Appendix
Chibi Kyto: Welcome to the end of volume one. I'm your host Kyto (twelve-year-old version). Now, you might be wondering why I'm here instead of the normally quiet, trying too hard to be cool, adult version of my character. Well, due to contractual obligations I am due at least seven appearances per volume and this first volume I have...two. So it only seems fit that I guide the rundown of the SEEDs universe. Without further ado...
Castorena: Ahem.
Chibi Kyto: Oh yeah, that's right. I'm also joined by the author Kyle Castorena.
Castorena: ...Gee, thanks for the introduction.
Chibi Kyto: No prob. Always lookin' out.
Castorena: Let's start off with one of my favorite subjects, geography. In SEEDs, I try to implement as many real-world locations as possible.
Chibi Kyto: Sakura's village, which has been hammered into your heads by now, is located in the Southern American country of Peru. More specifically the mountainous region of the Ica province. Now, the village itself is fictional, but "The Land of the Sun" is an important agricultural region. Though corn itself isn't quite as popular a crop.
Castorena: Now, after Kyto and Sakura left her village, they headed towards a safe house where they were supposed to meet up with Delphinium and, uh, that other guy.
Chibi Kyto: What? You wrote them and you already forgot their names?
Castorena: Shut up! In the initial draft they weren't given names. Seeing as they made no real appearance I didn't bother at first. Later on I felt it would give Kyto a little bit of character to be the only one to remember. Anyways, that safe house was in the neighboring country of Bolivia. It was in a woodland region northeast of Lake Titicaca.
Chibi Kyto: Lake Titicaca? Watch Beavis and Butthead much?
Castorena: I'm so not doing this with you again. After that fiasco, Sakura took a plane and headed to Glasshouse. Glasshouse is located in Louisiana. Remember how Kyto said that Glasshouse used to be a school that closed down? Well, I in fact did model it after a real high school, Hyatt High School. It's a real place and it really is going to be shut down...Ah, I hope you don't get mad at me if you went there!
Chibi Kyto: Wow, good choice of words. You looking to get sued? The final stop on the Volume 1 real world tour is the sight of the "Holy Orders," and "Be just or be dead," chapters. Holy Orders (Be just or be dead)? That's Ky Kiske's theme from Guilty Gear!
Castorena: Um, yeah. If you read the author's notes at the beginning of the chapters you would have seen I mentioned that it was.
Chibi Kyto: Really? (Looks back and checks) Well I'll be. But you know, nobody reads those things anyways. Well, those copyright infringement chapters are based in Mexico, the Chihuahua province.
Castorena: FYI, that's where my dad's side of the family is from. So please no dog jokes.
Chibi Kyto: Never dream of it woofie. Now let's move on to the SEEDs biology...Geography and now biology? You must have been a nerd in school.
Castorena: Look who's talking. You grow up to have read an entire library's worth of books.
Chibi Kyto: Hey, that's the grown-up version of my character. I have nothing to do with him.
Castorena: ...Project SEEDs began as an attempt to clone a being as close to god as possible. I would like to expand on that point some more, but then I would be dancing into the spoiler range. SEEDs are born from parents who both have extraordinary genes. Now, they aren't born naturally. At one time the Institute was breeding them like cattle and raising them in test tubes. For the most part they appear as normal human beings, but quite often they are gifted with a unique characteristic. Highly common are unique hair and eye colors (ie. Sakura's blue hair, Lily's purple eyes). Also when they hit ages 8-10, their abilities develop and so does their bodies. At around age 13 they can appear in their twenties, but they tend to say in the prime of their lives until their 40's.
Chibi Kyto: Um, I'm age 12 and I look 12.
Castorena: That's an important plot element that will be explored in volume 2.
Chibi Kyto: Then why do Tagetes and Lily appear so young?
Castorena: Um, some people just develop slower, y'know.
Chibi Kyto: ...Lolicon.
Castorena: Anyways! Let's move on to the abilities rundown.
Chibi Kyto: Avoiding the subject, I see. SEED's abilities can be a bit difficult to comprehend, so let me break it down for you. A SEED has the power to manipulate a law that governs to universe. It's not really all that cosmic, but let me hit you with an example. The last battle in volume 1 featured Aster. He himself has the ability to manipulate the law of gravity. Not only can he make his own body lighter or heavier, he can do it to his opponents as well. Now, with control of gravity you can do many things, but at the same time there is a line that he is not able to cross.
