[CHAR] AS I AM (Gren Vs. The Knave)

[Doc Doctor]

The Knave

Name: The Knave
Age: twenty-seven
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 154 pounds
Race: Human

Appearance: The Knave is a thin, roguish man with black hair, a flat, crooked nose, dark blue eyes, and teeth rotten from lack of dental care. He most often dons a crimson cloak over a brown tunic and trousers, a black leather belt inscribed with the phrase "Seven At One Blow" in German, and a pair of boots with brass buckles. He wears a sheathe at his belt, in which resides a very fine sword.

~Equipment & Abilities~



^Vorpal Sword- An indestructible three foot, 1.5 pound enchanted sword. Sharp enough to cut atoms, the slices it makes can scarcely be seen. Optionally, it can concentrate the kinetic force of a swing, disallowing the escape of energy into anything but what the edge cuts. As an example, when you use a fan to cool down, you can feel wind, the kinetic energy of your motion knocking about air molecules. There is no wind from the Vorpal Sword save for what emanates from the cutting edge, thereby greatly increasing the cutting power.



^Seven League Boots- Footwear that allows the wearer to travel seven leagues per step, roughly twenty-four miles every stride. Makes you insanely fast. They imbue the wearer with all of the secondhand abilities required to withstand the incredibly high speeds, increasing their reaction speed and reflexes, permitting them to walk and run through the air or empty space, slow or stop their lineal inertia, survive with little to no oxygen, and endure the friction, force, and heat which accompany massively hypersonic speeds and impacts. He's tough enough to survive crashing into the ground at more than mach 300, and strong enough to move his limbs freely under the wind pressure of his speed.



^Red Riding Hood- An indestructible magical cloak that grants Knave the ability to hover and walk/run through the air, dampen or stop his inertia, and reduce his mass at will.

*Brísingamen- A necklace worn under his clothes, it lets the Knave and his articles pass through any nonliving matter like a ghost. If he deactivates it whilst partway through matter, it dematerializes whatever portion of the matter he's in contact with.

*Andvaranaut- A ring on his left index finger that gives him the ability to turn whatever he grabs with his left hand to solid gold. This only turns to gold however much his hand can encompass, so if he grabs someone by the arm, only the part of their arm he is holding will turn to gold. If he palms their chest, a gold handprint would pierce through their vitals and manifest out their back, and if extracted from the corpse, would appear as a foot long bar of hand-shaped gold. He can palm through multiple objects in contact with each other, and as such could technically put a sliver of gold right through the planet to nail someone's foot on the other side.

*Hóng Xiàn- Otherwise known as the Red Thread of Fate, this ancient Chinese artifact consists of an invisible but physically tangible thread wound around Knave's right ankle. When he's within eyesight of an opponent, the thread extends at the speed of a lightning downstroke towards them, following the target with perfect accuracy until it catches their right ankle, or an appropriate body part for lack thereof. If Knave loses sight of the target, the thread retreats until he sights them again. When the thread catches its target, it will begin rapidly shortening. No matter the length, it will become only three feet long after four seconds of reeling. Knave can release the thread from a target at will. If there are multiple targets, the thread may extend from ankle to ankle at will to form an inevitable chain of opponents each three feet away from the last. It is impossible for an opponent to harm, resist, or remove the thread unless they cut off the limb it's tied to.

*Belt of Seven at One Blow- A belt whose mystical properties endow the wearer with immense striking power and speed when attacking with a sword, along with the required secondhand powers to withstand the aftereffects and shockwaves resulting from the power boosts. Each durability and inertia dampening buff lasts for 1.7 seconds.
Starting out with a swing whose destructive power is comparable to seven tons of TNT, for every second longer Knave winds up for a blow, the attack's power multiplies by seven. Winding up constitutes cocking back his blade and gathering strength from the belt. The strikes themselves are purely physical in nature, and the resulting detonative power is accomplished entirely through sheer speed and strength. In other words, each higher tier blade attack comes out far faster than the last, though they require more time to charge.

