Categories > Anime/Manga > Ranma 1/2 > Chrysalis
********************** *
Genre: Anime/Non-Anime
Date: 110404
Update: 150205, 080305, 170305, 170405, 030505, 230805, 311005, 010306, 060306, 220306, 121006, 110307
Type: A Ranma/Babylon 5/Palladium/Sailormoon crossover
Disclaimer: Ranma and the Nerima Wrecking Crew belong to Rumiko Takahashi while Rifts and Nightspawn belong to Palladium. Babylon 5, Manhunter and Sailormoon belong to all their creators respectively.
********************** *
Part 1 : Genesis
Location : Earth
Country : Japan
Year : 2200 AD
Lights shone around the place lighting the different sections of the large fenced warehouse.
"Have they left?" a voice asked.
"They're still in there," another voice answered.
The gates surrounding the warehouse began to open.
The sound of a truck's engine, moved towards the opened entrance.
"Now," a third voice replied.
The guards manning the checkpoints waved them through.
Another truck moved up to it.
After looking at the driver, the guards gestured for him to pass.
A crate fell out of the truck to the ground.
The guard manning the checkpoint ran up to the crate immediately.
“Hey!!!” He called out but the truck was already gone.
Calling his partner, they picked up the crate before heading back to their checkpoint where they decided to divide the stash among themselves.
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
“What's that beeping sound coming from the crate?” One guard asked.
Getting curious, both guards used their knives to cut it open. Inside the crate, there was a countdown timer with a message taped down next to it.
F* YOU!!! It read.
That was the only warning they got as a powerful explosion ripped apart the guardhouse they were into shreds in a blinding flash of light.
********************** *
Inside the warehouse …
"These aren't the common-off-the-shelves narcotics, everyone. They've been enchanted with some kind of demonic sorcery."
"What effects do they have?"
"They make the person obey the commands of the maker of the drug."
“Obey?”
“Yes … the drugs turn those who take them into slavishly loyal minions of the person who made them, doing anything that's asked of them, even if it costs them their very lives.”
“That's awful!”
“That's not all. The brain of the person taking it would continue to degenerate to the point that eventually the addict would become nothing more than a mindless zombie, only craving the drug itself in which its key component appears to be human blood. Unable to get more drugs, they would begin to thirst for the drug in which case they would attack any living person with blood close to them.”
“Blood-sucking zombies? I thought those things only existed in the movies.”
“I thought so too. Until today, that is. In fact, the bite of this blood-sucking zombie turns the victim into another blood-sucking zombie for 24 hours. Looks like the effects are not permanent for those not taking the drug directly. Either the creator of the drug has not perfected it yet or …”
“Or what?”
“There might be more to this scenario than we think … Whatever the reason, we must find and destroy every single trace of this drug before it hits the streets.“
********************** *
In a dark and sinister place … where smoke usually abounds in the hidden parlours of power …
A meeting is taking place …
"My lord … the dope scheduled for distribution …"
"Has been sent." The other figure replied calmly.
"Sir … all of the dope scheduled for distribution in Japan has been destroyed."
"Destroyed?"
"The Senshi … They came in. Wiped out all the dope."
There as an eerie silence throughout the room for a moment.
"The Senshi … They have interfered in our operations for the last time. Management would not be pleased. Place a bounty of one hundred million credits on each of their heads. Have this message delivered far and wide to the entire galaxy if necessary."
"Yes … my lord."
********************** *
Meanwhile ……
In Juuban Ward …….
Tokyo ……
Japan …….
Home to the Samurai ……
And the Senshi …….
Among whom one is a shrine maiden …….
On this auspicious day, this particular red-haired senshi was doing her usual fire-reading and gave off a scream as she fell to the ground in cold sweat, bringing in worried looks from her elderly guardian …
"Calm down. What's wrong?"
She was breathing hard.
"Nothing, really."
Seeing her refusal, her elderly guardian decided to let her come to terms with it herself.
"Alright, when you're ready, let me know," He replied before departing the room.
********************** *
Nerima Ward .....
"Dearest, we really must hurry. Or we would be late for the function."
"I am doing my best," came the reply.
BANG!
The vehicle the couple were in jolted as it struck something hard making it spin wildly out of control before hitting the embankment by the side of the road.
"I think we just hit something," a male voice spoke as the door opened.
Footsteps hit the road and their eyes caught sight of a naked figure lying on the road.
"It's a girl!" the woman cried out in surprise.
"What is a naked girl doing in the middle of the highway?" the man asked.
"I don't know but we can't just leave her here," the woman replied as she took off her cardigan and wrapped it around the unconscious girl who looked to be in between her late teens and early twenties.
"Can you lift her up? She's rather heavy," the woman commented.
The man tried to lift her up but failed to move the body.
"Damn it! She must weigh a ton!" the man replied as he tried in vain to move the body.
The closed eyes of the girl opened suddenly.
"Who are you?" she asked as she took in her surroundings carefully.
******************** ***
"I am Soun Tendo and this is my wife, Kimiko Tendo. What's your name?" the man asked.
"I … do not remember …," the girl replied, an expression of puzzlement on her face.
"Where is your house?" the woman asked.
"I … do not know …," the girl answered.
"Do you remember how you came to be lying on the road?"
The girl simply shook her head.
"Do you have any families, brothers, sisters or relatives that we can contact?"
Again, the answer was a negative.
"Can you remember anything at all? Anything about your life?"
The girl simply looked at the couple with a perplexed expression on her face and shook her head slowly … as before.
"Alright, come with us. We'll take you to the hospital. Maybe they can help you," the man replied as he held out his hand to her.
The girl took it and the man groaned, letting go of the hand rather suddenly. The woman turned to the man in surprise.