Castorena: There are many SEEDs with many different abilities, but at the same time there are many who share the same ability, and they wield it in completely different ways. In fact, there have been two pairs of character introduced already that have the exact same power, but the way they use them are complete polar opposites of each other. Now, I could go in depth even further, but I think half the fun is figuring out a SEED's power for yourself, and drawing you own conclusions to their capabilities.
Chibi Kyto: God you're lazy. Throw a dog a bone every once and a while. Okay, on to the SEED's biography and power statistics.
Castorena: Ah, yes finally. This is the whole reason why I haven't got up and left yet. For the statistics they are graded on a scale from 1-5, and if a 6 pops up that means that they are the strongest in that field (though ties do happen). If you think that is a little confusing, let me put it this way: If a 5 is the speed of sound, than a 6 is the speed of light. The different categories are: Strength (physical); Speed; Defense; Intelligence; Ability. Now, the different categories CAN be influenced by their abilities, and sometimes special notes will have to be made. Don't worry, I'll go over it as much as I can.
SPECIAL NOTE: Ability is measured on a bit of a different scale. While the other stats are in comparison to other SEEDs, Ability is more of a measure of potential. A 6 means they can't raise their technique any higher.
Chibi Kyto: So I'll give the statistics and he'll give the special notes. Now, in the order they appear in the Series:
Name: Sakura de Torres
Age: 21
Height: 5'8''
Weight: 150 lbs (she looks much skinnier)
Eyes: Gray
Hair: Light Blue
Skin: Pale
Strength - 3/5
Speed - 2/5
Defense - 5/5 (yeah, she can take a beating)
Intelligence - 2/5
Ability - 5/5
Castorena's notes: She probably has the most potential to grow out of the whole SEED line-up. If anything, I would call her the Goku (DBZ) or Ryu (street fighter) of the series.
Name: Kyto (that's me)
Age? (What the hell? Why don't I know my own age?)
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 246 lbs
Eyes: Dark Blue
Hair: Light Brown
Skin: Tanned
Strength - 5/5
Speed - 5/5
Defense - 4/5
Intelligence - 6/5 (Wow, I am smart)
Ability - 1/5 (...)
Castorena's notes: Though some of his stats are high, that 1/5 in ability really hurts him. With such a low score, it is no surprise that he is mainly a physical fighter. For him to win any fight against a SEED requires a sound strategy and plenty of preparation. Not to mention a big f'en sword.
Name: Valerian
Age: 19
Height: 6'8''
Weight: 300 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair? (Bald)
Skin: Fair
Strength - 4/5
Speed - 4/5
Defense - 4/5
Intelligence - 4/5
Ability - 4/5
Castorena's notes: Valerian is actually a very well-rounded fighter. He has a tendency to be lazy though, and that is most often the cause for his defeats. But if he ever truly got serious...
Name: Crocus
Age: 18
Height?
Weight?
Eyes?
Hair?
Skin? (Dude, quit changing your appearance so much. No one knows what you really look like.)
Strength - 2/5
Speed - 3/5
Defense - 2/5
Intelligence - 5/5
Ability - 4/5
Castorena's notes: Goes to show that one can't rely on ability alone.
Name: Quince
Age: 18
Height: 5'8''
Weight: 115 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Multi toned - Black and Blonde
Skin: Dark
Strength - 4/5
Speed - 3/5
Defense - 4/5
Intelligence - 3/5
Ability - 4/5
Castorena's notes: A good mix of for a well-rounded fighter. Though she mainly prefers long distance combat, she can mix it up at close range as well.
Name: Freesia
Age: 16
Height: 5'9''
Weight: 180 lbs
Eyes: Dark Blue
Hair: Black
Skin: Pale
Strength - 4/5
Speed - 5/5
Defense - 3/5
Intelligence - /5
Ability - 5/5
Castorena's notes: Kind of hard to measure his intelligence, even for the guy who created him. Freesia is a mute and hardly ever expresses his opinion. The most one could get out of him is a nod.
