Angel wiped the wooden bar counter of the pub as she looked around the bar. The sun was starting to set on the desert hills, painting everything outside and inside a blood-red color. The fire in the corner and torches on the walls gave enough light to the bar to see where you were going. Men eating and drinking sat at wooden tables around the room while the other female employees danced around them serving food and filling drinks.

A few men sat in the corner all wearing cloaks and talking to one another. Angel had been suspicious about them, but since they were regular customers ignored them.

Just then a man walked in wearing worn down samurai armor and helmet. There was nothing special about him except for maybe his golden bangs that stuck out from under his helmet; yet the bar went quiet for a moment when he stepped over the threshold. He took a quick glance around the room taking a second longer at the group in the corner and walked to the bar and sat down. "I got this one"; Angel mouthed to the other female bar tender.

"What'll it be?" Angel asked him as he lifted his helmet off his head, revealing a low ponytail of more golden hair with equally golden eyes. He looked no more than sixteen maybe seventeen.

"I'll have a bottle of Ale." He mumbled to her as he placed a coin on the counter. He took a second glance at the men in the corner.

"Are you a traveler?" She asked as she gave him a bottle of ale. He smirked as if she had said something funny.

"You could say that." He replied.

"Are you a swordsman?"

"You could say that."

"Where ya' headed?"

"North."

"Are you meeting someone?"

"No, Not really." He replied with yet another vague answer.

Getting somewhat aggravated with the unspecific answers she decided on one last question.

"Where are you from?" She asked hoping for a decent answer.

"Nowhere." The swordsman answered.

"Oh, I love nowhere its beautiful this time of year." She said letting sarcasm drip with every word. All the swordsman did was smirk again. Angel let out a frustrated sighed as she laid her head on the bar counter. She looked back at him with a glare.

"You could at least give me your name." She said letting her aggravation get the better of her. He looked at her and took another glance at the cloaked men in the corner.

"What's it to you?" suspicion laced in the swordsman's voice.

"It's my job to talk." She replied exasperated that this conversation had gotten nowhere. (By now she was sitting on a stool beside him.)

Before Angel could get his name the swordsman shoved her off the stool and pulled out his sword. When she looked up expecting to see a smirk on his face, but instead of a smirking swordsman Angel saw a sword that was aimed where her head would have been.


A loud crash brought Angel out of her momentary daze. The Swordsman had pulled out his sword and was blocking one of the cloaked men's swords.

"So we finally meet again." The Swordsman said with a smug smile to the group.

As the group fought for what seemed like hours; Angel noticed something weird. The swordsman's sword almost glowed, while the cloaked men's was solid black and seemed to ooze with evil. After clashing swords for a while the cloaked men, made for one last attempt on the stranger. The cloaked men circled the stranger.

As they came in closer they attacked the swordsman at different times. He swiftly dodged and stabbed all of the cloaked men. All the men turned to a pile of dust, all except one. The remaining one held its arm, jumped back and ran out the door. As it did, it literately started to melt with the shadows. The swordsman attempted to grab the cloaked man but it had already disappeared into the shadows. The man looked around the pub, not a trace of sweat on his brow.

Angel looked around too. The once noisy pub had now been silenced to only the sound of glass being stepped on as the other female employees came out of their hiding spots. Tables and chairs were thrown everywhere. Dented mugs, spilt beverages and food were everywhere from splattered on the wall to in someone's hair.

After Angel stood up and dusted herself off she looked out the window. It was dark outside and the moon had barely risen so the battle hadn't been as long as she thought... When she looked at the stranger he was picking up the swords that the cloaked figures had dropped. Angel saw the last one at her feet and bent over to pick it up. Just as she was about to touch it the stranger said;

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Angel turned and gave him her best challenging look.

"Why not?"

He looked at as if she were sitting there drooling.

"Would you like to burst into flames or turn into a pile of acid? He asked; ignoring her silent challenge. Angel rolled her eyes and grabbed the handle. As she stood she handed him the sword. He seemed momentarily shocked for a moment, but took the sword from her all the same.

After the pub had been cleaned up the swordsman paid for everything that had been broken (Which surprised everyone that he could pay it). The stranger was fixing to walk out the door when Angel called to him. Something about him was pulling at her, but she didn't know what.

"Wait where are you going?" She asked walking up to him.

"I'm leaving." The swordsman said simply.

"Could you at least give me your name?" He turned and looked at Angel with a calculating look.

"Edward, Edward Elric." He told her.


I FINALLY DID IT! I BETAED THIS CHAP AND DEFEAT LEGEND OF ZELDA THE MINISH CAP! I AM ON TOP OF THE WORLD! Feel free to tell me whatcha think guys and don't hold back ;)