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Hey, Morgan!
Well, seeing that life seems to be conspiring to keep me from writing,
let's send some C&C is the nest chapter of this wonderful series...
Well, here we are. At thirteen chapters, Dark Crusade is now
officially the longest arc of Ronin Summer I've ever written! And,
unless I've done my math wrong, it's also the sixtieth Ronin
Summer chapter I've written in the past two years! I'm sure
nobody really cares about that, but I'M sure impressed... ^_^
Congratulations! And hey, I care about it. In fact, a couple of days
ago, I was talking with a guy who had only read the first chapter of
Ronin Summer (and I mean of the _first_ story arc), and was planning to
read the rest soon. When I told him there were fifty-nine of them by
now... let's say his holidays will be busy this year. ^_^
By the way, due to my upcoming Christmas vacation (and lack of time
therein, thanks to shopping and visiting with relatives) on the
fifteenth,
I'm afraid this will be the last Ronin Summer chapter until the New
Year. So if you've been holding back on sending me any C&C, now
is the chance you've been looking for!
Hold back C&C?! WHO?! WHERE?! IF I EVER SEE YOUR UGLY FACES, YOU'LL WISH
YOU'D NEVER HEARD THE WORD "LAZINESS"!!!
^_^
Remember, Santa always gives extra presents to boys and girls who
C&C. ^_^
Um, I'm going to get extra present anyway, seeing that my birthday is on
December 24th. Really. So if anyone wants to send me a present, yout
know where to find me... (Money works, but C&C is preferred--I'll give
you the oppotunity soon.)
Now, after that innocuous (I hope) comment, let's snip the URLs for both
Morgan's site (where you can find those marvellous fifty-nine previous
chapters he was talking about) and Joy Lyn's (the webpage we crossovers
fans MUST visit)...
<SNIP!>
So anyway, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Chanukah, Joyous
Kwanzah, and just try to have a great year, gang. You all deserve it,
IMHO. ^_~
Same here!
And YES, Latin D, I KNOW these notes are getting longer. Blame it on a
lack of sleep. :b
LACK OF SLEEP: I have nothing to do with this! You're the one who always
rambles, Morgan!
Anyways, on with the story! ^_^
And on with the (nearly) thoughtful C&C!
As every one who bother reading my C&Cs knows, every one of these
comments (I save critiscisms for other fics, unfortunately) belongs to a
poor Latin guy who loves procrastinating and is a fan of Independiente
F. C.. Not that you care about that, but... ... ... ... er, everything
is IMHO. Sorry.
Send a cool gift with your E-Card
I disagree. A _cool_ gift would be a car--try to send that with an
E-card.
Chapter Thirteen : Curse of the Mountain Fields
Not the kind of title you usually favor... You tend to go for the short
and snappy one. So I'm curious, pal.
Five shadowy forms moved through the still of the night,
picking their way carefully through the dark and tangled forest. In
Er, you repeated "through" in this sentence. You might want to change
one of them. Maybe the second one could become "across"?
the lead, a creature walked with heavy tread, brush scrunching and
cracking under the weight of his immense form. He was nearly as broad
as he was tall, with a massive set of horns sprouting from his skull.
Puffs of steam rose from his whiskered snout as he trudged on,
clearing a path for his compatriots.
Do you want to see nitpicking taken to new heights? Having already read
the scene, I know Jun is in the party, so "compatriots" would be
completely correct? Right?
Well, there's the nitpick of the day. Gosh, I needed that. ^_^
Following soon after was a much smaller form, a slip of shadow
hobbling along after its leader. One arm was held close against its
side, and occasionally it would stumble, hissing in pain. Carrying the
broken remains of a tree branch, the diminutive form tested the ground
ahead of it, using the stick as a crutch when necessary. A third,
feminine figure drifted nimbly through the undergrowth nearby,
occasionally rubbing the back of its head and trembling for some
reason.
FEMENINE FIGURE: I actually _feel_ my neck now...
The last two members of the party travelled together, by
necessity.
