Dream - Action
Shin, fully armored, walked through the City. It was clearly recognizable as the City, but there were some changes. Although there was no sign of fighting no damage to be found, every building was empty. There was no sign of human life anywhere to be found. Beyond that, a dark mist hung low around the buildings, shrouding everything. It made it impossible to see more than a few steps into the darkness.
But Shin could see. A shape stepped forward, solidifying from within the swirling mist and Shin clenched his trident tightly.
It was one of Arago's bucket-heads, his warrior drones! With a cry, Shin flung himself forward, readying a deadly strike. But even as he lept, his target shimmered and changed, shifting to become much more familiar.
"You're a disappointment," the form said, stepping forward. He wore armor like Shin's, but the plating was green. While Shin's seemed to glow from within, this armor was dark and muted, like the fog surrounding the City. "You've failed us all," Seiji said. "You're not worthy of being an armor bearer."
"I know that," Shin whispered, looking at him. Before he could say anymore, though, another voice interrupted from behind.
"Hey Shin, quit fooling around. We haven't got all day, you know!" Of course. One was never far from the other. He turned to Touma, his eyes shying from the way Tenku's armor had darkened and dulled. "We were depending on you, buddy," Touma chided, his eyes the same blue as his armor. "Why'd ya do it?"
"Leave me be!" Shin cried. He pushed past the two, but Seiji moved to intercept him. His trident struck his friend's sword with the sound of ceramic breaking. For a moment, pressed face to face, Shin saw the light return. Seiji's single eye flickered with confusion, then cleared, and he moved as if to take a step back.
In a moment, it was gone. The shadow claimed him again. Shin broke from the fight with a cry, and turned to run.
When he hit a dead-ended alley, he collapsed.His fingers scrabbled at his chest, trying to rend Suiko, his armor, from him. But he was bound into the suit. His fingers curled around the weapon and, try as he might, he couldn't let go.
It was Ryo who emerged from the mists next, Rekka's red plates dulled to mahogany. "We need you, Shin," he said. His eyes were kind, but his voice was firm. Always the leader, Ryo. His voice tugged at something inside Shin, something that told him to obey.
"No! I won't do it! I don't want to fight!"
Ryo gave him a sad smile. "None of us want to fight," he said. "But we do. We have to. We have a destiny, Shin. We save lives. But not you, not if you won't fight. You end them."
Shin stood unsteadily and took a step toward Ryo. "I'm not. I don't, I just don't want to -- to do this anymore."
Ryo began to fade, swirling with the mist as the wind blew through. "Your fault, Shin. Arago's killed them all, and it's your fault."
A sob rose in Shin's throat, and he took another step forward, but it was too late. Ryo was gone.
Three down, one to go. He turned to the cul de sac, knowing that it had been empty a moment before. Shuu didn't disappoint.
"Shin?" Kongo was still orange, still glowing with goodness and inner light. Shin took a step toward his friend, then broke into a run, covering the last few steps in seconds. He collapsed beside Shuu, his body seeking the armor for gaps, holes where he might have been wounded. But Shuu, his breathing labored, jerked away.
"Don't touch me," he said, his voice cold in a way Shin had never heard before.
"I just didn't want to fight," he whispered, almost begging now. He needed Shuu to understand. He needed Shuu to forgive him. "Why is it us? Why do we always have to fight? I just wanted to be normal, for a little."
Shuu's face was always open and friendly but now it was as hard as the mountains he drew his power from. The light within his armor flickered then gave out. "Looks like you got your wish," Shuu said.
[OOC: Feel free to jump in. Visitors can interact and alter the dream however they'd like.
Shin's dream draws heavily on YST canon. Basically, to understand it you need to know that he and his four friends are the Samurai Troopers. They all have access to mystical armor which has been passed down through the generations. Shin bears Suiko (water), Seiji - Korin (light), Touma - Tenkou (air, or space), Ryo - Rekka (wildfire) and Shuu - Kongo (Hardrock).
The basis for Shin's dream is actually two scenarios from his canon - the first is when Arago, the demon warlord, attacked Tokyo and kidnapped everyone in it. The second is from a later battle with Mukara, bearer of the Black Inferno Armor, which slowly poisoned the Samurai Troopers' armors. Shin saw the evil influences taking over the armors, turning them dark, and basically freaked the fuck out for the longest time ever.]
