Bleach Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Silent Warrior ❯ An Artful Attack; TJ and Ashley's Debut ( Chapter 28 )

“The illustrations done by the beautiful Yoshinda Jackson are said to make romantic wishes come true. Somehow, her illustrations just feel very nostalgic. Wait, are you saying that this innocent woman has one of the Nijizuishou shards? What should I do? I really don't have time to worry about this!”

Silent Warrior

Episode 28

King Mithos has called Des Demona to his throne room. He is not pleased with her lack of progress.

“Des Demona, it appears two of the Nijizuishou are in the hands of troublesome interlopers,” he is saying to her. “Not only have I lost two of your siblings, but now I've lost two of the 7 Shadows. I am not pleased with these results Des Demona; you showed great promise.”

“Please forgive my insubordination your Excellency,” Des Demona bows before him. “Here is the next carrier of a Dark Crystal Shard.”

Des Demona pulls out the Kurozuishou and reveals a brown haired woman with glasses.

“I will retrieve this shard King Mithos, I swear my life on it,” Des Demona continues.

“You had better succeed then.” King Mithos says. “You know what will happen if you don't. And remember, Des Demona, I decide what happens with your life, not you!”

An Artful Attack; TJ and Ashley's Debut

“You can tell it's Fall,” TJ is saying to Prometheus in a park. “There're couples everywhere holding hands and touching like it's going out of style. If only we could figure out something about Yellow LightStar. With her actions, I don't know if she's friend or foe.”

“Well, she is after the Zinzuishou,” Prometheus says. “Because of this, we have to consider her the enemy, at least for now.”

“Prometheus this isn't fair! The woman I love is a bad guy, people who turn into demons, the whole blasted would is going crazy!”

“Hey TJ!” Melvin calls out, running up to him. “Come on son, I want to show you that thing I was talking about.”

“I hope it's something to eat!”

TJ grabs his back pack and runs off. When he picks up the backpack, the ring falls out of one of the pockets. Prometheus notices it and quickly jumps on it before it falls through a sewer vent.

“The Universal Bow is a key element to everything!” he cries. “I wish he'd be more concerned about it. And why isn't it on that necklace he made his mother buy?!”

Melvin brings TJ to an art gallery filled with mysterious paintings. As TJ is looking at them, he thinks some of them look familiar to the Youkai Demon's he's been fighting.

“Wow, that one kind of looks like Marcy and Maximus,” he thinks to himself. “There sure are a lot of couples here, Melvin.”

“That's because these paintings are supposed to be of romance,” Marcy says, appearing from a corner.

“I didn't know she was going to be here. Why would you drag me to a romance art show Melvin?”

“For two reasons TJ,” he replies. “For one, they say that people who buy these paintings get the serious hook up on the ladies, and you're lacking. The second reason is because we think this one painting looks like you.”

“Show me this painting, and I don't need help with the ladies; I'm a pimp!”

“Yeah right.”

As the three are walking over to the painting, they pass a portrait of a beautiful woman.

“Who's this supposed to be?” TJ asks.

“That's the artist, Yoshinda Jackson,” Marcy answers. “They say she's never appeared at any of her galleries.”

“That's probably because she's an ugly old hag,” Melvin answers.

As the three are talking, the woman from Des Demona's crystal is walking around looking at the different couples. She's muttering to herself that she just isn't finding the right look.

“She hasn't put anything new out in a while though,” Marcy continues. “They say she's in a slump.”

“I am in a slump,” the woman thinks, passing TJ's group again.

“Hey TJ, here's the picture I was talking about,” Melvin says, approaching the painting.

“I bet you this looks nothing like…”

TJ cuts himself off as soon as he spots the painting. It's a man in a military uniform and a woman with blonde hair dancing in the moonlight.

“I feel like this is familiar…” he mutters to himself.

Outside the gallery, Ashley is walking past when she spots a poster with the same image on the window.

“This picture…” she starts.

She then has a brief flashback to the dream she keeps having.

“It's like the guy in my dream.”