1 Second Wind-Up- 7 tons TNT.

2 Second Wind-Up- 49 tons TNT.

3 Second Wind-Up- 343 tons TNT.

4 Second Wind-Up- 2.4 Kilotons TNT.

5 Second Wind-Up- 16.8 Kilotons TNT.

6 Second Wind-Up- 117.6 Kilotons TNT.

7 Second Wind-Up- 823.5 Kilotons TNT.

Personality- The Knave is a mischievous, sneaky bastard. His guile, his cruelty, both harken back to the days of yonder when still were fairy tales were in their grotesque, unabridged form. He lives as a free man, taking what he wants whether by force or underhanded trickery. A treasure hunter, a thief, a carefree slayer of men and monsters who doesn't let a blood bath undermine his wicked sense of humor. He enjoys outwitting others as much as he does lopping their limbs off. He's no mass murderer or serial killer though, no true villain. He takes on only those who get between him and what his heart desires, and he mostly desires wealth and powerful treasures. He's no innocent, but he's also no worse than the fodder he cuts down. He partakes of petty frivolities such as partying and pranking, and if ever there is a time when his guard is down, it's when he's in a bout of laughter after some good (or bad) merriments have been had. He can get overexcited quite easily, devolving into joyous screams and twitching, guinea pig spasms when the mood strikes him.

History- Like most figures in the old stories, Knave started out on the last rung of the ladder, so much so that his true name never mattered. Even if it did, he'd never tell it, for a thing's true name grants power over it. A knave was Knave to be sure, a lowly peasant who squeezed out a meager living farming potatoes. One day, purely by chance, a wounded stranger emerged from a nearby forest and began bleeding and trampling all over Knave's potatoes. Knave, enraged, struck down the stranger with his hoe. Searching through the man's belongings, Knave found a small locked chest. Taking it out behind his small hut, he broke open the lock and found a pair of boots within. The Seven League Boots, to be precise. It was not long before he learned of their power, and began to abuse it. With his lethal speed, he could easily slip behind any man or beast in the world and slit their throat before they knew they were dead. In such ways did he accumulate his other enchanted items, throwing away his past life as a farmer in order to enjoy the ecstasies of a nonstop power trip. He found the man who slew the Jabberwocky and defeated him in a sword fight to loot the mythical Vorpal Sword. He unceremoniously kicked Little Red Riding Hood in the crotch and yanked away her cloak. He even found the legendary tailor who had become a king through sheer wit, and stole his belt from around his waist so fast the poor fellow's pants caught fire.

The Knave soon earned a reputation as potent and fearsome as that of the Erl-King, the shadowy lord who presides over all goblins, trolls, and fairies. Knave strides from kingdom to kingdom, sprinting across countries, always seeking new opportunities to flex his might, find amusement, and increase his already tremendous fortunes.

[Geraven]

Basic Information

Name: Gren Meliden

Alias: Josh/Elemental

Current Title: Ether Ninja

Race: Human

Apparent Age: 32

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 152 lbs

Eyes: Mako Blue

Hair: Shoulder length hair, straight, black

Skin: White

Date of Birth: October 29th

Place of Birth: Unknown

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Affiliation: Unknown (Believed to be a pirate of some sort…)

Rank/Job: Contradiction

Main Class: Ether Ninja (All Sub-classes)

[b][i]Sub-Class[/b][/i]: Elemental Wizard (Black Mage, Ninja, Geomancer)

[b][i]Sub-Class[/b][/i]: Ex-SOLDIER (Squire, Chemist, Knight, Archer)

[b][i]Sub-Class[/b][/i]: Pirate Flunky (Pirate, Monk, Chemist)

[b][i]Sub-Class[/b][/i]: Dark Paladin (Dark Knight, Paladin)

Mastered Classes: Squire, Chemist, Black Mage, Knight, Archer, Sniper, Monk, Ninja, Samurai, Thief, Pirate, Geomancer, Dark Knight, Paladin

[b][u]Other Affiliations[/b][/u]

Hinagi Village: Leader and Grandmaster

[b][u]Past Affiliations[/b][/u]

Shin-Ra Electric Power Company (Shin-Ra, Inc.): 2nd Class SOLDIER

Neo-AVALANCHE: Leader

[b][u]Personal Information[/b][/u]

Favorite Food: A nice big plate of rice and spicy hot curry with beef, potatoes, and carrots. But since he can't cook, just a nice bowl of ramen will usually do.
Favorite Drink: A citrus-y soda called Mountain Spew. And anything that can get him drunk.
Favorite Book: "What are those?"
Likes: Being around people, smoking, training, being around a certain woman.
Dislikes: Being lied to, being taken advantage of, authority figures, dumbasses.
Friends/Allies:Crim El Furaga, Ludwig von Einst, Cee, Dias Blade, Airou-Ta Gradeen (Airou)
Family: Hiro and Tah-Jen (both deceased), Vaughn Meliden
Rivals: Kaneda (deceased), Shin Fenrir (Fate Unknown), Koen Blackspeed, Cee
Enemies: U-TIC Organization, Warden (U-TIC), Shuzer (U-TIC), "Malphisto", "Tsalmaveth" (MERKAHBAH)

[b][u]Title Information[/b][/u]

Elemental Ninja: A master manipulator of the elements, he has yet to be surpassed in skill... [DEFAULT]
Unsurpassed Thief: He can steal something that's right in front of your eyes...
Walker of Shadows: A man who has been known to vanish into darkness.
Unmerciful Assassin: "He'd kill his own mother for the right price..." (COSTUME TITLE)
Walking Contradiction: "Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke."
"No Luck Chuck": He can never do anything right...