But Shin could see. A shape stepped forward, solidifying from within the swirling mist and Shin clenched his trident tightly.
It was one of Arago's bucket-heads, his warrior drones! With a cry, Shin flung himself forward, readying a deadly strike. But even as he lept, his target shimmered and changed, shifting to become much more familiar.
"You're a disappointment," the form said, stepping forward. He wore armor like Shin's, but the plating was green. While Shin's seemed to glow from within, this armor was dark and muted, like the fog surrounding the City. "You've failed us all," Seiji said. "You're not worthy of being an armor bearer."
"I know that," Shin whispered, looking at him. Before he could say anymore, though, another voice interrupted from behind.
"Hey Shin, quit fooling around. We haven't got all day, you know!" Of course. One was never far from the other. He turned to Touma, his eyes shying from the way Tenku's armor had darkened and dulled. "We were depending on you, buddy," Touma chided, his eyes the same blue as his armor. "Why'd ya do it?"
"Leave me be!" Shin cried. He pushed past the two, but Seiji moved to intercept him. His trident struck his friend's sword with the sound of ceramic breaking. For a moment, pressed face to face, Shin saw the light return. Seiji's single eye flickered with confusion, then cleared, and he moved as if to take a step back.
In a moment, it was gone. The shadow claimed him again. Shin broke from the fight with a cry, and turned to run.
When he hit a dead-ended alley, he collapsed.His fingers scrabbled at his chest, trying to rend Suiko, his armor, from him. But he was bound into the suit. His fingers curled around the weapon and, try as he might, he couldn't let go.
It was Ryo who emerged from the mists next, Rekka's red plates dulled to mahogany. "We need you, Shin," he said. His eyes were kind, but his voice was firm. Always the leader, Ryo. His voice tugged at something inside Shin, something that told him to obey.
"No! I won't do it! I don't want to fight!"
Ryo gave him a sad smile. "None of us want to fight," he said. "But we do. We have to. We have a destiny, Shin. We save lives. But not you, not if you won't fight. You end them."
Shin stood unsteadily and took a step toward Ryo. "I'm not. I don't, I just don't want to -- to do this anymore."
Ryo began to fade, swirling with the mist as the wind blew through. "Your fault, Shin. Arago's killed them all, and it's your fault."
A sob rose in Shin's throat, and he took another step forward, but it was too late. Ryo was gone.
Three down, one to go. He turned to the cul de sac, knowing that it had been empty a moment before. Shuu didn't disappoint.
"Shin?" Kongo was still orange, still glowing with goodness and inner light. Shin took a step toward his friend, then broke into a run, covering the last few steps in seconds. He collapsed beside Shuu, his body seeking the armor for gaps, holes where he might have been wounded. But Shuu, his breathing labored, jerked away.
"Don't touch me," he said, his voice cold in a way Shin had never heard before.
"I just didn't want to fight," he whispered, almost begging now. He needed Shuu to understand. He needed Shuu to forgive him. "Why is it us? Why do we always have to fight? I just wanted to be normal, for a little."
Shuu's face was always open and friendly but now it was as hard as the mountains he drew his power from. The light within his armor flickered then gave out. "Looks like you got your wish," Shuu said.
[OOC: Feel free to jump in. Visitors can interact and alter the dream however they'd like.
Shin's dream draws heavily on YST canon. Basically, to understand it you need to know that he and his four friends are the Samurai Troopers. They all have access to mystical armor which has been passed down through the generations. Shin bears Suiko (water), Seiji - Korin (light), Touma - Tenkou (air, or space), Ryo - Rekka (wildfire) and Shuu - Kongo (Hardrock).
The basis for Shin's dream is actually two scenarios from his canon - the first is when Arago, the demon warlord, attacked Tokyo and kidnapped everyone in it. The second is from a later battle with Mukara, bearer of the Black Inferno Armor, which slowly poisoned the Samurai Troopers' armors. Shin saw the evil influences taking over the armors, turning them dark, and basically freaked the fuck out for the longest time ever.]