"She's got a rather strong grip," the man explained quickly as he massaged his bruised hand.
"I'm sorry," the girl replied apologetically.
"That's alright. Come on inside the car. Like this," the man spoke as he put his legs in one at a time before lowering his head into the car.
The girl got to her feet, her quick movements causing the cardigan to fall off to the road leaving her nude figure opened once again to public display. Not bothered in the least by her apparent nakedness, she did not bother to pick it back up from the road and instead, headed for the vehicle. Upon getting there, she repeated the exact motions of the man to get into the car. Once comfortably seated in it, her hand reached out to close the car door but was interrupted before she could do so.
"That's alright. I will close the door for you," the man spoke quickly as he closed the passenger door for her.
********************** *
Meanwhile …
………………. Somewhere beyond the reach of mortal men ……………….
………………. In a place where the passage of time is suspended ……………….
………………. A pair of eyes was scrutinizing the timelines through the greatest spying device ever created ………………..
………………. And hidden from the universe ……………….
………………. The Gates of Time ……………….
………………. A doorway to anywhere and any when ……………….
A single being stood at the entrance with a scowl on the face.
`Curse it! There has been a great disturbance in the Timestream. I won't be able to track down the source of the disturbance until the ripples and eddies begin to settle,' Came the angry thoughts of the supposedly all-knowing observer.
********************** *
At the hospital ...
"How is she?" the woman asked.
"Apart from her complete case of memory loss, I would say that she is in perfect health," the doctor replied.
"Have you been able to identify her?" the man asked.
"We've forwarded our requests for identification to the Japanese Bureau of Investigation. They have a lot of cases to deal with, so it'll probably be about a month or two before they get to her case."
"Will she ever get her memories back?"
"Can't say for sure. Her memories may just be repressed. There's no way to check it out unless you wish to enlist Psi-Corps's services."
"No, thank you," the woman replied quickly.
"I thought as much," The doctor replied.
"Do we leave her here or something?"
"No. I think it would probably be best if you took her back to your home with you. A loving home is best for cases like her," the doctor pointed out.
"Just give us a weekly update on her condition. You're living in the Nerima Ward, right?"
"Yes …"
"If you run into any problems you can't handle, just give us a call."
"Thank you doctor."
"You're welcome."
A few minutes later … after the couple had left …
"Why didn't you tell them the truth?" one of the interns asked.
"They can't handle the truth. Not yet at least … " the doctor replied.
"And her …"
"Will be our secret for now. A case like hers is sure to bring in Psi-Corps. Damn them all to hell! Our Emperor is already having enough problems with that good-for-nothing-son-of-a-b** who calls himself a President. Psi-Corps would make things even worse."
"So we just forget about it for now?"
"Yes. We drop the matter. Case closed," the head doctor replied.
********************** *
The next day ...
At a certain meeting …
"I tell you … it was horrible … "
"What is … Rei?"
"My fire-reading … "
"What did you see?" a female voice asked from nowhere shocking everyone present.
"Don't do that!" an odangoed blonde shouted at the speaker.
"Don't you ever knock?" asked another.
"What did you see, Rei?" the green-haired Senshi asked, ignoring the outburst.
"I saw many stars … bright stars … and the moon light … swallowed up by a darkness. The darkness … It gave me the creeps … It was … "
"Evil? Was there anything else?"
"I don't think so … "
"Yes or no?" the green-haired Senshi asked sternly.
"No," the fire-reader replied.
"Good. I take my leave …" the green-haired Senshi spoke before disappearing like she usually did.
********************** *
Meanwhile … In some place not faraway from Juuban Ward …
A beautiful girl with tresses of hair that reached below her shoulders held her palm out to the squirrel on the tree. It chittered and chirped before continuing its nut pickings. The girl replied back with a mixture of chirping and chittered sounds.
There was silence for a moment as the squirrel disappeared into the upper branches of the tree.
"What are you doing?" a voice called out from the window.
"The squirrel is going to show us its family," the girl replied while looking up the tree.
"Really?" the woman asked disbelievingly.
Suddenly, there was a pitter-patter of tiny feet and a small, chestnut squirrel bounded to the ground followed by four smaller versions of itself. They ran up to the girl and chittered excitedly.
The girl chittered back in response. "It says that they've just moved to this tree recently. They're staying here for the winter. Isn't life wonderful?"
The woman was too startled to reply.
********************** *
Later ... in the weeks to come ...
"I'm telling you she's strange. The way she talks to animals. She claims that they're smarter and more intelligent than we think. And the winds, the earth and the seas, she says that they're all alive," the first voice spoke.
"And that they listen to us even if we don't listen to them. It's creepy," continued another.
"She's a very well-mannered and helpful person, though. Never gave anyone any trouble," a third voice pointed out.
"Sure she's beautiful, sweet, smart and all. But she just gets creepy when she talks about things like that," the first voice replied.
"I agree. She gets pretty weird. Just the other day, I saw her talking to empty air," the second voice added.
"What a pity. So youthful, well-mannered, intelligent and beautiful. All addled in the head. Most geniuses are," the third voice sighed.
"Remember Van Gogh?" the first voice pointed out.
"Yeah ... And Tesla. Both men ... geniuses with a pinch of insanity wrapped together," the third voice replied.
"What a tragic combination," the second voice muttered.
"I agree," the first voice commented.
"Did you hear that sound? It sounds like a cat!"
"It's them again. The same group of rascals that have been giving you grief. They've apparently decided to spread their misery to the animals."
"Is that so? I think we better stop them."
The three neighbours got up from their seats and headed for the group of teenaged rascals gathered around the tree.
"Look at that. The girl I was telling you about ... "
A girl of nineteen years of age could be seen running towards the tree. The teenaged boys around it who had been throwing stones at the cat up the tree were surprised to see a nineteen year-old clad in cooking apron coming towards them.
