Categories > Anime/Manga > Ranma 1/2 > Chrysalis
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Genre: Anime/Non-Anime
Date: 110404
Update: 150205, 080305, 170305, 170405, 030505, 230805, 311005, 010306, 060306, 220306, 121006, 120307, 111107
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.
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Part 5 : Omens
One month later ...
He was home ... home at last. In his male form. Which he had done with great difficulty. Going up to the gate, he opened it and knocked on the door. There was a bustle of feet and the door in front of him opened. It was Kasumi. And she appeared to be in shock, open-mouthed as she stared flabbergasted at him .... without the usual 'Oh my'. "What's wrong, Kasumi?" Ranma asked, growing concerned at the eldest Tendo sister's behaviour.
"What's wrong onee-chan?" another voice, Ranma identified as belonging to the Mercenary Sister, Tendo Nabiki approached the door. Her eyes fell on him with the same expression as the elder Tendo sister. "Nabiki? What's the matter? It's me, Ranma!" the pigtailed martial artist spoke.
There was a hustle of feet and two men came up to the door. It was his 'pops' and Uncle Soun. The moment their eyes fell on him, they became still and did not move.
"What's the matter with you people?" the pigtailed martist asked.
"You all look like you've seen a ghost!" he remarked.
"Ranma ... " It was Nabiki. It seemed like the Ice Queen was the first to recover.
"Yes ... " he replied.
"I don't know how to put this to you but we ... we ..."
"We ... what?"
"J-j-j-just had your f-f-f-funeral s-s-s-service last week!"
"What? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard in my life! This is not funny, Nabs. What the hell is going on here?"
"R-r-r-ranma. Y-y-y-you died a-a-a-t Phoenix Mountain. We b-b-b-buried you at the Nerima C-C-C-Cemetery last week."
"What are you talking about? I'm right here see. Solid as a rock," he said as he moved forward to touch them.
"G-g-g-get b-b-b-back! He's got to be an imposter! The real Ranma's dead!"
"Call the exorcist! This is got to be a ghost!"
"That's enough! I'm alive! See?!!" Ranma spoke and waved his hands in front of their faces.
It did no good. The entire Tendo family including 'pops' retreated into the house and bolted up the front door.
Ranma could of course have gotten into the house with little difficulty but he did not do so, not wanting to aggravate the situation any further. Still there was one thing he could do ... and that was to go and find the Old Ghoul ... assuming she was still around that is.
It took but a minute to get to the Nekohanten. The place which usually seemed full of activity was silent. Walking up to the door, Ranma knocked on it. There was a bustle of feet on the other side and then the door opened.
"Ranma?!! Cannot be! Ranma die at Jusendo!" cried the lavender-haired girl which was usually so full of life and activity seemed pale and full of sadness.
"Shampoo, what's the matter?" Ranma asked.
"I saw you die! Phoenix King killed you!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with sorrow.
Suddenly, a small blur interposed itself between Ranma and Shampoo.
It was the Old Ghoul. And she narrowed her eyes.
"You look like Son-In-Law. You smell like Son-In-Law. And you even sound like Son-In-Law .... " She spoke candidly, yet there was the slightest hint of suspicion in her voice. A splash of cold water hit him from nowhere activating the curse at the worst possible time. "But your aura is not! Who are you?" the Old Ghoul asked, the tone of fear evident in her voice. 'Impossible! He has no ki!' she thought.
"Don't worry, my Shampoo-chan. I'll rescue you!" a voice Ranma identifed as belonging to the near-blind Amazon sounded out. Suddenly, dozens of sharp metal blades and chains flew at Ranma. Responding to the danger he was in, Ranma reflexively used a power, one he had never used before. The horde of potentially lethal metal weapons froze right in front of his face as though stopped by some unknown force.
'Strange. How did I stop Mousse's attack? All I wanted was for it to stop moving ... ' Ranma thought as he studied all the sharp metal objects hanging in front of his face.
'Maybe that's it. So it works on metal as well ... ' Ranma willed the various sharp metal objects into the shape of a large metal ball, which it did, startling the onlookers as it happened instantly. Cologne was able to mask her expression but Ranma was able to sense her growing fear which for some unknown reason seemed to please and invigorate him on a subconscious level as he drank in her fear.
"I am Ranma, Old Ghoul! What the hell is going on?!! Why is everyone saying that I'm dead?" the pigtailed martial artist-turned female asked before picking up the ball with his right hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze.
"That is because we saw Ranma die at Jusendo. He gave up his life so that Akane might live. The question is 'who are you?'" the Old Ghoul asked once again trying her best to mask her fear but with mixed success.
"I am Ranma!" the pigtailed martial artist insisted, his female voice rang out strong and clear.
"YOU LIE!!! I don't know what you are but I will not have you besmirching Son-In-Law's name!" the Amazon elder screamed before launching herself into a full-scale assault.
Ranma managed to leap out of the way just before the Old Ghoul struck the ground beneath his feet.
"Chestnuts Roasting Over An Open Fire!" she cried as she struck Ranma a thousand times. Not wanting to hurt the Amazon Elder, Ranma merely parried and dodged her attacks. It was strange. The Amazon Elder was moving so much faster than she had ever moved before yet the pigtailed martial artist was unfazed by the speed and ferocity of her attack.
"Listen ... "
Dodges a kick-punch combo ....
"Old ... "
Leaps into the air ....
"Ghoul ... "
Parries fifty hand strikes ...
" I .."
Leaps over a leg sweep ...
"Don't"
Parries a combination of palm-punch-finger delivered shiatsu attacks ...
"Want ... "
Dodges another thirty hand-leg-cane attack ....
"To ..."
Somersaults into the air ...
"Have ..."
Deflects a hundred thrown objects ...
"To ..."
Avoids a triple ki blast attack ....
"Hurt ..".
Parries another 40 hand-leg-cane combination attack ...
"You ..."
BOOM! A powerful explosion rocked the area.