[b][u]Soundtrack[/b][/u]

Main Theme: "Cyan's Theme"
Main Theme (Upbeat): "I Am A Pirate!"
Main Theme (Prankster): Hee Hee Hee
Main Theme (Shadow Costume): Shadow
Main Theme (Yggdrasil): Bonds of Sea and Fire
Battle Theme: Desire For All That Is Lost
Battle Theme (Ether Coat): You are My Hope
Battle Theme (Boss): That Person's Name Is...?
Gren's Theme (Battle): Tension Rising

[b][u]Elemental Attributes[/b][/u]

Absorb: *See Ether Absorption Ability*
Null: *See Ether Cloak Ability*
Strong: Fire, Ice, Water, Lightning, Earth, Wind, Light, Dark
Neutral: None
Weakness: None

Physical Description:
Shoulder length black hair and glowing blue eyes, he wears a black sleeveless leotard, with a katana on his left hip. Two gold bracers on his arms, with 4 linked Materia slots each. Black pants, black shin high boots. Last, he wears a black shin length trenchcoat, as well as a pouch on his right hip for his ninja tools.

Alternate Costume: Shadow Full black face mask with ornate forehead guard, connected to a black body suit. Sash of purple wrapped around his waist, with a Ninjato hidden under the sash's extra cloth in the back. Goes by the name of Shadow when wearing this attire.

Personality Description:
Loves to be around people, very happy-go-lucky attitude. Enjoys smoking and drinking, usually trying to outdrink Crim at every opportunity (yet always failing). Usually speaks with an optimistic voice. Always able to find an escape when necessary, though he no longer runs from battle.

Skills, Powers, and Abilities:

The Most Unpredictable Pirate There Ever Was – Gren’s fighting style is a combination of many things. First and foremost is always the connection he has to the elements around him. From manipulation to creation, the ninja is always prepared to use the elements as he pleases. Second is his broken psyche. He can switch between personalities that can switch things up if something ever happens to his mind in battle. That can make his movements erratic at times, and hard to read. Lastly is his agility and robust movement style. The ninja can move himself in different ways to always stay ahead of the game using his different spatial awareness abilities. When combined, he becomes and unpredictable fighter that can give many enemies a run for their money…though he usually tries to avoid said fights.

Blade User – Gren is skilled in the use of bladed weapons such as daggers and swords. He is primarily trained in the weapons he uses, which includes a longsword, great sword, and a katana, but not limited to just those weapons. As well, he’s incredibly skilled in the use of throwing weapons such as kunai and shuriken.

Physical Might - Strength, stamina and durability that far exceeds the norm. In Gren's case, it is the result of a combination of training and natural ability. His strength is such that he is capable of lifting in excess of eight tons without straining himself. His stamina enables him to perform at peak levels of physical exertion for prolonged periods of time (up to twelve straight hours) before showing signs of fatigue. His body is durable to the point that he can withstand falls from great heights and severe blunt-force trauma (such as repeated blows from super-powered beings) with little to no discomfort.

Supernatural Senses - The ability to move faster than the speed of sound is usually not a good thing without the ability to see what's going on around you. Lucky for Geraven, he has a few abilities to do just that. Bullet Time allows him to slow time down for himself and view things at a fraction of the speed by forcefully increasing his flow of adrenaline, which is great for last second dodges and multiple fighters. Ether Sense allows him the ability to sense the presence of Ether or other life energies in a nearby area, or much farther if he concentrates, and may not work on all beings. Lastly would be his own Danger Sense. Gren has always had the ability to sense not only negative feelings towards him, but possible physical danger as well. He never understood it until recently, but he has tapped into that as well to make himself difficult to actually hit.

Psychotic Break - The ninja has had a hard time coping with his long life, and through it all has created numerous personalities that are completely different than the original. They share his soul, and if something ever happens to the ninja's conciousness, one of them will take over and fight in his stead.

