And now, we attack the backlog again:

1997:

Odd time for RK to hold sway over.

ponytail, fell to his midback. A simple pair of glasses
adorned his handsome, wellworn face. A few wrinkles around
the eyes and the mouth told of time's passing. Callused
hands held the broom with a steady grip as the holy man did
battle with his dry and dead invaders. The crispy sound of
dead

just used dead. 'dried' might be better here.

 leaves on stone along with the rasp of broom against

the hard temple steps accompanied by the light whistling
breeze created a natural symphony that would lull anyone
into peace.

Which means it's time to kill something.

The idyllic scene was shattered when the hands that
held the broom suddenly changed grip and the air whistled
with the speed of wood clawing through air. The old man had
shifted his stance and sent the broom for a strike at a
place several feet up and behind him on the temple steps.

The meaty thwack of wood against flesh and the jarring
vibration of solid contact made the priest turn around.

extra line break there.

"Getting better at this, aren't you?" A dainty-looking
hand held the broom shaft a few inches from an enigmatically
beautiful face, framed by sinfully long hair that played in
the breeze. "If I were a normal person that would have
shattered my hand and still have enough momentum to break my
jaw, if not totally demolish my face."

"That was the intent, Lao Xiaojie."

"In that case," Setsuna began a bitch slapping which people would talk about
for years to come.

Silence reigned as the two stared at each other. Then
Tomoe Enishi, shrine priest, turned his back on the most
irritating person he had ever met with

drop 'with'

 a snort and started

sweeping again.

"Looking good for a person past the hundred year mark,
Enishi."

Enishi: A pity you don't.

And thus followed another bitch slapping.

"Yes, I know. I received a visit from my cousin awhile
back. A good person for someone who has to suck blood."

"Miyu is the last to hold the office and the name,
Enishi. Your ancestress had two children, both blessed in
their own ways and have been quite useful in their time. But
she is not the reason I have come here."

"Then what brings you here, Old One."

One?"

Enishi's eyes narrowed. "This is all part of some
convoluted plan of yours isn't it?"

Pluto: It's a possiblity. Although even if it wasn't I would pretend it was,
just so you would think I was really a genius.

A smile and twinkle in her eye came with her answer.
"Not just a plan. It is _The_ Plan, Tomoe Enishi. Something
that has been waiting well nigh twenty millenia to complete.
And it requires that you train your granddaughter in the
Art."

Enshi: Nude fingerpainting?

Pluto: No! I mean the other art.

"No. But, she has warrior's blood in her and she has
the steel will all of your family seem to possess.

Pluto: Except for that Shinji kid. I think I know where your family's
collective spinelessness went.

A silent breeze kicked up once again and he knew he was
alone once again.

Another piece of the puzzle. Should be interesting when you get to the main
story.

D.B. Sommer

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