"Leave the cat alone!" the girl spoke sternly.
"Oh and what is this little girl going to do?" a rough-looking boy with spiked blonde hair mocked.
"Leave the cat alone or you're going to be really sorry," the girl warned.
"Look here ... Miss Housewife. Go back to your cooking. We don't want to have to hurt you ... by accident," another teenaged ruffian with dyed hair and black sunglasses spoke.
A frown appeared on the girl's face. Immediately, the neighbourhood which was usually so full of activity during the day became silent. The bright sky overhead darkened as if a sudden storm had just rolled in unnoticed. Lightning flashed in the heavens followed by the distant crash of thunder. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and watched the face off between the group of bullies and the mysterious yet beautiful girl.
A strong wind began to blow forcing the group of boys back step by step from the base of the tree. Suddenly, there was a cry of pain followed by another. The sound of solid objects could be heard hitting the ground as the boys scattered, running for their lives with hands around their faces. Hailstones! Everyone groaned as they ran for cover.
The shoulder-length black-haired girl did not move from where she stood yet she seemed to be unaffected by the dropping stones of ice. Turning towards the tree, she made a meowing sound. The cat replied by leaping down from the branch ... right into the girl's arms. It started to purr as she petted it gently before walking away from the scene.
"What is going on?" a voice called out. It was a police officer.
There was no answer as everyone was just too shocked to reply. Elsewhere, an unknown observer pulled out a communication device and began to speak.
********************** *
At another meeting of the magical girls in disguise …
"What's wrong Rei? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
"The darkness … it was in my dream … " the flame-haired senshi spoke.
"The darkness? Tell me more about it," a voice spoke announcing the arrival of the most unpredictable senshi of all, the Guardian of Time.
"Setsuna! Stop doing that! You're going to give us a heart attack one of these days!"
"Rei … " The Guardian of Time called ignoring the usual outburst from the rest of the senshi.
"The darkness … it was everywhere … the stars were gone … There was nothing left … " the flame-haired senshi spoke nervously.
"What else did your fire-reading show you, Rei?" the green-haired senshi asked again.
"It was in my dream … this time … I didn't do any fire-reading," she admitted sheepishly.
"You call us here … an emergency meeting … because of a dream?" the rest of the senshi asked in disbelief.
"It could just be a nightmare but dreams can carry cryptic messages. Tell me about it …" the Guardian of Time remarked.
The second answer caught them by surprise.
"There was a woman standing at the edge of the darkness."
"A woman? What did she look like?" the Time Senshi asked, getting curious … no more than curious as she waited for an answer. Her gut feeling told her that whatever Rei was going to say was going to have great bearing on their future with regards to Crystal Tokyo.
"I could not see her face. She had her back towards me. The darkness stretched out from her feet to cover everything … except her."
"Tell me her height, Rei."
"I'm not sure … " the flame-haired senshi replied, uncertainty in her tone.
"Rei! This is important! I need to know all that you know about her!" the green-haired senshi spoke as she went forward and grasped her by the arms.
"Setsuna! Stop that! You're shaking Rei to death!" the leader of the senshi cried out.
"How about we have Rei draw out what she saw in her dream for us to see?" the smartest of the senshi suggested for the first time.
"That's not a bad idea," the senshi of Love commented.
Slowly, the green-haired senshi let go of the girl in her hands and the other senshi rose to get a sketchpad.
Once the necessary materials were provided to her, the flame-haired senshi began to draw.
********************** *
In a dark secluded alley …
“Alright … here's the deal. You hand us all your money and we leave you intact,” spoke a rough and surly-looking man.
“But that's all the money that I have for Grandmother's medical fees,” a small voice protested.
“Boy! This is a harsh world! Face the fact!” The man replied gruffly as he shoved the little boy onto his back and snatched away his purse.
Tears rolled down the little boy's face.
“What's the matter?” a voice asked.
The boy turned to see the most beautiful woman his eyes ever had the fortune of looking on, standing before him.
“Those men … they took my money again. I needed the money for Mother's medical fees. She has a tumour in her brain. She hasn't gotten up from bed for days,” he cried.
“I'm sorry to hear that. Where is your mother now?”
“Resting at home. She's dying. I was walking back with the money to pay for her treatment when those men surrounded me.”
“Come … let us walk back to your house now. Don't worry. You'll be safe now. Just leave everything to me,” The woman smiled as she took hold of the little boy's hand.
Together, the two walked back to the boy's house, hand in hand.
A few minutes later …
The sight of a bedridden woman greeted them. Her eyes were sunken and her face had seen better days.
The little boy's female companion walked to the sight of the bedridden woman and touched her forehead.
“Can you keep a secret?” she asked enigmatically.
“Yes,” the little boy replied, puzzled at his companion's question.
“Good. Tell no one what you're about to see,” his beautiful companion spoke as a gentle light pulsed in her hand before disappearing into the woman's body.
Almost at once, her wrinkles and paleness vanished from sight. Her cheeks turned a rosy hue and her sunken eyes resumed their normal and healthy proportions making her beautiful once again. The little boy looked on, open-mouthed at the visible changes taking place before him.
“My son … “ the woman finally said as she opened her eyes.
“I feel better … Stronger than I have in years … “ she added after sitting up in her bed.
“Mom … You're well!” the little boy shouted in joy. “She made you well!”
“I don't see anyone besides you in the room,” the mother said doubtfully as she got to her feet.
The little boy turned around to look for his female companion. She was gone. Disappeared like she never was. Was this all a dream? He wondered and his eyes fell on the gift she had left him, a purse which he opened eagerly with his hands. Inside was a large bundle of yen. He quickly counted it all much to his mother's amusement. All the money was still there with a little note in it.