The imposter was gone. There was no sign of him anywhere. Cologne carefully examined the area with her ki senses. Still nothing.
Turning to her granddaughter, she spoke, "Shampoo. Tomorrow, we leave for China. We got to warn our people of the coming darkness. It's a sad thing that what could be the greatest champion of light would have fallen before the coming war."
"But he ... "
"Is not Ranma! The Masters of Darkness have many forms and can easily take on the forms of our loved ones! The imposter's aura was too different and powerful to be Son-In-Law's."
Shampoo looked questioningly at her Great Grandmother.
"He had no ki. We must warn the Saotomes and the Tendos as soon as possible," came the simple reply.
Both Amazons entered the Nekohanten and the doors closed for the night. Elsewhere, on a narrow street, a ripple appeared beneath a street lamp and the figure of a pigtail youth clad in black gear shimmered into view.
'Great! Just great! Even the Old Ghoul thinks that I'm dead. Maybe, I had better go and check the Nerima Cemetery.'
Ranma arrived at the Nerima Cemetery without further incident. Quickly, he looked for his supposed 'gravesite'. Finally, his sharp eyes fell on a tombstone that bore words written in kanji. It read, 'Ranma Saotome. Died at Jusendo. Missed by all. Date: 12th December 2250 AD.'
'Impossible! This has got to be a trick.' Ranma thought as he removed the earth from the ground with but a simple application of his newly-found power. There was a coffin inside. With a dismissive gesture from his hand, the cover of the coffin flew open next to reveal ........
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......... The source of Ranma's consternation and trouble.
Inside the coffin, lay a body. The familiar pigtail and kungfu clothes of the person gave little reason to doubt the person's identity.
'It can't be. This has got to be a trick. But I have to be sure.'
Quickly, he looked around for some water and found a pipe not faraway from the gate. With a single bound, he was right next to the pipe with the coffin in his hands. Turning on the tap, he watched nervously as the hair colour of the corpse took on a fiery red. Not believing what he saw, he moved the coffin away and broke off the nearest tombstone. He willed it into the form of a container and let the water from the pipe flow into it.
Next he heated the water with his powers until the water became warm. Carefully, he lifted it from the ground with his hand and poured it on the corpse in the coffin. It turned back to the form of the male figure he was so familiar with. Himself. Not satisfied, he poured some more cold water on the corpse. It turned back to the red-haired girl.
'This is becoming ridiculous. If the guy in the coffin is Ranma Saotome then I can't be Ranma Saotome. But I have got to be Ranma Saotome because of my knowledge of the Anything Goes martial arts and my curse to turn into a girl by Jusenkyo. But this isn't right. My curse form is different. Therefore I can't be Ranma Saotome, right? If I'm not Ranma Saotome then who am I?' he wondered.
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So the Lord God banished man from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life ...
- Genesis 2:10
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The Tendo Dojo .....
"He's alive!" a voice cried out.
"Was that really Ranma?" a second voice spoke.
"If it is, the honor of the Saotome and the Tendo families is intact. Ranma and Akane should get married at once!"
"That's right!"
'Not to mention, my insurance for the rest of my life.' Guess, where this came from.
"Don't I get a say in this?" cried an angry feminine voice.
"Fools! Ignorant fools! The whole bunch of you! There is more at stake here than the so-called honor of your families!" a voice spoke from the window.
"Cologne! Don't scare us like that!" Everyone in the room gasped.
"My humble apologies but what you saw wasn't Son-In-Law! That was one of their servants or even worse one of THEM!" the withered old Amazon replied.
"Them? What are you talking about, you dried-up mummy?"
"Silence! You insolent male, I ought to have you castrated for this! But time is running out! Already, the Enemy is on the move! Soon they will be in postion!"
"What enemy?"
"One that has been imprisoned since the dawn of mankind. One who bears us nothing but lasting ill-will."
"You're talking in riddles."
"Be silent! We must leave Nerima immediately for the safety of the mountains or the surrounding forests as the Enemy will be drawn towards the presence of large human gatherings."
"You haven't answered my question on who is the Enemy."
"Not much is written about them but this we do know. In ancient times, when the first cities of Man rose in fertile lands that today are little more than places of wasteland or desert, the Ba'al rose to power."
"Ba'al? That sounds like the name of a god from some ancient Sumerian or Canaanite beliefs."
"The Ba'al are as real as you and me. The earliest writings depicted them as benevolent sorcerers who became kings and queens of the people they ruled before they ended up being worshipped as gods by their subjects."
"If they're benevolent, what have we got to worry about?" Genma shouted.
Cologne frowned at the outburst and continued her explanation.
"They were the first magicians of the ancient age, the first lorekeepers of antiquity and the first wise men. But their arcane knowledge which helped bring the rain and healed the sick were not enough for them. They wanted more ... too much perhaps, as is often the way of men. Their ambition brought to them, lasting damnation."
"Nothing new there. It's good to be the king. It's natural to always desire more. So what did they desire?" the middle Tendo daughter laughed.
"Long before the first records of man were written down, strange creatures and mighty beasts of all kinds moved to and fro across the Earth making it their playground. Dragons, gryphons, demons, angels and many other nameless creatures ... all these ... they were the true masters of the Earth. They fought, warred, killed and enslaved each other for control of the Earth, some say for centuries before the first man appeared."
Cologne paused for a moment before continuing.
"In time, they would leave and become nothing more than a fable to mankind, but by then, they had captured the interest of the Ba'al who sought to uncover the secrets to their power and immortality with all their energy. Their hunger for power and their craving for knowledge led them down paths that no mortal had ever dared before tread. Though the fruits of their labour were sweet as honey in the beginning, like wine, they left behind a bitter aftertaste as they were destined for ruination," Cologne admonished as her voice grew solemn .... so much so that everyone became silent.
'Where have I heard of this before?' Nabiki wondered.
"Hmm?" Everyone asked.