Name: Sunflower
Age: 13
Height: 5' 1''
Weight: 80 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Skin: Fair
Strength - 4/5
Speed - 2/5
Defense - 5/5
Intelligence - 2/5
Ability - 5/5
Castorena's notes: Being that he's so young and has already grown a reputation, he'll be another monster when he grows out of his childish tendencies.
Name: Mayflower (My sister)
Age: 23 (Her age if she were alive)
Height: 6' (yeah, she was tall)
Weight? (she took that secret to the grave)
Eyes: Red
Hair: Light Brown
Skin: Tanned
Strength - 6/5
Speed - 5/5
Defense - 5/5
Intelligence - 4/5
Ability - 6/5 (OMGBBQPWN)
Castorena's notes: Good lord she was a monster. In her prime she could never had been killed by Lavender, or anyone for that matter. After years of living while taking care of her younger brother, her battle senses dulled and she lost her absolutely destructive mentality.
Name: Lavender
Age: 23
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 190 lbs
Eyes: Gray
Hair: Light Purple
Skin: Pale
Strength - 2/5
Speed - 6/5
Defense - 2/5
Intelligence - 1/5 (wow, he's surprisingly dumb)
Ability - 6/5
Castorena's notes: Even though he is ranked relatively low in some fields, those 6s in speed and ability make him a killing machine.
Name: Stephanotis
Age: 15
Height: 5'4''
Weight: 110 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Skin: Lightly tanned
Strength - 2/5
Speed - 3/5
Defense - 2/5
Intelligence - 4/5
Ability - 4/5
Castorena's notes: Steph's battle ability might not look that good on paper, but she is indeed quite strong. The thing is, she's a long-distance fighter, and those types tend to be overlooked.
Name: Matthiola
Age: 21
Height: 6'
Weight: 140 lbs
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Blonde
Skin: Fair
Strength - 6/5
Speed - 4/5
Defense - 4/5
Intelligence - 3/5
Ability - 3/5
Castorena's notes: You might be wondering, why 6 in strength when she couldn't even lift Kyto's sword. Well, her strength is increased by her ability, but it doesn't translate into lifting power. She'll see action in volume 2, so don't worry.
Name: Tagettes
Age: 13
Height: 5''
Weight: 75 lbs
Eyes: Light Blue
Hair: Red
Skin: Pale
Strength - 1/5
Speed - 1/5
Defense - 6/5 (WTF?)
Intelligence - 1/5
Ability - 5/5
Castorena's notes: In all of SEEDs, Tagettes is the sole holder of a 6 in defense. You'll see why in volume 2.
Name: Lilium
Age: 12
Height: 5'2''
Weight: 89 lbs
Eyes: Purple
Hair: Black
Skin: Semi-fair
Strength - 1/5
Speed - 1/5
Defense - 1/5
Intelligence - 5/5
Ability - 5/5
Castorena's notes: Completely out of place on the battlefield. Perhaps with a couple years of training, she could become a solid striker.
Name: Aconitum
Age: 16
Height: 5'10''
Weight: 185 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Skin: Fair
Strength - 3/5
Speed - 3/5
Defense - 5/5
Intelligence - 3/5
Ability - 4/5
Castorena's notes: Though Blue eyes turns PRACTICALLY invulnerable when he goes all stone-like, what keeps him from getting a 6 in D is that he can't move while so. It might seem like not that bad of a trade-off, but it can, and will, be exploited.
Name: Nasturtium
Age: 20
Height: 6'
Weight: 200 lbs
Eyes: Green
Hair: Dark Brown
Skin: Tanned
Strength - 4/5
Speed - 4/5
Defense - 3/5
Intelligence - 5/5
Ability - 4/5
Castorena's notes: Well versed in both long distance and close range. That saber on his hip isn't just for show.
Name: Aster
Age: 19
Height: 5'7''
Weight: 160 lbs
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
Skin: Pale
Strength - 5/5
Speed - 5/5
Defense - 3/5
Intelligence - 3/5
Ability - 4/5
Castorena's notes: A master of close combat and silent takedowns. One would think the perfect way to fight him is at a distance, but then his speed covers it in only a few seconds. Perhaps the best way to deal with him is to charge at him just as hard as he charges at you.
