Children of Gaia ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Tswana Rock, Botswana, Africa “Put your backs into it men! We only have half an hour before the night patrol reaches here! I want our mission completed before then!” The beauty of African jungles was really beyond compare. Herds of elegant herbivores bounded into the background, amid the thick trees and bushes, to graze on their beloved fauna for a late night meal. Birds flew from above, crying into the night, flapping toward a heartless moon that gave light only to those considered nocturnal. But once the harsh sound of drilling entered that realm, the gentle animals ran from fear, darting back into the tall grasses from which they had emerged. Huge, towering drill machines stomped through the beautiful night scenery, adorned with burly armed soldiers, all eastern and Caucasian in descent. Once the drill machines passed through the thicket of the jungle, they broke into a clearing, a clearing of sheared grass (obviously a man-made venture, though not necessarily by these people). The clearing had only a few spectacles within it, that being the mighty Tswana Rock, and soldiers mining there way beneath it. Tswana Rock was a symbol of pride for all those so spoke the language of Tswana. Erected in 234BC, it was assumed by the Tswana-speaking people that their ancestors had built and sculpted the enormous rock with the aid of their respective tribal gods. It is also said that people from surrounding villages paid homage to Tswana Rock everyday, in the hopes of appeasing the gods and earning their favour for harvests and the future to come. But in the wake of modernization and the rise of machinery, the people indigenous to this land had abandoned these sacred beliefs to mingle with the rapidly changing world. The year was 1994. Many changes were taking place in the society of the world. It was only natural for Botswana and its people to follow along. In the midst of all this change, Tswana Rock had been abandoned. No longer a hub for worship to supposed gods, it was now just a ground for brave tourists to visit and marvel at. But, had the Tswana-speaking people known the true purpose of Tswana Rock, they might have defended it to the bitter end. The soldiers were swathed in green and brown combat attire, with a symbol on the backs of their uniforms. To most people, they knew not of its meaning, but that symbol represented a company most dangerous in the world today. A corporation called the KAIGA Group Those soldiers scrambled from the drilling machines and surrounded a hole that had been created in front of Tswana Rock previously. The hole was actually a mineshaft, 2x2 meters wide, and trailing down for a great distance. So great that it was impossible to see the bottom of the shaft. After the six soldiers surrounding the mineshaft opening readied themselves, they looked over to the mission leader, who was differentiated only by the medals on his lapel “Now men!” He yelled. “Down there is what we’ve been searching for! Mr. Schwarzluft is relying on us to bring it to him. The previous squad has created the shaft for us All we have to do is go down there and get it. Right?” The soldiers all nodded. One by one, they jumped into the mineshaft and picked their way downwards via the ladder attached to the muddy wall. They climbed down further and further, losing contact with the little light supplied by the moon. The journey to the innards of Tswana Rock took many minutes, but eventually the squadron reached the bottom. A moment emphasized by the sound of a boot scraping solid stone. The soldiers all came down from the ladder and turned on their flashlights. It was amazing down there. Beams of light flashed and revealed stone walls along with stone floors, scripted with symbols and pictures far different from those etched onto the surface of the upper Tswana Rock. These weren’t even African in origin It was obvious to these soldiers that these symbols had their roots from Japan, which was plain to them because those soldiers themselves were Japanese. But even though they knew of this, they still had no idea what those symbols meant. The six soldiers marched forward into the small opening into the Tswana Rock, crawling through it until they reached an area that was more than large enough to contain their presence in full. They all poured out of that tunnel into a huge chamber, which they suspected to be directly beneath the Tswana Rock. But that was not their concern. Their concern was the item in the centre of that huge room. Topped on a pyre of stone, was a rock. But it was no ordinary rock. It was immaculately shaped into the form of an egg, smooth and polished, beaming with a pure white glow. One of the six soldiers of the squadron stepped forward and smiled deviously. The efforts of his team had been met. “We’ve done it We’ve found the Stone Egg.