Something about this sentence looks jarring to me--namely, the comma.
I'd remove it. Or maybe make it clearer that it's a clarification by
using a period or a dash instead. Or maybe I'm just seeing things...
Anyway, don't worry. These comma nitpicks only appear for the first two
or three scenes. Then I get lost in the story and the smooth prose and
find myself reduced to lame jokes and snips. ^_^
The smaller of the pair rode on the taller's shoulders,
tightly clutching the thick ponytail in her hands like a leash.
"This is fun! Whee! Giddyap, horsey!" the small woman crowed
happily, bouncing in her perch atop the other woman's shoulders.
Funny how easy it is to identify this shadowy form. :-p
"I swear to all that isn't holy," the taller woman seethed,
"if you spur me ONE more time, I will buck you onto a rock." Emerald
eyes narrowed dangerously, and the woman glared at the people walking
ahead of her. "Okay, somebody wanna explain to me again why I got
stuck carrying the ditz?"
MORGAN: 'Cause I say so! And I've got the _power_... Besides, I like to
torture my characters with horrible situations and send vicious enemies
in their way before allowing a tiny WAFFy scene. I'm mean, and I like
it!
Anyway, sorry about that, but I suddenly had a doubt while I was
thinking of the Storm Senshi. What happened with the clones of the Outer
Senshi? I skimmed over the whole Inner Battles story arc (actually, I
reread most chapters--need I get a lie or what?), and couldn't find any
conclusive proof of their deaths. Sure, Anubis thought they'd been
destroyed in the explosion, but I'm not sure... Maybe I overlooked a
scene where Badamon said what had been of them? I'm just curious; I
wouldn't think it impossible to use them in a new sequel. ^_^
"Come on, Thunderstorm," Jun Yamano argued, stopping and
leaning on his branch as he smiled in the tall brunette's direction.
"You know I can't do it; my shoulder's pulped!" He gestured with his
head towards his left arm, which had been placed into a makeshift
sling made from a length of black satin ribbon. With an insolent
smirk, he turned to the large form lumbering in front of him. "What's
your excuse, Takenoko?"
TAKENOKO: Er... Um, wait a sec'. *pierces his shoulder with a sword*
Argh! ...There, my shoulder is pulped, too! What's _your_ excuse,
Lightstorm?
LIGHTSTORM: Hmm, could I borrow that sword?
"I had to carry that blue-haired bubblebrain once already,"
the minotaur pointed out with a snort. "I've suffered enough for one
night."
MORGAN: Need I repeat myself? You _never_ suffer enough in Ronin Summer.
^_^
"Fine," Thunderstorm admitted. "Maybe you two have good
excuses, but what about you, Lightstorm? You're supposed to be my
leader! Isn't it your job to look after your team when they're hurt?"
_Sure_, 'cause leaders always do their job...
<SNIP>
"Glasses," Takenoko snarled softly. "I... am getting... a
damned... pair of glasses."
Heheh. Like they would last in the Dark Kingdom...
**********
Hours later, the sun slowly crept into the sky, hiding
bashfully behind a thick veil of stormclouds to shine its feeble light
onto the statue-still form of Takenoko. The minotaur remained as he
had been, kneeling by the edge of the vast plain with his head hung
low. How could he have done it? He knew he shouldn't have taken
charge: his entire race had poor eyesight. It was almost inevitable
they
had become lost, but what could they do? By this time, the empress
and her Masho could be miles away.
To be thuthful, it's not Takenoko's fault. After all, it's a proven fact
that males cannot under any circumstances ask for directions... That is,
IF Takenoko is male. I don't think I ever saw a female youma before...
^_^
Okay, so I see myself limited to half-baked witticisms. Shoot me. :-p
A peal of thunder rolled through the air like the snarl of a
menacing beast, and Jun Yamano twitched slightly. With a soft groan,
the young boy sat up and rubbed his eyes with his good hand.
Which, we all males know, is the right one--except perhaps leftys.
