Destiny's Net
By Charles Duncan
In the land of AbaRivi a mystical frog, swollen with technology and greed and magic,
stood ten feet tall over the landscape. He was unbelievably unhappy with the state
of things going his way. He saw nothing but happiness below in the peaceful valley
that reminds one of Japan without all the smog, and screamed for his underlings.
The big rats came forth to his bidding. Machines in soul and heart, they lived
to posess an attitude about being in charge. Smoke poured from their smokestacks.
"Minions. Friends. It has been a generation since a Wayward warrior has come
forth to chase me from the land as they have chased you. I know your feelings
are hurt, but this generation has gone longer without our intervention."
"You slept a decade too long, great Dark Frog of Mayhem."
"You WERE the ALARM CLOCK, immortal cheap-labor cretin!"
"I am a warrior. No device for telling time!"
"Stop making excuses. The war must begin anew. Surprise must be on our side.
If the Aged Soul actually has waited for our arrival he's not going to be in
a good mood to send a warrior to destroy us. The Fat one must go forth and you to
help him, the Doubled Reville, to send a calling card to the populace. Fail me and
you will not be in a very healthy state."
"Being a pile of part's is NEVER, is it!"
"Go to the village. Show them our strength."
The machines went forth.
"Surely by now they have invented Earthquake proof buildings", the Thin rat said.
"Fat one does not care about Earthquake proof buildings."
The 15 foot tall giant and his 5 foot tall companion walked down the mountainside into
the valley below.
-later-
At the local high school where school uniforms were more towards grunge, something
rumbled from within a locker. A young, ravenhaired girl came to the locker and climbed
up on it, trying to rip it open with her much-chipped nails. The screaming was louder and
out tumbled a young boy.
"Not again, Okkaido-San. How dare you let the Summer Hockey team put you in a state
like this? And WHY did you give them MY LOCKER COMBO?"
"Bribery, Raisin?"
"That's Kaysiki to you. I swear someone in this school has it in for you. You
have little backbone, y know?"
She helped the underclassman up out of his locker.
"I prefer Land Skiing myself", Okkaido-San said as he staggered to his feet,
slipped on the floor and fell.
"Well, you just tell the Hockey Team No more, Okay! Okkaido, get a life. I can't be
there all the time to get one for You."
"Okay, Raisin Mam!", Okkaido-San said as he saluted, then his back gave out and he fell
to the ground. "Sorry but the team captain made me carry him piggyback to his next
class."
"Kaysiki!", she said as Okkaido heard the school bell and he crawled crablike to
his class.
"Doof.", she said. "I have got to talk to that team and show them some civility for
the grade-challenged!"
"Then will you talk to me", said a giant, old man hunched apelike beside
her all of a sudden, ripping out of the ground with monkey-long arms.
Kaysiki walked off to the gym, not even noticing the man.
"Kids today. No appreciation for the nobler things in life. Probably'd break all
the Classical Rap music songs I'd given her if that was my purpose. I must be noticed for
her sake!" The man dived into the ground, and a Custodian finally came forth to
notice the hole he made.
"Now how am I going to explain this to the Principal?", the Custodian noted.
---
Kaysiki was watching the hockey team rollerblade on the hard gym floor, hitting each
other when the coach was not looking. The team captain looked very mean for being Three
feet tall. He used his size to get the airpuck and put it in the net, barely
missing a girl goalie's belly with the shot.
Kivara, the goalie, yelled into the captain's ear.
"That was on purpose!"
"I am the leader of the team. I must win anyway I can!", said the goalie.
"If you had to be sportsmanlike to win, would you be so?"
"You are not a man!", said the goalie. "You can do a lot but you will not cheat
like I do to get ahead! Why Coach even bothered with you is a mystery, Kivara, Ukansi
made a much better goalie and she even LIKED me because I was a MAN!"
Suddenly the giant old man stood behind the captain Makoto.