As she is gazing at the photo, Yoshinda comes out of the gallery. Not paying attention, Ashley starts to back up, and ends up bumping into Yoshinda, causing her to drop some papers.

“I'm sorry, let me help you get those,” Ashley says, kneeling down to help.

Yoshinda looks up at her, and gets a wild expression on her face.

“It's you!” she squeals.

Inside, TJ is still staring at the painting.

“Hey TJ, isn't that Miranda's classmate?” Melvin asks, looking out the window.

TJ turns to see Yoshinda with her hand on Ashley's wrist.

“I knew it; that girl is a two-timer!” TJ howls. “Sorry Mel, I've got to go get the juice so I can rub it in Styve's face. Marcy, get this painting for me, I'll pay you back when I get my allowance.”

TJ runs out of the gallery, leaving Melvin and Marcy confused.

“You know, I used to be upset when Mr. Davis would just leave me,” Marcy starts. “But now I see he's left me with the handsome Melvin!”

“I think you're getting a fever,” Melvin responds. “Your face is turning all sorts of red!”

“I can't wait to tell Styve his girlfriend likes girls,” TJ boasts as he walks out. “The look on that brotha's face is going to be priceless!”

“No TJ it's not what you think!” Ashley insists.

“Oh yeah, then why is she holding your wrist so tightly?”

Yoshinda then notices TJ and grabs his shoulder.

“You would be perfect too!” she squeals again.

“Perfect for what exactly?” TJ asks.

“To be my models!”

“Me a model, you've got to be kidding?”

* * *

Yoshinda takes the two back to her house to speak with them.

“What a nice garden she has,” TJ comments, looking out the back window.

“You know, I really don't have the time for this,” Ashley complains, sitting down.

“Relax Ash, college students goof off all the time. You can be normal just once you know.”

“I'll go make some coffee,” Yoshinda says, leaving the room.

TJ starts to look around and spots paintings from the gallery.

“Wow, all of these paintings were at that gallery,” he points out. “It's as if she's a Yoshinda Jackson stalker.”

At hearing this, Yoshinda drops one of the mugs on the counter. She apologizes, and TJ starts to piece things together.

“You're Yoshinda Jackson, aren't you?” he asks.

“Yes; not what you expected from the paintings am I? I figured people would buy my stuff if they had a beautiful face to look at, so I created that girl from an image in my mind.”

“So nobody knows? Not even your friends and family?”

“I don't' have any friends…but that's ok. As long as people are satisfied with my creations, I am happy.”

“Look lady, you've been real nice, but I have things to do today,” Ashley says, getting up.

“Please wait Ashley. As an artist, I need inspiration in order to produce quality work. When I saw you today, I got that motivation. You don't' have to do anything, I just need to see you so I can draw something nice.”

Reluctantly, Ashley agrees to help, and sits back on the sofa.

“TJ, I would like for you to sit next to her,” Yoshinda instructs.

TJ nearly has a heart attack.

“Don't sound so excited,” Ashley rolls her eyes.

After a bit of whining and complaining, TJ sits next to her on the couch.

“You know, being this close, she is kind of cute,” he starts to think. “What am I saying? Styve would go nuts if he knew what was going on!”

TJ then slaps himself across the face, but it's harder than he thought, and he yelps. Ashley looks at him like he's “special,” and TJ gets embarrassed.

“I guess he's not that bad when his mouth isn't open,” she chuckles to herself.

“I feel like this is going to be my best work yet!” Yoshinda tells them.

* * *

Outside, it's getting late, and the street lights have come on. Prometheus is wandering the floating city looking for TJ.

“That boy is so hopeless,” he says, taking a break. “How are we supposed to find the Chosen One, if he keeps goofing off?”

* * *

Back at the house, Yoshinda has most of the drawing done. TJ walks over to look at it and is amazed.

“Wow, I didn't know I looked like that,” he says. “You're really good at bringing out my inner beauty.”

“Please sit down so she can finish,” Ashley hisses. “I'm not going to come back and do it again just because you didn't sit still long enough.”

“How are you able to draw so well?” TJ asks, ignoring Ashley.

