! I'm sick and fucking tired of people expecting goddamn miracles because the 'Angel' is on the scene. I mean, I want to help them and all, but it's not like I'm perfect! It's not like I can catch every little thing that goes wrong! Shit happens, you know? Hell, maybe God does have a plan for her, I don't fucking know."
"Wow," the driver replies after a short pause, "that wasn't very Angelic at all. You need to work on that mouth, young lady."
At first, Arnval's rage increases tenfold at this, but then, she sees her sister's eyes in the rear view mirror. Strarf, ever playful, grins back at her raging sister. Arnval's anger dissipates almost instantly. she lowers her face to meet her palm as she lets out a stifled laugh disguised as a sigh. "I hate you so goddamn much right now, you know that, right, Strarf?"
"Yep!," Strarf chirps in response, "Glad I could help!"

The unlikely sisters arrive at their home: an unassuming house in a quiet suburb. There is no secret basement hanger, no hidden laboratory, nothing suspicious at all. Well, nothing save for the fact that the two women share the house and never bring any men home. Otherwise, they are generally well-liked by their neighbors and known in their community. Under the name Annie, Arnval manages the local grocery store. Strarf, under the name Steph(-anie), works in the music and movie store at the mall in the nearby town. Now, Arnval and Strarf enter their home and shed their disguises. Their "skin" changes color and consistency and areas that were once contiguous give way to mechanical joints, seams, and bolts.

"Sorry about that, Strarf," Arnval says while pinching the bridge of her nose, "And thanks for letting me vent."
"No problem!," Strarf winks at her sister, "What are sisters for if not driving to some random kid's funeral and then getting yelled at?"
"Shut up; I wasn't yelling at you, you just happened to be the only one around. Anyway, I'm taking a bath."

Arnval naturally has no need of baths, but the water soothes her. The warm wetness embraces her body and she loses herself in thought. What might they think? How would they react if they knew that the Angel's closest friend was the Devil herself? Is it worth going to Cid to change her armor? Would it do any good? More importantly, would it do any harm? Why do these people even matter? They're just humans, after all. So what if they see her as some holy messenger? So what if they see her as the Valkyrie of judgment? So what if her appearance makes them feel safe, gives them a glimmer of hope, tells them that there's a good chance of making it throu- Oh.

That's it. That's why Arnval is so important. Her white wings, her helm's golden ring, even her fair-skinned, youthful face: these act as symbols of salvation to many of them. No matter how many Busou Shinki show up, they look to her, the Angel. Without the Angel, where would they turn? The Knight, perhaps, but Queen Xiphos can't be on the front lines near as much as she might like. None of the other Shinki bear the responsibility of representing the peoples' hope. But who decided this burdon should fall on her? She realizes, though, that if not her, then another would have to wear the Angel armor. Who could she possibly wish that upon? not even her worst enemy. Besides, she's best suited for the job.

As she drains the bathtub, she decides to grin and bear it. She has her sister, who always puts up with her crap, and her extended family in the Royal Guard. Those are the people who matter most to her. She hugs her sister tightly and says, "I won't give up here."
"And if you ever do, I'll be right there to beat the motivation right back into you."
"Good. I'm counting on you, Strarf."
"Whoa, whoa, that's a lot of responsibility!"

***FIN***

Name: Arnval
Type: Angel
Element: Light
Weapons:-Seraphic Shot: A small sidearm. It's not very powerful, but it's accurate and has a short recharge rate. Arnval can summon this unarmored.
-Valkyrie Beams: A pair of beam sabers. Though she prefers ranged weapons, Arnval uses these with great proficiency. They can be summoned unarmored.
-Light Pulse: A square-looking gun that fires, as its name suggests, pulses of Light energy. The pulses deal heavy localized damage (no blast radius.) It's slow to fire, but has a decent recharge rate.
-Holy Rail: The gun Cid included in Arnval's upgrade, this fires piercing rounds. So as to avoid too much collateral damage, the shots are set to dissipate after a set distance, which can be adjusted depending on the environment. Slow recharge rate.
-Divine Judgment: The crown jewel in Arnval's arsenal. This is her BFG. Sure to take out anything in its path. at full power, it is theorized that it could destroy Earth's Moon. However, Arnval can only use it once before its 72-hour recharge kicks in.
Bio: Arnval is the unofficial "leader" of the Busou Shinki Royal Guard. She is level-headed, and good at developing strategies. Also, she knows how to change a set strategy to adapt to unforeseen situations. She feels pressure, not from her peers, but from the humans of the planet she swore to protect, as they have a set of rules that defines what an "Angel" is. A flight-capable unit, Arnval is the only Shinki who can break Earth's gravitational field and achieve orbit unaided. Because of this, she is often used as an envoy for visitors from afar. Her Light attribute grants her an illuminating aura, which she can use to light dark paths or to suddenly blind and stun enemies. Additionally, she deals extra damage to the undead and those with a Dark attribute.