"ewwwwaaaaawaaaaawaaaa!", Kivara said as she noticed what Makoto did not. Her
face turned blue at the edges from fright as she sweated extremely.
"No. Stupid one. Do not look at my face. Look at my biceps. MY BICEPS!" And the;
little one flexed muscles thick as cables that ripped his hockey shirt up.
"It's a monster!", Kivara said. The rest of the team noticed the old man from
behind and shook like mad. The Coach noticed only briefly before yawning.
Makoto looked behind him but did not see anything. He saw right through the
giant old man.
"What are you fools staring at? I do not have two heads!", he said as the team roller
bladed off the ice. The old man grabbed him by the head and looked him straight in
the eyes but Makoto still did not see. Even when the Old Man waved his huge hand
right in front of Makoto's eyes. "And who has me now by my pristine SHORTS? I will
hit HER!", Makoto continued.
Kivara kept going "wawawaawawawa", over and over. "Makoto that's a monster...."
Suddenly Kaysiki walked out on the floor, stamping all the way. "How dare you hurt
the new kid Okkaido?", she said to Makoto. "He may be a clutz but he has a
right to grow up untaunted by you!"
"What Right?", Makoto said. "And will you put me DOWN before I tell my Ninja Mom
and she cuts you in two?", he said. The Old man dropped him as he turned to Kaysiki
and waved his hand in front of her face without much effort. He smiled as if that
was a sign.
"Makoto, I want an apology or I will shove you out the gym door into the pool outside,
and then Principal Akivako will curse you for not being more willing to join
the SCUBA SOCCER TEAM!"
"Oh, like that is plausible. Akivako will meet my mom and be granted misery at
the sword strokes of a golden Kitana Blade. You'll see." The old man dived into
the ground, ruining the gym floor again.
"Will you stop using your 'ninja mom' as an excuse? She is more of the
local Samuarai Police patrol than an Independent Ninja. We met recently and
she said you should stop doing this to her heart."
"That was the good clone talking. She really is a ninja and she will sneak into
your house and cut your walls to ribbons."
Kivara moaned, "Didn't either of you see that Monster just now?"
"NO!", both said then returned to confront each other.
"I don't think you have a mother that's a ninja. Liar. I will avenge Okkaido's
humiliation by grabbing you!"
"I must warn you my mom will come from the clouds and hit your head off with
a stroke."
Kaysiki slapped Makoto into Kivara's lap.
"Tomorrow you admit to the principal you pick on underclassmen or you will
be humiliated in the very sport you call 'fun'!" By me, personally!
"Muh.... muh... me?", Kivara sobbed.
"No, Him. I must now walk home and Makoto, It will be very cold when I see
anything that remotely resembles your mom in a black ninja outfit, let alone
with a SWORD!" Kaysiki said as she walked off.
Kivara moaned, "You didn't see the monster? Even when it had YOU?"
"All I see is a girl who is delusional."
"GOOD!", Kivara said, much angrier now and less mopey. "NOW I'll save Kaysiki
the trouble!" Kivara picked up Makoto despite him slapping her, and skated
with him outside as the coach awoke and saw the hole in the floor.
The coach kicked the dirt in the hole and sighed, "Last time I stay up late at
night devising game plans."
Kaysiki barely noticed Makoto being dunked in the pool from afar as she walked home,
not even believing a giant old man had taken Makoto high in the air. Or believing
that Okkaido would ever grow up and get a life. She was annoyed that a little strongman
like Makoto used his influence on lowerclassmen for personal gain, but would be
even more annoyed as she heard something in the distance as she left the grounds
of the school.
The skies suddenly darkened from where she stood towards the distant mountains.
Suddenly the earth began to shake as something distant came forth that she did See.
It got quiet outside as her clothing blew in a sudden breeze (her grey t-shirt, her
orange vest and her knee-length swimtrunks, that is, that was the school
uniform.)