Shadow Meld – One of Gren’s oldest powers has been that of Shadow Manipulation. Though it’s mainly his own that he manipulates, there are many different things he can do with it. From combining weapons to hiding within his own shadow, he can also use it for combat by increasing the size and creating copies of himself or tentacles. The capabilities of the power are almost endless, and the only ability he can use if out of Ether.

Power of the Cetra - A resident of Xenogaia, Geraven is no stranger to the use of Materia. He uses all different types, and is never satisfied with just one set. He constantly changes his Materia set up, with a separate pocket specifically for Materia. He does have a common set up in his Bracer's, however, things are always set to change.

Bracers:

O=O O O O=O

Restore - Magic Materia. Mastered and allows Josh to give not only very high restoration, but also the ability for a regenerative effect that lasts for a short while. Linked with "All".
All - Support Materia. Allows the linked Magic Materia to be used on all allies or enemies.
Enemy Skill - Command Materia, allows certain enemy abilities to be learned and used. (Monster Only. Is filled with abilities. See Final Fantasy VII for reference)
Diablos - Summon Materia. Summons a Demonic looking entity to drop an orb of high gravity on top of a person to crush them while trapping them within. The orb is fairly slow moving, so there is a chance to escape if the enemy can withstand the heightened gravity.
Hades - Summon Materia. Casts "Black Cauldron", unleashes a fog upon enemies that confers multiple status effects, such as poison, paralysis, and mute. Linked to "Added Effect".
Added Effect - Support Materia. Imbues equipment with status effects.

Power of the Ether Ninja (7-9) – Gren’s Ether is very complex compared to others with similar abilities. First off, he has access to the seven elements of Fire, Water, Lightning, Earth, Wind, Holy, and Shadow/Darkness. Second, he can absorb natural energy from his surroundings and convert it into whichever Ether Type he chooses. Third, when he creates an Ether Cloak around his body, each element gives a different physical change to the ninja in some form or another. As well, each cloak gives him immunity to the individual element he chooses. Only two can be activated at a time, unless going into the Elemental Coat form.

Abilities of the Ether Cloaks

Explosive Strength (Fire) - With a Fire Ether Field, the ninja's strength increases a thousand-fold at full strength. When this aura is active, he can bend a piece of Neo-titanium as though it were cardboard, destroy a mountain as though it were made of styrofoam, and even dent the Yggdrasil itself with little to no effort. He has learned the ability to scale the power to increase 50x, 100x, 500x, and 1000x respectively.

Calm Mind (Water) - With a Water Ether Field, the casting ability of the shinobi is increased exponentially. No charge time with an enhanced power output makes him dangerous when the blue aura surrounds his body. Also gives a slight regeneration factor, able to heal small wounds within minutes though larger wounds take more time.

Light Speed (Lightning) - With the Lightning Ether Field, Gren can increase his speed to the point of becoming a streak of light. When a yellow aura surrounds the ninja, the headaches just get started.

Zero Gravity (Wind) - With a Wind Ether Field, he becomes as weightless as the air and gains the ability to fly like the wind. Normally used in conjunction with Light Speed or Terra Firma in battle, the green aura's only real use by itself is travel.

Terra Firma (Earth) - The Earth Ether Field. Has a few nifty abilities to it. First, small pieces of rock are drawn to the man and become a type of armor that hardens with each attack towards him. Second, his weight seems to increase without his body expanding. This gives him the bonus of being able to withstand the strength of grappler despite his lanky size and also not be tossed around by certain abilities.

Elemental Coat – When Gren activates every elemental cloak, he gains a power that can rival a god yet can only use the ability for a short time (Depending on if he absorbs outside energy, anywhere from two to ten posts). Instead of an aura surrounding him, the ninja gains a long coat of pure energy that takes the place of his normal trenchcoat. The power of the coat gives him the power of every Ether Cloak, as well as a special ability known as Djinni which is a giant being made of Ether that he can use to fight with. With the addition of the Holy and Shadow elements, going into this form gives him six physical orbs that hold every element within them. They can be used for many different things and can be manipulated at the whim of the user.

Ninjutsu Abilities - Being a ninja, Gren knows a number of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu arts, using the Chinese Zodiac hand signs. When used in a specific combination, things that are normally impossible to do in this world are made reality, through the use of life energy, or in Gren’s case, Ether. Most jutsu's are rather simple to him and can be done with merely one sign, but the more complex jutsu's need the full combination for use. Has decided to only use the following three Jutsu’s, for all others aren't necessary due to his other abilities. (* means mastered and can be used with one or no hand seals.)