Nabiki was about to apologise not realising that she had spoken out loud when Kasumi came to her rescue.
"Because thy has said in thine heart, 'I will ascend into the heavens. I will set up my throne above the stars of heaven. I will sit above the mount of congregation. I will be like the Most High.' Yet thou shalt be brought down to the grave and laid low before the nations so that they may behold thee asking, 'Is this the one that made mankind tremble at his feet? Is this the one that swore to bring down the nations of the earth?' Thou shalt be a terror and thou shall never be anymore."
Everyone turned in surprise towards the older Tendo sister who merely gave them, her enigmatic smile.
"Where did you read that passage?" Cologne asked, her curiosity aroused.
"The Bible. That's why I thought it sounded so familiar," Nabiki replied in her sister's place.
'So the book the Westerners call the Bible has some similarities with this message. This bears looking into,' Cologne thought before continuing.
"Now, chief among the Ba'al was a sorcerer called Molek."
"Molek? I thought it was supposed to be Marduk." Nabiki interjected.
"He had more than a dozen names. Marduk was one of the names he used."
"Ba'al Marduk. How quaint. I supposed he had a father called Enki and a mother called Damkina somewhere. Cute. A nice big happy family. Unlike some families I know."
"Hey??!!!" the sound came from everyone.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Soun asked for the first time.
"Nothing ... " Nabiki replied with a wink.
For some reason, everyone at the table felt uneasy at Nabiki's comment.
"Enki was his chief adviser and yes ... Damkina was his mother," Cologne spoke finally answering Nabiki's question.
"And he won't happened to be related to Apsu and Tiamat would he?" Nabiki spoke.
"Yes, he is connected with them although not necessarily in a good way. How did you know?"
"I would have you know that I'm quite familiar with Sumerian and Babylonian mythology," Nabiki replied.
"To quote the ancient texts, it wasn't long before Molek used new magicks and called on alien powers from other worlds."
"I didn't know that they had telephones at that time. I wonder if it would be possible to get them to bring Ranma back ......" Genma replied as usual without thinking and quickly fell silent when he saw the glare in Cologne's eyes.
"His call was answered and Molek walked the Earth no more."
Nabiki was about say something when she saw the twitch in Cologne's face. Sensing that the elder Amazon was about to burst, she wisely chose to remain silent.
"In his stead rose Moloch, something far greater and far baser than any human that ever lived for Moloch needed the lives of others to feed his growing power."
"Forgive me, Elder Cologne but I don't understand why he would need the lives of others to become more powerful other than trying to launch attacks against his enemies," Nabiki spoke as politely as she could managed without insulting the old ghoul.
"I'm not talking about power in the conventional sense. I'm talking about power that belonged to beings that come from beyond this universe. Moloch was but the first. His lovers, his servants and his acolytes became beings like himself. Forever changed by the strange forces they called upon, they became a terrible plague unto their land. Under their rule, every family had to give up their firstborn to be cast alive into the flames. In doing so, they changed from benevolent leaders to ruthless masters and tyrannical overlords."
"So, let me get this straight. It wasn't long before a rebellion broke out among their subjects."
"Yes. What started as a small-scale riot in one of the cities soon blew up into a full-scale war that engulfed the mighty sea-kingdom of Atlantis and the star-faring civillisation of the Moon Kingdom. The ancient manuscripts describe it as a war of unbelievable magnitude that was waged on multiple fronts that soon saw vampiric and demonic involvement. This period of Interregnum went on for several generations with neither side able to gain the upperhand. It wasn't until twenty generations had come to pass did the tide begin to turn."
"Twenty generations? You're telling me that this so-called war went on for more than two thousand years? That's ridiculous. Impossible. Insane. Absolutely f** crazy. And you expect us to believe that? Nothing would be left!"
"Say what you may. I'm merely quoting the ancient texts. The records hold that the destruction was so great that when the war ended, all the worlds had been thrown out of their positions and the surviving people reduced to a mere handful. Atlantis itself had ceased to be and the Moon Kingdom brought to its knees. Human civillisation would not rise again for another millenia."
"Atlantis? The Moon Kingdom? What's going on here? I thought you said that Ba'al ruled the first human civillisation on Earth."
"They were the first. The Atlanteans were said to be a nomadic race of humans that migrated to Earth from another dimension and the inhabitants of the Moon Kingdom were said to live on the Moon itself."
"Cologne, is this some kind of a joke? Because this stories of yours is like something I would expect from a science fiction movie."
"I have no time for jokes," the elder Amazon replied coldly.
"She may have a point."
"Kasumi? Surely you are not taking her seriously?" Nabiki turned towards her sister in disbelief.
"It's just that what she said had something similar to this other verse. Here, take a look at it." Kasumi pushed her Bible towards Nabiki.
"When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, 'My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal. His days will be a hundred and twenty years.' The Nephilim were on the earth in those days and also afterwards when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, mighty men of renown." Nabiki read out loud.
"Sis, are you trying to tell me that these Nephilim may be another reference to the Atlantean race?"
"I'm not assuming anything. It could just as easily be the so-called 'sons of God'. 'God' is often associated with 'heaven' or the 'sky'. So the term as used in this passage could refer to beings that came down to Earth from the sky. Prehistoric men in olden days did not have a word for 'aliens' or ETs so the best description they could come up with for people that came down from the sky were the words 'sons of God'."
Cologne cleared her throat. It quickly got everyone's attention.
"You can figure all that out later. Now back to the story. According to the writers of the ancient texts, fierce and savage was the War, fought with bronze shields and spears, winged chariots that soared flaming into the heavens and mighty spells that laid waste to entire cities. Renowned champions of old walked the earth and many others, battling the monstrous horrors summoned by the Ba'al from the myriad planes of existence. It was then the First Guardians from above made their appearance in ships of light that travelled beyond the stars and rained sky fire upon the great city of Moloch. The destruction of the city was staggering, the slaughter so great that nothing but dust remained. And thus, the Guardians brought with them the end of the Great War, bringing hope to the enemies of the Ba'al. Their intervention, however, proved one thing."
