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One Piece - Here We Are

With every bite, it became clear that this was no ordinary fruit. It was a rotten, piece of garbage that tasted absolutely foul.

One Piece - Here We Are

As the chest opened, Shane found a curious sight inside. It was a weird, swirly fruit. Some kind of giant pear? Or maybe a mold covered bunch of grapes? It looked delicious, and it was all alone inside that chest.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

~ A Lone Cabin ~

_Secluded

Through the fog, a man limped past the treeline with a cloak over his head and a bag of books under his arm. Rainfall battered his approach, but he trudged on, determined to reach his destination without fail.

Along his path, he met many critters. A squirrel cut him off and dashed around him, catching his attention, and forcing a grin. Further on still, his left leg began to creak with pain. He moaned, but pushed through the soreness and carried on. His robe caught a stone and in road and his foot fell into a divot, sending him thrashing to the ground. With his books splayed out, he was forced to collect them. It was strange though. Half of the books weren't the typical property you'd find in a library. Half of them were blank.

Several hours later, he reached a small cabin near the center of the woods. Stepping inside was like entering a miniature library. Books and papers littered the walls, messy and unorganized. He slammed his bag on the table and sat down, leaning over a letter that was half-written.

"I hope this finds you well.

My studies have seen no success in the past five years. I should be grateful that I still draw breath, but each passing day that I spend recounting the past brings me more pain then the last. It's excruciating, to work without the handicap of power. The slope is steep. Too steep for me to conquer alone. Still, I move forward. It's what I should do. It's what he would do."

The man reached for a quill and held it to his mouth. A blue aura encompassed the pen for a moment, and suddenly, it was tipped with ink. He continued to write.

"I will be making the trip to Techmo this coming spring. I hope that I am met with kindness. If this letter reaches you, I urge that-"

He paused and tapped the pen against the paper. Looking down at the blue glow that danced along his hand, he strained his eyes. The energy flickered and sparked. The slightest tint of crimson coursed through the cloudy aura, and he lowered his head.

The man tossed the quill aside and crumpled the letter into a ball.

"No,"

His lip quivered and he slammed his hand against the desk.

"Not yet."

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

That was fast.

One Piece - Here We Are

The door creaked open without a hitch. It seemed like the room inside was singular. No secondary doors. No hatches. Nothing. On one hand, a long, thin bed was coated in dark sheets and various throw pillows. On the other, a very tall wardrobe reached to the high ceiling, and was surrounded by scattered dresses, far too big for any normal sized person to wear.

Near the end of the room though, an unlocked chest sat unguarded.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

~ Epilogue ~

_{Hero Tale}

Five years have passed since the Order descended upon the world with their threat to exterminate the fabric of reality. To this day, there has not been a threat to the safety of the citizens of Tech-Mo, or anywhere else. With the aid of Jenso, the Golden hero, and his friends from all across the world, the threat to reality itself had been contained. The order of chaos was finished, and peace reigned without pause.

Alvios returned to his home town, his body exhausted from the preceding battles. The raw energy that allowed him to cut through space time and defeat Shaidra was gone, withered to a dying spark. Unfortunately, with the loss of his Ki, Alvios did not live much longer. He died peacefully beside those who he loved, his soul overwhelmed by the strain that allowed him to save his friends from a gruesome fate. At the center of town, and within the great halls of Techmo's rebuilt guild hall, a statue was erected so that none would forget the great sacrifice made by the scion of light, Alvios Maetie.

Zios, the bastard fusion of Geode and Oswald, did not stay on the planet for long after the threat was defeated. With his newfound abilities, and knowledge on the fate that faced the poor souls who left this world after death, he had spent the last five years constructing a great device in the sky. With the power of the void at his disposal, Zios was able to create a paradise for the dead. Instead of being sucked into the endless void, the people's souls would transcend their mortal bodies, and reside within his grand fortress for all eternity, blessed by a never ending stream of passionate warmth. In honor of those who imagined a world after life, he titled his creation 'heaven,' and has decided to remain there for as long as he draws breath.

Although Bruce has learned many lessons in his travels with Jenso, to share, to depend on another, to let go of the haunting trials of his past, he knew in his heart that he was meant to travel in solitude and seek a greater bond with the planet itself. Although he still visits his friends whenever he can, his priority as a sage remains with the earth beneath him. As a wanderer, Bruce went on to help many people. He dedicates himself to teaching those who are lost, that hope will reach out to them. He teaches of the never ending stream that runs through the planet, and through every living thing. One day he hopes to commune with a force unknown to any resting deep within the earth, but as the years roll on by, none can tell whether he will see his ultimate goal fulfilled.

Jeff's constant advancements in technology have allowed him to revive Techmo city, and turn it into a paradise for all. In the aftermath of the great collapse of Yzeira's tower, he was able to retrieve thousands of undamaged books from the ocean, and restore them, acquiring otherworldly knowledge on the nature of the arcane, Ki, and the void. It may take longer than his body can sustain, but many believe he will reach unheard of heights, perhaps even knowledge rivaling that of the godly being that intruded upon their world. Jenso worries that his friend will delve too far into the studies of the void, and Jeff's behavior has changed drastically over time, but only time will tell if the dark temptations of void energy, the same temptations that pulled Yzeira into a life of genocide and destruction, will lead Jeff down the very same path.

Dacer disappeared after the battle at the Tower, and with him, Ross vanished as well. His last words were fairly clear though. "I will rebuild what my father set out to create. I will bring the Gaians back." With his race close to dying out, his only hope would be to find any remaining survivors. Truth be told, Dacer was never cut out to be a leader. But he holds the hope in his heart that, one day, he'll find somebody worthy of reviving the green-eyed tribe to its former glory. Jenso never saw him again, but in his heart, he knows that his friend is still alive, and happy to be breathing in the future that they secured together.

Finally, the hero of the realm, Jenso Juno, continues living his life as he always had. He smiles with his friends and pushes himself to grow stronger every single day. Stronger as a person. Stronger as a fighter. His constant efforts alongside his friend, Jeff, have seen great success in rebuilding the world that was torn asunder by the Order of Chaos. Although the threat has been squelched, Yzeira's final act of sacrifice, as hollow as it seemed, still weighs heavy on his heart. Why did he take his own life? What did he mean when he brought up destiny? Perhaps, in another world, in another time, the golden hero, and the harbinger of chaos, could have lived their lives as friends.

---

And so ends the tale of the order and those who rose to stop them. A tale of loss. A Tale of victory. A tale of hatred. A tale of love.

But most importantly...

...A Hero tale

---

~ THE END ~

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

Your attitude gives me great hope. Count me as interested.

Gimme that shield, my guy.

One Piece - Here We Are

The boat's sheer scale was a trial for such a young boy, especially while hauling his sister's unconscious body. Against the odds, somehow he managed to reach the top. With the new vantage, nothing changed. It seemed like the pirates were confident enough to leave their ship unguarded while they combed the island. But who were they?

The entire deck was empty, and wide open at there. The only play Shane could hide would have been inside of the ship, but there were only two ways in. A giant hatch near the middle, and a pair of doors just below the helm.

Video Games: The General Discussion & Community Thread

Something tells me that this is setting up for some weird future crossover for FF games akin to the Dissidia series.

One Piece - Here We Are

Molly's eyelids fluttered and the light in her eye faded in and out with her consciousness. She couldn't respond.

The smoke showed no sign of stopping. Either way, spending time near the massive ship might have been more dangerous than calling for help. It was strange though. It seemed like the ship was completely unguarded. Ladders and ropes hung down from its edges, providing plenty of access points, but not a soul was in sight.