Body Flicker Jutsu*
Body Flicker is known as the Teleportation Jutsu, though it's far from actual teleportation. More like high-speed movement, Josh can use his Ether to enhance his speed and appear as though he's arriving from nowhere.

Flying Raijin Jutsu*
The Flying Raijin Jutsu is a teleportation technique that uses markings known as Chakra (or Ether) Formulas that the user can then transport to instantaneously. Many applications for the technique in battle or just as a means of transportation, as he can use the marks to transport people and items as well.

Shadow Clone Jutsu*
Shadow Clone Jutsu is exactly that. The user multiplies himself into however many solid copies he can create based on the amount of chakra he is willing to use. The clones, however, are weak in that with one hit they vanish in a puff of smoke. Can be used either as a great offensive weapon or excellent decoy. This does mean that Josh had two different kinds of clones he can make, though these are easier to create and thus weaker than when he uses his Shadow Manipulation to create a clone.

Character Equipment:

Weapons

Sword of Dual Elements - A powerful longsword that was given to Gren by the Spirits Sola and Harra upon completion of their training with him. The sheath is engraved with ancient and unreadable runes and at the top a pair of gemstones which recharge the sword when sheathed. The sword itself is of normal length, though the blade is supernaturally sharp. The hilt is of a gold color, same as the sheath itself, and the handle is wrapped in a white leather. Through the use of the sword, Gren can cast Fire and Ice Ether Abilities/Spells with no charge time, which can allow for powerful element-based combo’s.

Twin Daggers of the Ninjaku - A pair of daggers that Gren acquired after the destruction of his home by an old friend. They were keepsakes of the village he grew up in, and had trained in them since he was a child. The ninja began to use them again after he became one again, and will start with them in most fights now. They have the ability to increase his Shadow Manipulation ability, as well as being able to Shadow Fuse perfectly together at the hilts to create a more powerful double blade. (Think the thief’s blade from Final Fantasy IX)

Hell's Geishan - A massive greatsword, Gren can wield it one handed or two-handed, depending on how much power he wants. It was the weapon he used after waking up as Gren Geraven, when Solaris drafted him. Filled with dark energies from the spirit that rests within the sword. With the defeat of Gren and the fusion of the two souls, he gained the ability to unleash the full power of the blade. (To Unleash – Blanket them in Darkness…UMARE YAMI!) *Will not be used*

Kiyoshi-Doragon - The Kiyoshi-Doragon is a katana with a white hilt and sheath, with the hilt in the shape of a dragon’s head pointed towards the back, mouth open, and a sky blue handguard. Gained when the dark half of the two, Gren, awoke in the old U-TIC lab. During his time with the blade, he had become a better person thanks to the spirit within and unlocked it’s true potential. When the pair became one, the new being was given the ability to wield her as well as thanks for bringing the battle between her and her brother, the spirit within the Hell’s Geishan, to an end. When in it's true form, the blade increases in length by three inches and the dragon on the hilt changes with the head coming out and a pair of wings creating a covering over the hands, of which the tips reach the handguard.(To Unleash - Bathe them in your Light...UMARE HIKARI!)

Shadow's Ninjato - A small, straight sword used by ninja. This particular sword is actually created by "Shadow" out of shadows that he manipulates, and is nigh indestructible. It is believed that Josh can not perform that same ability, and so the appearance of this blade means that the one in control may not be who you think. Unknown potential. *Storyline Only*

Ninja Tools - Josh has access to many ninja tools that he can make. Kunai, shuriken, smoke bombs...even healing salves. And each one is marked with his Ether Formula so he can teleport new ones to him if he runs out in battle.

Armor

Titan Armor – A Tunic given to Gren when he trained with the Ether Spirit of Earth, Titan. Can change to look like any item of clothing the ninja desires when worn, and is tough enough to hold back being pierced by iron swords and bullets. Stronger materials can get through when used, however. It has a secondary ability that Gren must concentrate to use. It can become a full set of stone armor when the ninja gives some of his Ether to the tunic. While Ether is being pushed into the armor, the stone hardens consistently over time, becoming harder than any other metal when pushed to it’s limits.

Bracers - Pair of bracers made of Neo-Titanium, worn on the wrists. Neo-Titanium is a fusion of Titanium and other types of metals to increase the strength of the metal. The bracers can be used to block blades that are made of even the sharpest metals. Three Materia slots on each wrist, two connected.

Accessories

Ninja Tool Pouch - Pouch to hold Ninja Tools, such as kunai, shuriken, and paper bombs, as well as other items of necessity.