User avatar
rytearik
Class B Shinki
Posts: 84
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 6:38 pm
Shinkis owned: 14
MMS owned: 3
Favorite MMS/Shinki: Mizuki
Contact:

Re: It came from HP's head... *MATURE CONTENT WARNING*

Post by rytearik » Mon May 03, 2010 5:24 pm

I very much like this story :3
Do keep writing ;3

:schmetterling:

User avatar
Lock Cade
Class S Shinki
Posts: 732
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:48 pm
Shinkis owned: 56
MMS owned: 4
Favorite MMS/Shinki: Strarf, Partio
Location: Michigan

Re: It came from HP's head... *MATURE CONTENT WARNING*

Post by Lock Cade » Mon May 03, 2010 6:52 pm

Very nicely written. Would love to read more. :strarf:

Ninth
Class A Shinki
Posts: 140
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:27 pm
Shinkis owned: 8
MMS owned: 0
Favorite MMS/Shinki: Zelnogrard

Re: It came from HP's head... *MATURE CONTENT WARNING*

Post by Ninth » Mon May 03, 2010 9:37 pm

Interesting idea.
Battle Rondo username: ninerplease

Class A Shinki:
Panzer Melt
Class B Shinki:
Gunbunny HETARIA
Class C Shinki:
Cannon Utsuho
Angel Commando Gabrielle
Fighter Ijimeko
Not in Service:
Ninja Zubera
Firearms Kanna
Succubus Lilim

User avatar
Hylian Pirate
Class S Shinki
Posts: 356
Joined: Mon May 04, 2009 7:34 pm
Shinkis owned: 31
MMS owned: 1
Favorite MMS/Shinki: Arnval
Location: Tampa Bay Area, Florida

Re: It came from HP's head... *MATURE CONTENT WARNING*

Post by Hylian Pirate » Tue May 04, 2010 11:41 pm

Thank you so much for your kind words! This next one is shorter and not near as heavy, but Strarf doesn't have the same pressure as her sister, right? I certainly won't promise any kind of regular schedule for these, but I see myself sitting down to do one or two more during this creative spurt.

***Strarf: No Good Deed***

This beast comes from some other dimension and wants to muck up this neck of the woods? Not on her watch, it doesn't. Its body is hard and black, seamed with a red glow. Fire probably isn't the best answer. That's OK, its opponent doesn't use fire anyway. She stands tall, her legs thick and sturdy. Two massive, clawed hands wield a giant spiked hammer, while she cracks the knuckles of her two smaller ones. Her face is covered by a mask that mimics the creature's body: black with glowing red details.

"You want some of this?," the Devil mocks, "Then come get some!" At this, the molten beast howls out a war cry and charges its many-limbed opponent. She bares a single fang in a toothy grin. "Batter up... GIGATON CRASH!" She swings her mighty hammer at the charging beast and nails it square in the chest. It goes down, but quickly recovers. "Oh, you want more, do ya? Well, here you GO!" The Devil swings her hammer once more, but the beast intercepts and parrys the blow. She throws the hammer aside to meet the beast in a grapple. However, the clash only uses her two mechanical arms. The monster attempts to gnash at her with what she thinks is a mouth. Funny, she thinks, it looks awfully soft in there... From her subspace inventory, the Devil pulls out a dirty trick. A simple, yet effective grenade launcher materializes in her smaller hands. The thing survived a direct blow from the Gigaton Hammer, so she knows it's tough on the outside, but... As the creature opens its maw again, she jams the muzzle of the grenade launcher deep into its throat. She watches for a second or two as it chokes, bares her fang in a grin again, and pulls the trigger. Foomp! The beast breaks its grapple and recoils, trying to catch its breath. For a moment, it regains its composure and lets out a mighty, bellowing roar, but a muffled explosion cuts it short, and it falls.