"What thing?"
"The First Guardians had never been known to interfere in any matter at all unless something disrupted the natural order and balance laid down upon the creation of the universe. Something about the war disturbed them greatly, so much so that they interfered for the first time."
"Goodness. Winged chariots of fire? Ships of light? Fire from heaven? Who was the writer of this .... "
"The Chronicler," the elder Amazon interjected, "was a woman called Alania, Lorekeeper of The Moon Kingdom and The Writings were commissioned by Her Majesty of the Royal House of Serenity."
"Now if you would excuse me, I have to get back to warn my people."
"Wait a minute, you haven't told us what happened at the end ..."
"Ahhh ... My memory seems to be failing me. I must be getting old. Oh yess ... The Ba'al and their kind were brought low by the Powers arrayed against them. Their hosts were slain, their monsters banished. And facing destruction, the Ba'al fled through the Mirrorwall, to the Lands of Night, a land where the sun never rises. And safe in the darkness, they wailed and gnashed their teeth, to see their great cities torn asunder, their mighty armies shattered, their power gone."
"I don't get it. If they lost their power, why should we worry?" Nabiki asked.
"Let me finish it. Now, in the Lands of Night dwelt the Formless Ones, a race that had never found a shape of their own. And the Ba'al came upon them, and used their magicks to enslave and slay them. And some Formless Ones were fashioned into warrior monsters, and others forced to take the form of men on Earth to better serve as slaves, and still others were slain and cast out. And the Ba'al became the Ba'al-ze-Neckt or the Lords of Night. So as you can see, they have never really died and they've taken over that world of twilight. And they're coming back. To Earth. To finish what was started with our forefathers thousands of years ago. With a grudge that spans the ages."
"I still find it quite difficult to accept. If the Ba'al had entered this so-called Lands of Night, why didn't they return back earlier when they had the chance? Mankind had been seriously weakened and very much reduced in number by the end of this so-called war."
"It was said that at the end of the Great War, the survivors of the Interregnum, banded together and cast a powerful spell that prevented the Ba'al from ever leaving that twilight dimension they went to. It would have failed too if it hadn't been for the Queen of the Moon Kingdom who gave up her life when she utilised the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal to seal the Ba'al in their place of refuge, now turned prison. Since that time, the Ba'al have sworn vengeance upon the House of Serenity, the whole Atlantean race as well as the descendants of Nimrod and his followers who turned on them, which unfortunately includes all of us."
"Ba'al meaning Lord. And Nimrod meaning He-Who-Rebels. And Nimrod became a mighty hunter before the Lord. Strange guy for a person your records claim to be our ancestor." Nabiki shook her head.
"Whatever do you mean?" Cologne asked.
"What kind of a man would want to call himself He-Who-Rebels? That's like painting a large billboard sign onto himself that says 'SHOOT ME' to the authorities," Nabiki pointed out.
"And what is this Lands of Night anyway?"
"Behind every mirror is another world that exists parallel to this world. It is like this world in every respect except for one thing. There is no sunrise. It is forever shrouded in darkness and is filled with strange and fearsome beasts of all kinds which occasionally cross over to this world. You have seen them before."
"What do you mean?"
"Vampires, demons and werewolves ... The creatures which the Sailor Senshi usually battle to keep this world a safe place. Isn't that right Nabiki?"
For once, Nabiki was silent. So were the rest of the Tendos and the Saotomes.
"Well, my time is up. May be the blessings of the gods be with you." the elder Amazon spoke and was gone in the twinkling of an eye.
The Tendos and the Saotomes gathered at the table remained still for a moment.
"So what do we do, Nabiki?" Akane asked.
"I don't know. Something tells me she's telling the truth. Cologne won't go out of her way to play a joke of this sort on us. She has nothing to gain from it," Nabiki replied.
"She said 'to avoid places of large human gatherings'. Does this mean that Nerima would become a target for the this so-called Enemy?" Akane asked again.
"I don't know Akane. I just don't know anymore." Nabiki replied.
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That night ....
In the Tendo Dojo ....
The Tendo sister woke up with a start. It was that strange dream again. The dream that had been happening with greater and greater frequency. The dream of a creature. A horrifying creature .... of unimaginable power and evil that ruled a vast empire that spanned the multiverse. Oddly enough, she does not fear it for the creature seems familiar to her in some way. Like she had known it all her life. Yet when she tried to dig deeper into her memories to recall the terrible creature, nothing would come out.
'The name. I know that I know its name. Yet I cannot remember it. Why?' she wondered as she shook her head.
Furthermore, when she tried to get a better look at it, it would recede into the shadows. Before fading ..... completely away from sight.
She had often thought of talking about the dream with her sisters but it was pointless to make them worried over nothing. Besides, it was just a dream and dreams are foolish things .... right? ^_-
Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.
Shaking her head, she looked at her clock. It was almost time to get up anyway. To get ready for the day. Quickly, she got up and about to do her daily chores for the family.
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Psi-Corps Headquarters ....
Site of the most powerful and dangerous organisation on Earth ....
"Recently, our agents have detected an upsurge in the number of disturbing dreams or nightmares of the population at large throughout the world as well as the EA colonies."
A map appeared in front of them displaying all the population centers of Earth followed by its colonies.
"The red circles denote the prevalence of the dreams in brain pattern activity which run from EM-6 to EM-20. Normal brain activity when asleep is EM-1 to EM-5. As you can see, this increase in dream activity was noted during the Second World War, the Middle East Crisis, the Dilgar War, the Global Civil War or each time an event of cataclysmic proportions is about to happen. Our allies operating throughout the dream realms have also reported an increase in the number of dream storms making travel through the dream realms an increasingly risky proposition."
Blue circles highlight all the areas that are spoken off by the speaker.