Flying Raijin Kunai - Special three-pronged kunai that is wrapped around the handle with a piece of paper that has Josh's Ether Formula marked on it. These kunai are what Josh normally uses for his Flying Raijin jutsu, and also for melee combat if necessary.

~Biography~

As time has gone on, Josh has found out that his origin story is not all it was originally cracked out to be. Though he knows not where he truly hails from, he was taken in by the shinobi of the clan after they assassinated the rest of his family. The reasoning behind it was, while odd, understandable in the context of things. The ninja elders, who had gone personally to oversee the assassination, saw the potential of Fire, Ice, and Lightning within the baby Wide-Eye. In truth, the potential for all elements, Holy and Darkness included, rested within the child. But only the spirits Sola, Harra, and Thor remained of the main Elemental Lords in the village, for the two that held Fenrir and Titan rebelled against the village and ran off years before Josh was born. And since Hades and Damiano, Dark and Light respectively, already had potential hosts, they knew he could be a worthwhile addition either way.

He was raised under the tutelage of the elders until the boy was old enough to undergo the Ritual of Binding, which was used to bind the spirits of the Elemental Lords, ancient ninja who gave up their bodies for extreme power, to a person for a fated duel that was meant to occur every eight or so decades. The ninja society of Hinagi followed this strict religion of insanity because they felt that perhaps one’s own personality of good would be enough to change the fate of the Elemental Lords later on down the line, so long as they could keep the worst one under check. Yeah, that didn’t really work out for them.

Josh grew up alongside Hiro and Tah-Jen, the two others who underwent the ritual. They really could have been considered best friends, if not brothers, for how they were around each other. A perfect fit, though Josh had shown to have his own demons to contend with during that time as well. But the problem with keeping a dark spirit locked up in a statue for a few dozen millennia is that he has time to rest and wait. His power had truly grown far superior to anything the Elders or even Ancients thought possible, and thus he took control of his host Tah-Jen and proceeded to slaughter each and every member of the clan. Except for Josh and Hiro, however; for Josh was on a mission at the time and Hiro was actually on his way back. Josh missed the entire fight, but Hiro and his spirit of Light duked it out with “Hades” who had taken over Tah-Jen to an extreme level.

Josh arrived at the end of the fight, with no sign of Hiro or Tah-Jen but all the signs of a struggle and massive battle. Gren Geraven, yet unnamed though a presence within Josh, took over at the sign of weakness the young ninja felt and destroyed the village in an elemental fury. The now homeless ninja would awaken to a smoldering crater and leave the western island of Xenogaia to wander the main continents for a place to belong. During his journey, he would find himself in numerous “anti-Shin-Ra” groups. They used him for him skill with a forge, but when he found out of their true intentions of innocent slaughter and destruction as the means to their “goals” months later, Josh immediately killed them one by one. He eventually found his way to Midgar and opened a forge in Wall Market, where he lived for a year. It was at this time he made many different weapons, but the most notable was the Elemental Murasame that he would come to wield for the rest of his natural life. He trained with most of them, made money by selling others…eventually, he made his way to the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company, where he became a 2nd Class SOLDIER.

There were plenty of jobs and missions for Josh to do, just like Hinagi. He never made it much farther than 2nd Class, but the ninja didn’t mind that at all. He was comfortable for a good while, until he went on a mission that revealed his two best friends lived. Hiro and Tah-Jen had remained in a quiet war with each other for a small while, but the war had begun to spill out into the rest of the world. Tah-Jen had been building up a group of shadow warriors to challenge Hiro and attempt to take over the world. Shin-Ra found out about the miniature and sent Josh with a small squad to eliminate the threat before anything could come of it. This would forever change Josh’s life as he alone survived to quell the threat the evil ninja would pose.

Time went on, and the ninja eventually found a family within the Company and felt accepted. Which was lucky, because he was only there a few years before the company was dissolved and Reno Cascade formed the original Yggdrasil Crew. Josh took this time to spread his wings, and gained new friends and allies along with reuniting with Hiro. They founded the group Neo-AVALANCHE and used Gongaga Village as their base of operations. Together, Josh and Hiro turned the dilapidated town into a ninja village that would continue to grow and thrive for years and years to come.