"Strarf to Bragg," she reports, "mission accomplished. That thing's dead and didn't even get a chance to-- Oops..."
"Oops?," came a voice in response, "What's 'oops?' Strarf, what's wrong?"
"Uhh... The rock monster didn't cause any damage..."
"Oh! That's good, right? No problem then?"
"Well... You know what? Never mind. Mission accomplished; I'll return to society in a bit."
"Read you loud and clear, Strarf! Over and out!"

Strarf looks in the direction she tossed her Gigaton Hammer. There was only one building around, only one obstacle to be mindful of, and she unwittingly hurled a rocket-powered hammer right at it. The church's wall sports a gaping hole, the long handle of the hammer sticking out. And exiting the church is a tall, angry-looking man dressed in black. In his right hand is a cross, in his left, a thick, leather-bound book embroidered with the words "HOLY BIBLE." "Oh, boy, here we go," Strarf mutters to herself. "Erm, sorry about that, sir, I--" The priest cuts her off.

"Sorry, you say!" He holds the cross up, as if to ward Strarf with it. "A likely story, Devil child!"
"No, no, you see, I was fighting that mons--"
"Devils fighting Devils! That's why the unity of the Trinity will always win against the chaos of Satan!" Using the Bible to hold the cross to his chest, he pulls a vial of water from his robes. As he slings it on Strarf, he calls out, "Leave this world, Devil! Praise be to Christ the Almighty! Through His power I command you to return to the bowels of Hell from whence you came!"
Strarf's visor recedes into her hair. She lets out an exasperated sigh. "Oh no," she deadpans, "not the holy water; anything but that. It burns. Stop it." Disinterested, she grabs the Gigaton Hammer from the wreckage of the church wall.
"Don't you dare take up your instrument of destruction again! Back, beast! Back to Hell!"
The hammer dematerializes. "That's a nice place you had in there," she muses, "I bet I'll be able to patch this right up!"
"No you don't, Hellspawn! You will not defile this holy land any more than you already have!" He sprinkles more holy water on Strarf.
"Would you stop that! Look, do you want me to fix your goddamn wall or not?!"
"'Thou shalt not taketh the name of thy Lord in vain!'"
"...So is that a 'yes,' or a 'no?'"
"Damnable machination! If the Angel had come to this good house's aid none of this would have happened! Just leave!"
"Whatever," Strarf mutters as she engages her warp drive.

This isn't the first time Strarf has experienced something like this. After rescuing a child from a collapsed subway station, his mother snatched him away and put herself between him and Strarf, as if to protect him from her. When she and Arnval are both on a battlefield, only Arnval is showered with love and thanks. It's not her fault. Arnval wants to share the spotlight with her sister, but the people won't let her. Since they share an Angel/Devil duality, clearly one must be good and the other evil. No, evil is extreme. Only the true evangelists consider Strarf evil, like this priest. She holds no grudge against the Angel, but wishes she could have... just a bit of recognition.

Strarf knows better, though. She knows the price Arnval pays for her nigh universal adoration. The humans expect more out of her. They hold her to a higher standard. If someone doesn't make it, or if here's any collateral damage on Arnval's watch, they react with, "How could she let that happen?!" With Strarf, it's, "Well, she got the job done." She doesn't want the responsibility, or the liability, that Arnval deals with, but is it so much to ask for a compliment? "Hey! You were awesome!" or "That was so cool!" or even "Thanks" would suffice. Like all of the Royal Guard Shinki, Strarf finds praise and support from within: from her sisters. But what's the point of protecting the humans if they're going to be so damn ungrateful? Maybe, just maybe, she will think about not reporting the church's damages to the cleanup crew. She is the Devil, after all. What does she owe the church...?

***FI--

Devil she may be, but she's not a complete bitch. "Strarf to Bragg. I'd like to add to my report."
"...Bragg here, what is it, Strarf? It didn't revive, did it?"
"No, but about the damage report..."
"What, did the thing level a building or two while you weren't looking?"
"No, but I kinda put a hole in some church's wall..."
"You- wha-... How?!"
"Meh, heat of battle, shit happens, you know? You gonna send Grapp in or what?"
On the other end of the communication, Bragg lets out a sigh, "Yeah, I'll tell her, but she's not gonna be happy."
"Don't worry about it, I'll get her to owe me one or somehting."
"...You're a real devil, you know that, Strarf?"
"Yep! Sure do!" ...No one ever lets me forget...