"There is also a major buildup of potential psychic energy in many regions throughout the world. The Giza Pyramid in Egypt, the Standing Stones of Carnac in France, the Andes Mountains in Peru, The Devil's Gate at St. Louis, the Himalaya Mountains in Tibet, the Golden Gate Bridge in New York City, the Old Mayan and Aztec Temples in South America, the Bermuda Triangle, Mexico City, Stonehenge, Calgary, Ireland, Transylvania, Easter Island, the Marianas Trench, Mecca, the old site of ancient Jerusalem, the Vatican City in Italy, Antartica, the Death Railway connecting Thailand to Burma, The Devil's Triangle south of Kyushu, Jusenkyo in China and of course, the Juuban Ward in Tokyo itself."
"Paranormal activities have been on the rise especially in East Asia which includes the countries formerly known as China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. Recently, many of our agents have detected a sudden massive spike of potential psychic energy when a mountain was vaporised which was explained away as the work of 'terrorists' by the local media and the Chinese government. We have requested access to those areas but the local authorities have proven most uncooperative."
"So has the Japanese government which has resisted all our efforts to investigate the 'Sailor Senshi' in the Juuban Ward in Tokyo, Japan. It seems the 'Sailor Senshi' have acquired a celebrity status and the local authorities are unwilling to do anything about it for fear of a popular backlash."
"Still, all hope is not lost. President Clark has been busy pilling pressure on both governments to allow us to enter their respective countries. It would be only a matter of time before we can gain free and complete access. And then the Senshi and their secrets will be ours. The second area of interest is the Nerima Ward. The main person that we have been keeping under observation is a sixteen-year old boy called Ranma Saotome who we believe is the key to all these events."
"Ranma Saotome? Didn't they just bury him in Japan? He was reported to have died in China. They even carried his body to be buried in Japan."
"He was listed as dead by the Japanese Government. This recent photograph of Ranma Saotome at a park in Nerima, however, suggests otherwise. Being that all kinds of paranormal activities tend to centralize around this Ranma Saotome, it was not difficult for us to understand why the government wanted to be rid of and bury this loose cannon as soon as possible. Ladies and gentlemen, we must be ready. The signs are there. All this happenings point to some major event that is about to take place throughout the world."
"How can you be so sure?"
"How can you be so sure that it isn't? To be ready for anything is better than to be caught unprepared. Do you dare take the risk that this is just a false alarm?"
There was silence. There were telepathic activities among the leaders and senior members of Psi-Corps for a moment before they ended with this message.
"The decision is made. We will begin by first looking for Ranma Saotome and the Sailor Senshi."
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Watch the reaction of Babylon 5, President Clark, Nightwatch and Psi-Corps to Dark Day as the Ba'al return to Earth for a long-awaited reunion. I've also explained as best as I can as to why a certain Tendo sister behaves the way she does in the Ranma 1/2 series in this fanfic. For those of you, who have read Rifts World Book 4: Africa, you will know the reason why^_^.
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Genre: Anime/Non-Anime
Date: 110404
Update: 150205, 080305, 170305, 170405, 030505, 230805, 311005, 010306, 060306, 220306, 121006, 120307, 111107
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.
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Part 5 : Omens
One month later ...
He was home ... home at last. In his male form. Which he had done with great difficulty. Going up to the gate, he opened it and knocked on the door. There was a bustle of feet and the door in front of him opened. It was Kasumi. And she appeared to be in shock, open-mouthed as she stared flabbergasted at him .... without the usual 'Oh my'. "What's wrong, Kasumi?" Ranma asked, growing concerned at the eldest Tendo sister's behaviour.
"What's wrong onee-chan?" another voice, Ranma identified as belonging to the Mercenary Sister, Tendo Nabiki approached the door. Her eyes fell on him with the same expression as the elder Tendo sister. "Nabiki? What's the matter? It's me, Ranma!" the pigtailed martial artist spoke.
There was a hustle of feet and two men came up to the door. It was his 'pops' and Uncle Soun. The moment their eyes fell on him, they became still and did not move.
"What's the matter with you people?" the pigtailed martist asked.
"You all look like you've seen a ghost!" he remarked.
"Ranma ... " It was Nabiki. It seemed like the Ice Queen was the first to recover.
"Yes ... " he replied.
"I don't know how to put this to you but we ... we ..."
"We ... what?"
"J-j-j-just had your f-f-f-funeral s-s-s-service last week!"
"What? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard in my life! This is not funny, Nabs. What the hell is going on here?"
"R-r-r-ranma. Y-y-y-you died a-a-a-t Phoenix Mountain. We b-b-b-buried you at the Nerima C-C-C-Cemetery last week."
"What are you talking about? I'm right here see. Solid as a rock," he said as he moved forward to touch them.
"G-g-g-get b-b-b-back! He's got to be an imposter! The real Ranma's dead!"
"Call the exorcist! This is got to be a ghost!"
"That's enough! I'm alive! See?!!" Ranma spoke and waved his hands in front of their faces.
It did no good. The entire Tendo family including 'pops' retreated into the house and bolted up the front door.
Ranma could of course have gotten into the house with little difficulty but he did not do so, not wanting to aggravate the situation any further. Still there was one thing he could do ... and that was to go and find the Old Ghoul ... assuming she was still around that is.
It took but a minute to get to the Nekohanten. The place which usually seemed full of activity was silent. Walking up to the door, Ranma knocked on it. There was a bustle of feet on the other side and then the door opened.
"Ranma?!! Cannot be! Ranma die at Jusendo!" cried the lavender-haired girl which was usually so full of life and activity seemed pale and full of sadness.
"Shampoo, what's the matter?" Ranma asked.
"I saw you die! Phoenix King killed you!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with sorrow.
Suddenly, a small blur interposed itself between Ranma and Shampoo.
It was the Old Ghoul. And she narrowed her eyes.