It read:
Dear Tofu …
I'm sorry I had to leave so abruptly without saying good-bye. Something came up and I had to attend to it. Hopefully, whatever's in this purse will make up for it.
Your friend …
Kasumi Tendo.
It wasn't a dream after all! The Angel who had saved his mother's life was real! And she had even given him her name. .
I will never forget you, Kasumi-chan, he swore. When I grow up, I will become someone like you, … a healer … he thought.
********************** *
Sometime in the future ...
"Okaa-san ... she is dying ..." the girl spoke calmly despite her apparent sorrow. Her two sisters were in tears.
"That's right. She has developed aggressive cancer of the lymph."
"Heal her ... onee-chan
. Like you did with the animals. You have the power," Her younger sister implored grasping her shoulder tightly.
The girl responded by moving to touch her mother's hand but her mother pulled her hand away.
"No."
"Why?" she asked.
"If you should heal me like the way you brought that dead squirrel back to life, questions will be asked and they will come for you," the woman lying on the bed replied.
"I could fight them." she replied.
"One against who knows how many?"
"You might be able to defend yourself but what about your sisters ... your father ... Can you protect them all the time? They will not hesitate to kill anyone who gets in their way."
"I am beyond them."
"Maybe. But mankind fears what they do not understand. They will hunt you down and kill you. Failing that, all those close to you. Promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"You wouldn't let anyone learn about your true nature."
"I promise, okaa-san."
"Take good care of the family. And live a good life. You have been a good child. That is all I ask," the woman spoke before closing her eyes.
"Okaa-san!" the three sisters cried as the woman's eyes closed for the last time.
********************** *
Five years later ...
"One of you must marry the Saotomes to continue the Tendo-Saotome line."
"What?" two female voices shouted at once.
"My friend is coming from China with his son on a training trip."
"So what's he like ... this Ranma?"
"I wouldn't know." Soun said, "I've never met him." He quickly hid behind the postcard as if reading it again.
"WHAT??!!!" The sudden shriek of dismay came close to deafening the Tendo Patriach's ears.
There was a massive shuffling and bumbling sound from the door as it opened and Soun breathed a sigh of relief, "That must be them." he shouted as he got up to run down the hall followed by Nabiki and slower by Akane and Kasumi.
Akane and Kasumi reached the hallway just in time to see Nabiki and their father come running back around the corner followed by a large panda carrying someone on its back.
"Pops! Put me down. You're scaring them!" the person being carried shouted.
"You wouldn't be..." Soun began.
"Sorry about this. I'm Ranma Saotome," the voice belonging to the red-headed girl spoke as she finally broke free from the panda's grip, dropping to the floor.
Soun leaped to embrace her, "I'm so glad you're finally here!" He continued hugging for a second until he realized something wasn't quite right. He suddenly leapt away in horror and Nabiki leaned in to examine her potential fiance.
"Dad, does this look like a boy to you?" the middle Tendo sister replied as she poked the red-headed girl's chest.
"Saotome told me that he had a boy," the Tendo Patriach spoke before fainting clean away.
Ranma sat between Akane and Nabiki while Soun recovered from his faint.
"Way to go dad, engaging us to a girl." Nabiki growled. She was frustrated. She'd actually been looking forward to meeting a potential fiancé who hadn't been influenced by whatever drew all the boys to Akane.
"I always assumed Saotome's son was a boy." Soun commented.
Nabiki grabbed Ranma's breast again giving it a little squeeze as she did so, "Does this look like a boy to you?" 'Feels rather soft, warm and nice too,' she thought.
"Please don't do that." Ranma said Nabiki continued to feel the breast with her hand.
"Nabiki …" Kasumi chided.
"Gomen nasai, onee-chan," she replied, quickly letting go of the girl's breast.
The red-headed girl been quiet this whole time, trying to figure out the best way to deal with this mess. She wasn't happy not telling them about her curse, however she'd be engaged to one of them if she was a boy. But this girl Nabiki seemed to be a little too 'touchy'.
"I sure could use a bath," Ranma spoke.
"The furo is right there to your left," the eldest Tendo sister replied as though understanding his dilemma.
A few minutes later ...
... shrieks of "PERVERT!", "TOO HOT!", loud splashes in the koi pond and accusations outlining the physiological differences between boys and girls later ...
... calm was once again restored to the house.
"Well ... your problem is not so bad after all. My two daughters are Nabiki and Akane aged 17 and 16. Choose one and she'll be your wife."
"What about Kasumi?" the two sisters asked at once.
"Kasumi is not required to fulfill the family obligation." The Tendo Patriach replied surprising the two Tendo sisters.
"Not required?"
"She spoke to me before she died." He replied.
"He wants Akane," Nabiki quickly suggested.
"Why should I marry that sex-changing pervert?" The youngest Tendo shrieked.
"You hate boys. Well, you're in luck. Ranma's half girl," Nabiki argued, putting her point forward excellently like a veteran lawyer.
"I can't marry him because all boys are perverts! Besides he must be playing with his female body everyday!"
"I do not!"
"Yes, you do! All boys are perverts!"
"I AM NOT!"
"YES YOU ARE!"
"Tendo, they make a fine couple already," the elder Saotome commented.
"That's right Saotome," the Tendo Patriach agreed.
"Alright then. Akane will marry Ranma to fulfill the Tendo-Saotome family pledge of the agreement to unite the two schools!" came the voice of the Tendo Patriach.
"What! Why would I want to marry him? That sex-changing freak! I'll sure he plans to do perverted things with me once he's married!"
"No I don't! Besides ... who would want to marry a sexless, flat-chested tomboy like you anyway?" came the thoughtless reply.
The sound of a loud crash could be heard throughout the house and the rest, as they say, is canon.