“When I draw, I am driven by the hope that whoever sees this can be happy,” she answers.

“I guess that's why they say your pictures are illusions of happiness. It's too bad no one knows who is really drawing them.”

“I can't have drawings of beautiful people in romantic scenes, if I'm not beautiful. People are expecting perfection.”

“One who cannot be happy for themselves shouldn't waste time worrying about other peoples' happiness,” Ashley says.

Yoshinda stops drawing and gets a quiet look on her face.

“Ashley how can you be so cold?” TJ asks, disgusted.

He then grabs another painting that is in the process of being worked on.

“Tell me you don't look at this and feel what she's feeling?” he asks her, holding the picture up.

Ashley takes a look at it and almost drops her coffee mug.

“This painting…” she thinks to herself.

“This is a painting of two lovers,” Yoshinda explains, getting up. “The man is giving his lover a locket that will hold as a symbol of their love. For some reason though, I always get sad when I draw those two.”

“I know what you mean,” TJ says. “I feel their heartache almost as though I were the man in the painting.”

The locket the man is giving the woman is the same one that Silent Warrior found the other day, but TJ doesn't seem to realize it.

Evening has fallen now, and Yoshinda is walking with TJ on his way home.

“You didn't have to come with me,” TJ tells her.

“I thought I would for keeping you so late,” she replies. “But I bet you would rather have had Ashley walk with you.”

“No way, it's not even like that!”

They've come back to the gallery, and they spot two girls outside the window.

“This picture is so amazing,” the one says. “Those two look so in love.”

“Yeah, the artist must be a wonderful person,” the other says as they walk off.

“See Yoshinda, you should come out,” TJ says. “People deserve to know the truth, and you deserve the credit. You can draw these wonderful pictures, you're nice, and you make good cookies. You are a very wonderful person, and people should know that. Cheer up about things, I've got to run.”

TJ runs off, and Yoshinda stands there, thinking about the things TJ said to her. As he is running, he hears someone call out to him. He then gets hit in the head with an object.

“Hey, this is my other ring, how did this get here?” he wonders.

“You dropped it at the park this morning,” Prometheus answers, stepping out from some bushes. “If you don't want the Universal Bow, I'll give it to someone else.”

“It's not that Promeeth, I was just thinking about Yellow LightStar.”

“Well you seem better now. Must be nice to have problems so small that they are easily solved.”

“Christ Prometheus, why do you have to be such an ass?!”

TJ gets mad and runs back in the other direction.

“I was only speaking the truth. Perhaps I said too much?”

Not too much further down the road, TJ stops to catch his breath.

“There's no way a little lion cat thing can understand the complex mind of a teenage boy,” TJ complains.

At that moment, his ring starts to glow.

“It's pointing in the direction of Yoshinda's house,” TJ notices, running off again.

* * *

Back at Yoshinda's house, Des Demona has already broken through the front window and is confronting her.

“I'm going to need you to hand over that Dark Crystal Shard, and turn back into one of the 7 Shadows,” Des Demona is saying to her.

“Your look is exquisite, but also scary,” Yoshinda replies.

Ignoring her comment, Des Demona uses the Black Crystal and changes her into Vena, a green skinned version of her human self, dressed in a toga with angel wings. She then retrieves the shard.

“I had no idea she was one of the carriers,” TJ says from outside the window. “Guys, Brother emergency! Key in on my communicator and pursue. Des Demona has appeared and made another demon appear!” “Phoenix Transform!”

TJ telepathically contacts all of the Brothers and Prometheus, and then changes into Silent Warrior. Meanwhile, Des Demona and Vena have left the house and made it to a construction site not too far away.

“This is excellent; a clean get away,” Des Demona cackles.

“Not so fast!” a voice yells as a dagger strikes before them.

They both look up to see the silhouette of Silent Warrior at the top of the building. He then jumps down to confront them.

“I won't forgive you for taking a talented artist and turning her into one of your Dark Kingdom drones. As the moonlight that shines so brightly, I Silent Warrior will not forgive you. In the name of the Phoenix, I will punish you!”

