A Campfire Story: The Sword of Sorrow

[bulmabriefs144]

(I wanna do something different. I'm personally only an average writer due to my tendency to wander in what I write, so I'd rather do it this way. You ever played this game in camping trips? Someone starts a story, someone else finishes the next sentence. Only we're doing chapters. So if you comment, I expect a chapter)

(Just a note, this isn't really a specific fanfic of any anime or anything, just a sort of fanfic of the general magical girl story)

Prologue

There is a legend from ancient times, about a sword that cuts, which is often called Muramasa, the Demon Blade. Likewise, there is a similar legend, of Masamune. It is said that the Masamune blade and a Muramasa blade being put into a river strewn with lotus leaves. The leaves swirled around the Masamune blade untouched, but the Muramasa blade would cut them. Legends, however, tend to only be half right... Some say the true legend is that both were the same sword, that it was the wielder who made it a divine or demonic sword. Some speak of a sword they like to call "The Sword of Sorrow." They call it this because it is both bringer of sorrow and death, and because sorrow is usually concerned with pain of those lost, it is a sword of mercy which can heal and recall life. But which is its true form, a sword that does not cut, or a sword which does not cut? And where might be found a truly worthy wielder?

Chapter 1

My name is Anideshi. I'm a normal college student, living at home instead of campus. Okay, maybe I'm not that normal. After all, my parents are always talking about some dream they had about me. I couldn't make much sense of it, but apparently in the dream I had powers to heal and over the elements, I was some kind of druid. Well, that was their term, not mine, we didn't really ever study what a druid is in my school. They mentioned in this dream I was fighting some great battle, and I needed a sword to do it. Somehow, whenever they mentioned a sword, it struck a small chord of familiarity. But I'd never seen the sword they were describing in any museum. They said it was a simple katana with no sheath, and a silver chain attached to the end of the hilt with a broken heart piece of steel looped inside the chain. If I was meant to wield such a sword, I'd probably bang my eye with the chain every time I swung the sword. I dismissed the whole thing as nonsense.

My name is Anideshi. It's Japanese, and I think it means "brother" and "older student." Well, I am a senior in classes, but I'm nobody's brother. I have no siblings. And I'm a girl. Well, I suppose it's somewhat appropriate, I do act like a tomboy. And I don't think I own a single scrap of frilly underwear. But then I get another earful, about how when I was to be born a fortuneteller came and read reincarnation cycles. My last was apparently a male. But they said it had less to do with this, and more to do with some strange destiny that name had. I'm starting to think my parents are insane.

My parents don't exactly look like the normal type, either. My father is fairly down-to-earth personality wise, but he's Japanese. Worse, rather than the conventional short cropped hairstyle the modern Japanese tend towards, he looks like he was from the set of Condor Hero, with long flowing black wires of hair. I get my black eyes from my dad, as my mom's are an intense color of emerald. My mom's hair is light blue, and you'd say she dyed it, but my black hair has very strong bluish tone itself. If my dad could be considered the more normal one, well... my mom isn't. She has a serious green thumb, and tends to talk quite a bit to cats. And chickens. And just about anything. And they appear to listen. You'd expect such a name coming from my mom, but it was actually my dad who agreed to give me it.

I take a quick shower, shaving my legs and moisturizing my face. I don't bother with makeup or perfume, I've always been a fan of having natural beauty, even if it doesn't measure up to the other girls in the class. Still, I'm very far from being ugly, even with no makeup at all. I change into our school uniform- a red starchy blouse with a green plaid skirt and long white stockings - and walk out the door. The school started the policy of uniforms not because they were religious, or particularly into student unity, but because it was the most effective way to get the students to wear something. Our area has the best of all worlds, kinda like Seattle or Tokyo. Our city is a few miles from the eastern coast, and I sometimes go to the beach there, but I can just as easily go hiking or camping for there is a national forest to the west, a long-dormant volcano to the south, and a giant waterfall to the north, flowing from a pretty great mountain range. Needless to say, although our town being a coastal town is well connected to the rest of the world, there are many remote areas nearby where people practice nudism. So our college supplied uniforms for the students to make sure everyone, particularly the locals would stay dressed.

I ease into the driver's seat of my car, smoothing my skirt in the process, and flip the ignition. It fails twice before finally turning over, and moves off to a slow start. I'm sure today will be like any other.

[emailbox]

why is this in first person and is a female. not to mention a very very typical "i'm not a slut" female. and is set in japan.


o wait, do i really need to ask?

(and yes fast reply)

too much weeaboo, at least set it in america plox

[bulmabriefs144]

(Because I'm fond of the Dresden files narrative, where the main protagonist introduces themselves (also it's a convention in magical girl stories). I'm going with it. She's not really a "slut" or a "virgin" she's more an outdoor type. Like someone who goes on epic biking marathons over rugged mountains, and protests from Greenpeace.

It is set in America. It's just her family is Japanese (probably to the point of cliche).

Since nobody posted while I was gone I'll make a new chapter. )

[bulmabriefs144]

Chapter 2

Although my house seems straight out of Japan, complete with a shrine and a tree bound with rope in the yard, believe it or not, I actually live in the United States, on the eastern edge of Maryland. The city I live in is called Death Elder, which sounds pretty cheery, but it was named after some historical event years ago when all the Box Elder trees died of a strange blight. It has all the signs of a typical city, the center is dead because people wanted to move away from the midst of the crime and slums, so urban sprawl, followed by suburban sprawl covers the area. Every now and then as I drive through, I see smaller houses like our family's, but many of the residents are cramped in high-rises.