She saw something jump high in the sky as she heard screaming from afar.
And then in front of her a machine fell to the ground, barely missing her but causing
her to fall off her feet from the impact. She began screaming out of shock barely
a second from impact.
--- later--
The Fat One looked down at the girl, sprawled on the ground. "Hey, human, which
way is the CITY HALL now of this village?"
Kaysiki had little time to regain her composure. She just cried.
"My goodness. You're not going to be much of a Slave, so calm down. Just tell
us where the CIY HALL is since it moved a decade ago. A general direction.
I won't shoot ALL your limbs off with my blaster for telling. Please."
"Shock", said his short companion, who became his companions with a small
whirr and a shimmer of light. "Humans can't take too much before emotional
mayhem goes off. The Dark Frog will not be able to make us better with beings
scared instead of hating us."
"Hate is an awful emotion", said Fat One. "Small woman, please help us destroy your
village through our leader's neglect. It won't hurt as long as you live to be
loyal to the Dark Frog."
"She's worthless, isn't she", the Doubled Revilles said. "Break the Gym apart and then
we get a map from a Electric Car Station. Our old on-line maps must be updated
and Aerial surveillance will be too costly in power."
"You two are right. Dark Frog will not find good work out of this one. A nobler
human would have fainted. Just fainted."
Fat One jumped up as the Revilles dashed off in opposite directions.
A minute or so later, the old man clawed out from under the ground and looked
at Kaysiki, shuddering.
"Yes, she is the one whos strength of character will prevail where even MY strength
cannot. A stretch, but."..... he mused.
Finally, Kaysiki looked up and saw the Old man, barely visible to her in the
dimming sunlight.
Kaysiki fainted as the Old man grinned. Then the old man growled, picked
her up over his shoulders, and took her deep in the earth.
Suddenly, the Principal walked and looked at the hole in the ground, with the
Custodian in tow.
"Moles. Giant Moles.", the Principal moaned.
"I think it must be termites."
"Since when are termites giants?", the Principal said. "We must put this hole
repair in the school budget! We cannot let the Superintendant fall in and
start wandering in the forest again, Dazed! Not good for the elks he tends to
wrestle in the woods at ALL."
The Principal did not even notice the Gym being ruined as Revilles kept doing
the robotic version of the sticking out of the tounge thing, but when he did notice
and the two robots left for the center of town, he blamed the mess on an
infestation of Elks after staring for twenty seconds.
"The elks are having their revenge. Call the town contractor, Custodian, and
do it quickly. I will not have classes suspended in the Gym for more than a
week."
The Custodian moaned.
----
Deep in darkness, Kaysiki gasped for air.
"hufff--- hufff", she panted as the Old man loomed above her. A light slowly
came on to reveal a place full of relics from a bygone era.
"Forgot to hold your breath? Must never practice snorkeling.", he said. "But
you will learn.
"Who.... are you?", she said, almost scared. "AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH ME?"
"I have come to grant you a better destiny, Kaysiki. One that must ultimately
prevail."
"Listen, if you work for Makoto's mom or something, let me warn you."
"Oh. Makoto's mom. I have heard much about his rantings and found most of them
to be true, but none is as important as a peril coming to the village even
the Samuarai will not last long against. This is about you. You are a descendant
of the Yimati tribe, who for generations had protected the lost city of Tokyo before
it was replaced by viable rolling hills in a great soulquake as warriors.... and
for generations hence Tokyo's forgotten existence."
"What's a tokyo?", Kaysiki said. "And why am I here?"
"You are the next in line to wear the honor garb of the RatNabbers, against the
forces of the Dark Frog, a genetic god who destroyed said Tokyo and set
the world into an era of Dark Ages. His machines have returned to reclaim his
favored land of birth and they must be stopped."
"Wait. 'Honor Garb'? Frog?"
