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 Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 3:52 pm
Location: DUSTY DUSTY DUSTY Tower There's dust... EVERYWHERE. I swear, it must be an inch thick!!! Ailessa can't go in there, as her delicate nose sends her into a sneezing fit, meaning Oceider and I are left to explore on our own. I'm VERY thankful for my scarf that I seem to wear 24-7... It blocks out the dust! Oceider had woven and iced together a "mask" made out of leaves and grass... He mocked me, saying that it at least smelled sweet, instead of dusty. Jerk.
Anyway... We found a few interesting items. The first was a bracelet -- well, not exactly a bracelet... It's SHAPED like a bracelet, yet it can't fit over Ocei's paw or my hand. Every time we try, it seems to... shrink. Here's a rough sketch of it.It's a plain, silver hoop... Yet on the inside, it's curved inward, as if it's been made to fit over something circular. Then, there's the diamond-shaped emerald attatched to it... Perhaps it's not ment to go around a wrist? Oci let me attempt to put it on one of his horns, and it worked -- horn wear, then? We only found one, so I'm suspecting that it's for a creature with... one horn. Unicorn? Possibly.
The second item we found was a worn, old book. There wasn't anything on the cover except for an ink-soaked design. The design... Well, it's half-horse, and half-fish. Hippocampus? Senses tell me yes. Apparently, this tower was the base for researching these magestic creatures. According to the book, the hippocampus flocked around the coasts... Then they suddenly disappeared. Maybe those people who were after us thought Zekke (in all his blue glory) was a hippocampus that could turn into a horse? Or that he knew the way?
The book... also contained dark myths and legends about how "powerful" a hippocampus could do. Apparently, if you took its scales (from a live one) and ground them up, then mixed with a bit of blood from the said creature and some holy water, you could sprout gills and swim. If you took a lock of their main and wove it into your hair, you could know the wave and wind currents. If you took their hoof and filled it with a cup of sea water, it'd turn into pure water.
When I read this part, Zekke came running and re-assured me. He told me that if they DID come after us again... Well, there's a REASON they wore belts with their loose pants, right? I couldn't help but to laugh.
Next... Oci and I (with Zekke's help -- apparently, Yoake shared the same thoughts about the dust as Ailessa did and Zekke wanted a break) discovered some worn, old pictures. Most of them were burned away and smeared, but Zekke prompted me to try to take a deeper look with... my mind's eye. I'm serious! I personally don't find much use for the little psychic power I have -- it gives me headaches. Anyway... My vision focused slightly. The shapeless splotches of ink formed and became people and... unicorns. Apparently, the hippocampus enjoyed the company of the Unicorns. After all, they're holy enough to walk on water -- plus, no hippocampus has horns... yet. I suppose they find each other interesting.
Let me see... what else? Oh! We found an empty spyglass, but the glass in it was missing. Then there's a pair of dice ((useless, but I have a fondness for rolling dice... And random things.)), dust, marbles (yes, MARBLES), an old quill, a dry inkwell, mouse-chewed paper, dust, a ball that Zekke played with for a bit, and... and... Dust. Yep -- that just about sums it up!
Oci and I are now relaxing outside, though we'll probably be joining Zekke in for a game of Soccer -- after all, it's not everyday you get to play with a still-bouncing ball that's been covered in the dust for, oh, say ten to twenty-plus years, right? 'til next time!