***FIN***

Name: Strarf
Type: Devil
Element: Darkness
Weapons:-Hell Magnum: One of Strarf's two ranged options. Preferring her firearms to be straightforward, there's little special about this gun. It uses physical ammunition rather than charges. Strarf keeps extra rounds in her inventory. She can use it unarmored.
-Grenade Launcher "BoomBoom": Strarf's other ranged weapon. As its name suggests, it launches grenades. She can set the delay for the explosion. Limited ammunition, but you can't argue with the results.
-Demon Blades: The curve at the base of the blades gives Strarf extra leverage on downward slashes. They are weighted to allow for fluid motion between attacks. Strarf's favorite swords, they can be summoned unarmored.
-Tetra Daggers: There are four of them: two for Strarf, and two for the devil armor. In single combat, one set of arms guards, while the other attacks the occupied opponent. While lacking in range, they also work for localized crowd control.
-Gigaton Hammer: A close-range answer to Arnval's Divine Judgement. This massive hammer was added to Strarf's arsenal after Cid upgraded her armor. Its rocket provides added swing speed and power, but takes a while to launch. Even without the rocket's aid, this is a formidable weapon that tears through all but the most perfect of defenses. When swung at the ground, it creates a localized shockwave that throws enemies off balance. Strarf must jump to use this ability, lest she be thrown to the ground herself!
Bio: Impish, carefree, and usually cool-heded, Strarf is usually the one who best alleviates tension within the Royal Guard. She's also the only one her sister, Arnval, can talk to when the stress of her "adoring fans" gets to her. While Strarf is always ready to listen and give sisterly advice like "Stop being such a whiny bitch," she wishes people appreciated her at least half as much as they do Arnval. The Devil armor keeps Strarf pretty well grounded. While not the fastest ground unit, the Devil provides Strarf with plenty of both offense and defense. Aside from her plethora of handheld blades, the Devil is covered in blades, spikes, and various pointy things. Even when she's not wielding them personally, the Tetra Daggers can interface with the armor at strategic points that make attacking from most angles risky. Strarf's Darkness attribute allows her to blend in with shadows, which would be more useful if she were any good at being stealthy. It does grant her sight even with no light present though, so she gets some perk out of it... right? Additionally, she deals extra damage to enemies with a Light attribute.

User avatar
Lock Cade
Class S Shinki
Posts: 732
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:48 pm
Shinkis owned: 56
MMS owned: 4
Favorite MMS/Shinki: Strarf, Partio
Location: Michigan

Re: It came from HP's head... *MATURE CONTENT WARNING*

Post by Lock Cade » Wed May 05, 2010 11:02 am

Another excellently written chapter. I can tell that I'm going to love Strarf in this story! :strarf: Looking forward to reading more!

User avatar
Hylian Pirate
Class S Shinki
Posts: 356
Joined: Mon May 04, 2009 7:34 pm
Shinkis owned: 31
MMS owned: 1
Favorite MMS/Shinki: Arnval
Location: Tampa Bay Area, Florida

Re: It came from HP's head... *MATURE CONTENT WARNING*

Post by Hylian Pirate » Mon May 31, 2010 12:36 am

Hey there! I wanted to do this sooner, but another project took my attention... And, after that project, Super Mario Galaxy 2 took my attention... That other project should be revealed sometime within the next few weeks. I do hope you like it. I've got my fingers crossed on that one. It's more "high fantasy" than sci-fi. We'll see how it goes, yeah? But for now, I present the next Shinki Short. This comes well before the other two, and kind of sets up the world as seen in the "present." This one also feels more like fantasy than sci-fi, because it focuses on my first Shinki, MMS Type Knight: Xiphos! I hope you enjoy it!

***Xiphos: Weight of the World***

The world contains several legendary weapons. These weapons, hidden away in the most remote reaches of the Earth, have the ability to alter fate itself to find the wielder of their choosing. Many of them are accounted for. Nearly every Master Mage in the Council has one. Veron the Red wields the rapier Lightbringer, Palin the Black holds the Millenium Rod, and Rhys the White uses the Holy Staff. However, the non-mage class weapons have mostly been lost to the ages. Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory, disappeared with King Arthur. Arondight has no Dark Knight to use it. No Dragoons exist to wield Abel's Lance.