"Oh, he only calls himself a frog to make his ego grow bigger. But You must come
to help. It's a nice destiny, at least nicer than seeing the valley in ruin. And
if you want to know why you didn't see me pick up the bane of Okkaido-san's
existence, I am mostly made of magic, something you believe in so you cannot
see me and yet I can know you. I have lived here awaiting the day they would
come forth so you can help me in my struggle."
"Really.", she said. "So when do I wake up?"
"Tomorrow morning, but you have to fall asleep first. Time is of the essence. Great
whims of fancy in the Robots will make your village be harmed if you do not
act."
"I'm not.... asleep?"
"No, but I am the Aged Soul, sensei of all the Ratnabbers and a friend who
can't break the habit of going through the earth through the ground to tell
his fellow warriors it's time to disturb the Robot Rats and make them retreat
under the power of their spirits... and the destructive force of the RatNabbers
Net. Like this one your real mother had, before she put you up for adoption 14 years
ago."
"Yeah... sure... can I go?", she said.
"Disbelief runs strong in your family. Well, I'll accept that, but you seem to
have within you the will to protect the helpless in this world. I'd have chosen
Kivara but her fashion tastes are not yet into the Honor Garb or the wielding of
the net, which could guide you at first while I help train you in private
for the battles yet to come..... Wait... I have a thought..."
"Just let me out of this place after you say it.", Kaysiki said.
"I'll just throw this on Makoto and he can explain how he wore women's dress
while kicking the rear of the Robot Rats for following blindly the intentions
of the Evil Frog. What a cute thought!"
She moaned.
"So what exactly does this 'honor garb' look like?", she said.
"Well, it's not the cute stuff your ancestor school kids wore, I'll tell you that!
And it makes you invulnerable to at least human destruction." The old man
then pulled his hands back to pull something out of the void. First a net
without webbing, then a package that looked like a kimono to even
Kaysiki's world-weary eyes. At least of the dark cave-world she was in now.
"It really would look better on you.", said the Old man.... "And better still on
Makoto!"
"GRRR!", she said as she reached to touch the garb. Suddenly, it grabbed her, seeming
to resew itself around her body as it quickly swamped her regular clothes. The Net
floated from the Old Man's big hand after resting in it for a moment, and swirled
overhead, beaming energy into her head as her short hair turned from raven black
to solid white.
"Hey! Stop that", she said as the garb covered her and she was lifted in the air
to the eye level of the Old Man. "LET ME DOWN!"
"You heard the lady. Isn't your impatience with being alone with nothing to do a
bad thing to show her?"
"You're talking to what I'm WEARING", Kaysiki said shockedly.
"Well it is Nanotech microweave cotton, of course it can hear you. So can the
net, who will help you in battle. But it shouldn't have been so QUICk to do that,
it must really mean the Dark Frog's troops are REALLY hurting things of
sentimentality once again."
"It's ALIVE? Yuck!", Kaysiki said. "You could have warned me it was alive!"
"You accepted it and your destiny, even half-heartedly like your mother. Now you have
to end the suffering the Rats are planning. Would you allow your school to
be destroyed by mayhem? Or the village you live in."
Kaysiki stared as she thought at the old man. "Well, I guess not... but you'd
better tell this 'Kimono' I don't want to be surprised like this again!"
"Why? You did. Just now. And if you want to leave, dig as I have dug, you
do have the strength."
"Well, that may be hard, I'm not eight feet tall LIKE YOU?"
"Don't have to be. Now the Kimono shall transport you to where the rats
are causing ruin. And please take a deep breath because you can't breathe
dirt. I learned the hard way."
"I still think this is a dream going nightmare fast..."
"Isn't life, though?", the Old Man said as Kaysiki found herself being lifted
even higher, then being turned in midair, and finding herself plunging into the
ground quickly after being lifted high above the Old Man's head. A foot from the
ground she drew her breath out of shock. and her hands started clawing at the dirt
like mad suddenly and then she was gone.