"You look like Son-In-Law. You smell like Son-In-Law. And you even sound like Son-In-Law .... " She spoke candidly, yet there was the slightest hint of suspicion in her voice. A splash of cold water hit him from nowhere activating the curse at the worst possible time. "But your aura is not! Who are you?" the Old Ghoul asked, the tone of fear evident in her voice. 'Impossible! He has no ki!' she thought.
"Don't worry, my Shampoo-chan. I'll rescue you!" a voice Ranma identifed as belonging to the near-blind Amazon sounded out. Suddenly, dozens of sharp metal blades and chains flew at Ranma. Responding to the danger he was in, Ranma reflexively used a power, one he had never used before. The horde of potentially lethal metal weapons froze right in front of his face as though stopped by some unknown force.
'Strange. How did I stop Mousse's attack? All I wanted was for it to stop moving ... ' Ranma thought as he studied all the sharp metal objects hanging in front of his face.
'Maybe that's it. So it works on metal as well ... ' Ranma willed the various sharp metal objects into the shape of a large metal ball, which it did, startling the onlookers as it happened instantly. Cologne was able to mask her expression but Ranma was able to sense her growing fear which for some unknown reason seemed to please and invigorate him on a subconscious level as he drank in her fear.
"I am Ranma, Old Ghoul! What the hell is going on?!! Why is everyone saying that I'm dead?" the pigtailed martial artist-turned female asked before picking up the ball with his right hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze.
"That is because we saw Ranma die at Jusendo. He gave up his life so that Akane might live. The question is 'who are you?'" the Old Ghoul asked once again trying her best to mask her fear but with mixed success.
"I am Ranma!" the pigtailed martial artist insisted, his female voice rang out strong and clear.
"YOU LIE!!! I don't know what you are but I will not have you besmirching Son-In-Law's name!" the Amazon elder screamed before launching herself into a full-scale assault.
Ranma managed to leap out of the way just before the Old Ghoul struck the ground beneath his feet.
"Chestnuts Roasting Over An Open Fire!" she cried as she struck Ranma a thousand times. Not wanting to hurt the Amazon Elder, Ranma merely parried and dodged her attacks. It was strange. The Amazon Elder was moving so much faster than she had ever moved before yet the pigtailed martial artist was unfazed by the speed and ferocity of her attack.
"Listen ... "
Dodges a kick-punch combo ....
"Old ... "
Leaps into the air ....
"Ghoul ... "
Parries fifty hand strikes ...
" I .."
Leaps over a leg sweep ...
"Don't"
Parries a combination of palm-punch-finger delivered shiatsu attacks ...
"Want ... "
Dodges another thirty hand-leg-cane attack ....
"To ..."
Somersaults into the air ...
"Have ..."
Deflects a hundred thrown objects ...
"To ..."
Avoids a triple ki blast attack ....
"Hurt ..".
Parries another 40 hand-leg-cane combination attack ...
"You ..."
BOOM! A powerful explosion rocked the area.
The imposter was gone. There was no sign of him anywhere. Cologne carefully examined the area with her ki senses. Still nothing.
Turning to her granddaughter, she spoke, "Shampoo. Tomorrow, we leave for China. We got to warn our people of the coming darkness. It's a sad thing that what could be the greatest champion of light would have fallen before the coming war."
"But he ... "
"Is not Ranma! The Masters of Darkness have many forms and can easily take on the forms of our loved ones! The imposter's aura was too different and powerful to be Son-In-Law's."
Shampoo looked questioningly at her Great Grandmother.
"He had no ki. We must warn the Saotomes and the Tendos as soon as possible," came the simple reply.
Both Amazons entered the Nekohanten and the doors closed for the night. Elsewhere, on a narrow street, a ripple appeared beneath a street lamp and the figure of a pigtail youth clad in black gear shimmered into view.
'Great! Just great! Even the Old Ghoul thinks that I'm dead. Maybe, I had better go and check the Nerima Cemetery.'
Ranma arrived at the Nerima Cemetery without further incident. Quickly, he looked for his supposed 'gravesite'. Finally, his sharp eyes fell on a tombstone that bore words written in kanji. It read, 'Ranma Saotome. Died at Jusendo. Missed by all. Date: 12th December 2250 AD.'
'Impossible! This has got to be a trick.' Ranma thought as he removed the earth from the ground with but a simple application of his newly-found power. There was a coffin inside. With a dismissive gesture from his hand, the cover of the coffin flew open next to reveal ........
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......... The source of Ranma's consternation and trouble.
Inside the coffin, lay a body. The familiar pigtail and kungfu clothes of the person gave little reason to doubt the person's identity.
'It can't be. This has got to be a trick. But I have to be sure.'
Quickly, he looked around for some water and found a pipe not faraway from the gate. With a single bound, he was right next to the pipe with the coffin in his hands. Turning on the tap, he watched nervously as the hair colour of the corpse took on a fiery red. Not believing what he saw, he moved the coffin away and broke off the nearest tombstone. He willed it into the form of a container and let the water from the pipe flow into it.
Next he heated the water with his powers until the water became warm. Carefully, he lifted it from the ground with his hand and poured it on the corpse in the coffin. It turned back to the form of the male figure he was so familiar with. Himself. Not satisfied, he poured some more cold water on the corpse. It turned back to the red-haired girl.
'This is becoming ridiculous. If the guy in the coffin is Ranma Saotome then I can't be Ranma Saotome. But I have got to be Ranma Saotome because of my knowledge of the Anything Goes martial arts and my curse to turn into a girl by Jusenkyo. But this isn't right. My curse form is different. Therefore I can't be Ranma Saotome, right? If I'm not Ranma Saotome then who am I?' he wondered.
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So the Lord God banished man from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life ...
- Genesis 2:10
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The Tendo Dojo .....
"He's alive!" a voice cried out.
"Was that really Ranma?" a second voice spoke.
"If it is, the honor of the Saotome and the Tendo families is intact. Ranma and Akane should get married at once!"
"That's right!"