Castorena: Whew, done. There were a few more SEEDs that have made an appearance that aren't listed here (Xeranthemum, Acacia, and more that have yet to be named...), but since they haven't displayed their abilities yet they have been left out.
Chibi Kyto: But I see you tagged Tagettes and Mayflower.
Castorena: Well, yeah. I put in Mayflower because, well, she croaked and won't have a chance to show off. As for Tagettes, since her sisters both displayed their powers, if only for a moment, I thought I might as well add her too. But on the other end of the spectrum, there were two major characters I wanted to add (my two favorite I might add) that made brief appearances, but it's simply too soon for them.
Chibi Kyto: So you say. Speaking of spoilers, wasn't there one last thing you promised?
Castorena: Just chill out, I haven't forgotten. Seeing as this is the end of the post-story commentary, I see it only fitting that I give a sneak peek of SEEDs Vol 02 - Through the fire and flames.
Chibi Kyto: "Through the fire and flames?" Where did you think up that subtitle?
Castorena: It's my favorite song on Guitar Hero 3.
Chibi Kyto: Dude you play too many games and watch too many animes.
Castorena: I know. Isn't life great?
Chibi Kyto: Well, this is Chibi Kyto signing off. I hope you enjoyed vol 01.
Castorena: And this is Kyle Castorena wishing you good night. Look forward to vol 02. Without further ado, here is the sneak peak.
"Kyto, get back!" the woman yelled in a hushed voice. She used her left hand to push the young boy down, and her right to force him to cover. Those crimson eyes targeted something in the great distance. Never before had her brother seen such a stern and focused expression from his sister before, but neither was he anxious or scared. She would protect him, of this he was sure.
"It's the one you told me about, isn't it?" the appearingly ten-year-old Kyto asked his sister May. "It's Lavender."
Only a nod would be needed for a confirmation. This news immediately made Quince shudder, and that ended up frightening Xera as well. Though the white-haired boy tried to keep an indifferent expression plastered on his face at all times, even now he couldn't shake off his feelings. It was only a moment later that thunder could be heard echoing from the northern skies. Quince grabbed the two boys and calmly took them to a place away from the sister. May would be the one to face this newcomer; she was the only one who could.
A violent torrent hit the group as lightning flashed and struck an area not too far away. As if he were bestowed divine presence by the almighty creator, Lavender suddenly appeared. There was a stupid grin plastered on his face. It was the kind of smile one would use to approach someone they didn't like, or perhaps someone he knew that they didn't like him. His light purple hair was cut very short and spiked at the tips. His clothes were ragged and looked like he grabbed it out of a super store clearance bin at random.
"Ah, my beautiful Mayflower," even his tone was arrogant. "It brings me great pleasure to see you again..."
Whatever touching reunion he had in mind was cut short by an arrow of fire that shot from the very tips of the woman's finger. Lavender screamed as he barely dodged the attack. Flames suddenly erupted from May's wrists and ankles. In vain the man tried to speak to the woman, but she charged at him with all the grace of a dove. Her feet rarely touched the ground, only to give herself a little nudge that would propel her another twenty or so feet.
Her fist slammed into the spot Lavender was standing only moments ago. The ground cracked and broke as though a wrecking ball had been dropped on it. That, however, was not the worst of it. Moments later those very same cracks spewed flames and magma. Even the slightest touch of such stuff could melt away any part of the human body, and when some of it splashed on the woman it gave the onlookers such a fright, but it trickled down her body as if it were nothing but droplets of water from a mid-morning drizzle.
Even from the cover of a boulder several meters away could Lavender feel the heat. He was visibly trembling, but with all his hope he wanted no one to be able to sense his fear. May slowly raised her gaze to the purple-haired man in the distance. He suddenly witnessed her disappear, only to reappear within arm's reach of that boulder. Instinctively he leapt back and managed to put some distance before May crushed the rock with her monstrous punch. Once again the earth erupted in a ripple of lava.
"Christ will you please stop?" Lavender pleaded. "I only came here to talk!"
The flames around her right wrist grew to catastrophic proportions. She dug her left foot into the ground and pulled her fist back for a punch.
"Like I care!" she screamed.