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Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2004 11:01 pm
Zekke lept into the air, cheering as he scored a goal. ::YES! Booyah!::"GAH! You run around too much..." Marushii joked, flopping down into the shade of a tree. "Seriously now, Zekke! Ya need to slow down for us slowpokes!"Oceider bobbed his head in agreement before creating an ice cube, which he passed over to Marushii. Grateful, she held it in her hands while watching the ice dragon. The dragon picked up the book that has led them on their merry chase so far and opened it. "...What's this?"::What is it? Lemme see! Lemme see! Lemme see!:: Zekke whinnied and trotted over behind Ocieder, peering over the dragon's shoulder at what was on the page. ::Ooooh! Maru! It's the HQ tree! With our banner still around it -- c'mon! That's the next clue! Let's gooooo!::"Zekke, I don't think we shou -- WAH! GIVE ME WARNING NEXT TIME!" Marushii jumped to her feet as the scenery changed -- from the view of an old, abandoned tower to the appearance of a tree, decorated in a simple banner -- 'MARU AND ZEKKE WERE HERE.' Oh man... It's still up. Marushii thought, taking a step forward to the tree.Behind her, Zekke looked around. ::WHOO! I did it! Though... I think I left Yaoke and Ailessa behind... Ah well -- we can always pick'em up when we retu -- or not.:: The changeling glanced down at the two kitsune, teleported into the area via Yaoke. An argument then occured between fox and equine over the rules of teleporting. Marushii shrugged, choosing to ignore it. Carefully, she lifted some of the banner away from the tree, peering beneath it. "HEY! Check it out, guys!" She called, reaching up to pluck a fruit from the tree. "I dunno about you, but it looks like someone got REALLY bored with a marker and scribbled all over it!" Ailessa commented, flicking her ears back. "Plus, I don't think that even looks safe to eat!"Zekke snorted and rolled his eyes. ::That's because it's for us equines. Though...:: He paused, considering. ::Though, I think I'll hold off eating it. You're right, Ailessa -- it DOES look like someone scribbled all over it with a marker.::"I hate to interrupt, but... the book changed again. We have another location t'go to!" Ocieder exclaimed, pointing towards the book. "It looks like some old dock... And look! There's this little compass here, pointing north-north east..."Marushii pocketed the fruit and stumbled over to Zekke, still tired from earlier. "I dunno about you, Zekke... But methinks a good ride there would be good. And I have a feeling that this'll be the end of it -- would you three mind waiting here?""Nope!""No complaint here!""Do as you will."Zekke pawed at the ground, eager to be off. "All right! We'll be back as soon as possible!" Marushii called, waving to the three (who gratefully flopped into the tree's shade) before mounting up onto Zekke's back. With the toss of his head, Zekke took off, galloping out and away from the Changeling HQ toward... the end? Possibly. ((Tune in for tomorrow's episode: "When Everything Finally Makes Sense and Comes to a Brief Finale!" See you soon!))
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2004 3:05 am
They headed out east, past the open gate that lead to the headquarters. It didn't take long for the pair to pass the dunes and reach the beach. Here, Zekke took caution to the soft sand and walked, neither wishing to risk a fast run under the sinking, shifting sand. The clear white sand soon darkened as they traveled down the shore, heading towards the water. When they were halfway between the tideline and water, Zekke swung north and broke out into a light canter, his smooth gait mimicing the fresh movement of the waves. ::Zekke...:: Marushii started, sitting up and hunching over his mane, ::Let's go faster.::A nod of his head was all that confirmed before his smooth, rolling run turned into a fast gallop. Marushii snuck a glance eastward, toward the ocean. It, unlike the land westward, seemed to move by slowly. The land to the west was a shapeless blur -- greens and browns blended together under a pale blue sky. Ahead loomed a piece of driftwood. Rather than have Zekke side step around it, Marushii squeezed her legs, forcing him to stay on his path. ::Come on, Zekke! Take a leap of faith and jump over it! You know how.:: Beneath her, Zekke put on a burst of speed, sending the world into a deeper blur. As he jumped, time seemed to slow -- the world snapped into focus, causing Marushii's breath to catch in her throat. Could she breathe? Only after Zekke landed, jarring her slightly and reminding her of the world. ::Excellent! Keep going, over ALL the pieces of drift wood. Serious, Zekke -- this is good for you. It'll make you faster, AND strengthen you up a bit.::::Must I? But it's SOOO much work! But all