********************** *
Genre: Anime/Non-Anime
Date: 110404
Update: 150205, 080305, 170305, 170405, 030505, 230805, 311005, 010306, 060306, 220306, 121006, 110307
Type: A Ranma/Babylon 5/Palladium/Sailormoon crossover
Disclaimer: Ranma and the Nerima Wrecking Crew belong to Rumiko Takahashi while Rifts and Nightspawn belong to Palladium. Babylon 5, Manhunter and Sailormoon belong to all their creators respectively.
********************** *
Part 1 : Genesis
Location : Earth
Country : Japan
Year : 2200 AD
Lights shone around the place lighting the different sections of the large fenced warehouse.
"Have they left?" a voice asked.
"They're still in there," another voice answered.
The gates surrounding the warehouse began to open.
The sound of a truck's engine, moved towards the opened entrance.
"Now," a third voice replied.
The guards manning the checkpoints waved them through.
Another truck moved up to it.
After looking at the driver, the guards gestured for him to pass.
A crate fell out of the truck to the ground.
The guard manning the checkpoint ran up to the crate immediately.
“Hey!!!” He called out but the truck was already gone.
Calling his partner, they picked up the crate before heading back to their checkpoint where they decided to divide the stash among themselves.
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
“What's that beeping sound coming from the crate?” One guard asked.
Getting curious, both guards used their knives to cut it open. Inside the crate, there was a countdown timer with a message taped down next to it.
F* YOU!!! It read.
That was the only warning they got as a powerful explosion ripped apart the guardhouse they were into shreds in a blinding flash of light.
********************** *
Inside the warehouse …
"These aren't the common-off-the-shelves narcotics, everyone. They've been enchanted with some kind of demonic sorcery."
"What effects do they have?"
"They make the person obey the commands of the maker of the drug."
“Obey?”
“Yes … the drugs turn those who take them into slavishly loyal minions of the person who made them, doing anything that's asked of them, even if it costs them their very lives.”
“That's awful!”
“That's not all. The brain of the person taking it would continue to degenerate to the point that eventually the addict would become nothing more than a mindless zombie, only craving the drug itself in which its key component appears to be human blood. Unable to get more drugs, they would begin to thirst for the drug in which case they would attack any living person with blood close to them.”
“Blood-sucking zombies? I thought those things only existed in the movies.”
“I thought so too. Until today, that is. In fact, the bite of this blood-sucking zombie turns the victim into another blood-sucking zombie for 24 hours. Looks like the effects are not permanent for those not taking the drug directly. Either the creator of the drug has not perfected it yet or …”
“Or what?”
“There might be more to this scenario than we think … Whatever the reason, we must find and destroy every single trace of this drug before it hits the streets.“
********************** *
In a dark and sinister place … where smoke usually abounds in the hidden parlours of power …
A meeting is taking place …
"My lord … the dope scheduled for distribution …"
"Has been sent." The other figure replied calmly.
"Sir … all of the dope scheduled for distribution in Japan has been destroyed."
"Destroyed?"
"The Senshi … They came in. Wiped out all the dope."
There as an eerie silence throughout the room for a moment.
"The Senshi … They have interfered in our operations for the last time. Management would not be pleased. Place a bounty of one hundred million credits on each of their heads. Have this message delivered far and wide to the entire galaxy if necessary."
"Yes … my lord."
********************** *
Meanwhile ……
In Juuban Ward …….
Tokyo ……
Japan …….
Home to the Samurai ……
And the Senshi …….
Among whom one is a shrine maiden …….
On this auspicious day, this particular red-haired senshi was doing her usual fire-reading and gave off a scream as she fell to the ground in cold sweat, bringing in worried looks from her elderly guardian …
"Calm down. What's wrong?"
She was breathing hard.
"Nothing, really."
Seeing her refusal, her elderly guardian decided to let her come to terms with it herself.
"Alright, when you're ready, let me know," He replied before departing the room.
********************** *
Nerima Ward .....
"Dearest, we really must hurry. Or we would be late for the function."
"I am doing my best," came the reply.
BANG!
The vehicle the couple were in jolted as it struck something hard making it spin wildly out of control before hitting the embankment by the side of the road.
"I think we just hit something," a male voice spoke as the door opened.
Footsteps hit the road and their eyes caught sight of a naked figure lying on the road.
"It's a girl!" the woman cried out in surprise.
"What is a naked girl doing in the middle of the highway?" the man asked.
"I don't know but we can't just leave her here," the woman replied as she took off her cardigan and wrapped it around the unconscious girl who looked to be in between her late teens and early twenties.
"Can you lift her up? She's rather heavy," the woman commented.
The man tried to lift her up but failed to move the body.
"Damn it! She must weigh a ton!" the man replied as he tried in vain to move the body.
The closed eyes of the girl opened suddenly.
"Who are you?" she asked as she took in her surroundings carefully.
******************** ***
"I am Soun Tendo and this is my wife, Kimiko Tendo. What's your name?" the man asked.
"I … do not remember …," the girl replied, an expression of puzzlement on her face.
"Where is your house?" the woman asked.
"I … do not know …," the girl answered.
"Do you remember how you came to be lying on the road?"
The girl simply shook her head.
"Do you have any families, brothers, sisters or relatives that we can contact?"
Again, the answer was a negative.
"Can you remember anything at all? Anything about your life?"
The girl simply looked at the couple with a perplexed expression on her face and shook her head slowly … as before.
"Alright, come with us. We'll take you to the hospital. Maybe they can help you," the man replied as he held out his hand to her.
The girl took it and the man groaned, letting go of the hand rather suddenly. The woman turned to the man in surprise.
"She's got a rather strong grip," the man explained quickly as he massaged his bruised hand.
