Prelude to the Battle of the Black Demon Woods

After a two hour conference meeting with the Lord and his generals, Yamada, Jill Matsmoti, Tang Fu Lii, Melinda Fox, Valerie Fox, and Jack Yakama walk out into the main conference room. Yamada and Jill are still arguing over tactics for the assault. "You better listen to me girl, I want you and your black ninjas to operate as a cover for me and my men. You only have 40 black ninja appointed for this mission, I have 1200 troops....do the math!" Yamada shouts. Jill replies, "I know, but your scouts are not good at all, even Yakenzo asks for the support of my black ninja. I have to find Keyoto's base of operations. When we find that we can focus our attack." Yamada turns and shouts, "Yakenzo is much better than your black ninja......he is an expert. I'll call Neil Lancini and see if he'll help out. Just cover us when the battle begins, GOT IT!" Jill face reddens with growing anger. She snarls back with a deeper, cat-like voice, "Don't take yourself too seriously." Yamada walks toward Jill and gets into her face and says, ":I was placed as the mission leader girl, not you. You will do as I see fit. End of discussion!" Jill's fist clinch as rage overtakes her. A quite but fierce growl of savage fury comes from her. Jack Yakama, sensing Jill's increasing temperament rushes over and calmly places his hands on her shoulders and says quietly, "Take it easy Jill. Let him think he's in control." Yamada shouts for Pee Wee and walks out of the room.

Melinda stands across from Jill, noticing she is crying slightly. Jill's eyes are still closed but she is sniffling and a few tears are appearing. Melinda sits down beside Jill and asks quietly, "what's wrong Jill, can I help in any way?" Jill opens her eyes and shockingly says, "why didn't you go to the food court, I'll be alright." Melinda leans back into her chair and says, "I can eat later. Please don't cry.........what has got you so upset my friend. If it's in regards to your mission, I think I have a plan to give you the glory you want." Jill eyes open widely and says, "You do, why didn't you say this to the others? You're such a good friend Mellie!" Melinda quietly says, "You should ignore Yamada's orders. I have some information regarding the location of a Fire Ninja camp. Give me four of your best black ninja and I'll give instructions on where to plant a few 'agent' Fire Ninja within their army to start trouble. Many Demon Ninja and Fire Ninja troops are not really happy about working together. They don't trust one another. Zanatogi and Keyoto are hoping time and battle will cement the alliance. I'll give these troops some good ways to start creating animosities between the two sides. This will not stop the battle but it will give Keyoto and Zanatogi more to deal with." Jill questions, "Do you think they are expecting this?" Melinda replies, "sure I do. But the increased pressure onto their troops to get along will only make the troops more suspicious of Keyoto and Zanatogi. Zanatogi is the weaker link too, his recruits are easier to sway and are made up of Kogasuma soldiers who were thrown out of the army. If we can get a few Demon Ninja 'plants', there could be an even bigger internal fight." Jill responds, "Wow, that sounds good, you want me to lead this operation?" "Sure, I'll .......hunt up some Fire Ninja uniforms and give you the information when you have given me the troops." Melinda answers. Jill then gets up and hugs Melinda with a powerful bear hug and say, "Your the best, the best friend I have." Melinda awkwardly says, "sure thing, thank you."

The next morning Melinda Fox gives a message to Jack Yakama asking him to bring Jill Matsmoti to a deep forest check point. At 7:00AM Jill and Jack arrive with seven black ninja. Jack greets Melinda, "Good morning Melinda!" He then notices she has a camouflage tarp covering something. "What do you have there?" he asks. She silently lifts the tart to reveal five dead Fire Ninja. Jill questions, "where did you get them Mellie....how did you bring them here?" Melinda winks and responds, "that's a secret my friends!" Melinda gives instructions to the black ninja about their mission. The black ninja quickly undress the dead Fire Ninja and pack their cloths. The two black ninja who didn't get Fire Ninja uniforms are given other instructions. All parties shake hands and bid the black ninjas luck. Melinda , Jill, and Jack return to the team base. The black ninja dart into the woods.

Four days later the black ninja arrive at a Fire Ninja outpost on the CM/Kogasuma border. The chief clan leader of this group greets the five, now Fire Ninja dressed, CM black ninja agents. One agent defuses the fact that they are not know to the group by showing a secret hand clutching known only to the inner sect of the Fire Ninja. This agent claims he was sent from a western Kogasuma training base by one of Zanatogi's underlings, who is operating in the Kogasuma capital. This group of Fire Ninja are preparing to set up camp for the night and plan to arrive at the main Demon/Fire Ninja camp the next day. As the agent ninja begin to talk with the Fire Ninja, they discover there is some uneasiness about the new alliance. At a night campfire, many Fire Ninja grumble about this quick alliance and their distain for Keyoto and the Demon Ninja. The agents begin to tell a tale of how Demon Vlad and a few Demon Ninja stole their families pension money and robbed some nearby elderly fisherman. The level of dissatisfaction begins to rise. Another Fire Ninja starts harping about a rumor he heard about how Vlad was out to take Zoe Zhen, Zanatogi's mistress. Another agent starts a rumor about how Keyoto is secretly working for Yamashidi. The grumbling continued into the night.