riiiiiight.::Their way up the coast was continued in this fashion -- find a piece of driftwood, and up over it. In between the scattered pieces of driftwood, Marushii had Zekke gallop at different speeds -- landscape-bluring (normal), land-and-sky-bluring (a bit faster), and land-and-sea-and-sky bluring (fastest). In this fashion, they reached the lone, rotting dock -- "the", as it was the only one in existance on the isle. Though, why it was so far from the HQ was beyond either of them... Unless there WAS a trading post there, and the cave nearby had something to do with its disappearance. Marushii dismounted and slowly walked towards the dock, reaching out to halt Zekke. "Wait," she cautioned, "It might not be study." Slowly, inch after inch she made her way on the dock, testing the plank beneath her questioning foot before placing her full weight onto it. After she was near the edge of the dock, she froze -- was that movement in the water?In an instant, Zekke appeared next to her, his eyes scanning the ocean waves for movement. It didn't take long for the white form to appear again. It was too quick to be a shark, yet it lacked the playful energy of a dolphin. The changeling lowered his head, trying to peet into the murky depths. In a moment, Zekke was showered with drops of water as an equine head broke through the surface. The "horse" was pure white in color -- except for the silvery tail, which could be glimpsed 'neath the rolling waves as the sun struck it. "Su'kara nai ha'tiilhara?"::Um?:: Zekke drew his head back and shook it from side to side, trying to dispell the drops of water. The hippocampus in the water looked crestfallen for a moment before perking up. The mythical beast turned and dived, disappearing underwater. In a few minutes it was back up complete with something in his mouth. The creature dropped it, jerked backwards quickly in the water, and hit it with its tail upwards and towards the pair on the dock. Marushii jumped up and caught it, gasping at the sight. Quote:  ((Yes, it's THAT shiny.)) Zekke told the hippocampus, looking down at the aquatic creature. He couldn't lower his head and risk the amulet to slip off. At Marushii questioning look, he repeated what the hippocampus had said earlier. "Help? What do you -- ah!" Marushii kneeled down, matching the clear, light blue of the hippocampus' eyes with her own darker blue. "Your kind have been hunted, have they not?"Zekke translated for the hippocampus, who nodded. "Indeed. Our numbers are slowly fading... I, myself am not even a full member of my kind. You see, rather then let myself into human affairs... I came to help. Will you help?""Of course! But... I think we'll need to know more about the enemy before we can take them on." Marushii replied after the translation. "Let's see... They looked like pirates that attacked on the sea. I bet if you went around north of the island, you'll run into their ship. It'll more and likely have a round bottom, and be pretty big..."The hippocampus simply stared at her. "How... does she know?""Easy!" Marushii replied, her voice holding a bit of distain in her voice. "I was a pirate. Those kind are ametures. They won't be sticking around for long -- tell you and your kind to swim south... Around that area is where Miss Ceres is -- she's an expert in equines. She may be able to help... When in doubt, swim south more and hang close to the shore. There's rocks around there, right? Pirates of the deep sea wouldn't DARE go close to inland... They're not raiders or corsairs -- meaning they don't stick to the shoreline. You'll be safe down there."The hippocampus nodded, turned, then dove out of the waves and of sight, leaving the two left standing on the rotton deck, speechless. ::Well, THERE'S grattitude for ya.:: Zekke commented dryly, nudging Marushii to stand up. In a blink of an eye, they were back at the HQ to pick up Oceider, Ailessa, and Yoake before disappearing back to Marushii's ranch, whereupon they reflected upon what happened... That is, until Marushii checked the mail that piled up over the weeks they were gone. "Oi! Zekke! It's the HQ -- we're to pack some camping gear and report in! No time for rest yet!"
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 11:58 pm
" Alright alright already... I'll deliver this..." Said the Seal Girl Unmei as Morgan nagged her from her perch on Unmei's shoulder." I can't believe you didn't delivery these before. Shiro asked you to do this like weeks ago, before he went to the camping trip." Unmei signed as she lugged the bag with the gifts inside. " Well.. I'm doing ti now.. so you can quite badgering." Morgan shook her finger at the impatient Seal girl. " Tisk tisk... you still have more houses to go..." Unmei sighed, placing the gift at the right house. Then she hicked the bag up and headed off to the next house.