"Well, what are you waiting for?", said the Old Man to the net. "Help her and
do not let your sadness over the rejection her mom put you through weaken your
resolve!"
The net then dove deep into the ground.
-----
Soon the rats were close to city hall, as the Fat one quietly shoved cars aside without
much of a bother.
"I sense victory for us", said Reville as they grabbed people randomly and tossed
them aside easily. Easy and quick. The Dark Frog will not melt us down tonight for
scrap."
"Sure since we are giants in this world. But the Old Man, he has not given
the Dark Frog much happiness. We should just dig the Old Man up in our
quest to defeat the Mayor and his Samuarai and shove him in the Well of Other
Worlds."
"We are not to go after the Old Man just yet. The Dark Frog needs his homeland
to caress and enslave. And we are chosen as the first to destroy the town."
"I doubt we will be the last, Reville. I feel something good approaching."
"No. You do not", Reville said as something from behind came from behind him. It was
Kivara who was walking home. She turned to see the wrecked cars amongst her and hte
rats. She fell to her knees and moaned.... "Not.. more... monsters". Then she fainted
backwards.
Reville turned to see Kivara faint.
"A free Servant, Fat One", said Reville as Reville merged. "The Dark Frog will
be happy to have this one build our many future companions in his Swamp of
Poison. Your instincts were correct. Fortunately this is the only good we must
deal with."
Then the earth rumbled as something exploded from underneath The Fat One. Something
named Kaysiki. "Well, that unfortunately IS familiar", said Reville. "Hope for
the best!"
"That old man was right about you.... " Kaysiki said as she saw the rats as she
panted for air.
"Oh, he got to you too?", The Fat One taunted. "Younger than usual, hmmm?"
"I think I see some of Makoto in you, being a bully.", she said. "I'm not sure
I can defeat you as I've suddenly been surprised by this Kimono thing I'm wearing,
and I feel remotely glad it's more of a jumpsuit with legs instead of a dress
part, but somehow I don't feel too glad that you are so close to Kivara. I wish I
could humiliate you."
"Well, of course you can't, that Net is tardy. Fat One", said Reville, "give the
Old Man's little techno-Hentai a taste of your earthquake.
"But I did already."
"You did not! That was her DAUGHTER! That kid was 15, she looks like she's 30!"
"I... look like I'm 30 years old", said a surprise Kaysiki.
Suddenly, Fat One jumped high in the air, and came down, nearly bowling over
Kaysiki several times as he bounced. Kaysiki hadn't the prescence of mind to
roll away, but the Kimono did.
"You realize you're wrecking the road", Kaysiki said as she tumbled near Kivara.
"Sure. It's a hobby of mine", said The Fat One as he tried to drop on top
of Kaysiki with his huge weight and crush Kivara in the bargain. Then the Net erupted
from the ground and came to Kaysiki's hand. Just as The Fat One was three feet
from the ground, the Net made mesh as blue as day, and the mesh then
shot up straight into the center of the Fat One, pushing him
high into the sky and melting most of him in the process before the Fat One
could land.
"Wow. The net did that?", Kaysiki said as she saw the Rat's discontent remains
fall with a lot of groaning to the ground, ten feet from where Kaysiki was. She
got to her feet as the Net's meshing disappeared.
"It STILL does that", Reville said as he tried to grab Kaysiki from in front,
and in Back. Kaysiki looked both ways as the Net then remeshed and began spinning
around her, as Kaysiki was carried with it. Reville found himself in an tornado
of energy and both halves were drawn into its center, torn about by the sudden gale
and flung apart.
Then, Fat one crawled with what was left to Kaysiki.
"That was a surprise, adult!", it groaned slowly as Kaysiki caught her breath.
She smiled as she saw the Fat One at her feet.
"Suddenly I feel better.", she said. "Now I suppose I should send you both back."
Fat One said, "I swear I saw you before. You're not going to survive this new
path you find yourself on."
