Zen Garden: Empire Of Shadows

Episode Six: Archer (Pre-Edit)

The lightning bug floated in the night sky, landing on a long blade of grass. Seconds passed as its wings fluttered as the insect cleaned them. Suddenly, a large shadow covered the face of the insect's world, and it looked up to see a giant human-like woman peering down at it with its planet-sized eyes.

Luna held out her hands and quickly clasped them together. She snickered, opening her skin prison only to find nothing inside. She scratched her head, then spotted the same bug a few feet away. Crawling on all fours with her butt wiggling in the air, she pounced the bug, falling over and rolling on her side. After a hearty laugh, she looked up at her clasped hands, opening them so the insect could escape.

Instead of flying out, it crawled against her hand up to the tip of her index finger. She watched it curiously, smiling brightly. The creature seemed to be comfortable there, yet the android couldn't resist the urge to sneeze. When she did so, she felt something grow in her hand and looked to see that her index nail had grown, the blade long with a new coat of magenta paint. Steam rose against the surface, signifying a mild heat emanating from it.

Before she could study it more, the blade contracted back into the robot's hand, leaving her with many questions.

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"Let me explain this in a way your feeble mind will understand: I. Am not. Sleeping in the park!" The king folded his arms over his tank-top, "It's dirty out here. We need to find a motel."

Gardener threw her samurai cloak over a tree branch, "Apparently you've got crud in your own ears, because I specifically told you there isn't a motel within several miles of here. Listen, I am tired, and Luna is running low. We both need sleep if we're gonna be protecting you. If that means spending one night outside, then so be it."

"That's not how this works, knave! You work for me, so my word is law! We keep going!"

Zenshi climbed onto the trunk of the tree, ignoring the man, "Luna has first watch."

Shadow angrily grabbed Zenshi's leg, "You are such a bother! Come back down here."

The samurai lost her grip, slipping and falling onto the king with a thud. Shadow flailed, crying out in pain. Zenshi folded her arms, grinning, "Looks like someone caught a mouthful of karma. Or pussy – I hear they taste similar. Ouch!"

Shadow attempted to say something, butt his speech had been muffled by the samurai's posterior over his face. The girl held her stomach, pausing as if in though. She then lifted one of her cheeks slightly as stifling air dispersed from under her. Immediately, she threw herself off her victim, covering her bottom with her hands, "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"

Alabaster coughed, fanning the air with his left hand and covering his face with his right, "Oh Lord above! It smells like you took a shit in your non-existent pants!"

Zenshi jumped to her feet, her face red, "Did you have to bite me so hard? I thought guys liked face-sitting!"

"Not every guy!" Shadow covered his bloody nose, slowly rising, "Fuck, why did that hurt so much? Ugh, it smells like a skunk butt-fucked your butt with its butt!" He finally ceased his coughing fit to see Zenshi in the tree, her arms folded, and eyes closed. She wasn't really asleep, but he didn't need to know that. She was more so just tired of walking. This asshole of a King just wouldn't get the hint that she wasn't in the mood. One battle and she was already in tears. She'd dealt with assholes before, but rarely dealt with racists. And Sam...her eyes were filled with hate. A hatred that she faintly recognized from a different source.

A horrid one.

"Listen...samurai...About that annoying woman...I just want you to know...Black people are fine with me...So she's a fool for judging you like that..." Zenshi almost opened her eyes when the King began speaking to her. The samurai continued listening to Shadow's tsundere tangent, "This doesn't make us friends, okay? I just needed you to be focused on protecting me, not some stupid white supremacist. I don't like you, got it?"