The final days....

Authors note: Let me first say that I have throughly enjoyed conveying the story of Shata and his brothers to those willing to read it. It is with that, that I must say I am going on an indefinite hiatus and do not know whether or not I will write more of Shata's tales. I do plan on finishing the present story line for you all, If I must do so at the rate of one post a month (although that rate my be a bit quick for my current schedule). For the time being I will post the ultimate end to the Brothers days, even though they had many adventures over the span of there lives. Shata and his brother Takun have gone far back in time, to the renaissance period. In this time-line, powers like theres aren't uncommon, but are still feared. Now instead of telling you all what happens, the final page of Searching Shata will begin.

It has been many years since the final battle with their brother, Orin. Shata and Takun have learned there was never a need for a cure, as What scared them in the first place only proved to be the start of the next stage of their power's evolution.

Orin and the sword that had plagued Shata's mind were lost, appearing for no more then 5 seconds in random places in time. Tales of people disappearing never to be found again always made Shata wonder if some poor soul had been near the sword when it appeared, and attempted to take it, only to be pulled with it to another place in time.

Takun was also now aware of the truth that Orin had always known that the true menace to their family was the sword. He occasionally weeps at his brothers loss, as Orin sacrificed him self to rid them of their curse at the dawn of Takun's new power, free movement through time.

The remaining brothers have exhausted Takun's newest ability and have no way to return, aside for the longest path, which they would not survive. Gathering information on their suroundings the brothers decide not to fight andrun though this age, but to blend in. Now they hide in plain sight as traveling preformers, using what is left of their abilitys to entertain the crowds with fake "Black Dragon Fights" and "Making liquids move from bottles to cups with out interaction."

They never regretted their lives, only mourn the loss of their brother, regardless of how little they knew of him.

They live their not so quite lives until Takun's death. Shata having long since lost the option of death assumes his shadow form one last time, and in the night he veils two stars, one for each of his brothers, waiting for the end to come.

Shadows of the future

Shata looked at his attacker in disbelief, then, in the moment between grabbing his sword from around him, making another from his fore arm, and watching the man infront of him disolve himself to water, Shata understood. He was in the future, but how far, and more importantly, whose?


At a moments notice Shata realized that this was not the place for these questions, and realizing he knew the attacker he decided to reform his arm into a sphere and scooped up the man, makeing sure he could not escape.

"Name yourself." Shata said, hopping to get as many answers as possible before his prisoner figured a way out.

In response the captive formed a gas and expanded faster then Shata could morph, making his prison explode, sending shrapnel in all directions. "Whats the matter brother? has it really been that long? Why dont you make this a real fight and try to control the shadows?" the being taunted him.

"I knew it!"

"Brother? but we only have one other brother? does that mean he's....?"

"Thats right little brother, that is a future you."

"Hah, that simpering little ice cube a past me? please." the future incarnation of Takun yelled as he returned to the offensive.

Shata in response put his blades away and metaled his legs and right arm, leaping to meet their opponents attack, blowing him all over the landscape, or what little landscape there was.

"You have his powers, but none of his strength, the real Shata could of done that to me without his powers."

"So where is the real Shata then?" Shata said, and would have followed it with "Or Orin for that matter?" but was frozen solid at "Orin".

Forming the clasic spike ball Shata broke free. "Hit a nerve did I?"

"YOU ARE NOT FIT TO SPEAK HIS NAME" the future Takun said, no longer in an ice form, but now molten magma, shooting volleys of lava at Shata (Takun had long since began looking to see if he could find help), who was dodgeing for what he new to be his life.

Then Shata saw his plan, and knew there was no escape. Any possible path was now destroyed, and coming straigt at him was a ball of magma with his name all over it. He knew he only had one chance.

>Do it.<

>Do what?<

>Let me free.<

Before he knew what was happening, Shata had gone full metal, and at the same time he felt as though he fell out of where his eyes were. He was aware of the shadows. And then he felt someone else take over, he wrapped his new form around the magma beast. He held on till the beast had cooled, and that didnt even take long with out the suns light. When he released the beast and returned to his own body he had nearly no memory of what had just happened. Just that he had managed to knock the future Takun out. Although Shata really had to question where he was when he looked over at the new Takun.




He was in a human form.

Groggy

Shata dreams:

>The world is bright, but whenever I move towards the light, It turns to shadow. I turn, and se a source of cold, and instinctively know its my brother, he seems to be leaning over a man, who is passed out. Upon closer inspection I notice that its me, my brother dosen't notice me, but at the same time hes leaning over me. It makes no sense! I find myself crying out silently, to be one person again. Again I see a light, and my brother is leaning over me this time...<

Takun watches as the metal shell of his brother begins to regress its transformation, amazed. First the eyes regain there glow, surprisingly, any part of Shata that was metal, had regressed to a full human form, with no hint that his power had ever affected him.