One sword, however, keeps popping up when it feels the Earth is in need of a strong ruler. Originally forged by a Legendary Smith, this sword seeks out powerful souls to take command of the Earth itself. Its first holder was one of the third age's Light Warriors. Refia, who could naturally change her attributes using the power of the Crystals, taught the sword defensive techniques, so that it could protect its owner. Once the Cloud of Darkness that threatened the world was defeated, Refia led the shattered world in its rebuilding process. After Refia passed, the sword sealed itself away until a powerful madman threatened the planet. The blade sought Celes, a girl who used it to absorb magic. Once the fight was over, Celes's dear friend and companion, Terra, formed a summoning pact with the sword, so that all future wielders could call upon the half-Eidolon for aid. Like Refia before her, Celes would lead the world in the rebuilding process after the madman's defeat using the sword and the influence of the world's other royal figureheads. Finally, the sword came to Beatrix when the planet fell under attack by a parallel version of itself! Beatrix ended up having little to do with the quelling of the threat, but left her position as Queen's Guard to fulfill the sword's wishes of her reigning over the people of a united planet. From Beatrix, already an accomplished knight, the blade learned several techniques that used its wielder's spiritual power. After the passing of Beatrix, the sword slept again.

This is a brief history of Save the Queen, a sword that unites the Earth as one people in times of need. And, on this day, she stirs again. A sentient blade, Save the Queen is keenly aware of the Earth's fate. The Milky Way galaxy houses billions of societies, which have already warred and found peace. That society, as a whole, formed a federation composed of the various planets of sentient life and have decided to expand their territory. This federation, composed of several unified worlds, looks down on species that war amongst themselves. If this group is truly coming towards Earth, then the Earth must bring itself together under one ruler again.

But what happens if, after the one chosen by Save the Queen passes, she finds no worthy successor? To keep the Earth unified, there must always be a Queen. But there isn't always a fit for the hefty title. What if...? What if she could find a new Queen that simply would not pass? A Queen to rule the world for the rest of the foreseeable future? Only the Mages could contrive such a thing. Some sort of potion, perhaps? No. That won't be necessary. A new Mage has joined the Council since the last time she slept. Cid the Yellow: the technomancer. This master of the new magic has unwittingly contrived the perfect solution to Save the Queen's dilemma. They are not human, nor even organic, yet they live. These Busou Shinki function by enchanting an advanced mechanical body with a Fabricated Soul. So, the Mages have done it; they've finally matched God himself and created life. And one such life happens to match Save the Queen's criteria to a tee...

***

"I just... feel a need to get out for a while." A girl pleads with an elderly man. She stands tall, her blond, shoulder-length hair is held in place by an armored clip in the back, while two thick braids frame her face. Her blue eyes seem to read the soul of the man, who looks back at her with a perplexed look. "Please, Cid, I'm not worried about the Behemoths; they're easy enough to take care of, and the Marlboros' breath has no effect on us. There's nothing to worry about."
"Hmm," the old Mage considers, "Xiphos, you're still relatively new; I haven't had time to configure your armor yet."
"Cid," she persists, "this is important."
"How so?"
"I... I don't know, but it is."
Cid sighs deeply. "Arnval, talk some sense into her."
Arnval, who was listening in, replies, "OK, Xiphos, do you want to go for a walk in the forest?"
"I do," Xiphos answers with militaristic discipline.
"So go," Arnval reasons, "that makes sense to me. Cid, you worry too much. We were built for combat, remember? If she can't take out a Behemoth or two then you did something wrong. You didn't mess up, did you?"
Cid scowls, "Bah! rebellious child! Alright, do as you wish; just be sure to teleport back here immediately if you get in over your head."
Xiphos kneels down on one knee. "Thank you, Cid. I swear on my honor that I shall return immediately should anything go wrong," she looks up at him and smiles wryly, "should anything go wrong with a pleasure walk in the woods."
"Don't get smart with me, young lady," Cid huffs. At that, Xiphos leaves the Mages' Mansion for the surrounding forest. "And you!," he turns on Arnval, "some help you are! Whose side are you on anyway?!"
"Relax, old man," the Angel replies, blowing off Cid's frustration, "you've gotta let us get out sometime; we can't just stay couped up in here all the time."
"Hmph! You don't seem to mind it so much."
"That's because the rest of us never actually come to you for permission."
"You-- WHAT?!"