That done,
he blinked blearily and idly checked his hair. The usually tame mop of
black was snarled and mussed until it seemed determined to stand
completely on end, and Jun made a face as he wondered if any of the
Storm Senshi had a comb. The three women were still sleeping nearby,
purring contentedly as they huddled together. It was almost unbearably
cute, and Jun decided against waking them. They might be cranky, and
reforming didn't change the fact that all three had been designed by
Jadeite to be killing machines. Jun didn't want to make even one
killing machine cranky at him, let alone three, if he could avoid it.
"Oh, look," he said, leaning on Takenoko's shoulder, "it's
still a field. Well, colour me surprised. I don't suppose you got any
brilliant ideas while you were standing guard, did you?"
He's really pushing it, isn't he? So he doesn't want to make a killing
machine cranky at him, but he has no problem ribbing a minotaur? O_o
The minotaur sighed and shook his heavy head. "Not a one."
"Not one."? Maybe it's an expression. Probably.
"REALLY?" The small human grinned widely for a moment,
enthusiasm shining in his eyes. Noticing that Takenoko was turning to
look at him, Jun quickly schooled his features into a mature,
thoughtful expression. "Well," he said, stroking his chin," it's a
...chin, "it's...
good thing I just happen to have an idea of my own, then. A plan, you
might say..." He paused, and gave a curious glance towards the plain
of
waist high blades. "Did that grass just move?"
"Waist-high"?
"What grass?" Takenoko turned and watched as the field blew
left and right in the strengthening winds, rippling and swaying. "You
mean that? That's just the wind."
It's not very clever to ask that question to a creature who couldn't
tell Shampoo from a tree in a shiny day... Hey, that's _another_ spamfic
begging not to be written. ^_~
"Oh." Jun blinked, and pointed at the prairie. "Does the wind
always blow in formation, around these parts?"
TAKENOKO: Actually, yes.
JUN: Oh, I forgot for a moment we're in the Dark Kingdom...
Takenoko turned back towards the thick mass of shifting grass.
Sure enough, the bending stalks were forming four distinct furrows
that seemed to be curving and twining in his direction. "No." He
Y'know, I can't seem to fully picture this scene. How it that the
furrows were "twining" in his direction? I know what you mean, but yet I
think the description needs to be fleshed out a little bit.
blinked, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. "Maybe you oughta wake up
the womenfolk, kid. We might need some heavy artillery."
<SSSSNIP>
BTW, reading the ending scene of Inner Battles, I noticed that both
Shuten and Setsuna predicted a happy ending for both Kayura and Anubis
and for the Dark Kingdom. So, in a way, we know the siblings are going
to lose. ...Not that that's too much of a secret. The real issue is who
they take with them and what consequences their crusade has, right?
"Very well," Shien countered. "She is only going to kill them
herself, Kokuen. Her stance on traitors is well established."
Whirling, he pointed a steel-sheathed finger in Jun's direction.
"You there! The small human. What is your name?"
Jun blinked. "Jun Yamano."
Er, doesn't Shien know Jun? After all, they were together in the battle
outside the castle, while Rajura rescued Kayura. I know for sure Jun's
met Kokuen...
Kokuen jammed the blunt end of his scythe into the earth. "Very
well then, Jun Yamano, wake them up and tie them down."
Again, seeing that they've talked before (heck, IIRC, Kokuen tried his
weapon in Jun's 'kerchief) , I'd expect more familiarity between them.
Though Kokuen seems to be the formal type...
"Uhh... I can't!" Jun blurted, eyes darting back and forth as
he tried to think of a reason, any reason, to disobey that order.
Maybe he could appeal to their sense of compassion, or fair play. A
second look at the stern steel faceplates and unwavering gazes
silently convinced him not to try. "Uhm, we, uh..." Trailing off, he
looked
Er, someone once told me "um" was an actual word in colloquial English,
and thus its spelling had to be respected.