"Ugh, what just happened?" Shata asked, groggy still.

"Well, long story short Cove, Polar, you, and myself, all headed for the portal at the same time, instantly you, Polar, and Cove were out cold, I think i wasn't affected because of my form, but I watched Cove be hit back to his lab, Polar and you went in a totally different direction, I clung to you so at least we'd still be together. When we arrived you were fully transformed, with no sign of light in yours eyes. I......I thought you were dead brother. But now, well, just look at your chest!"

Shata rolled up his shirt and to his surprise, it was flesh! To test it, he decided to change it, and regress it. He waited for 5 full minutes, and nothing reformed.

"But what does this mean?" Takun asked his brother.

"I don't know." Shata said to his brother, explaining his dream.

"Shata, I want you to avoid your full metal as best as possible."

"Well, in the mean time, we should try to at least figure out where we are."

And so they traveled, Shata testing his powers as they went, transforming his eye occosinaly to get an idea of the closest heat source. After two hours of solid walking, they came across a small town. Now, the senary hadn't been "par" considering where Shata and Takun had come from, infact "sub-par" was an understatement. The landscape had been decimated, weather the trees had been seared to the ground, or wilted from what seemed to be a lack of light.

"This half looks like something our brother would do." Shata said to no one.

"Except for the dead trees, they would have been seared. He couldn't stop the light, He is light!" Takun said confused.

As the traveld into the town, although the stores seemed well stocked, the streets were empty. It was as if one day everyone had decided to get up and leave, leaving everything in town. As they headed more towards the center of the town, Shata spotted a familiar form, although curious as to how it could be.

"STOP, STAY AWAY FROM MY BROTHERS FORM." Shata heard, and as soon as the words finished echoing in his ears, he found himself plowed into a wall, by an icy blast unlike any he had felt before. As he looked up, he saw the timeless figure standing boldly in front of him, his expression on his face showing no mercy, and at the same time, his brother standing beside him, worriedly.

moving this plot along......

Continued from The fight of the town

"Ugh...."

"Am I ever glad I don't bruise and break anymore." Takun said laughingly. "By the way what happened back there, I mean it wasn't long ago someone was telling me about restraint......."

"Shove it." Shata said menacingly to his brother, who was not only acting as a guide but an ice pack for his head at the same time. "So where are we going?"

"No Idea, the guy with the lungs is the scientist we've been looking for, and the other guy, well I'll be honest, I have no Idea who he is."

"Good, speaking of my powers, has anything changed yet? I cant tell, still a bit numb."

"Just the rest of the upper half of your back."

"ugh....."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not traveling far the bruised and battered group enter a building that looked as if it were worn down when it was new. As Cove (the bat called himself) opened a hidden door he introduced his companion as Polar. Likewise Takun introduced his brother and himself. Upon entering the new room, lights activated from seemingly no where.

"Fancy...." Polar, Shata, and Takun said simultaneously.

"Huh?" Cove said unphased "Oh yea, the lights, thats nothing really, I think I came up with that back in middle school..... Well anyway, as Polar's problem is going to take sometime to dust off the proper equipment, Lets go ahead and take a look at you two." He said motioning at Takun and Shata.

"I'm just going to hobble over here and take a nap then..." Polar said almost grudgingly.

"Wall Bed, south wall." Cove said in a command like voice. As the words escaped his mouth the wall Polar had been heading to formed a simple bed off the side of it.

"Any other surprises we outta be aware of?" Polar asked, eyes still as large a dinner plates.

"Just keep in mind that the lab is mostly voice commanded nano tech, and there wont be any surprises. Ok Shata Hop up on the table, remove your piece of cloth thats trying to pass its self off as a shirt, and unwrap your swords sheath from around you."

Removing his shirt and sheath, the light danced across Shatas transformed chest and back, almost making it hard to see.

"Now thats some good shiny!" Cove exclaimed, covering his eyes with one claw. "Is there any where I can draw blood?"

"My neck is changed as well doc, but if you have a neddle my arm is still unaffected."

"Regardless of my appearance, I'm not a vampire." Cove said drawing a small amount of silvery blood from shatas are. "What the hell? I know I hit the vein...."

"You did, its been like that for years now."

"Okay.......Moving along then, Takun, could you drip some of your self in to this cup?"

"Sure, just don't drink me!"

"Don't worry, I wont." Cove said laughingly. "Well gentlemen, This wont take long, time enough for you to eat at least."