Neo-AVALANCHE had one goal: To destroy Hades, the evil spirit within Tah-Jen. He was a threat to the world as they knew it, and took on the name of the old anti-Shin-Ra organization for their means. They mainly did mercenary work, as well as numerous appearances in a tournament in the city of Verdelet. Anything they could do to earn the money they needed to grow and gain more power, as well as training to increase their strengths. Josh, Hiro, Jamesh, Airou, and Wesley were the main fighters in the group, but they did have a sixth member. Her name was Alice, and though she wasn’t a fighter, she was useful in other ways. She was the love of Josh’s life, and kept the darkness in his heart at bay. Though it would prove to come out again and again when she was away, anytime he battled while she was around Gren would remain in a stasis and Josh could fight with no qualms. They were wed and she eventually got pregnant and it was believed that they would live out the rest of their lives together.

Until the day came that Josh didn’t return to the base. The ninja was finally defeated by one known as “Good Reverend”, who worked for the Country of Solaris. The pair battled a long and hard battle, but Reverend would come out on top and would take Josh’s carcass to Solaris. The country originally planned to resurrect him themselves, but it was unnecessary as the darkness would come to take full control over Josh. During this time, Josh became the being known as Gren Geraven and was an uncontrollable ally of Solaris. Neo-AVALANCHE took the mantle of enemy once they recognized the face of the being that destroyed village and city after village and city. However, it would be Killiak, formerly of Shin-Ra, who would take out Gren and split the two apart. From this point, Gren would disappear for a few hundred millennia and Josh would be known as Josh Meliden as he was reunited with his wife and newborn child.

Not long after Josh’s return, Hiro would come to vanish and Josh would forget his original goal as he got older. Since his original death at the hands of Good Reverend, the ninja lost the spirits he held and they returned to their statues automatically. They searched for the statues in the ruins of Old Hinagi, but were unsuccessful and Hiro felt alone as Damiano continued to live within him. The pull of battle against Hades was too much for the spirit, and so he would go to search for the evil spirit alone. Airou also left the group, deciding instead to return to his home planet of Seirena and live out his life there. And so Josh was left to live in a state of perpetual peace for the rest of his life in the village of “New Hinagi”, the former Gongaga Village. He died as Grandmaster, though he passed the leadership role on in his old age. He left a prophecy, however, and his Elemental Murasame as keepsakes to the village.

A few thousand years pass, and the prophecy would come true. One would be born to the Meliden family who looked like an identical twin to the former Grandmaster, save for his hair and eye color; Vaughn Meliden. He went on his own adventures with the U-TIC Organization, having been recruited by Killiak himself, but would return to awaken Josh’s spirit from its slumber and thus fulfilling the prophecy. On the trip to Josh’s tomb, up high in the Gongaga Mountain, Vaughn came under attack by the rogue Elemental Lords of Old Hinagi Titan and Fenrir. In truth, it was a test for the young Meliden as they had lived in peace with their hosts for millennia. The duo was intrigued when they felt Vaughn’s energy as he began to climb the mountain. After he bested them, the pair said their final goodbye’s to their hosts and entered Vaughn’s body.

The trio made it up to the family catacombs, which had been dug out of the mountain, and travelled down to the first coffin that had ever been placed. An inscription had been carved into the wall that Vaughn read and understood what he had to do. He drew the Elemental Murasame and stabbed it into the slot that rested on the lid of the coffin. The energies from the blade awoke the ninja’s sleeping spirit and Josh told the younger Meliden of the goal he never got to complete: the battle against Tah-Jen and “Hades” that had never been completed. Vaughn and Josh came to an agreement and the former Grandmaster entered his descendant’s body alongside the two Elemental Lords.

Their first step was a search for Hiro and his Elemental Lord of Light, “Damiano”. “Hades” couldn’t be defeated without him, at the least. Unfortunately, Hiro wasn’t exactly in his right mind when they found him. “Damiano” had completely taken over and attacked the body once he felt the rogue spirits. However, after a hard-fought battle, they were finally able to subdue him and get him to see the truth of things…that they were all there to finish the battle once and for all. Hiro regained control of himself and “Damiano”, and the pair headed to New Hinagi to catch a flight to “Hades’” planet.

Being the engineering master he was, Vaughn had numerous ships and mecha that he had built just laying around. Josh chose a nice two-seater and the group was off to face the most insane, twisted, and evil person they had ever met. Josh and Hiro spent the trip catching up and remembering lost times, something that seemed like yesterday though it had been centuries since they had even seen each other. Once they reached “Planet Hell” (Hades was real unoriginal), the true test would begin as the group battled their way up to the throne room of the Dark Spirit’s Castle of Bones (again, unoriginal). Once there, Josh found his three original spirits held captive by Hades. The Spirit had disfigured and mangled Tah-Jen’s body to the point it was hardly recognizable, but that only helped to enrage Josh and Hiro even more. They fought harder than they had ever fought before, and in the end succeeded in defeating and sealing the Elemental Spirit of Darkness in his statue. Along with that, the other 6 Elemental Spirits places their own Seal upon the statue to ensure he would never again awaken.