"I'm sorry," the girl replied apologetically.
"That's alright. Come on inside the car. Like this," the man spoke as he put his legs in one at a time before lowering his head into the car.
The girl got to her feet, her quick movements causing the cardigan to fall off to the road leaving her nude figure opened once again to public display. Not bothered in the least by her apparent nakedness, she did not bother to pick it back up from the road and instead, headed for the vehicle. Upon getting there, she repeated the exact motions of the man to get into the car. Once comfortably seated in it, her hand reached out to close the car door but was interrupted before she could do so.
"That's alright. I will close the door for you," the man spoke quickly as he closed the passenger door for her.
********************** *
Meanwhile …
………………. Somewhere beyond the reach of mortal men ……………….
………………. In a place where the passage of time is suspended ……………….
………………. A pair of eyes was scrutinizing the timelines through the greatest spying device ever created ………………..
………………. And hidden from the universe ……………….
………………. The Gates of Time ……………….
………………. A doorway to anywhere and any when ……………….
A single being stood at the entrance with a scowl on the face.
`Curse it! There has been a great disturbance in the Timestream. I won't be able to track down the source of the disturbance until the ripples and eddies begin to settle,' Came the angry thoughts of the supposedly all-knowing observer.
********************** *
At the hospital ...
"How is she?" the woman asked.
"Apart from her complete case of memory loss, I would say that she is in perfect health," the doctor replied.
"Have you been able to identify her?" the man asked.
"We've forwarded our requests for identification to the Japanese Bureau of Investigation. They have a lot of cases to deal with, so it'll probably be about a month or two before they get to her case."
"Will she ever get her memories back?"
"Can't say for sure. Her memories may just be repressed. There's no way to check it out unless you wish to enlist Psi-Corps's services."
"No, thank you," the woman replied quickly.
"I thought as much," The doctor replied.
"Do we leave her here or something?"
"No. I think it would probably be best if you took her back to your home with you. A loving home is best for cases like her," the doctor pointed out.
"Just give us a weekly update on her condition. You're living in the Nerima Ward, right?"
"Yes …"
"If you run into any problems you can't handle, just give us a call."
"Thank you doctor."
"You're welcome."
A few minutes later … after the couple had left …
"Why didn't you tell them the truth?" one of the interns asked.
"They can't handle the truth. Not yet at least … " the doctor replied.
"And her …"
"Will be our secret for now. A case like hers is sure to bring in Psi-Corps. Damn them all to hell! Our Emperor is already having enough problems with that good-for-nothing-son-of-a-b** who calls himself a President. Psi-Corps would make things even worse."
"So we just forget about it for now?"
"Yes. We drop the matter. Case closed," the head doctor replied.
********************** *
The next day ...
At a certain meeting …
"I tell you … it was horrible … "
"What is … Rei?"
"My fire-reading … "
"What did you see?" a female voice asked from nowhere shocking everyone present.
"Don't do that!" an odangoed blonde shouted at the speaker.
"Don't you ever knock?" asked another.
"What did you see, Rei?" the green-haired Senshi asked, ignoring the outburst.
"I saw many stars … bright stars … and the moon light … swallowed up by a darkness. The darkness … It gave me the creeps … It was … "
"Evil? Was there anything else?"
"I don't think so … "
"Yes or no?" the green-haired Senshi asked sternly.
"No," the fire-reader replied.
"Good. I take my leave …" the green-haired Senshi spoke before disappearing like she usually did.
********************** *
Meanwhile … In some place not faraway from Juuban Ward …
A beautiful girl with tresses of hair that reached below her shoulders held her palm out to the squirrel on the tree. It chittered and chirped before continuing its nut pickings. The girl replied back with a mixture of chirping and chittered sounds.
There was silence for a moment as the squirrel disappeared into the upper branches of the tree.
"What are you doing?" a voice called out from the window.
"The squirrel is going to show us its family," the girl replied while looking up the tree.
"Really?" the woman asked disbelievingly.
Suddenly, there was a pitter-patter of tiny feet and a small, chestnut squirrel bounded to the ground followed by four smaller versions of itself. They ran up to the girl and chittered excitedly.
The girl chittered back in response. "It says that they've just moved to this tree recently. They're staying here for the winter. Isn't life wonderful?"
The woman was too startled to reply.
********************** *
Later ... in the weeks to come ...
"I'm telling you she's strange. The way she talks to animals. She claims that they're smarter and more intelligent than we think. And the winds, the earth and the seas, she says that they're all alive," the first voice spoke.
"And that they listen to us even if we don't listen to them. It's creepy," continued another.
"She's a very well-mannered and helpful person, though. Never gave anyone any trouble," a third voice pointed out.
"Sure she's beautiful, sweet, smart and all. But she just gets creepy when she talks about things like that," the first voice replied.
"I agree. She gets pretty weird. Just the other day, I saw her talking to empty air," the second voice added.
"What a pity. So youthful, well-mannered, intelligent and beautiful. All addled in the head. Most geniuses are," the third voice sighed.
"Remember Van Gogh?" the first voice pointed out.
"Yeah ... And Tesla. Both men ... geniuses with a pinch of insanity wrapped together," the third voice replied.
"What a tragic combination," the second voice muttered.
"I agree," the first voice commented.
"Did you hear that sound? It sounds like a cat!"
"It's them again. The same group of rascals that have been giving you grief. They've apparently decided to spread their misery to the animals."
"Is that so? I think we better stop them."
The three neighbours got up from their seats and headed for the group of teenaged rascals gathered around the tree.
"Look at that. The girl I was telling you about ... "
A girl of nineteen years of age could be seen running towards the tree. The teenaged boys around it who had been throwing stones at the cat up the tree were surprised to see a nineteen year-old clad in cooking apron coming towards them.