<SNIPPY>
one hand through her recently -and forcefully- shortened hair. "Aw,
man," the blonde groaned, "it's raining. Like these damned sailor
outfits of ours are SO comfortable when they AREN'T soaked..."
FANBOY #1: But soaked sailor outfits have other advantages, ne?
FANBOY #2: *drooling* You said it, pal!
"I think we should get somewhere a little drier," Jun suggested
to nobody in particular.
FANBOY #1: No way! ...Er, I mean, it's your choice, Morgan.
"The weather is neither an aid, nor a deterrent to we youja,"
Kokuen said in response. "Although," he added after a slight pause,
Yeah, he says that because he was never caught up in a hurricane. Let's
see him deal with that.
"Shien and I did find a suitable shelter a few metres south of this
field. We had thought it a possible place for our quarry to hide."
For a moment I thought he was talking about the Keep. Then I realized
it'd be too easy. ^_^
Jun shook his head and sighed as he looked up at the looming
black youja with the massive scythe. "Kokuen, talk normal."
The youja's eyes gleamed yellow for a moment, something Jun
decided must be the equivalent of a smile. "Okay," he said, "follow
me, then."
He decided wrong, as the youja would never forget the humilliation he
suffered that night. Jun would lose much a rainy night weeks later, when
Kokuen's scythe would take an important part of his anotomy away from
him forever. ...Ouch. :-p
"Hey!" Icestorm called out after the group as it began to get
under way. "Where's everybody going? You're not leaving me behind, are
you?" As one, the six creatures turned and looked behind them to see a
cutely dejected looking Sailor Icestorm, sitting in the mud and
"Dejected-looking"? I think so...
cradling the ankle she had injured the night before. Her lower lip was
jutting out, and her eyes seemed to tremble slightly as they filled
with held back tears. "Are you?" the blue haired girl whimpered.
Heheh. I'm a pain in the ass with my unwanted hyphens and all, but...
"Held-back"? ^_^
"Don't ask," Thunderstorm said before anybody could so much as
open their mouths. "I'm not going to do it. Not now, not ever. I don't
care how badly her ankle is wrecked, she can damn well hop if she
...is wrecked; she can...
OR
...is wrecked. She can...
wants to keep up with us."
Silence greeted the tall brunette as she crossed her arms and
began to tap one foot. "What?" she snapped. "I'm not. I don't care how
much you want me to, there's no way I'm going to carry that airhead
for ANOTHER whole night."
JUN: Shoulder still pulped here. You, Take-chan?
TAKENOKO: Same here. (Take-chan? The brat's gonna die.) What about you,
Lightstorm?
LIGHTSTORM: Still the leader, last time I checked. Tin men?
SHIEN: She wouldn't survive us.
THUNDERSTORM: ...Damn.
Jun looked over at Takenoko. The huge youma shrugged his broad
shoulders and glanced at Lightstorm, who was fingering her newly
shoulder-length hair and whimpering slightly herself. Kokuen and Shien
tilted their helmeted heads to the side and watched Thunderstorm as
she fumed in utter quiet. Her foot began to tap with such force that
it
was kicking up water from the newly forming puddles, and her scowl was
Er... um... don't want to bother... but... ... ... "Newly-forming",
methinks. ^_^
<SNIP>
"How soon will we get there?" Jun asked, as Sailor Lightstorm
Drop the comma.
helped him back to his feet.
"Depends," Shien said with a shrug as he marched past with his
naginata held at the ready. "How long do you plan to stand around in
the rain talking to each other, instead of going anywhere?"
JUN: Two or three hours, I think. Why?
SHIEN: Oh, just wondering. I'd hate for my armor to get rusty in this
weather...
Jun scowled at the armoured figure as it receded into the
distance. As though sensing the boy's gaze burning into the back of
his head, Shien turned and stared back with his blank, soulless eyes,
gleaming orbs of white embedded in a swirling abyss of shadow.