***

As Xiphos nears the edge of the forest, she stops. "Benio, as much as I enjoy your company, I feel a need to be alone right now."
A soft rustle indicates Benio's landing. "You're acting strangely today, sister. Is something wrong?"
Xiphos turns to her sister, "Can you feel its pull?"
"I can't, but it's more than obvious that you're out for more than a leisurely stroll."
"Something... calls to me, and I need to find it..."
"Xiphos, it should a least wit until Cid finishes your armor."
"Well, Cid seems to be busy sitting on his hands regarding our armor."
"I can only imagine it's difficult integrating the cybernetics with the traditional styles we chose."
"Right though you may be, Benio, this can't wait."
"Sister, a fell wind blows today."
"That much I see, but something lies interlaced within that wind."
Benio closes her eyes and aims her face to the sky. "...Hope..."
"Hope," Xiphos affirms.
"Did you bring a weapon?"
"Only my wits and the Wind."
"May the Wind guide you, sister. Keep an open line of communication. Call for me if you need anything."

Xiphos nods at Benio and takes off into the dense forest surrounding the Mages' Mansion. She runs. Something pulls at her. It jerks her this way and that, and she follows it through the woods. It is impossible to track her progress; the enchantment on the forest prevents it. There are only two states of being here: in the woods, or out. Now Xiphos is certainly in the woods. If she wanted to, she could close her eyes and make her way back to the Mansion in a near straight line, but still the wordless voice calls to her. And still she follows it. She comes to a deep, wide creek. This poses no threat; the wind aids her momentum. Quite suddenly, the wind gusts up, and she leaps to catch it. The wind takes her into a tree and across the chasm, to land on the other bank. She takes off into these new woods, just as she did before.

Here, she comes to a clearing. Her dash slows to a jog, then a walk as she lets her eyes take in the scenery. In the center of the clearing, a great statue stands ever vigilant. The statue depicts a mighty knight, its zweihander's tip stuck into the ground as its hands rest upon the hilt.
Who are you, to have come all this way?, a feminine voice sounds in her head.
"I am MMS Type Knight: Xiphos," she answers in a clear, disciplined voice, "and to whom do I answer?"
So, you say that you are a knight?, the voice mocks her, then where, child, is your armor?
"That is none of your business. I have asked before and I shall ask again, with whom am I conversing?"
And where is your sword?
"I have already stated that it is none of your concern."
The knight is a defensive class. On a team, a knight must be able to protect herself and her teammates. How can you do that without sword and armor? At this, the trees rustle with the sound of life. Show me, girl. Protect yourself.

A bird of prey swoops from the trees at Xiphos's head. "Zephyr!" A powerful gust of wind deters the fowl's flight path. From behind, a wild cat charges her. In response, she leaps into the air as the cat passes harmlessly under her. In the air, she hears a fierce buzzing; a small cloud of bees makes its way to her. At this, she scoops at the air with her arm, which creates a small whirlwind just strong enough to interrupt the bees' flight. When she lands, the forest is still again.

Parlor tricks and magic? That is not very knightly at all.
"You told me to defend myself and I did. Now, what do you want with me?"
I can sense the power within you. It would've been easy to kill any of those beasts. That would have been the proper approach for a knight.
"...Your definition of a 'knight' could use an update..."
Oh? could it now? Xiphos, there are some adversaries that cannot simply be deterred and left alone.
"I'm well aware, but the creatures of the forest do not fall into this category."
No, perhaps not those creatures, but what of the one you neglected? Xiphos turns to the sound of scraping rock as the statue in the middle of the clearing grabs the hilt of its great sword. You'll need more than what I've seen so far to deter this foe.

"No, I think I have this one covered, as well..." Xiphos swirls the wind about her and concentrates it in her hands. As the golem knight takes a step towards her she releases the gale at it. The concentrated air creates a visible distortion in its path and nails the golem in the head. However, it is grossly unaffected. The golem is too heavy to be knocked off balance by Xiphos's wind. Thinking of the creek, she turns tail and heads back into the forest. Perhaps she can sink it into the soft, wet earth. When she checks her shoulder to see if the golem has followed her though, she notices that it has stopped at the edge of the clearing. Suspicious, she walks back to the clearing. The golem lets her back in and then faces her again. She cannot leave this clearing; the golem demands to be defeated here. It raises its sword and strikes at the ground where Xiphos stood.