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Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:49 pm
FLASHBACK! ((please excuse. sorry playing you a tad bit. want it changed let me know. smile also leaving this a bit open, so you two can have a special. will create the book when i get a clue of what it should look like. and yes this also gives you a change to create an ndc, which could be a mentor!))::ceres looked up, and thought a moment. she then looked to zekke... do you mind? ::she pointed to the hair clip. knowing he wouldn't mind. she unwove his hair where the clip rested. she then took it, and went up stairs. hollaring back.:: be down in a second... ::she had once again pulled out the first book marushii had used and was skimming it. she had found and issues, and problems section and how to settle them. she had noticed that it talked of the hair piece, and which book to locate the information on. with a smile, she returned with the two books, and hair piece. she handed marushii the books, but it was on the page of zekke's hair piece, which ceres had sat in the middle:: there you go. that might help you out! this book is of the changeling before zekke that used the hair piece... i do believe there is a good mystery behind it... something along the lines. when the changeling last used it... he just vanished, only to leave his hair piece behind... which you have. oh, and... ::ceres said cheerfully as if on another note:: take the first book you used. it has an issues and problems section and how to solve them! October 13th, 2004 We're BACK! From the camping trip. I thought it would have been a nice, "normal" outing where our Changelings could mingle... I didn't know that we had to recover our stolen goods, resuce Sunny ENTER the Mystic Grove (ugh! Glad I don't have to go through the trial to get in again...), then rescue Ceres... Zekke and I didn't do the last bit -- we stayed back at camp. One of the stolen items was Zekke's hairpiece... It boosts his psychic power, y'know? Anyway, he had a hard time focusing with it... You see, somehow Connor's (the avaling who stole our goods -- all of them were pieces of silver) emotions were linked to the hairpiece... So when it was worn, Zekke could sense what Connor was feeling at the time.
That, methinks, would be useful if you hung out with the guy a lot. Since Zekke and I don't really go out that much... well... We thought it'd be best if we could either tone the emotions down or unlink it all together.
The result? Two books! The first is the book that I used to get Zekke out of the dream world -- apparently, the book is on Psychic powers... Who'd knew? I knew I should have actually READ the book instead of skimming it!
The other book is a journal... I couldn't make out who the journal was written by until Zekke figured out the sloppy writing. "Komurasaki Idzuna." 'Kumurasaki' means dark purple... Purple is the color that is usually used to represent psychic power. "Idzuna" is a type of fox spirit. Basically... Purple Fox. It wasn't his true name -- in his first entry he explained practically everything about himself. He was a kitsune who happened to possess a power psychic human... His energy and the energy of the psychic clashed, and the result? He was stuck in that body. The two personalities of both peopel merged, thus creating someone completely new...
Lost and confused, he left the mainland. If he was caught as is, people would probably try to exorcise (get rid of) his kitsune spirit. Since his kitsune-self merged with his human self... He foresaw what would happen -- he would get killed. SO! He came to Mysic Island.
And used his talent yet again to tame a Changeling. At that time, the Changelings were more... wild. Though trickery and trust (if THAT is even possible), he tamed "Zikuru," the changeling.
Creepy, huh? I'm a kitsune, and Zekke shares the same first letter as "Zikuru." Anyway, continuing on... Zikuru was amazed at his protector's skill and talent, and just... Picked up on it. Kinda like Zekke.
Another mark for creepiness.
Zekke and I have only read the first few pages before Zekke got bored of it. From what else was learned, the two got along quite easily... Zikuru didn't have as much power as Komurasaki, so Komura was thinking about how to help his Changeling... Apparently Zikuru wasn't too pleased with his powers falling short of his expectations. Poor Zikuru.
We'll pour over the journal more tomorrow -- I've used a post-it note to mark the place, as well as list some of the things that seemed odd and didn't make sense. Something tells me that I'll find the answers in the other book...
Oh! I must remember to thank Shiro as well -- he gave Zekke THE most adorable plush that looks almost exactly like him! It's soo cute! It was added to Zekke's stall and is currently hanging out on the shelf in there.