"We'll wait here, thank you." Shata said hurriedly.

After a few minutes of processing Cove walked back to the brothers with a face full of mixed feelings.

"Takun, your genetic structure is lost, Somehow your basically a puddle with a brain and will, without another living relatives genetic structure theres no hope of rebuilding you." Cove said, noticing a strange glance between the brothers. "Shata, your blood is coated with your ability, your metal strongly resembles an austentic steel, and as such is non magnetic. But strangely it is much stronger then it should be, In a sense it is a completely new metal. Unfortunately, I don't see a way to make the transformation regress."

"Well, thanks for all your help doc, you've given us at least one answer we needed, and through it we may find the other. In the mean time, is there anything we can do to repay you?" Shata said trying not to have anymore questions asked.

"Polar, wake up, I think we may have help with our trip!"

Keep an eye on Polar's blog for the next installment in the line.

Questions, anwsers, and more questions......

"Shata, yo wake up bro!"

Rolling over too take a look at his road side visitor, and upon seeing him deciding he'd be better off going back to sleep.

"Don't make me dose you!" Shata's visitor said in an attempt to wake him up. "Fine." suddenly from no where a steam of water hit Shata from no evident source, as there was no body of water near by.

"Fine I'm up, and seeings how your here I assume you've found something?"

"Yea, I got a hunch to goto New York." Takun replied.

"And what gave you that idea?"

"Well aside from you sleeping on the state line, theres a Popsicle and a bat thing headed here as well, and instead of forming in front of them I thought I'd come here and see how my older brother was doing with our search, only to find him asleep."

"I'm sorry but those of us still made of mostly flesh and blood need sleep, unlink you and your
liquid thing you've got going on there."

"Its not my fault my powers have done to me already what there doing to you, It it weren't for them you would've have been a road side statue three times by now."

Annoyed with his brother, Shata ran his sword through the talking block of ice in front of him, which simply formed into a puddle, and reformed behind him.

"You didn't have to go all the way that day, you've always been reckless with your powers and you knew this would happen, had you exercised some control we may not be in this predicament."

"Its not like you had that sword yet, what did you want me to do? Let Orin kill you? Or worse yet force you to a living paper weight?"

"Forget it, we've got other things to worry about before we go tracking him down. The bike needs gas, think your up to it?"

"Please, after scaring mom with that cup of iced tea, gas was the second thing I turned into." Takun said laughing.

Riding into the state, Shata began asking people about strange happenings around, eventually ending up in Hastings.

"Yo, Shata, don't get me wrong and all, I really like the bike but to be honest it stands out like a sore thumb, maybe we should hoof it from here?"

"Whats this 'we' stuff? But your right." and with that Shata parked the bike at a gas station and opened a canteen for is brother.

"Leave the lid open kinda so i can get out if needed, I still say this thing makes me feel like a genie....."

"Hush, when you talk and the locals don't see lips moving, well, we'll have a town of loons on our hands." Shata said to seemingly no one. "Hold that thought, where is every one? Takun, I'm going to dump you on the sidewalk split up and look around, come back here in five minutes unless I yell otherwise." Shata said emptying the contents of the canteen on the sidewalk and watching his brother split himself apart and going in every direction possible.

"Oh sure fine, make me do all the work!" Takun muttered rolling away.

Shata, knowing his brother couldn't handle heights without being carried away by the wind, made his way to the towns rooftops for a look around. As he looked he saw two Sentinels land with the stealth on an elephant.

"Takun! Come back! We've got company!"

Reforming into a man of ice Takun, not even noticing the sentinels mentions "Yeah, those two I mentioned earlier are rolling into town as well as three others."

"I meant those giant robots behind you vapor for brains. As a side note, I noticed you looked a lot like last century's Ice Man."

"This century now bro."

"Oh yea....." Shata mutters, "Ill take the robot one." leaping into the air sword drawn.

>Halt, Mutant< "Too late for that big boy." Shata said, as his right eye told him everything he needed to know about the robots. "Okay now I'm insulted, no nano this time boys?" bringing his sword clean down from the sentinels head to its feet.

"Hey Shata!" Takun yelled "What took you so long?" standing over his sentinel which resembled molten metal at this point.

"One, I like dramatic, its more fun. Two, I cant become highly acidic ran at a whim!"

"Excuses, excuses...."

"Hey you two!" A man who resembled a rock yelled "We want to talk to you!" at which point vines reached up and grabbed Takun, while fire attempted to engulf Shata. Shata moved neatly from the fire, while Takun melted him self from the vines.

"You have a funny way of showing it!" Shata yelled at them, while pulling his blade out again, Takun reforming him self around the vine controllers feet.