"Walk," the violet youja said in a voice that sounded as though
it were coming from the bottom of a well. "If you wish to get
anywhere, Jun Yamano, it is the only way. You can rest soon
enough: we do not
Er, I don't know if that colon belongs there--I don't think so, but I'm
also not sure. I myself would've used a semicolon.
have much farther to go."
Takenoko looked about in expectation. "I can't believe it," the
bovine youma muttered to himself. "To think, we may even now be
Again, drop this comma.
walking on the earth he once tilled, the fields he once grew..."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Thunderstorm asked as
she teetered past, trying to maintain her already precarious balance
in the mud as Icestorm merrily giggled and bounced about on her
shoulders.
Ah, now that I remember, I of course realized who lived in the cabin
from chapter 12. Damn, it should've been obvious. You gave so many clues
you might as well had said it out loud. Of course, I won't say who the
mistery man (men) is (are), so all those who have still no idea can stay
in the dark. ^_~
"Nothing that would mean anything to a baby like you, little
girl," Takenoko snorted. "Ancient history." Shaking his head, he
That is, if you think what happened 1.270 years before is ancient
history... ^_~
reached out with a broad hand and gently pushed the brown-haired girl
ahead of him. "Come along, you two. Let's not get left behind."
**********
My rating for this fic, exactly. ^_^
Kokuen knelt in the mud and carefully nudged a thick clump of
branches to one side, revealing a dark and cavernous mouth in what Jun
had originally taken for an ordinary hill. The opening was all but
invisible, concealed behind a thick veil of long grass, bushes, and
bracketed between two thick pines. Decades -maybe even centuries- of
neglect had only improved whatever camouflage it had originally had.
>
The black youja pointed to a few faint scrape marks in the
earthen floor. "Someone came here a while back," he explained in a
Wonder who? ^_~
Damn, it's good to know the answer! :-p
BTW, I wonder when he found the time to bring his brother here...
deep rumbled. "We thought it may have been your two companions, but
Typo: rumble
this sign is several weeks old."
So many chapters, and only a few days...
<SNIP>
Lightstorm entered next, shivering and hissing between her
teeth as she inched past the fall of running water that drizzled past
the opening of the sepulchre. "It's pretty dark," she noticed, and
snapped her fingers, generating a ball of softly glowing light in the
Ah, crap, seeing that I'm utterly useless as a C&Cer today, I'm gonna
say it: "Softly-glowing"? I seem to have a problem with compound
adjectives.
palm of her outstretched hand. "Just wish I could make it warm, too,"
she managed to chatter.
"Hang on," Thunderstorm said to her sister as the pair stopped
at the lip of the grave opening. "We'll never fit in like this."
Releasing her hold on Icestorm's legs, the tall brunette quickly
swung the smaller girl down from her shoulders. Tucking the
blue-haired Senshi under one arm, Thunderstorm gently lowered
Icestorm to her feet. "Just lean on me," she suggested, "and you
ought to be able to make it."
"Ooh!" Icestorm cooed as she wrapped her arms around the
taller girl's waist and hobbled over to the other member of their
team. "It's, like, totally frosty in here! I feel better already!"
Um, very interesting take in the Senshi and their relation with the
elements. If I get this correctly, you're implying that they are
strengthened by the force in which their attacks are based. This would
make them similar to the ST and the Masho in that aspect. And I say this
is interesting because most interpretations of the sources of the
Senshi's powers are frequently limited to a connection with their
respective planets.
Now that I think about it, the very existence of the Storm Senshi would
entail the possibility of forming new links to any given planet, and
thus obtaining similar powers than those of the Senshi. I wonder if the
Senshi's power would diminish if someone else taps in that power.
Or maybe Icestorm just like cold places... ^_^
<SNIP>
"Cool!" Jun said with a grin as he tugged again. "It's like the
Sword in the Stone, then?" The sword remained immobile, and Jun
TAKENOKO: Yeah, if the Sword in the Stone would've taken over its
master's body and attacked his friends...
JUN: Nitpicker!
<SNIP THE WHOLE "SCARY SWORD" EPISODE>
Except...
to rise from the brown hair and green uniform of her volatile
teammate.