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 10:29 pm
Marushii sat 'neath the sprawling tree growing on her small ranch with the journal in her lap, puzzling over the words written there for perhaps the umpteenth time. From time to time she turned to her right, consulting the psychic book she had used to rescue Zekke from the loosely-named, "dream world." The kitsune furrowed her brow and turned a few pages, her eyes jumping from line to line, searching. "Nrrgh. This is getting me practically NO WHERE!"
Zekke blinked at his protector's outburst and looked up, watching his owner carefully from his small garden. As winter approached, the Unicorn took the time to witness the blooming of the late flowers, urging them one to their full potential before they withered away as the snow came. The stallion carefully stepped over a small patch of mums and made his way towards her. ::Are you STILL going over that?:: He asked, laughing and standing beside her. With a mischievious twinkle in his eye, he lowered his head and began nibbling on her hair, causing a squeak of indignity from her.
Marushii reached up and playfully batted him away, succeeding... That is, until Zikuru's journal floated up and out of her reach. "HEY! Zeeeekke!" The kitsune jumped up to reclaim it, yet to no avail -- the book swooped away from her and out of her reach with ease.
::Hey! Check it out!:: Zekke rotated the book until it faced her, shifting from hoof to hoof in excitement.
"...Is it just me, or are the names glowing?" Marushii asked, staring at the names of the protector and changeling. Zekke nodded his head rapidly, spurring Marushii to pick up the other book and quickly turn pages. "Great job, Zekke! Looks like we're one step closer!"
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Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:04 pm
The Cat did It. Amaya took ahold of the two books that Zekke and I were pouring over -- the psychic book, and the journal. Since she's a cat, I didn't bother asking what she wanted to do with them -- after all, she's a CAT. Cats... have a habit of doing what they please.
To kill some time while waiting for Amaya to finish "borrowing" the books, Zekke and I wandered towards the HQ... And got distracted by the shed that Ceres normally kept locked up.
We entered and took... possession of a few things. Namely, a disused SHINYSHINYSHINY disco ball, a shiny mirror, and a paper lantern. As to the red rubber bouncy ball... I SWEAR I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE ZEKKE FOUND IT.
HONEST.
Truth to be told, it followed us home. Really.
Anyway... Amaya congradulated me on my choice of what I, um, freed from Ceres' shed. ^^ According to her, she said that Komurasaki Idzuna and his Changeling Zikuru last disappeared about five years before I met Zekke. Reincarnation is out of the question -- it usually takes more than 50 years for a mortal spirit to be reincarnated, and for a long-living, near-immortal spirit... MUCH longer.
So! Zekke and I meditated... Well, he meditated with Yoake, while I took a nap. According to them, they THINK they detected their energy... You see, you can trace people using an object that belongs to them. Since the journal is now Ceres', Yaoke used their name as a focus and helped Zekke learn to track them...
So we have a lead -- it's just that getting there AND finding them AND getting them to talk to us is the problem. I really hate the dreamland -- last time I went near crazy, and plus... IT WAS COLD.
Zekke's looking forward to it -- did he just gain more energy? In either case, he's off playing soccer with the rest of the equines here. He's grown... so much! It's practically unbelievable... Something tells me that we may discover something when we go to the "Dreamworld." Or should it be called the "Psychic Plane"? I suppose we'll find out what section we arrive on when Zekke goes there -- me with him, of course!
'Till next time~
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Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 4:59 pm
Physic Hot and Cold Knows No Bounds. Since Maru made some weird snoring noises and rolled over when I reminded her of the fact that she needs to write, it looks like that I get to do it! You know, at first I couldn't make head or tail of how to write 'cause if I tried moving a pencil like Maru does, it would've ended up something like this:
~~~~/\/\/\---------==========-~~~~?';--=-=`<
Which is hard to read, right?
Anyway, the Psychic-Realm-place that Maru calls the "Dreamworld" (even though it's not like any dream I'VE ever had) hasn't changed at all... Still dark, still purple, still scares teh heck out of Maru -- she was riding me the whole time! Anyway, Yaoke (Yoake?) lead us through the place, la-de-da...