'Not to mention, my insurance for the rest of my life.' Guess, where this came from.
"Don't I get a say in this?" cried an angry feminine voice.
"Fools! Ignorant fools! The whole bunch of you! There is more at stake here than the so-called honor of your families!" a voice spoke from the window.
"Cologne! Don't scare us like that!" Everyone in the room gasped.
"My humble apologies but what you saw wasn't Son-In-Law! That was one of their servants or even worse one of THEM!" the withered old Amazon replied.
"Them? What are you talking about, you dried-up mummy?"
"Silence! You insolent male, I ought to have you castrated for this! But time is running out! Already, the Enemy is on the move! Soon they will be in postion!"
"What enemy?"
"One that has been imprisoned since the dawn of mankind. One who bears us nothing but lasting ill-will."
"You're talking in riddles."
"Be silent! We must leave Nerima immediately for the safety of the mountains or the surrounding forests as the Enemy will be drawn towards the presence of large human gatherings."
"You haven't answered my question on who is the Enemy."
"Not much is written about them but this we do know. In ancient times, when the first cities of Man rose in fertile lands that today are little more than places of wasteland or desert, the Ba'al rose to power."
"Ba'al? That sounds like the name of a god from some ancient Sumerian or Canaanite beliefs."
"The Ba'al are as real as you and me. The earliest writings depicted them as benevolent sorcerers who became kings and queens of the people they ruled before they ended up being worshipped as gods by their subjects."
"If they're benevolent, what have we got to worry about?" Genma shouted.
Cologne frowned at the outburst and continued her explanation.
"They were the first magicians of the ancient age, the first lorekeepers of antiquity and the first wise men. But their arcane knowledge which helped bring the rain and healed the sick were not enough for them. They wanted more ... too much perhaps, as is often the way of men. Their ambition brought to them, lasting damnation."
"Nothing new there. It's good to be the king. It's natural to always desire more. So what did they desire?" the middle Tendo daughter laughed.
"Long before the first records of man were written down, strange creatures and mighty beasts of all kinds moved to and fro across the Earth making it their playground. Dragons, gryphons, demons, angels and many other nameless creatures ... all these ... they were the true masters of the Earth. They fought, warred, killed and enslaved each other for control of the Earth, some say for centuries before the first man appeared."
Cologne paused for a moment before continuing.
"In time, they would leave and become nothing more than a fable to mankind, but by then, they had captured the interest of the Ba'al who sought to uncover the secrets to their power and immortality with all their energy. Their hunger for power and their craving for knowledge led them down paths that no mortal had ever dared before tread. Though the fruits of their labour were sweet as honey in the beginning, like wine, they left behind a bitter aftertaste as they were destined for ruination," Cologne admonished as her voice grew solemn .... so much so that everyone became silent.
'Where have I heard of this before?' Nabiki wondered.
"Hmm?" Everyone asked.
Nabiki was about to apologise not realising that she had spoken out loud when Kasumi came to her rescue.
"Because thy has said in thine heart, 'I will ascend into the heavens. I will set up my throne above the stars of heaven. I will sit above the mount of congregation. I will be like the Most High.' Yet thou shalt be brought down to the grave and laid low before the nations so that they may behold thee asking, 'Is this the one that made mankind tremble at his feet? Is this the one that swore to bring down the nations of the earth?' Thou shalt be a terror and thou shall never be anymore."
Everyone turned in surprise towards the older Tendo sister who merely gave them, her enigmatic smile.
"Where did you read that passage?" Cologne asked, her curiosity aroused.
"The Bible. That's why I thought it sounded so familiar," Nabiki replied in her sister's place.
'So the book the Westerners call the Bible has some similarities with this message. This bears looking into,' Cologne thought before continuing.
"Now, chief among the Ba'al was a sorcerer called Molek."
"Molek? I thought it was supposed to be Marduk." Nabiki interjected.
"He had more than a dozen names. Marduk was one of the names he used."
"Ba'al Marduk. How quaint. I supposed he had a father called Enki and a mother called Damkina somewhere. Cute. A nice big happy family. Unlike some families I know."
"Hey??!!!" the sound came from everyone.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Soun asked for the first time.
"Nothing ... " Nabiki replied with a wink.
For some reason, everyone at the table felt uneasy at Nabiki's comment.
"Enki was his chief adviser and yes ... Damkina was his mother," Cologne spoke finally answering Nabiki's question.
"And he won't happened to be related to Apsu and Tiamat would he?" Nabiki spoke.
"Yes, he is connected with them although not necessarily in a good way. How did you know?"
"I would have you know that I'm quite familiar with Sumerian and Babylonian mythology," Nabiki replied.
"To quote the ancient texts, it wasn't long before Molek used new magicks and called on alien powers from other worlds."
"I didn't know that they had telephones at that time. I wonder if it would be possible to get them to bring Ranma back ......" Genma replied as usual without thinking and quickly fell silent when he saw the glare in Cologne's eyes.
"His call was answered and Molek walked the Earth no more."
Nabiki was about say something when she saw the twitch in Cologne's face. Sensing that the elder Amazon was about to burst, she wisely chose to remain silent.
"In his stead rose Moloch, something far greater and far baser than any human that ever lived for Moloch needed the lives of others to feed his growing power."
"Forgive me, Elder Cologne but I don't understand why he would need the lives of others to become more powerful other than trying to launch attacks against his enemies," Nabiki spoke as politely as she could managed without insulting the old ghoul.
"I'm not talking about power in the conventional sense. I'm talking about power that belonged to beings that come from beyond this universe. Moloch was but the first. His lovers, his servants and his acolytes became beings like himself. Forever changed by the strange forces they called upon, they became a terrible plague unto their land. Under their rule, every family had to give up their firstborn to be cast alive into the flames. In doing so, they changed from benevolent leaders to ruthless masters and tyrannical overlords."
"So, let me get this straight. It wasn't long before a rebellion broke out among their subjects."