"Takenoko!" she called out desperately. "You've got to subdue
Extra blank line here.
<...tiny little snip...>
"It's not really her fault," Lightstorm said lamely as she
joined him in retreating from where they had lain Icestorm on the
ground. "She's just so overprotective, especially of her favourite
sister. She forgot her self." With a worried glance towards the
Ugh. I was going to say it ought to be "herself", when I read the rest
of the dialogue. Baaad Morgan. :-p
creature as it stood protectively over the blue-haired Senshi,
Lightstorm raised one gloved hand to her mouth. "I just hope she
remembers it again."
The cat looked down at Icestorm, then up at Lightstorm. It
shook itself like a wet dog, sparks flying off of its body. Blinking
those strange emerald eyes it had, the creature looked back down at
Icestorm and convulsed. A moment later, it did so again, going through
some kind of seizure as a thick sheet of lightning leapt from its form
and pierced the heavens. Even in the heavy rain, a thick veil of smoke
enveloped the spot where the creature had been.
Um, I remember something about a cat made of lightning from when
Thunderstorm was first introduced. However, this brings an interesting
subject. The Storm Senshi seem to be more powerful than their good
counterparts, especially when I remember Thunderstorm defeated Uranus
once--who, as the rest of the Outer Senshi, is in time more powerful
than the Inner. So if there were clones of the Outer out there in the
wilds, then how powerful would THEY be?
BTW, was a reason for this difference in power ever given? I mean,
besides the one that said the Outer were more powerful because they
handled external threats, while the Inner acted as a sort of bodyguards.
After all, it hardly has anything to do with the size of the planets, as
if that were the case, Jupiter would have her own "Death Reborn
Revolution"... and then some more.
Jun opened his eyes and stared up at the sky for a few seconds.
"I'm back," he said reverently, and closed his eyes again. "Oh, I
don't know what god brought me back from that place, but I swear if
I ever find out, I'm making them my new religion!" Slowly rolling
over, the
...I'm making it my... (As you refer to "god" in singular...)
boy pushed himself up to his knees and groaned. "Is everyone okay?
That thing didn't make me hurt anybody too badly, did it?"
Utter silence answered his question, and he saw his clothes were stained
a horrible red...
Too dark, eh? Oh, well... :-p
Lightstorm smiled from where she stood and waved to Jun, so he
assumed that he hadn't done anything overly horrendous while he
was -he shuddered- away. A soft moan came from the smoking
Um, I never saw something like this "he shuddered"... Why not rephrase
it and show that the mere thought of what he had gone through made him
shudder?
patch of grass near
the entrance to the tomb, and he glanced over in worry. There, laying
draped over an unconscious Sailor Icestorm, was an exhausted, singed,
and very naked Sailor Thunderstorm, with small trails of smoke still
rising lazily from her hair and skin. Blushing profusely, Jun quickly
pulled his navy blue sweater over his head and laid it over the girl,
trying not to wonder how she got that way. None of his business, he
figured, and shrugged.
**********
It had taken a fair bit of convincing, but Kokuen and Shien
eventually agreed to go down into the depths of the tomb with Takenoko
and Jun to make sure that everything was sealed back up. "There's no
point," Takenoko had argued, "leaving something like that where just
anybody could trip over it." Jun had shuddered violently and agreed so
fast the Storm Senshi thought he was choking.
Well, I'm of two minds about this whole episode. On the one hand, it's
obviously a good way to teach Jun the consecuences of power, and, in
time, to GRANT him that power. On the other hand, however... it felt too
convenient. A sword which comes from nowhere appears just at the right
time to give Jun what he needs to form a steady relationship with
Hotaru, and is at the same time a good plot device to take Jun to the
forefront of the battle.
Now, if Takenoko had mentioned the sword before they ventured into the
chamber (maybe because of something written in the paper the minotaur
read--a warning of sorts), and Jun himself would have gone there looking
for it, then I believe it'd have been more plausible. In fact, there's
an idea: instead of having Takenoko want to pay his respects for the
Owl, have him wish to leave the place alone. Of course, Jun would first
want to see the sword. Just a thought.