The next morning the Fire Ninja group heads to the main camp. The two remaining undisguised black ninja follow behind the traveling caravan. That afternoon they reach the main camp. The agents greet Zanatogi, Zoe Zhen, Yellow Demon, and Gen. Hiroto. There is some tension between the two sides. Gen. Hiroto begins a speech to the assembled crowd which focuses on unity and friendship. The Fire Ninja welcome his comments. Every trooper on both sides are given orders to meet the next day for Keyoto's arrival. The Demon Ninja and Fire Ninja brake into two camps for the night. Near midnight the two black ninja who had followed the agent group secretly killed two Demon Ninja troops and disguised themselves as Demon Ninja.

Early the next morning came word throughout the camp that two high profile members of the CM had defected to the alliance side. In Gen. Hiroto's barracks, Gen. Hiroto, Yellow Demon, and Zanatogi question the new defectors, Red Eye Lee and Bridgette Shane. Zanatogi sits at a table beside Gen. Hiroto and question the two intently for over an hour for what they know, why they want to join, and any information on the CM's next plans. Yellow Demon paces around both Lee and Shane who are seated in two wooded chairs. "I welcome your arrival but I have some reservations about your willingness to aide our cause. Lee, I especially question your motives since you worked with Yamashidi for some time.", Zanatogi asks. Lee responds, "Master Zanatogi, my life with the Commando Massacres is over. They humiliated me, I was dismissed from Yamashidi's clan, without any reason after serving him faithfully for almost two years. Then when I enter Yamada's contest I beat all my competition and was simply ignored. My pride and honor is worth more than that. Yamashidi and Yamada have made a point of making enemies within the team and some of us aren't going to stand for this crap any more. I understand your resistance to except my offer but please take it with my most humble sincerity." Gen. Hiroto asks, "we can only offer you a lower level position since we have some doubts about your sincerity, for at least to begin with. If you can prove on the battlefield and elsewhere that you two are truly loyal toward us, then we can promote you to a high position within our clan." Zanatogi then looks at Bridgette Shane and asks, "I have very little knowledge of your importance to the CM, what skills do you offer." Shane replies, "Sir, I'm a well trained kickboxer, I taught kickboxing to many of the CM Royal Kendo Guards this past spring." Yellow Demon stands in front of her and asks, "I don't know if a female kickboxer is really what we need in our higher ranks." Yellow Demon asks her to stand and walks around her. "Not to offend you but there are many men out there willing to cut us to pieces, we need powerful fighters who can cut them down, weapon specialist, archers, and brawlers." Yellow Demon looks at Shane's olive colored t-shirt and black pants and questions, "What else do you got, you almost look like someone who just came off of the street." Gen. Hiroto asks, "Shane, you have to show us what you got. Spar with one of my troopers." Hiroto points toward a trooper and motions him to spar with the Shane. Shane, who has become irritated with this line of questioning stands and slowly forms a sparring stance while the trooper does the same. The trooper attacks Shane with a series of leg kicks while Shane blocks them. They dance and weave around, the trooper throwing even more kicks. Then Shane begins a series of kicks of her own, which knocks the trooper around with force. She then finishes the sparring with a double kick to the troopers ribs. He falls to the ground, out of breath from the blows. "Very good!" Yellow Demon yells. "I didn't know you had such fire within you." he added. Shane turns around and says, "I was a dancer for many years and then a kickboxer, my legs have become very powerful, most men can't withstand my kicks." "Very good!" Gen. Hiroto proclaims. Zanatogi, Gen. Hiroto, and Yellow Demon group-up and begin to talk. Lee and Shane sit, waiting to see what actions they will take. Then Gen. Hiroto walks over toward Lee and says, "Red Eye Lee, you will be placed with my assault team."  He then walks over to Shane and says, "Bridgette Shane, you will be places within Demon Vlad's  support staff." As Lee and Shane are escorted out Zanatogi, Hiroto, and Yellow Demon agree to have them watched, just as a precaution.