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Asagawa Training Facility, Tokyo, Japan “Whoo. That was a workout.” With a sigh, Yoko flopped to her knees, spread out her hands and relaxed. She had been working out so much of her tension on that training dummy. You could see how battered it was by the punch marks and dents that had been chipped and hammered into the material She hadn’t been this sore and maxed-out since her training battle with her brother, Ryo, last year. Still, it made her wonder, just how was he doing out there? Yoko leaned backwards till her back hit the cold stone of the Asagawa Family’s training grounds. The stone clearing of this part was huge. A good twenty meters wide by fifty meters long. Perfect for training large amounts of people. Of course, only Yoko was practicing today. For now, she was the only fighter taking an active role in the Asagawa Training grounds. And being that she was of Asagawa blood herself, daughter of fighting legend Tsukasa Asagawa, she had quite the role to fulfil here. Yoko wiped the sweat from her face and forehead, gently scraping against the raven black of her bangs. Her dark hair itself was matted with sweat. Hard work was proving to be more of a stress on her, but it served her well. Seeing Yoko on the fighting level would prove that. As Yoko lay on the stone ground, spread eagled, her marble black eyes looked up at the sky, and old man walked in from one of the surrounding buildings. He slid the door open, and presented himself. Like Yoko, he was dressed in a white fighting Gi, contrasted only by a black belt at the waist. But unlike Yoko, he was aged and slow. The leathery face of the old teacher scooted over to look at a dozy Yoko. “Slacking off again, Yoko?” The aged man spoke in his shrivelled voice, “You and your brother are just alike Rest is the only thing you’ll take on board.” Yoko smiled, leaning upward. “Grandfather. Sorry. I’m just a little bit pooped. I haven’t worked so hard in ages Ryo hardly ever does any work. That’s the difference between me and him. I just put in that little bit extra.” The adoptive grandfather of Yoko, Nobuo Ishizuka, smiled to himself as he looked upon his granddaughter She really was more of an effort-maker than Ryo was. But that was the kind of person that Yoko was. Even at the tender age of 17, she was determined, intelligent, kind, bright and dedicated. It pleased Nobuo to know that he had been taking good care of her for the past few years. Tsukasa Asagawa, Yoko’s biological father, would demand nothing less. It was Tsukasa’s dying wish that both Yoko and Ryo be taught in the ways of the Asagawa-style, three years ago. Tsukasa had died in the multi-cultural town of Sunset City, and had been raising Ryo and Yoko as best he could (without their mother, who had disappeared shortly after Yoko’s birth). When he died, he left both Yoko and Ryo in Nobuo’s care. Nobuo had trained them both in the Asagawa-style (which he and Tsukasa had both learned that style from Sousuke Asagawa, Yoko’s biological grandfather). But while Ryo left to go see more of the world, Yoko stayed behind to learn more of the Asagawa style. And she had been coming along nicely. Nobuo was very pleased with Yoko’s progress. He believed that she was even becoming stronger than he was. Nobuo continued hobbling over to Yoko, then withdrew two letters from his Gi. Both of them he presented to Yoko. “Here.” Yoko stood upright. “Letters?” “Yes. Both for you. Which is strange, because you don’t get much mail here, do you?” Yoko shook her head, staring at the letters. “No. I don’t. I wonder who is mailing me?” Well, she wasn’t going to waste more of her time wondering. Yoko ripped open the envelope of one of the letters, then pulled out the letter from the inside Her dark marble eyes stalked over the letter, back and forth, until she realized who had mailed this to her. “It’s from Ryo!” Yoko said eagerly, just before she read it aloud. “Hey, Yoko and Grandpa Nobuo Sorry I haven’t gotten in touch recently, I’ve been busy with a whole bunch of stuff, mostly chicks, but then you guys wouldn’t really approve of that, would ya?” Nobuo coughed into his fist before Yoko continued reading. “I’m just mailing you guys to tell you that I’m heading back to Sunset City. It’s been three years, and I know pops died there, but I feel that it’s time. I’m going to meet up with some of my old friends and see what’s happening there. Once I get the low down, I’ll tell you how it went. Later!” Yoko slowly put the letter back in the torn envelope. “So he’s going back to Sunset City. It seems so long ago that father was killed. Do you think he is going there for revenge?” Nobuo shook his head. “I don’t think so. Ryo really isn’t the type. Besides, we don’t know who killed you father. He is probably true to his word and just wants to see his friends. You remember how close he was with that bunch.” “…Yeah.” Yoko