"Leave the cat alone!" the girl spoke sternly.
"Oh and what is this little girl going to do?" a rough-looking boy with spiked blonde hair mocked.
"Leave the cat alone or you're going to be really sorry," the girl warned.
"Look here ... Miss Housewife. Go back to your cooking. We don't want to have to hurt you ... by accident," another teenaged ruffian with dyed hair and black sunglasses spoke.
A frown appeared on the girl's face. Immediately, the neighbourhood which was usually so full of activity during the day became silent. The bright sky overhead darkened as if a sudden storm had just rolled in unnoticed. Lightning flashed in the heavens followed by the distant crash of thunder. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and watched the face off between the group of bullies and the mysterious yet beautiful girl.
A strong wind began to blow forcing the group of boys back step by step from the base of the tree. Suddenly, there was a cry of pain followed by another. The sound of solid objects could be heard hitting the ground as the boys scattered, running for their lives with hands around their faces. Hailstones! Everyone groaned as they ran for cover.
The shoulder-length black-haired girl did not move from where she stood yet she seemed to be unaffected by the dropping stones of ice. Turning towards the tree, she made a meowing sound. The cat replied by leaping down from the branch ... right into the girl's arms. It started to purr as she petted it gently before walking away from the scene.
"What is going on?" a voice called out. It was a police officer.
There was no answer as everyone was just too shocked to reply. Elsewhere, an unknown observer pulled out a communication device and began to speak.
********************** *
At another meeting of the magical girls in disguise …
"What's wrong Rei? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
"The darkness … it was in my dream … " the flame-haired senshi spoke.
"The darkness? Tell me more about it," a voice spoke announcing the arrival of the most unpredictable senshi of all, the Guardian of Time.
"Setsuna! Stop doing that! You're going to give us a heart attack one of these days!"
"Rei … " The Guardian of Time called ignoring the usual outburst from the rest of the senshi.
"The darkness … it was everywhere … the stars were gone … There was nothing left … " the flame-haired senshi spoke nervously.
"What else did your fire-reading show you, Rei?" the green-haired senshi asked again.
"It was in my dream … this time … I didn't do any fire-reading," she admitted sheepishly.
"You call us here … an emergency meeting … because of a dream?" the rest of the senshi asked in disbelief.
"It could just be a nightmare but dreams can carry cryptic messages. Tell me about it …" the Guardian of Time remarked.
The second answer caught them by surprise.
"There was a woman standing at the edge of the darkness."
"A woman? What did she look like?" the Time Senshi asked, getting curious … no more than curious as she waited for an answer. Her gut feeling told her that whatever Rei was going to say was going to have great bearing on their future with regards to Crystal Tokyo.
"I could not see her face. She had her back towards me. The darkness stretched out from her feet to cover everything … except her."
"Tell me her height, Rei."
"I'm not sure … " the flame-haired senshi replied, uncertainty in her tone.
"Rei! This is important! I need to know all that you know about her!" the green-haired senshi spoke as she went forward and grasped her by the arms.
"Setsuna! Stop that! You're shaking Rei to death!" the leader of the senshi cried out.
"How about we have Rei draw out what she saw in her dream for us to see?" the smartest of the senshi suggested for the first time.
"That's not a bad idea," the senshi of Love commented.
Slowly, the green-haired senshi let go of the girl in her hands and the other senshi rose to get a sketchpad.
Once the necessary materials were provided to her, the flame-haired senshi began to draw.
********************** *
In a dark secluded alley …
“Alright … here's the deal. You hand us all your money and we leave you intact,” spoke a rough and surly-looking man.
“But that's all the money that I have for Grandmother's medical fees,” a small voice protested.
“Boy! This is a harsh world! Face the fact!” The man replied gruffly as he shoved the little boy onto his back and snatched away his purse.
Tears rolled down the little boy's face.
“What's the matter?” a voice asked.
The boy turned to see the most beautiful woman his eyes ever had the fortune of looking on, standing before him.
“Those men … they took my money again. I needed the money for Mother's medical fees. She has a tumour in her brain. She hasn't gotten up from bed for days,” he cried.
“I'm sorry to hear that. Where is your mother now?”
“Resting at home. She's dying. I was walking back with the money to pay for her treatment when those men surrounded me.”
“Come … let us walk back to your house now. Don't worry. You'll be safe now. Just leave everything to me,” The woman smiled as she took hold of the little boy's hand.
Together, the two walked back to the boy's house, hand in hand.
A few minutes later …
The sight of a bedridden woman greeted them. Her eyes were sunken and her face had seen better days.
The little boy's female companion walked to the sight of the bedridden woman and touched her forehead.
“Can you keep a secret?” she asked enigmatically.
“Yes,” the little boy replied, puzzled at his companion's question.
“Good. Tell no one what you're about to see,” his beautiful companion spoke as a gentle light pulsed in her hand before disappearing into the woman's body.
Almost at once, her wrinkles and paleness vanished from sight. Her cheeks turned a rosy hue and her sunken eyes resumed their normal and healthy proportions making her beautiful once again. The little boy looked on, open-mouthed at the visible changes taking place before him.
“My son … “ the woman finally said as she opened her eyes.
“I feel better … Stronger than I have in years … “ she added after sitting up in her bed.
“Mom … You're well!” the little boy shouted in joy. “She made you well!”
“I don't see anyone besides you in the room,” the mother said doubtfully as she got to her feet.
The little boy turned around to look for his female companion. She was gone. Disappeared like she never was. Was this all a dream? He wondered and his eyes fell on the gift she had left him, a purse which he opened eagerly with his hands. Inside was a large bundle of yen. He quickly counted it all much to his mother's amusement. All the money was still there with a little note in it.