BTW, has the sword anything to do with Shuten? Its description made me
think so at first...
<SNIP>
Jun looked over his shoulder at the retreating monsters. "I
guess we should get out of here," he said with a smile, "unless we
want to be stick around for a pretty long time."
...to be stuck around...
Lightstorm smiled herself, and looked down at her shoes for a
moment. "You know," she said quietly, "I know it's pretty stupid, but
I miss my hair. I was kind of proud of it, you know. It was so long,
and thick, and shiny... it made me look pretty."
It made...
"Don't feel bad about it!" Jun said, laying a friendly hand on
Lightstorm's shoulder. After all she'd done to help him, the least he
could do was try to make his new friend feel a little better. "You're
still really pretty."
Poor guy is digging his own tomb...
"You think so?"
...a voice behind his back asked in a strained tone. Jun turned around,
and discovered the form of his angered girlfriend looking over him.
"Yes...?" he answered tentatively. He only realized his mistake when the
Silence Glaive materialized in Hotaru's outstretched hand.
"Wai--!" A second too late...
"Death... Reborn... REVOLUTION, YOU WOMANIZING JERK!"
:-p
"Sure! In fact," he added, thinking of Hotaru, "I think girls
with shorter hair are even prettier." Getting to his feet, Jun looked
down to make sure Naaza's katana was still sitting safely in the belt
loop of his jeans. When he looked back up, Lightstorm kissed him.
Lucky bastard. What wouldn't _I_ give to have two
incredibly-powerful-who-could-destroy-my-house-and-my-entire-neighbourho
od-while-they-are-at-it girls behind me?
It actually took a few seconds for Jun's brain to register what
was happening to him. Up to that exact moment in his life, the only
people who had ever kissed him had been his mother and Nasuti, who was
doing her best to fill in for his mother. They didn't count. This was
a real, live, honest-to-goodness girl, and her lips were on his.
So he still didn't kiss Hotaru? Slowpoke! :-p
A few seconds after he realised what was happening, he felt the
urge to scream at the top of his lungs. He was SO dead. Hotaru was
going to kill him, and probably nuke the whole planet while she was at
it, just to make damn sure he was finished off. A chorus line of
Sailor Saturns danced through his head, swinging their Silence Glaives
and chanting "Death Reborn Revolution! Death Reborn Revolution!" in
their adorable little voices.
LOL!!!!!!!! ^_^;;;
Heheheheh... That's the scene I've waited this whole year for! Let him
have it! ^_^
The scary thing is, I can totally see ALL of the Storm Senshi falling
for Jun. After all, they're pretty desperate for a guy, and Jun is IMO
better than Rajura and Naaza. I can't wait to see Jun trying to explain
this to a woman capable of destroying a planet... while Lightstorm
clutches his neck and kisses his cheek! ^_^
<SNIP TO THE END>
TO BE CONTINUED...
Your welfare depends on it, pal... :-p
And thus ends another amazing chapter of Dark Crusade, the longest and
IMO better written Ronin Summer arc till the moment. It's great to see
that you put this stranded group of characters in the spotlight once
again. I was missing the friendly minotaur (call me weird, but every
time he appears I can't help to compare him with a big teddy bear), and
the "evil" Storm Senshi. I already said my piece about Jun in this
chapter... I always wanted to see him finally get some power, but the
way the sword suddenly was introduced seemed a tad unnatural. I think
I've told you before that the way you've given the youja defined
personalities is impressive, ne? All these characters interacting really
give the story life, and are one of the reasons I love it so
much--besides all that midless violence I love so much, of course. ^_^
Please, FFMLers around the world, go to Morgan's site and enter the
wonderful world of the Ronin, where every day is Summer! I can't
recommend this story enough.
Talk to you in a few, Morgan! Hope to have helped, at least a little.
Latin_D