I'm trying to hack away at this without much success.  At least, I have a
*vague* idea of what I want to do with it, but no real firm storyline or
plotline in mind.  If anyone likes what I've written so far, and has any 
ideas, let me know.  :)

				*	*	*

	The Shiraba clan were a very secretive group.  Living, for the
most part, in the mountains west of Tokyo village, they were rarely seen
elsewhere.  The thought of them commingling with the common folk was
unthinkable.
	But Kou's eyes were not taken with the dimness of age.  The hooded
cloak and the careful step of the gaunt, ascetic figure drifting towards
his tiny shop, oblivious to and unmoved by the press of the Jiyuu 
Booekigyoosha, hawking their meager wares in the dusty street, were
unmistakable.
	The clansman stopped several feet away, gazing upward at the
setting sun, slowly sinking in a crimson blaze of brilliance towards the
horizon.  Kou saw him whisper something into the wind, no doubt the
ancient sun's prayer.  'May I be constant as the sun's circuit, and may
the good I do return to me.'
	Making the sign of the circle to purify himself, he finally
approached and greeted Kou with a forced smile.  "Blacksmith," he
murmured, "might I ask of you?"
	Kou, nervous, nodded stiffly.  How does one show respect to a
figure of legend?
	"I pray, do not refuse what I ask of you, though it be precious
indeed.  I desire to apprentice."  The clansman eyed him carefully,
letting his words hang heavy in the pungent air.
	"I--I...uh...why do you--" he stuttered.
	"I am persuaded that I must know this," came the ritual reply.
	Kou fought for some meager semblance of composure, forcing
down the lump in his throat.  "I would be honored to teach you, "he 
whispered.

	The tale had been passed from father to son within the Shiraba
clan for nearly three hundred years.  No one knew if there was truly any
substance to the myth, but it did bear a strange ring of truth to it.  In
any case, the Clan learned the smithing of armor, and made the knowledge
their own.  With hammer and forge, they would shape their destiny for
years to come.

				Bubblegum Crisis:
				   Alternity

				By Damon Casale


	Three hundred years had passed with the swiftness of a sparrow on 
the wing.  The Clan had become little more than memory.  No one had seen a
clansman for decades.  Still, it was rumored that they yet journeyed on
their quest for enlightenment, and that one day, they would return.
	Such were Kenji's carefree daydreams, as he wandered down the
shaded forest trek near the stream.  The brook was burbling merrily 
along, free of the bracken and debris that normally clogged it after a 
heavy rain.  The sunlight filtered down from above, spreading a 
pattern of light onto the forest floor.  The tiny dots of sunlight 
danced back and forth, tiny insects searching for a resting place.
	Kenji whistled tunelessly, letting his thoughts wander further 
afield.  The forest, close as it was to their village, provided a 
relatively safe haven for his periodic, wandering "adventures".  He'd 
chosen a sunny day when the work in the fields had been minimal, finished 
his daily chores, and disappeared.
	He grinned at his own private joke.  A few of the villagers had 
"disappeared" within the past few months, including the Katsuda lad, who
had been betrothed to Yumi.  It was more likely that he had simply fled
the prospective marriage arrangement.  It wasn't that Yumi was all that 
unpleasant to be around -- far from it.  But the lad had never dealt very 
well with anything he couldn't decide for himself, responsibility most of
all.
	Kenji shrugged.  Maybe he'd be back, when he realized what a fine
life he was carelessly throwing away.
	The trail wound its way up into the foothills surrounding the
Yukara mountains.  Kenji had explored some of them, but they were pretty
boring compared to the forest.  He'd ventured out across the plains 
before, 
and had once visited another, nearby village, but it was always far more
satisfying to spend a quiet afternoon simply wandering among the trees.
	The stream diverged from the trail just beyond where he was
standing.  A still, clear pool of water rested in a rocky hollow in the
ground, and there were a pair of squirrels on the far side taking casual
swallows in between a friendly tousle.  Kenji bent down slowly, trying not
to disturb them, and sipped at the pool for a long moment.
	He nearly laughed at the reflection staring him in the face from
the pool.  A baby-faced teenager with rumpled hair, dressed in a simple
tunic of green and brown which, it seemed, had attracted half of the
forest castings.
	He winked at his reflection, and smiled again as the face pinched
slightly when its left eye winked shut.
	Climbing slowly to his feet, he watched the pair of squirrels dash
madly into the undergrowth, chittering happily as they continued their
play.  This time, he did laugh.
	There was a second, somewhat rougher trail leading off through the
underbrush, away from the mountains.  Looking up, he saw that the sun was
still fairly high in the sky.  He wouldn't have to rush home right away;
he could afford to do a little more exploring.
	The trail widened out further on, making the going easier on his
sandaled feet.  He began whistling again, this time an ancient melody he
had heard his father singing years ago.

	"O'er the hills and trails I go
	 With nought but stars to light me way
	 But I'll smile and skip along below
	 For soon I'll see the day!

	"Hey, hey, me boy-o!
	 I'll take another pint
	 Ho, ho, me joy-o!
	 'Twill last me through the night!"

	He grinned as the last note fell slightly flat, as he ambled
along the path, kicking idly at the fallen leaves.  His father had always
been a drinker, that was true.  But no one could ever accuse him of 
stewing in any sodden sorrows.  No, if anything, the elder Masada was the
happiest man in the village.  Which, of course, meant that Kenji had a
little freer reign to do his pleasure than most of the other lads.