We went to what looked like a wide, open field -- perfect for running in! A few shades (Yaoke told me that these were human psychics) were drifting around, but we paid them no heed... That is, until Yaoke made ME lead. He told me to think "Zikuru!" and head in the direction that felt like I was being pulled in... Names have power, y'know!
Anyway, we wound up in a forest... A flash of gold was seen before us before FWOMP! Back in the real world we were, since our minds were kinda forcefully ejected from there.
...Looks like Maru'n'I have to return there physically. She is SOO not gonna like this... But who cares?! A chance to see that place again! It's sooo cool! And... Amaya's starting to nag at me to go to sleep. I guess this means I'm off!
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 2:58 pm
*walks in with Taran and puts down a persent that reads merry late Christmas*  inside is a 
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:43 pm
Comicish! Special Mission Update!  ((Drawn with a manga style, but also drawn in American view -- read things top to bottom, left to right.))
Panel 1
Location: A part of the Psychic Plane (for lack of a better title)
(Wordbubble 1) Zeeeekke...
Panel 2
Marushii: Do we have to enter this forest? It's just as creepy as the others!
Panel 3
Zekke: I know. But this is it - I'm sure of it.
Panel 4
Marushii: *pointing at Zekke* You do know that you've said that before, right?
-=-OOC comments!-=-
Panel 1 shows a part of the 'Plain. Yes, there ARE floating islands there. X3 You need to teleport or fly up to them, though. That particular one just has a giant tree, mountain, a lake that's made of glass, and a creepy forest. Ooo.
Panel 2... When Maru goes to the P.P., she's in spirit form. Since she's a three tailed Kitsune, she has three "tails" on her spirit which make her look like a floating mermaid. X.X Her hands are also cute little paws, and I added the nails in later just for panel 4's pointing.
Panel 3... I tried to make it look like Zeeke was moving, but I ran out of room and made his neck too long. Ugh!
Panel 4... Nothing much to comment, otherwise that I like Zeeke's shocked expression. xd ;
The next page is coming soon! I'm just updating as I go along so that I won't have to start all over. ^^; Next update I'll darken the lines so it's easier to see... And yes, this is what Maru and Zekke have been doing since last update -- searching the Psychic Plain. FUN. >>
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 11:00 pm
Comicish! Special Mission Update Pt. 2! 
Panel 1
Zekke: Well... Since you put it like that...
Marushii: What is going through that head of your's?
Panel 2
*Zekke grabs ahold of a transparent version of Marushii's scarf!*
Marushii: What the-?!
Panel 3
Yoink!
Panel 4
*Zekke pulls Marushii onto the Psychic Plane*
Marushii: Ah! *shocked*
Zekke: whee Hee!
-=-OOC Comments-=-
Panel 1: I love how Zekke turned out -- he's so cute! heart The mini-Maru, though, I don't like. e.e
Panel 2: I zoomed out too far... What happens? Well, Zekke taps into his powers and pulls Maru onto the 'Plain by first grabbing ahold of her scarf back in the "physical" world and pulling. Thus, panel 3's YOINK! is the sound effect for this. xd ;
Panel 4: The zoomlines are from an image pack I found online -- I'm too lazy to make my own. xd ; I thinned them out a bit to make Zekke's smug expression more visible.
Overall, I darkened the lines in adobe... And it just occured to me that I should do the word bubbles in adobe too. x_x Oh well -- page three is underway!
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 11:56 pm
Comicish! Special Mission Update Pt. 3! 
Panel 1
Maru: Zeeeekke.
Zekke: n_n ~?
Panel 2
Maru (in fox-form): I'm going to get you! *pounces*
Zekke: *reads up and back, surprised*
Panel 3
Marushii: *landed on Zekke's back and "attacks" by gnawing on his mane"
Zekke: Hey!
Panel 4
Unknown - Telepathic: Hello?