It read:
Dear Tofu …
I'm sorry I had to leave so abruptly without saying good-bye. Something came up and I had to attend to it. Hopefully, whatever's in this purse will make up for it.
Your friend …
Kasumi Tendo.
It wasn't a dream after all! The Angel who had saved his mother's life was real! And she had even given him her name. .
I will never forget you, Kasumi-chan, he swore. When I grow up, I will become someone like you, … a healer … he thought.
********************** *
Sometime in the future ...
"Okaa-san ... she is dying ..." the girl spoke calmly despite her apparent sorrow. Her two sisters were in tears.
"That's right. She has developed aggressive cancer of the lymph."
"Heal her ... onee-chan
. Like you did with the animals. You have the power," Her younger sister implored grasping her shoulder tightly.
The girl responded by moving to touch her mother's hand but her mother pulled her hand away.
"No."
"Why?" she asked.
"If you should heal me like the way you brought that dead squirrel back to life, questions will be asked and they will come for you," the woman lying on the bed replied.
"I could fight them." she replied.
"One against who knows how many?"
"You might be able to defend yourself but what about your sisters ... your father ... Can you protect them all the time? They will not hesitate to kill anyone who gets in their way."
"I am beyond them."
"Maybe. But mankind fears what they do not understand. They will hunt you down and kill you. Failing that, all those close to you. Promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"You wouldn't let anyone learn about your true nature."
"I promise, okaa-san."
"Take good care of the family. And live a good life. You have been a good child. That is all I ask," the woman spoke before closing her eyes.
"Okaa-san!" the three sisters cried as the woman's eyes closed for the last time.
********************** *
Five years later ...
"One of you must marry the Saotomes to continue the Tendo-Saotome line."
"What?" two female voices shouted at once.
"My friend is coming from China with his son on a training trip."
"So what's he like ... this Ranma?"
"I wouldn't know." Soun said, "I've never met him." He quickly hid behind the postcard as if reading it again.
"WHAT??!!!" The sudden shriek of dismay came close to deafening the Tendo Patriach's ears.
There was a massive shuffling and bumbling sound from the door as it opened and Soun breathed a sigh of relief, "That must be them." he shouted as he got up to run down the hall followed by Nabiki and slower by Akane and Kasumi.
Akane and Kasumi reached the hallway just in time to see Nabiki and their father come running back around the corner followed by a large panda carrying someone on its back.
"Pops! Put me down. You're scaring them!" the person being carried shouted.
"You wouldn't be..." Soun began.
"Sorry about this. I'm Ranma Saotome," the voice belonging to the red-headed girl spoke as she finally broke free from the panda's grip, dropping to the floor.
Soun leaped to embrace her, "I'm so glad you're finally here!" He continued hugging for a second until he realized something wasn't quite right. He suddenly leapt away in horror and Nabiki leaned in to examine her potential fiance.
"Dad, does this look like a boy to you?" the middle Tendo sister replied as she poked the red-headed girl's chest.
"Saotome told me that he had a boy," the Tendo Patriach spoke before fainting clean away.
Ranma sat between Akane and Nabiki while Soun recovered from his faint.
"Way to go dad, engaging us to a girl." Nabiki growled. She was frustrated. She'd actually been looking forward to meeting a potential fiancé who hadn't been influenced by whatever drew all the boys to Akane.
"I always assumed Saotome's son was a boy." Soun commented.
Nabiki grabbed Ranma's breast again giving it a little squeeze as she did so, "Does this look like a boy to you?" 'Feels rather soft, warm and nice too,' she thought.
"Please don't do that." Ranma said Nabiki continued to feel the breast with her hand.
"Nabiki …" Kasumi chided.
"Gomen nasai, onee-chan," she replied, quickly letting go of the girl's breast.
The red-headed girl been quiet this whole time, trying to figure out the best way to deal with this mess. She wasn't happy not telling them about her curse, however she'd be engaged to one of them if she was a boy. But this girl Nabiki seemed to be a little too 'touchy'.
"I sure could use a bath," Ranma spoke.
"The furo is right there to your left," the eldest Tendo sister replied as though understanding his dilemma.
A few minutes later ...
... shrieks of "PERVERT!", "TOO HOT!", loud splashes in the koi pond and accusations outlining the physiological differences between boys and girls later ...
... calm was once again restored to the house.
"Well ... your problem is not so bad after all. My two daughters are Nabiki and Akane aged 17 and 16. Choose one and she'll be your wife."
"What about Kasumi?" the two sisters asked at once.
"Kasumi is not required to fulfill the family obligation." The Tendo Patriach replied surprising the two Tendo sisters.
"Not required?"
"She spoke to me before she died." He replied.
"He wants Akane," Nabiki quickly suggested.
"Why should I marry that sex-changing pervert?" The youngest Tendo shrieked.
"You hate boys. Well, you're in luck. Ranma's half girl," Nabiki argued, putting her point forward excellently like a veteran lawyer.
"I can't marry him because all boys are perverts! Besides he must be playing with his female body everyday!"
"I do not!"
"Yes, you do! All boys are perverts!"
"I AM NOT!"
"YES YOU ARE!"
"Tendo, they make a fine couple already," the elder Saotome commented.
"That's right Saotome," the Tendo Patriach agreed.
"Alright then. Akane will marry Ranma to fulfill the Tendo-Saotome family pledge of the agreement to unite the two schools!" came the voice of the Tendo Patriach.
"What! Why would I want to marry him? That sex-changing freak! I'll sure he plans to do perverted things with me once he's married!"
"No I don't! Besides ... who would want to marry a sexless, flat-chested tomboy like you anyway?" came the thoughtless reply.
The sound of a loud crash could be heard throughout the house and the rest, as they say, is canon.
********************** *
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