did remember that. Ryo had a close bunch of friends. That American guy, Kayde, his English bar-owner friend, Jahn, and that Chinese girl who he so obviously loved, Yun-Yun. At times, Yoko felt jealous of the time that Ryo spent with them. Even now, she resented the fact that she saw so little of her brother. “What about the other letter?” Nobuo asked. Yoko snapped out of her thoughts and remembered that she had a second letter. The young girl tucked Ryo’s letter under her arm and then opened the other letter. She pulled out the loose leaf of paper inside, and began reading, only this time she did not read aloud. Nobuo watched Yoko’s eyes monitor the letter and grew curious at the surprised look that Yoko suddenly beamed “What does it say?” Yoko looked at Nobuo. “It’s an invitation to a martial arts competition. The God of Fighting Grand Championships…” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Xiangdong Gravesite, Beijing, China “Mother, Father. I know it has been a long time since I visited you. I am sorry for that. But I have my reasons. And I know the truth. I know about everything you tried to keep from me. I know about the Eight Children of Gaia.” Li Ming lowered her head, her knees tucked underneath her body and her beautiful amethyst eyes locked shut. She sat kneeling before two graves. One for both of her parents, buried next to each other. The young girl felt a tear slip down her face, but did not think much of it. She had come to terms with the death of her mother and father. But what she had not come to terms with were the circumstances behind her parent’s deaths. It had all just recently come to her. Even now, in the middle of the cold morning, surrounded by the hundreds of tombstones belonging to other deceased, Li Ming could only focus on the tragedy of her past. About that day, twelve years ago. Li Ming was only six when it happened, but she could remember it all. The fog-like smoke that made her eyes water. The screams of her parents, and the singeing heat of the swallowing fire. It was miracle that she had survived It was even more of a miracle she that had escaped it all without a scratch on her. That was a mystery if ever there was one. Li Ming continued on. “I also know that I am one of them. And if I had not have pressed Uncle about it, I might never have known. Why didn’t you tell me? Why can you not tell me now? Why is there so much of my past that I do not understand?” The Chinese girl opened her eyes and looked up into the sky. Even in this bright morning, the sun smiling and the clouds bright, the mood of this graveyard brought that happiness to a halt. And made Li Ming’s demeanour follow that exact same path. “Tell me!” She screamed, so loud that the caretakers of the graveyard could hear her. “Why did you keep these secrets from me?! Why did you die like that? Before I had a chance to learn? Why… can’t you be here now… when I need you the most…?” The girl lowered her head again, looking away from the sky. In truth, she knew why her parents were dead. And she knew by whose hand this deed had been committed. She was wearing a standard red and black Chinese dress, split at the waist, but beneath it, was a letter. The letter was strapped to her leg via a leg-band, but she knew full well what the contents of that envelope were. It seemed like nothing, but in actuality, it held a great significance to Li Ming. It was her ultimate chance to discover her past. “The KAIGA Group.” Li Ming mouthed. “It was them who did this. They were the ones who took you from me. I swear, I’ll make them pay for this. I know that I am one of the Children of Gaia. And I do not pretend to know what that means; but I do know that it is something that can help me against the KAIGA Group. Please, Mother and Father. Give me the strength to fight them. Give me the strength to find out my past… and who I am…” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Dead-End Nightclub, Nagoya, Japan The Dead-End Nightclub. A place that stayed true to its name. Because only the dregs of society clamoured to this place. Though the partygoers seemed happy enough, their drunkard dancing and ill-fated actions presenting this, the illusion was not hidden. This was the place that people came to drown their sorrows. Maybe because they had lost their jobs, or because they had been beaten up recently or were even being threatened by an overzealous crime lord, it didn’t matter. This was the place the underworld of Nagoya clung to for support. You needed cheap booze, you came to Dead-End. You needed hush-hush narcotics, you came to Dead-End. The owner, a rather gormless and petty money launderer called Mukasa, was more than happy to cater to the needs of the needy. For a price. Once you gave all you had, it was then that the more violent side of this place was shown. For example, if a man had scammed some Class-A drugs from a dealer in