"Hey whats this, I thought we were after the other Popsicle!" the vine man yelled a temping to free him self.

Shata, noticing someone coming behind the pyromaniac, decided to go after the stoner instead of letting himself get over powered.

"Eat blade stoner!" Shata yelled as he went to catch the rock in his side, but was caught. "What the....?" and the rock man wound up to land a solid punch on Shata.

Just before the punch landed an ear piercing screech was let lose forcing all to stop and shield them selves. When Shata opened his eyes the three they had been fighting with were free, and running. "This isn't over, when we get our hearing back, we'll be back with earplugs!" the rock yelled. With that note they were gone.

Just as he thought it was over Shata felt a hand placed on his shoulder, and thinking it was another attacker, sprung forward and placed his sword at the throat of the person behind him.

"Who are you?"

Texas Hold'em

A few days after his battle with the Sentinel, a few miles into Michigan, and a few drinks into the night, Shata begins asking the other patrons if they'd heard of any unusual scientists in these parts. After bearing through many love-sick sob story's and being stared at by those to drunk to know his face was as it was, he came across a group of people playing Texas hold'em in the back of the bar.

"Mind dealing me in?" throwing the required $5 min wage on the table, there was no objections. Keeping a net loss/gain of -0- through out the game, he gradually worked his question into the conversation.

"Unusual scientist you say?" one of the men said, folding for the round "Well I had heard of this one fellow back in New York, heard he had strange abilities."

Another man, collecting the rounds pot and dealing the next hand, chimed in "Yea, I heard of him. I also heard he's dead now."

"Then I must thank you gentle-men, he may be dead, but a directions better then wandering aimlessly." Shata said folding and preparing to leave.

The eldest of the men reached up and grabbed Shata before he left, "Hold there, you don't appear to have any form of transportation, and New York is a bit more then a hop and a skip from here. Play one more round, I'll bet my GL650 Silverwing you cant last longer then me."

"Thank you sir, but I couldn't take your bike from you in good conscience."

"Boy, my hands are old with arthritis sunk into them, I couldn't ride it again safely. Besides, whats the matter, you cant out last an old man in a card game?"

Shata knowing there was no point in arguing agreed, and the last game of the night began. With the draw everybody seemed confidant with there hands and went all in, but with the flop, only Shata and the Old-man were left. In the end it appear everyone was bluffing and Shata won the bike and pot with a pair Ace high, beating the old-mans pair Queen High. Buying them all 2 more rounds of drinks, Shata saddles up and says thanks to the men one last time (who in response replied in unison "What're are you saying thanks for?! You won!").

Staying off the highway Shata begins his trek to New York.

Beginings

Shata pulls up his collor has the frist cill of the season catchs him by surprise. Through the crowded streets he see what he has been smelling for almost a block now.
"Chilli Dog and some of that coffe-syurp you've got there." Shata says to the merchant.
"Buck fifty"
>Ive been here to long.< Shata thinks to himself paying his bill and glancing at his watch.
Eating his Chilli dog in a hurry Shata heads for the city limits pondering which way to go next. His mutantated ear catchs the all to familliar sound of people screaming and jets roaring as they close in.
{Surender Mutant} the familier Sentinal said as it landed, diegarding the Sentinal as they clear he streats in a shear panic, shearching for any cover they could find.
"Ah jeeze, and here I was thinking you boys forgot about me this week, but only one? Should I be insulted or are garbage cans really that hard to come by these days?" Shata yelled mockingly as he unsheathed his blade from around his waist.
The Sentinal shoots Shata square in the chest, who usin his blade as a brace notices his clothing give way to show his partially metalic body.
{That was a waring shot, come peacefully and you will come to no harm by the Sentinals}
>Warning shot my foot...< Shata thinks to himself as he leaps, raming his blade diagionally through the Sentinals chest from the right shoulder.
As the Sentinal falls, metal arms spring from the cuts attempting to capture Shata, who cuts them away with ease.
"Why dont you try somthing new, ya over grown tin-can! This dance of ours is getting REALLY boring now!"
Sudenly the arms return to their places and the 2 peices of the Sentinal begin to recreate them selves into 2 new Sentinal, the same size as as the first.
>Ok, thats new, and slightly annoying.<
Knowing the same tatics would land him more Sentinals to fight, Shata decides to give in and use his mutant abilliys.
"Try this on for size!" as he sheaths his blade, leaps up, and curls into a ball in one motian, transforming into a metal ball, shooting spikes into every direction on the Sentianls, His right eye telling him that they had been disabled at long last.
Picking up the remnats of his clothing Shata takes notice as his left shoulder blade turns to metal.
>Damn, Ive gotta pick the search up......<