"Well, I'm surprised I did!"
"Yeah, indeed. Just remember there are worse than us out there. And still, the
Frog Awaits. Now, I must fade into oblivion."
"Let me help you away, for the Old Man's sake and the sake of this place,
My home", she said.
"I just hope that's not catchy!", she quietly muttered.
And with that, she lifted the Net above her head and its meshing surrounded
Fat One, making his charred wreckage shrink until it was no more. Then suddenly,
Kaysiki span around and found herself sitting on the ground, wearing her regular clothes
as her hair darkened and she suddenly felt younger.
"Now I'm convinced it's not a dream", Kaysiki said.
Suddenly, Kivara woke and sat up.
"Kaysiki, is that you? What happened? I saw these rats and then I fainted...."
"Well, um, they're not here now.", Kaysiki said.
"Must have been a dream."
"In the middle of daylight?"
"Well, maybe it was a daydream. You're fine now."
"Is the rest of the city? What about all these cars?"
"Must have been an .... oblivion rock reunion (because you don't wanna yet believe
two robot rats did this, Kaysiki whispered under her breath), Kivara. Want to
walk home with me? I think something funny is going on here."
"Well, Kaysiki, if I'm so tired from practice I fall asleep and have dreams while
I'm walking home, I guess I could use your company".... Kivara said.
Both looked back once and ran off.
--- later
Later that night, the Old man called from beneath Kaysiki's window.
"I am shocked that you didn't need much assistance from the Honor garb, and the
Net saw to help you rather than dwell on.... well, later on that. You did well
today."
"But what happened to the Kimono? And the Hair? I think I actually grew older
then younger today?"
"Much I shall explain, Kaysiki. For now, I cannot help you with the worst part
of the Inheritance the Honor Garb has given you or tell you all of your
secrets, but I feel good you can handle the task as well as you have. I hope you
can continue being a RatNabber in the future despite what I will keep from
you until you are ready to face it and Dark Frog once and for all."
"Well, it would be boring not to give this 'ratnabbing' gig a try once in a while...
And what happened to the Kimono?"
"It is now a part of your soul. I'll tell you that much. But be careful. The Dark Frog
will not rest at mere destruction next time.... he will deal with your friends,
steal stuff and do what it takes to undermine you and finish you. I hope you're
up to it...."
"I guess so.... Um, what is your name?"
"I wish I could remember what it was. Well, I shall see you again when you
feel the need to learn more in fighting the menace... and learn more about
the heritage you possess. Good luck, Kaysiki... the Ratnabber. I hope light
is in your path of you and all those you care for."
"Good night, then", Kaysiki said as she closed her window as she witnessed the Old
Man dig into the ground and vanish. "And I hope this is a dream, still...", she
said as she saw the net on her bed. And sighed as it wagged its handle end like
a lovelorn puppy.
"Then again..."
---- later
The Dark Frog was not pleased. Every generation he had to go through this.
"Two of my best warriors destroyed in a day. The Net of Kaysiki's Mom and her
Symbiotic Kimono have embraced her daughter. I do not like this turn of events
at all. But surely I will prevail. I cannot have waited a thousand years
since my birthing in a Tokyo lab buried underneath that village, for nothing."
His robot rats surrounded him..
"And neither can my rats.", he laughed and they all joined him.
That night, Kaysiki slept with the net at the foot of her bed. Not of course,
noticing a lady ninja in black garb watching over her. And crying. The net woke
up and shut the drapes on the closed window with its energy mesh, and a sigh
on the magical plane could almost be heard from the plane of reality. The ninja
sighed as Makoto looked from afar up the hill to Kaysiki's house and the trees
around it.
"She don't believe in you, Mom. Well, she soon will, won't she?", he chuckled,
little realizing his mom had better things in mind for Kaysiki... and the
valley and village Kaysiki now protected because she wanted to now.....
Even if things got strange once in a while.
---- end