Tah-Jen’s body would be moved from the castle to the ruins of Old Hinagi, where he would be laid to finally rest after so long. Josh and Hiro said their final goodbyes there as well, with the white ninja ready to finally lay down and rest. Vaughn and Josh, however, weren’t done yet. The Elemental Spirits of Fire, Ice, Lightning, Wind, and Earth all rested within the body of Vaughn now and so the group decided to travel the world and train people all over. The village of New Hinagi was well taken care of, after all, and there was no need for all the confusion. They took on the moniker of “Elemental” during their travels, and it was in this time they found the Yggdrasil Space Pirate Crew, led by one Crim El Furaga. Due to the familiarity Crim felt when confronted by Elemental, they were allowed to join the Crew and went through many journeys with the pirates.

One such journey brought the being of Gren Geraven back into Josh’s life. The darkness that the man had all but forgotten was still alive and well after all that time. Though scared, Vaughn could sense a purity and innocence within the man, and so they decided to bring him on board the Ygg while he was unconscious from a bout with Killiak. Time went on and the Crew would find themselves in the midst of a time-traveling fiasco while helping Tartarus Heavy Industries’ Demetrio Maxwell with a problem he had. This would drop the pirate crew right in the middle of Vestusio’s Machine War’s era and would also prove to be the best thing to happen to “Elemental” since the name was taken. There, they would find a ritual to give the spirits their own bodies again, and thus, be able to fully revive Josh along with the other five spirits.

Once they returned to the present time, Elemental immediately left to perform the ritual and pulled it off without a hitch. Four of the five spirits thanked the pair of Josh and Vaughn, and then proceeded to travel to their own planets to live out the rest of their lives. The fifth one, Fenrir, had actually grown fond of Vaughn and decided to stay with him. And so Vaughn would return to the Ygg to help Doc Shirokawa as well as continue the training of Gren, while Josh would leave and search out the Elemental Spirits to train with them and regain his power from scratch.

Josh would find three of the four, as Fenrir had already told him he wouldn’t train him until he had trained with the others, and learned a lot from them. But then the worse thing ever for Josh would come to pass. He would lose all contact with Crim, the Yggdrasil…and Vaughn. The ninja would spend the next few months in frenzy, going from place to place in search of the Crew or at the very least, Vaughn. He would also have numerous confrontations with a very evil demon that had taken over Gren’s body, as well as a few side stories that aren’t important in the context of things. But eventually, he got a call on his yPhone: a call for all Crew Members to report to the ship. Thus came the War on Vestusio.

The war had many consequences, and helped to push the ninja along the route he needed to go. He realized how to become whole again. Josh needed the dark half of his soul that had been expelled all this time. He needed to become one with Gren. With all he had gone through thus far, it was only fitting. He didn’t know exactly what would happen…Josh just knew it had to happen. The ninja sought out Gren and the two had an epic final clash. The dark knight’s massive attacks were nothing to the agile pirate and it wasn’t long before Gren was knocked down and unable to move.

The real test, however, was when the fight entered the Soul Room. There, the ninja came face to face with the creature that had gained control of Gren through his Greatsword, the Hell’s Geishan. A demon of untold power and strength, it had completely taken control of the Soul Room with his darkness while Gren and Hikari, the spirit of the Kiyoshi-Doragon, were trapped in cocoons of darkness. It took some time and a lot of convincing, but eventually Gren was able to break free and help Josh fight the demon. Not long after, Josh’s Soul Room crashed into Gren’s and begun to fuse and meld with one another while the battle raged on. Eventually, the demon was defeated and expelled from the blade, it’s fate unknown to everyone. The spirit of the sword, Yami, was also freed from the demon at this time and became a new ally to the others. The darkness vanished, and the pair had become one on the outside.

To all who watched, it was as though the pair became a bright light that molded into one being. Very little changed about his appearance, but one thing was apparent. He was no longer a spirit as he had been for so long. And with this new life, he chose to take on a new identity, of sorts. Josh would be gone from this life. No longer would Josh, the Shinobi from Hinagi Village, exist. He was now Gren Meliden, a wanderer and pirate. And may he find fun in his future paths until his mortal coil comes to an end.

Yo ho ho…and a bottle of rum