I come to my school in the northern edge of the city, right about where the suburbs fade out into complete forests and mountains. My car has pretty much reach the end of the road anyway, unless I wanna go hiking today, so I turn off.

My friends Azrael, Megami, and Christina greet me as I head in the door. From left to right, they are a tan-skinned girl with hair darker than mine, a red-haired beauty, and a blond haired girl who reminds me of a typical cheerleader. Like I said, I'm just a normal college schoolgirl. It's just of the rest of the world that's abnormal, I'm sure of it. Case in point, my friends.

Although they seem like three typical girls, the first, Azrael has actually studied Eastern and Kabbalistic exorcism. Which might explain her tan, she's from somewhere in the Middle East. I'm surprised they let her in, given the harsh climate towards anyone around that area right around now. But the fact that she probably can expel ghosts is likely the least odd thing about her. A year ago, she confessed she loved me and tried to ask me out. I just sat there, stunned. I think she's a pretty good friend, so I told her I'm not sure what my feelings are. I know it sounds like a brush off, but I don't really know what to say when another girl asks me out.

The second is as beautiful as any woman could be, but despite a name meaning "goddess," Megami is very much a boy. Not that you can really tell. Our school is an all-girls school, but the only people who know this secret besides the three of us are some of the faculty, who were paid enough to turn a blind eye to the rather obvious breach of the security of the female students. Megami is even allowed a separate changing room to change for sports. The first to find out, Christina, only managed to do so by being a roommate, and even then it was half the year before she figured it out.

Christina is now Megami's girlfriend. After being terrified about rooming with a boy during the first year she discovered it, she gradually warmed to the idea, and signed up the next three years to be roommates. In public, of course they have to act like they're girl friends, rather than girlfriend and boyfriend. They seem to have fun, but it must be stressful keeping up the charade.

As I stand pondering how I was stuck with such weirdoes, Azrael speaks to me. Off in the distance I hear crows, and I think I see the figure of a person in the trees. "What did you say?" I ask her.

(C'mon ppl, it's a group project. Go with a person you like, and start a chapter from their POV)

[Omar Ranger]

Writing mine is hard enough.

[bulmabriefs144]

(True that. I read yours, but it was too far in the middle of something to help out with it. M'kay, I'm changing perspective to Azrael for the next chapter...)


Chapter 3

I could see her looking at me with her deep, expressive eyes. Although she was afraid of a serious relationship, I could tell by the way she looked at me that she genuinely cared about me. At least I thought I could. I wear glasses most of the time, so my vision is terrible.

"As I was saying, it might fun to go on a double date some time with Megami and Tina..." I trailed off, seeing her expression fade from one of interest to sadness. Something about my request deeply troubled her. Was I wrong after all in thinking she was interested in me? Or was it simply the thought of a relationship with another woman that troubled her? After one year, I was more than a bit worried.

I had no time to worry about this however, as the bell rang right around this time, forcing us off in separate directions. I had just about set out towards my first class, History of Religious History, when I sensed something deeply wrong. Although I am nearsighted, through study of exorcism, I began to develop a sort of "second sight" which is reality wasn't sight at all so much as an uneasy feeling. I saw the visible sign of trouble, crows, the harbingers of death were fleeing the area, but I felt a dark energy. The source was hard to trace, so I muttered a general chant to expel evil spirits and energies, "Rin pyou tou sha kai jin retsu sai zen." The darkness I felt nearby faded into the background, but it obvious came from some source rather than simple stray spirits, as I could tell it was still there. Anideshi asked me, "Did you say something just now?"

Speaking about the supernatural world to people unfamiliar with it has a certain level of taboo to it. Not only were those who heard about the souls and spirits liable to suspect you were touched in the head, but they often met with extreme resistance, calling you a witch or similar. Instead, I said, "I was just mumbling to myself..."

I hoped once classes were over, I had have more of an opportunity to talk about our date. Whatever caused those evil auras could wait.

Chapter 4

Believe it or not, I actually wanted to say yes to Azrael's request. My fear had gotten the better of me in the course of the last year, and it was past time I actually owned up to my feelings. But before I could say anything, the bells herded us to our classes, and I lost sight of her.

My classes for the day were World Religion, Art, Plant Propagation, and Geology. The first two were electives, and I promised my mother I'd major in Horticulture, by the last was something I actually liked. I was minoring in Archaeology, and the same teacher taught Geology. She believed that the rock formations were just as important to a dig as bones and clay shards, so we spent a great deal of time learning the study of rock as it related to the past. Today, apparently, we were learning about the difference between various types of quartz. I liked this class more due to the teacher than the class itself, though I was definitely interested in the field. The teacher's name was Mrs. Lapis Lazuli, and she was a friend of my mother's. She had short brown hair and rather thick glasses, and was roughly medium height. She was beautiful, but I was more into women my own age. Currently, she was gesturing at some lovely samples of rose quartz.

The bell rang, ending the series of classes, and starting our lunch break. I walked outside to a grove of trees where we tended to bring our lunches. Megami and Christina weren't meeting here today, I saw them spending some time doing "girl things" as Tina put it. It looked like Megami was getting his hair permed. As it looked like they might be awhile, I continued toward the place where Azrael was sitting alone. I decided I was going to say I was sorry for being so hesitant, and that I was ready to take her up on her offer. But I only got as far as "Azrael, I'm sorry..."

I looked up and dark shadows were closing in on the grove.