“Silent Fool, how dare you try to get in my way again!” Des Demona snarls. “Vena, show him how it's done!”

Vena complies and throws a feather in the air. The feather then starts to draw boulders which she then has fall on Silent Warrior. Silent Warrior tries as best he can to dodge the boulders.

“That's it Vena, make me a silent pancake!” Des Demona cackles.

Silent Warrior trips on one of the boulders and falls to the ground. Vena then creates a giant one and begins to drop it on him. Right before it crushes him, Yellow LightStar jumps in, and grabs him.

“Yellow LightStar, you saved me,” he says. “I feel like I'm always the damsel in distress.”

Not in the mood for his jokes, she puts him down and turns her attention to Des Demona, who is trying to escape by running through the unfinished building.

“You won't get away from me with that shard!” Yellow LightStar yells, chasing after her.

“Go LightStar, do your thing girl!” Silent Warrior cheers on.

“You should be paying more attention to your own fight,” Vena says, floating before him.

She then does some hand movements and shoots ropes at him. The ropes then turn to snakes.

“Dark Fires Engulf!”

They both turn to see the rest of the Brothers at the entrance.

“You did a great job by yourself,” Prometheus says to Silent Warrior.

Before he can say anything back, Vena creates more boulders to throw on the guys.

“Dark Mist Paralyze!”

Dark Sabre's attack blinds the enemy from being able to see them.

“You guys go easy on her, she's a good person,” Silent Warrior yells. “I'm going after Yellow LightStar and Des Demona.”

Deeper within the site, Yellow LightStar and Des Demona are going at it, hand to hand. Des Demona manages to push her back, and then surprises her with a barrage of embers.

“Now to take you out, and get that crystal back,” she taunts.

Des Demona creates a crystal dagger, and throws it at the unsuspecting heroine.

“This fist of mine is burning red! Fist of the Phoenix Flare!”

Silent Warrior's attack hits the dagger right before it can hit Yellow LightStar.

“Looks like we'll have to play another day,” Des Demona says, leaving in a flash of embers.

“Silent Warrior, thank you,” Yellow LightStar says to him.

As he is walking towards her, the locket falls out of his uniform. They both reach down to pick it up, and then look at each other.

“I'm sorry, this belongs to you,” Silent Warrior says.

The locket then opens, and the music begins to play.

“Prince…” Yellow LightStar whispers.

“Would you be referring to the Chosen One?” Silent Warrior asks. “We are looking for him too. Do you know where he is?”

“No, I don't know anything. Why don't you hold onto this for me, Silent Warrior. I would just lose it again if you gave it back.”

“Since you're in the giving mood, I have to ask if you would like to give me that Crystal Shard you picked up the other day.”

“Sorry, but that I can't hand over. And when it comes down to it, I'll be needing your shard too.”

“Does this mean you're our enemy?”

“It means that when it comes to the Nijizuishou, no bars will be held.”

Yellow LightStar then jumps off the building into the darkness of the night.

“LightStar…oh wait, the battle isn't over yet!”

“Dark Lightning Bolt Strike!”

Dark Knight's attack destroys one of Vena's wings, and she falls to the ground.

“I can take it from here guys,” Silent Warrior says, showing up. “This fist of mine is flaming white! White Flame Cleansing!”

Silent Warrior, turns Vena back into Yoshinda, and she wakes up just to see the four Brothers run off into the night.

* * *

The next day, TJ and Ashley have been asked to come to the art gallery. They walk in to find Yoshinda hanging up new art she's done.

“I thought you didn't want anyone to see the real you,” TJ says to her.

“Oh, I've had some time to think about that,” she answers. “Here's the picture I finished from yesterday.”

Ashley and TJ both look at it and are impressed by how well it looks.

“This isn't a bad portrait, considering the model,” Ashley comments. “You actually look quite refined when your mouth isn't open, Tiny Tim.”

TJ rolls his eyes, and turns to spot another picture on the main wall.

“That's a portrait of you!” he notices.

“I decided to take your advice and stop hiding behind a false image,” Yoshinda says. “From now on, people will know the real me.”