Xiphos and the golem play a cat and mouse dodging game for what feels like ages. Her wind has no effect on it, and it is too slow to actually hit her. But, quite suddenly, the golem exhibits a speed that Xiphos could not have anticipated, and it snatches her out of the sky with its free hand. You see?, the voice mocks her again, what is a knight without her sword and armor?

Xiphos glares at the golem. "A knight still," she spits. The golem would have crushed a normal human by now, but Xiphos is a Busou Shinki. And, as such, she posses a strength far beyond that of the humans her design was based off. She clenches her fists together and brings them down on the golem's wrists like a sledgehammer. It cracks and gives way, falling to the ground with Xiphos in tow. The golem recoils from the unexpected pain. "A knight is not her equipment," Xiphos announces, standing tall. "A knight is her honor!" The golem swings its sword again. She leaps over it and delivers another blow to the rock's shoulder, which cracks through. When it raises its blade again, the arm falls. "A knight is her code!" Xiphos rushes the disarmed golem and sends a kick to its knee. It crumbles and the golem falls, its head landing at Xiphos's feet. "A knight," she pauses and clenches her fists together again, "is her soul." She brings her sledgehammer fists down and shatters the golem's head.

Yes, the voice sounds pleased, you'll do quite nicely.
The ground gives way beneath Xiphos and she falls into a deep cavern, landing on her hip joints. "I wonder if this counts as being 'in over my head," she thinks out loud, "Xiphos to Benio, can you hear me, sister?" Static. "Benio, please respond." ... Nothing. "Fine then, are you still here?"
Of course, the voice replies, I'm right over here...
"Over... here...?," Xiphos echoes. She looks around her. Light filters in through the hole in the ceiling. The dust in the air makes the Sun's rays clearly visible in the underground chamber. One ray shines upon a sword in a stone pedestal.
"Whosoever pulleth this sword--
"If you're not going to take this seriously, then I'm out."
Sorry, sometimes it's hard to resist. One must have some form of entertainment when one is buried beneath an enchanted forest.
"Where...?"
Take the sword, Xiphos.
"What?"
Pull it from the pedestal.
"I've no need of it. Cid will have my sword ready within the month."
But it needs you.
"Excuse me?"
No, I should be more accurate. Xiphos, I need you.
"What are you--"
Take hold of my hilt, lady knight.
Xiphos's eyes widen with realization. She nods and approaches the blade. As she reaches out toward it she warns the voice, "If this is a trap or a joke, you will have one very angry android on your proverbial hands." She grips the hilt of the blade and is immediately hit with a rush of information.

The sword is Save the Queen, and she fills Xiphos with the knowledge of the World Queens who have come before. Xiphos, this world will need to come together soon. Out in space, well beyond our Sol System, looms both salvation and dread. You are to take your place as Earth's Queen and bring the people of this planet together as one. But be warned, the humans of today are a racist bunch, and neither you nor your sisters will be accepted readily for a long time.
"But, if the humans won't accept us, then how are we supposed to unite them?"
I will help you as much as I can. The world's population has no choice but to accept my wielder as the supreme ruler here. You have a long road ahead of you, Xiphos, but you also have the best support group of any Queen yet. The Mages and the Busou Shinki will be here to back you through the trials and tribulations. Oh, and one more thing...

A light envelops Xiphos and she feels as if she is being hugged by someone who wants to protect her. When the light fades, she is clad in blue armor trimmed and detailed in gold. She checks her computer systems. All systems green. Armory updated. Check inventory for more information. Armor systems online. Weapon systems online.
This one stumps Cid, so I'll take over for him. For your information, he is panicking as we speak due to your sudden update.
"We should get back then; I do love watching Cid get all flustered."

In the decades to come, Xiphos would unite the Earth under one ruler. She and the Busou Shinki fight an uphill battle in revealing themselves to the world and trying to gain the humans' acceptance as denizens of the planet. She and a select group of Shinki live in the World Castle, set in an unknown location much like the Mage's Mansion. She appoints her highest ranks to govern over each continent, to speak to her for its people. Keeping all of Earth's people happy is a tough balancing act, always about to topple into chaos, but she is determined to be ready for the day the Universal Federation discovers and inspects the Earth. When they come, she will either join them in peace, or crush them in war.