Dead-End, and he couldn’t pay for them, the hired muscle would make an appearance. And this need was not an exaggeration. For long years, Dead-End had been seen as a hub of drug use. There were those who tried to scam the system so delicately crafted by Dead-End’s owner, and there were also those who were hired to correct those foolish errors in judgement. With their fists, the majority of the time. A dishevelled and malnourished man clumsily ran down a back street, just off the side of the Dead-End nightclub. He ran for his life, as hard as he could, but reached nowhere It was a dead end. How fitting. The frightened man turned around, his shoes splashing in the puddles of rain that had been coming down in the nightly downpour. Far to the end of the alley was a tall, strapping young man, seemingly unique from such a blasted place. His stride was excellent, boasting strong yet lithe muscles and a cunning cultivated by years of smashing in faces. He was dressed in a semi-formal black suit, his spiky silver glimmering in the moonlight. Along with the stern gold of his eyes. His face was neutral. His intention here was obvious, but he was unaffected by them. This was just work. Work. The young boy, who would have been no more than 21 years of age, stepped up to the snivelling man, his icy gaze piercing a hole of fear into the older guy. Today’s youth were far more than intimidating. “So,” The silver-haired boy began, “Have you got the money?” The man trembled “L-Look, can’t you just tell Mukasa that I’ll p-pay him a-another day? I-I swear I’ll have a-all the c-cash by tomorrow!” “That wasn’t what I asked you. So I’ll say it again.” The boy lunged forward, his hand latching onto the shaking man’s collar. “Do you have the money?” The man slowly shook his head as a no. They both knew what that would mean. The drug user cramped his eyes shut as the boy drew back his fist. And what a feeling of pain when the first punch was delivered. The older man, cried out, as his jaw was snapped with one clear striking left hook. The silver-haired boy did not relent at that call of agony, nor did he relish it, rather, he continued on, lacking the emotion that so many others would have had. He smashed his fist into the face and stomach of the druggie, until his facial features became hard to determine. In minutes of repeated punching, his face became nothing more than a crimson mass, blood oozing, bruises adorning, bones shattering, and teeth being beaten loose. One final punch and the drug user was unconscious, falling like a lump into one of the many puddles dotted along the dark alley. Blood ran down from his face like water. But still, the silver-haired boy remained calm, cool, and collected, as if inflicting such a brutality did not effect him. It didn’t matter to him. Not anymore. This was just business. And business, as they say, is business. He idly kicked the beaten man over, to inspect the damage From years of doing this exact same thing, the boy had come to recognize the kind of damage he could do. By the looks of things, there wasn’t much to worry about. Quite a bit of blood, ten or so bruises, a busted lip and most definitely a broken nose, but that was all. His boss, Mukasa, would be pleased that this all went so well. Just as the silver-haired boy turned to leave, he noticed something on his right. A man. A very curious man. He wasn’t much to look at, his hair was tousled, his clothes dirty and his disposition lazy, but all the same, somehow interesting. The boy tried to shake off this feeling and kept walking, until that man spoke to him. “What a waste of your powers. Beating the stuffing out of a poor man who has been dragged into a web of corruption. Such a waste.” The boy halted “It’s nothing personal. Just work. I don’t take pleasure in it.” “I see,” The haggard-looking man replied, “What is your name, boy?” “I have no name.” He replied. “But people have come to regard me as Xiangau.” The worn-out spectator grinned. “Xiangau, huh? What would your parents say if they knew what you got up to at night?” Xiangau closed his eyes. “I have no parents.” “Everyone has parents. Deceased or not. I think you see that misguidance as an excuse to waste your time in filthy dives like Dead-End. Using this miserable place as a distraction from your destiny.” Xiangau turned back, to look at the man. “What do you know of me? Nothing. I have no destiny. This is my life. My power has only one purpose now. If that means my hands are stained with blood, then so be it. I care not for fools who would sell their souls to drug use. Nor do I care for people who interfere in my affairs” That smile of the sneak stranger developed. “Ah! I see there is some passion in that icy shell of yours. Very good. It is fitting that you show some of it. Because, I know that soon enough, you will regard your strength as something more than a means to an end.” “What are you trying