Meanwhile at the CM Team Base, Yamada has heard the newer of Lee and Shane leaving the Empire and is furious. "How dare they leave, I should have killed both of them at the tournament. They'll pay for this." Yamada snaps. " Tang Fu Lii and Pee Wee are with him and try to incorporate a plan to assassinate both Lee and Shane before the battle. There is some concern that they have sensitive information that could harm the team, "I have to talk to Rev. MacMallard about this. I want him to call for a 'Holy Mission' to get these a-holes." Yamada states angrily. Tang responds, " I think Jill has some inside 'plants' within the Demon and Fire Ninja. Melinda devised the plan, it generally is a plot to stir up trouble between the alliance forces. I haven't heard of any information more than that." Yamada crosses his arms and says, "Oh really.......Get me Jill or Melinda at once!" Tang leaves for a search for them. Pee Wee asks Yamada, "Are you going to get mad at them master, it sounds like a good idea." Yamada responds, " It does sound good, my only problem is the fact that they like working behind my back." Melinda walks into the conference room with Tang and asks, "So, you requested my presents?" Yamada says calmly, " My you are tricky......very very tricky. Tang informed me you have sent agent ninja into the Demon Ninja camp, why didn't you inform me?" Melinda looks straight at Yamada and answers, " This was just a little plan to help you and Jill, nothing more." Yamada then looks around the room and orders Pee Wee and Tang out. The room stays silent at Yamada walks around Melinda who is standing with her arms crossed. After a few minutes Yamada quietly asks, "Why don't you work with me? Why don't you help me with these missions like you do with Jill and Jack and Tang, or for that matter pretty much anyone else. Your mother was one of my best friends. I loved her very much. Your father was a good man I really respected. I wouldn't ever say this sort of stuff in front of anyone, not even Pee Wee or my children...." Yamada looks around and makes sure no one can hear him ".....please help me Melinda." Melinda sighs and says quietly, " I do help you Yamada, you just don't see it or for that matter, recognize it. Giving Jill some glory of her own DOES work for you as well. Just think about it, if she gets more attention on this mission, especially with the soldiers, her popularity will challenge Yamashidi's. You will always have the top spot in their hearts so if Jill has, even for a time, has a successful mission, Yamashidi's role is even lessened." Yamada thinks to himself and continues to pace the floor and then asks, "why do you support Jill?" Melinda replies, "Jill is a good friend and a very trustworthy person. She enjoys her place within the team and your commons the other day really hurt her. As with any of my friends, I am more than willing to give them my 'advise' and help when needed. You need to find the good within these people and stop starting conflicts with them. It will make your life a lot easier." Yamada looks up at the ceiling a says benignly, " You are the greatest enigma I've ever met.......I always remembered you as this skinny quiet girl with her little sister who would talked all the time...Valerie." Melinda slightly laughs and says, "Oh really.......mmmm........yes Valerie did talk a lot back then.....she's gotten a little quieter with age I guess." Yamada continues to reflect, "Oh yes, that was before J.C. was around. I only remember her as a baby." Melinda changes the subject, "Just keep a level head with regards toward YOUR peers around here." Yamada just stares at Melinda as J.C. Fox enters the room. "Hey, thought I'd find you in here sis, hello Mighty Yamda!" J.C. states cheerfully. Melinda and J.C. greet one another. Yamada asks, "So do you plan on joining the battle to rid this empire of Keyoto and the Demon Ninja?" Melinda and J.C.  turn and look at Yamada. "If Valerie wants my assistance, I'll be there." Melinda answers. Yamada then leaves the room. J.C. asks, "So what was he asking about, is he starting more trouble?" Melinda responds, " He just had some questions, nothing more." J.C. laughs and says, "Oh boy, I can see those cranks and pulleys at work in your head sis."

Later that night a huge bonfire is raging as the Demon Ninja and Fire Ninja celebrate the coming battle. Demon Keyoto, Yellow Demon, Zanatogi and Zoe Zhen sit together as troops come up and greet them before the blazing bonfire. Demon Vlad appears with Shane after a few hours of absents. While Keyoto is shaking the hand of a trooper a series of arrows fly right into the leadership group. Screams erupts as chaos breaks hold. Zoe Zhen is screaming uncontrollably, an arrow has hit her brother, a top Fire Ninja leader, a lethal head shot. Zanatogi and Keyoto look around in the chaos trying to get their bearing. A top Demon guard is found dead next to Yellow Demon who is holding him and screaming for a field surgeon. The crowd screams and yells. After an hour of uncontrolled commotion, Keyoto and Zanatogi go into a underground bunker at the camp barracks. They are both shaken by anger and confusion. Two hours later six dead Fire Ninjas are found near the main Demon Ninja barracks. While speaking inside one of the Demon Ninja trooper's quarters barracks, a flaming  Molotov cocktail is throw onto the quarters, nearly hitting Gen. Hiroto who is trying to calm the troopers down. The troopers on both sides grumble about the chaos and blame the other alliance side. Keyoto and Zanatogi know this and talk at length about this attack. "There is trouble within our ranks, I thought our alliance was working well." Zanatogi states. "Yes, I know, it seems someone within our ranks, probably low level troops, are starting this I guess." Keyoto responds. "I agree, Maybe they don't like Red Eye Lee or Bridgette Shane? I didn't sense this anger before they arrived." Zanatogi counters. Keyoto replies, "I don't see why either of them would cause this. Neither were all that important over at the CM anyway. Until we find out who did this we better keep our eyes peeled on any suspicious actions." Zanatogi agrees but also adds, "Zoe is very shaken by the killing of her brother, she my not be ready to fight with us in battle." Keyoto thinks and replies, "I see, just let her know I'll stop at nothing until I find who killed her brother. If it WAS a Demon Trooper, I'll personally cut his throat." Both then leave to their respective quarters.

by Jesse Nightingale, © 2004

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