***FIN***

Name: Xiphos
Type: Knight
Element: Air
Weapons: -Save the Queen: The broadsword that marks her as Queen of the World, this ancient blade is riddled with enchantments that both protect its wielder and enhance her abilities. Xiphos's favorite weapon, she is quite skilled even without StQ's enhancements. Always by her side, this sword doesn't need to be summoned.
-Ogre Smasher: A single-handed axe made for crushing blows in close-quarters. It has more damage potential than StQ, but less range, and Xiphos handles it with less proficiency. However, it will break most defenses, so skill plays little part.
-Gale Crossbow- Xiphos's only ranged option. Despite its archaic appearance, it fires arrows composed of Xiphos's magical energy and doesn't have the pesky reload time of traditional crossbows. Good for picking off weaker foes at a distance, but Xiphos doesn't pride herself on her marksmanship...
-Aeolus's Lance: An unwieldly weapon of great power, it is impractical to use grounded. When thrown, it creates a powerful cyclone in its wake, then leaves a mighty tornado centered on its landing point. However, Xiphos most commonly uses this to charge opponents in a joust. Since most horses are too slow to be practical, she often uses Ach as a steed. She had Cid build her an armored motorcycle that she calls Shadowfax so that she didn't have to endanger one of her sisters for a jousting setup. This can only be summoned in her heaviest armor.
Type Abilities: -Cover: As a knight, Xiphos's defense is much higher than most others.' Despite being such an important figure, she is best suited for decoy work and covering a retreat from behind.
-Voice of the Queen: When she talks, you listen. No fighting takes place while Xiphos gives a speech, even to an enemy.
Bio: Chosen by Save the Queen to lead the Earth, Xiphos is disciplined, loyal, and charismatic. She occasionally questions and goes against the advice of her sentient sword, but this only applies to matters of relaxation. When it comes to matters of actual ruling, she and StQ often come to the same conclusions. Most humans have a begrudging respect for her as wielder of the Blade of Choosing, but she and her sisters feel the pressure that stems from the general nonacceptance of Shinki into human society. Many question StQ for choosing a non-human Queen for a planet inhabited primarily by humans... Unlike most of her sisters, Xiphos wears an armor forged for her by StQ. It lacks flight capabilities, but the enchantments on it greatly increase her natural abilities. Also unlike the other Shinki, her armor has two stages: one medium setup for general combat, and a heavy configuration for serious tanking. Her heavy armor can take all but the most powerful of hits without missing a beat, but it seriously kills her speed unless she takes a mount. Using her Air attribute, Xiphos can increase her movement capabilities like running speed and jumping height. Additionally, she can call forth gusts of wind and localized cyclones to deter opponents. She can combine this with all of her weapons.

User avatar
rytearik
Class B Shinki
Posts: 84
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 6:38 pm
Shinkis owned: 14
MMS owned: 3
Favorite MMS/Shinki: Mizuki
Contact:

Re: It came from HP's head... *MATURE CONTENT WARNING*

Post by rytearik » Mon May 31, 2010 11:47 am

Wooo!! Your writing is brilliant!
I love the use of FF in this too ^o^

User avatar
Hylian Pirate
Class S Shinki
Posts: 356
Joined: Mon May 04, 2009 7:34 pm
Shinkis owned: 31
MMS owned: 1
Favorite MMS/Shinki: Arnval
Location: Tampa Bay Area, Florida

Re: It came from HP's head... *MATURE CONTENT WARNING*

Post by Hylian Pirate » Mon May 31, 2010 12:21 pm

Thanks rytearik! I feel that successful writing of a crossover world requires making that world your own. Your rules apply; you just shoehorn names and references into them. What I didn't make clear is that, while FFIII was relatively untouched, VI and IX had slightly different plots here. MagiTek, for example, didn't come around until after the Technomancer (Cid!) was inducted into the Council of Magic. So the referenced stories had more Medieval settings in my world. The Earth went through a very extended Medieval phase...

Stories of the Master Mages are what actually started this running fiction in my head, so I may decide to make a topic in General Discussion in the Future to tell some of their non-Shinki tales.

User avatar
Lock Cade
Class S Shinki
Posts: 732
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:48 pm
Shinkis owned: 56
MMS owned: 4
Favorite MMS/Shinki: Strarf, Partio
Location: Michigan

Re: It came from HP's head... *MATURE CONTENT WARNING*

Post by Lock Cade » Mon May 31, 2010 8:09 pm

I love your latest update! Looking forward to reading more! :cheesygrin:

Post Reply