Panel 5
Horse Anthro: I... Is someone there? *coming out of the trees*
-=-OOC Comments!-=-
There really isn't much to say -- it speaks for itself. However, Zekke in panel 3 is UBERLY CUTE! I'm reminded of Inu Yasha when I look at it... o_O I've also dropped curling the horn at this point because I'm bad at it. xd ;
Oh! For panel 4, that's what's usually done in manga to show that there's a telepathic message... I think. I should double check with my reference book. o.O;
SPOILER! Highlight to read. Who's that coming out of the trees in panel 5? Zikuru, of course!
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2005 10:26 pm
Comicish! Special Mission Update Pt. 3! 
Panel 1
Zekke: Zi... Zikuru?
Panel 2
Horse Anthro: . . .
Panel 3
Zikuru (formally Horse Anthro): *beckons* That is a name I have not heard in a long, long time. Please come with me - there is much to talk about.
-=-OOC Comments!-=-
...Zikuru's words in panel 3 remind me of Star Wars: Episode Four (A New Hope)... Zikuru sounds like Obi Won Kenobi! gonk Oh well~
And I just realized that he's missing his wings! eek !!! PRETEND THEY'RE THERE! REALLY!
Origionally, panel 3 was supposed to be a dramatic 3/4ths upwards-angled picture... then I realized how horrible my attempt was and changed it to that. >>; At least you get a good view of Zikuru's back~
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 1:30 pm
((*despairs* I'm nearly out of pages in my sketchbook... And I've stumbled across an artist's block. What's this mean? It's story time, of course! ^_^))
Zikuru lead them through the forest, along what seemed to be a hidden pathway. At last they stopped in a secluded area, well-lit and comfortable. And yet, there was an... edge to it, for lack of a better word. "Tell me..." Zikuru asked once he had sat down on a rock, tilting his head in the pair's direction. "Why have you come?"
Marushii opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again and looked at the changeling before her sadly. No matter how warm and soft his voice was, there was something... To it that made her want to either share in his misery, or despair.
::I have in my possession a hair piece -- it's silver, and it links me to what is known as an Avaling. An "avaling" is... ah... well, they live on Mystic Island with us Changelings. They come from a tree, and the one I'm linked to is the keeper of the trees -- I can feel his emotions. It's... well, unsettling to say the least. Do you think you can unlink it, or dampen it?:: Zekke interjected, using telekinesis to fetch the said item from Marushii's pocket and send it to Zikuru, before nuzzling his bondmate's leg for comfort and reassurance.
Zikuru raised his hand and caught it, his fox-like ears perking forward. "This is... Most unusual." Zikuru said softly, running his fingers over the smooth object. "What you ask can be done." Faster than the eye could follow, he flipped his hand over and closed it around the hairpiece, concentrating. Zekke blinked in amazement as the air seemed to swirl around it before Zikuru turned his hand upward and tossed it to the teal unicorn.
Before Zekke could ready himself to catch it mentally, Marushii leaned forward and plucked it out of the air, eyeing it curiously. "That's it?" She asked. Was that... disappointment in her voice?
Zikuru chuckled. "I've lost the need to make things flashy -- as long as the things get done, they don't need to have a showy way of doing it."
Zekke nodded in understanding, stilling as Marushii began to place it back into his mane. ::That makes sense. But sometimes, there's the time when show dema -- WHOA! What the -?!::
"Zekke! What's wrong?"
"Don't worry. I found deep magic in that -- I was unable to get rid of it, but I have been able to change the nature of it. Should you so wish to seek out this "Avaling", you just need to think of him, and you will be able to know where he is. As for the emotion..." Zikuru smiled, holding himself higher and practically glowing with triumph. "Here, Zekke -- look here." The furre psychic raised his hand, relaxing.
::Your hand! It's drawing purple energy to it! And when I look at it, I feel... calm. Centered. Focused. Balanced.:: Zekke replied, relaxing with every breath.
"And this?" This time, Zikuru hefted his staff. It was tapped onto the ground three times -- the third tap caused a light to grow bright inside of it.
::Green. Kinda... leafy? I feel a bit drowsy, yet peaceful too.:: Zekke replied, watching the staff curiously.