to say?” Xiangau asked. The fatigued man stood up from the trash can he was sitting on, walked to Xiangau slowly, then handed him something. A piece of paper. “You belong to a great heritage.” The man spoke to Xiangau. “You might not understand that now, or even what that means, but you will, eventually. You must come to learn about yourself. And you can start by participating in that.” Xiangau looked down to the piece of paper. “What is this?” “An invitation to a tournament, sponsored by the KAIGA Group. Your powers must no longer be wasted in this place. You can enter that tournament for pride, ambition, money, or whatever it is that you wish. Just make sure that you enter it. You might be surprised with what you find, Xiangau.” Xiangau looked up from the note, then to the man. There was something in his eye that made him distrustful of this. Something about this man’s words seemed too… convenient. But whatever that feeling was, he pushed it aside, and followed nothing more than his own instincts. Xiangau stuffed the note into the pockets of his suit, then walked away from the man whom had presented him with it. Though it seemed like no conclusion had been found, they both knew that Xiangau was going to enter that tournament. But for what reason? That, it seemed, remained to be seen. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Kawaguchi Building, Shinjuku-Tokyo, Japan “Everything is going smoothly, Mr. Schwarzluft. All 32 tournament invitations have been sent out, through mail, e-mail and personal couriers. The costs for the multiple flight arrangements is at an estimated total of 21,000 US dollars. But due to the extra reserves of this years budget, this little issue is… less of an issue.” Reinhalt Schwarzluft. Quite a man. Tall, proud, and devious, he stood before the window facing the massive Shinjuku streets. Buzzing with consumers and cars, zooming to individual destinations. And though the Japanese branch of the KAIGA Group had much to offer, he hated it here with a passion. “I cannot wait to be back in Germany.” He said, pulling some of his long blonde hair away from his eyes. “This puny island is annoying me.” The receptionist who had been speaking details to Reinhalt, continued. “We can also up the revenue of this year’s tournament by allowing it to go public, but with the plan you have made…” Reinhalt looked back. “None of the public must ever see what will take place at Kakuri Isle. I thought I made that clear to you, and the rest of the Japanese branch. We need absolute security and seclusion for this. I expect nothing less than that.” “Forgive me. It was simply a suggestion, sir.” She replied. “I have no need for your suggestions.” Reinhalt argued “Continue with your report.” The receptionist looked back down to her clipboard. “The search force that had been sent to retrieve the Stone Egg, had completed their mission by midnight of yesterday. The item is ready to be transported to Kakuri Isle and to be inspected by the science department there.” Reinhalt smiled, turning back to the window. “Excellent. Continue.” “It is about all I have to report. However, the tournament will begin in four days, and I have been told that some of the doctors on Kakuri Isle will like to speak with you about the outline for use of the Stone Egg. They believe that in the schedule that they have, they will not be able to complete a full analysis for it in time for the tournament.” “Blasted white-coats!” Reinhalt yelled angrily. “Always procrastinating in the most critical of times with their ‘caution’. We cannot delay the tournament any longer than we have. The tournament invitations have already been sent out. Just have the Stone Egg shipped over to Kakuri Isle as quickly as possible. Whether they complete the tests or not, it will not change my plans. The project will go as planned, without any more setbacks. Is that clear?” The receptionist nodded, a little fear in her voice. “Y-Yes sir.” “Good,” He replied, this time more calmly. “Now be gone. I need a moment to think.” After nodding in acceptance of that, the receptionist girl quickly left the room to take care of her business. Reinhalt on the other hand, he slowly walked over to his desk and took a seat on his cushioned chair. The realization of his plans was coming together, but ever so gradually. It had taken nearly fourteen years to find the Stone Egg, but at last it had happened. Once the tournament took place in four days time, everything he had worked for would be legitimised. All it was now, was a matter of waiting. Waiting for the designated time. Reinhalt leaned back on the hair, shook his wavy blonde hair, and closed his eyes. For a man of 41-years of age, he was very active. Though it might not have seemed like it. But all he had left to do was wait. Then everything he had struggled for would be at his hand.
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