	"O'er the land and sea I've been
	 With nought but stars to light me way
	 The sky of blue, the sea of green
	 And soon I'll see the day!

	"Hey, hey, --"

	A huge, misshapen claw ripped out of the underbrush, raking across
his cheek.  Blood welled, as a nightmare rose out of the bushes to tower
over him.
	Kenji screamed, and ran.  Instantly, the thing was in motion,
following him back down the path.  The insects had gone deathly silent,
and the birds quickly scattered before him, soaring to the safety of the 
treetops.
	Was *this* what had happened to those others?  Torn asunder by
this beast??  He dared not think on it, and instead forced his cramped
legs to move faster.  Past the shallow pool, back to the first path,
and...
	He slipped.  A small shower of pebbles flew out from under him as
he landed heavily on the dry earth.  The thing wasted no time as it drew
near, leering an evil, sharp-toothed grin.  It flexed its claws in
anticipation, its intent deadly plain.
	In the blink of an eye, a metal bolt flew from behind them to
transfix the creature, piercing its shoulder.  It roared in inhuman agony,
dazed by the wound, but quickly crouched to the ground and glanced angrily
about at the shadowed forest growth.
	Another bolt flew true, striking the creature's neck.  Thick,
black blood oozed out of the wound, trickling down its chest as it gurgled
and pulled weakly at the offending projectile.
	Kenji breathed a sigh of relief.  But, trying to turn his head to
catch a glimpse of his mysterious saviour, he found he couldn't move.
Suddenly, wave after wave of dizziness swept through his body, as his
cheek began to burn with white hot intensity.  Slowly, the burning began
to spread, eating away at his consciousness.
	A shadow fell over him, and a pair of strong hands searched over
his body for other wounds.  "Be silent, my friend," the stranger said.
"The boomer's poison is quick, but my herbs are quicker."
	He felt a damp, pungent smelling compress of leaves dab at the
tattered flesh, dulling the fiery pain.  He blinked twice, trying
desperately to clear his fogged vision, without success.
	"Rest," the soothing voice whispered.  "You must rest, my friend."
Then, suddenly strangely compelling, the yawning chasm of unconsciousness
rose to greet him with open arms.

				*	*	*

	Kenji awoke with a pounding headache.  Still, his cheek throbbed 
dully with the memory of the nightmarish creature's attack.  Blinking 
sleepily, he looked around the hovel in which he found himself.
	It was small, and nearly bare save for the leafy cot upon which he 
rested, though even that looked to be a recent addition.  Over the doorway 
hung a heavy, beautifully woven cloth depicting a high, snowcapped 
mountain.
	He sat up slowly, still dizzy with the aftereffects of the poison.  
There was a strangely pleasant odor in the air.  Noting a bit of smoke 
curling lazily upward towards the thatched roof, Kenji followed the trail 
back to its source:  a finely engraved block of wood near the door.  An 
etched groove snaked across the block, marked at regular intervals with 
ornate kanji.  Powdered incense smoldered in the groove, a sweet-smelling 
reminder of the passage of time.
	Kenji smiled at the presence of the incense clock.  It was a 
traditional and highly treasured timepiece, now rarely used outside of 
temples or shrines.  He climbed shakily to his feet, noting the clean robe 
he had been given, and drew back the door curtain.
	It was midafternoon, and the sun glinted brightly in his eyes 
across the secluded valley.  Outside, across a graveled and flowered 
courtyard, eight young, fierce looking warrior-ka practiced with bokken.  
The crack and snap of wood on wood, more rarely wood on exposed flesh, 
meted out a steady, soothing rhythm in the cool, mountain air.
	A grey-haired, veiled man approached him and bowed, slightly 
stiffly.  "Welcome to Tensai village, traveller."
	Kenji bowed deeply in return.  "I wish to offer my thanks."
	The man smiled.  "It is heartening to see that courtesy and respect 
still live on beyond our humble village.  Perhaps you can remain to dine 
with us?"
	Kenji bowed again, nervously.  "You are most kind, b-but I should 
return home quickly..."
	The smile vanished.  "I wish you well, but you should know that you 
have slept for two days.  The poisons within you were very powerful."
	All sense of protocol lost, Kenji gaped.  "Two DAYS!?"
	The man nodded solemnly.
	"Perhaps we should talk at length," he continued.  "My name is 
Katsuhiro.  And yours...?"
	"Deepest apologies," Kenji mumbled.  "Kenji."
	Katsuhiro took his hand, leading him down a well-tended path which 
encircled the courtyard.  "There is much to tell -- of the creature you 
saw, the boomer, of our purpose here...yes.  The time has come that we 
should reveal ourselves."
	Down the path they walked, into the hidden village of the Shiraba 
clan.

Notes:

Things are quite different here from the BGC universe we all know, 
although the differences are slighter in places.  No, Katsuhiro is not a 
typo.  This world, as you may have guessed, is set in a "medieval" Japan, 
during the breakup of the Shogunate.  Warrior clans are quickly turning 
ronin, or working towards their own nefarious ends.

However, the presence of high technology adds a twist to the story.  Back 
in the impenetrable mists of time, the Shogunate somehow acquired 
knowledge of advanced engineering, electronics, and several other "modern" 
sciences. The knowledge is not secret, but its dissemination has been very 
limited.

I'm just jotting this stuff down as I think of it, and I need to find a 
way to work it into the story.  Again, ideas and input would be 
appreciated.

Damon Casale, damoo@universal-net.com
Spam, spam!  WONDERFUL spam!  ^_^