"I get it! Zekke can see and sense elements!" Marushii exclaimed from atop of Zekke's back. "You changed the emotion-spell-thing slightly, so that he could use it to his advantage... Right?"
Zikuru nodded, and lifted the staff from the ground. "Yes. However, he might be more hungry then usual once he returns to the physical world." His fingers absently traced the wood on his staff, his expression taking on one of thoughtfullness. "You know, this staff once belonged to my protector... Even though he was a master of fire, he loved this." A flicker of pain crossed his face, dulling and weakening him.
"...Why don't you tell us?" Marushii asked softly, slipping from Zekke's back and coming to Zikuru, laying a comforting hand on his well-muscled arm. "If you don't want to tell us, that's all right. But I've learned from experience that it's easier to handle things once you've fully addressed the problem."
::She means that she wants to know what's bothering you and won't leave you alone until you tell her.:: Zekke translated, earning another pounce from fox-Maru, followed by a mane-chewing.
A soft, pressed chuckle came from Zikuru as he gripped his staff tightly. "Listen, then... Learn of the story of Zikuru the Foolish; He-who-is-Shadow-that-walks-with-Light."
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 1:31 pm
Zikuru "I was a normal Changeling like the others -- if you can call changing to match the environment around you normal, that is. The island there was wild; practically untamed. I don't know how he got there, but he found his way there. We didn't know what to make of him -- he stood on two legs, and had several fox-tails... Nine, to be exact. My herd voted to leave him alone, and vanished like smoke when he neared. As far as myself can go, I felt... drawn to him. I found out that he called himself "Komurasaki Idzuna" -- the Purple Fox-demon. The funny thing was, he wasn't purple at all -- his fox-parts were golden, just like my fur. He didn't mean any harm -- he was running from something... Others of his kind, only tailless. He moved things without touching them. He was psychic, or at least the host the fox-demon picked was, and a powerful one to boot. I just... wanted to know, to learn. Here he took me under his wing, and taught me about the powers of the mind. From staying with him, I was given the name "Zikuru." as well as a snow-white pelt and a fiery red mane. I... I had a horn of pure, unblemished ivory. Then... he came." Here Zikuru's voice broke, and he fell silent for a minute. Then he began his story again."His voice sounded.. right. By that time, more of Sensai's kind, yet not of his kind, had come... My kind and herd had scattered, becoming a herd for important times. Others as curious as I went to the new people... But he came to me, and told me of a time when none of their kind ever set foot on the Island. He spoke soothingly; passionately. I wanted to return the Island to its former glory..." He trailed off, gripping his staff tigher. His voice became more of a foal's, only torn and wrecked with the past."So I killed him! I killed my Protector, my teacher! It was MY horn that was driven throug his heart! I was prideful in my skill that no one else had! He told me that Sensai was holding back, and that by killing him I would get his power! But he lied! He lied! And he knew it!" Sobs overtook him at this point, tears pouring freely down his face. When he recovered, his voice was a whisper."I can't forget the look on his face. "Zikuru... What have you done?" Were his last words before he came, a victorious smirk on his face. I... I realized what I did with his last words. I gathered all my energy and shoved him away, not caring where he went. I remember my Protector telling me about his true kind, the Fox-Demons; the Kitsune. I concentrated and drew what little remained of his soul into me quickly. After that... I ran. I ran as far away as I could, my horn quickly crumbling into dust. I was blinded by my greed, and was similarily blinded -- I knew not where I ran, or when my wings came to me. I was always on the move, seeking a haven from... him. Shh -- do not speak his name! He is more cunning than many expect... To speak his name is to tell him where I am, and I fear that he would try to convince me to join him again. For that reason alone I have stayed here, accepting the changes that my Protector's soul has given my body. Here I shall watch and wait; perhaps when he has been taken care of, I will roam the living lands once again. Until then, this is my Haven. I have been watching you since you have arrived. By your skills as a Psychic and of your noble heart I have let you come to me. Those of lesser abilities and heart will have a harder time. I wish you well on your travels."
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