"Yes. What started as a small-scale riot in one of the cities soon blew up into a full-scale war that engulfed the mighty sea-kingdom of Atlantis and the star-faring civillisation of the Moon Kingdom. The ancient manuscripts describe it as a war of unbelievable magnitude that was waged on multiple fronts that soon saw vampiric and demonic involvement. This period of Interregnum went on for several generations with neither side able to gain the upperhand. It wasn't until twenty generations had come to pass did the tide begin to turn."
"Twenty generations? You're telling me that this so-called war went on for more than two thousand years? That's ridiculous. Impossible. Insane. Absolutely f** crazy. And you expect us to believe that? Nothing would be left!"
"Say what you may. I'm merely quoting the ancient texts. The records hold that the destruction was so great that when the war ended, all the worlds had been thrown out of their positions and the surviving people reduced to a mere handful. Atlantis itself had ceased to be and the Moon Kingdom brought to its knees. Human civillisation would not rise again for another millenia."
"Atlantis? The Moon Kingdom? What's going on here? I thought you said that Ba'al ruled the first human civillisation on Earth."
"They were the first. The Atlanteans were said to be a nomadic race of humans that migrated to Earth from another dimension and the inhabitants of the Moon Kingdom were said to live on the Moon itself."
"Cologne, is this some kind of a joke? Because this stories of yours is like something I would expect from a science fiction movie."
"I have no time for jokes," the elder Amazon replied coldly.
"She may have a point."
"Kasumi? Surely you are not taking her seriously?" Nabiki turned towards her sister in disbelief.
"It's just that what she said had something similar to this other verse. Here, take a look at it." Kasumi pushed her Bible towards Nabiki.
"When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, 'My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal. His days will be a hundred and twenty years.' The Nephilim were on the earth in those days and also afterwards when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, mighty men of renown." Nabiki read out loud.
"Sis, are you trying to tell me that these Nephilim may be another reference to the Atlantean race?"
"I'm not assuming anything. It could just as easily be the so-called 'sons of God'. 'God' is often associated with 'heaven' or the 'sky'. So the term as used in this passage could refer to beings that came down to Earth from the sky. Prehistoric men in olden days did not have a word for 'aliens' or ETs so the best description they could come up with for people that came down from the sky were the words 'sons of God'."
Cologne cleared her throat. It quickly got everyone's attention.
"You can figure all that out later. Now back to the story. According to the writers of the ancient texts, fierce and savage was the War, fought with bronze shields and spears, winged chariots that soared flaming into the heavens and mighty spells that laid waste to entire cities. Renowned champions of old walked the earth and many others, battling the monstrous horrors summoned by the Ba'al from the myriad planes of existence. It was then the First Guardians from above made their appearance in ships of light that travelled beyond the stars and rained sky fire upon the great city of Moloch. The destruction of the city was staggering, the slaughter so great that nothing but dust remained. And thus, the Guardians brought with them the end of the Great War, bringing hope to the enemies of the Ba'al. Their intervention, however, proved one thing."
"What thing?"
"The First Guardians had never been known to interfere in any matter at all unless something disrupted the natural order and balance laid down upon the creation of the universe. Something about the war disturbed them greatly, so much so that they interfered for the first time."
"Goodness. Winged chariots of fire? Ships of light? Fire from heaven? Who was the writer of this .... "
"The Chronicler," the elder Amazon interjected, "was a woman called Alania, Lorekeeper of The Moon Kingdom and The Writings were commissioned by Her Majesty of the Royal House of Serenity."
"Now if you would excuse me, I have to get back to warn my people."
"Wait a minute, you haven't told us what happened at the end ..."
"Ahhh ... My memory seems to be failing me. I must be getting old. Oh yess ... The Ba'al and their kind were brought low by the Powers arrayed against them. Their hosts were slain, their monsters banished. And facing destruction, the Ba'al fled through the Mirrorwall, to the Lands of Night, a land where the sun never rises. And safe in the darkness, they wailed and gnashed their teeth, to see their great cities torn asunder, their mighty armies shattered, their power gone."
"I don't get it. If they lost their power, why should we worry?" Nabiki asked.
"Let me finish it. Now, in the Lands of Night dwelt the Formless Ones, a race that had never found a shape of their own. And the Ba'al came upon them, and used their magicks to enslave and slay them. And some Formless Ones were fashioned into warrior monsters, and others forced to take the form of men on Earth to better serve as slaves, and still others were slain and cast out. And the Ba'al became the Ba'al-ze-Neckt or the Lords of Night. So as you can see, they have never really died and they've taken over that world of twilight. And they're coming back. To Earth. To finish what was started with our forefathers thousands of years ago. With a grudge that spans the ages."
"I still find it quite difficult to accept. If the Ba'al had entered this so-called Lands of Night, why didn't they return back earlier when they had the chance? Mankind had been seriously weakened and very much reduced in number by the end of this so-called war."
"It was said that at the end of the Great War, the survivors of the Interregnum, banded together and cast a powerful spell that prevented the Ba'al from ever leaving that twilight dimension they went to. It would have failed too if it hadn't been for the Queen of the Moon Kingdom who gave up her life when she utilised the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal to seal the Ba'al in their place of refuge, now turned prison. Since that time, the Ba'al have sworn vengeance upon the House of Serenity, the whole Atlantean race as well as the descendants of Nimrod and his followers who turned on them, which unfortunately includes all of us."
"Ba'al meaning Lord. And Nimrod meaning He-Who-Rebels. And Nimrod became a mighty hunter before the Lord. Strange guy for a person your records claim to be our ancestor." Nabiki shook her head.
"Whatever do you mean?" Cologne asked.
"What kind of a man would want to call himself He-Who-Rebels? That's like painting a large billboard sign onto himself that says 'SHOOT ME' to the authorities," Nabiki pointed out.
"And what is this Lands of Night anyway?"
"Behind every mirror is another world that exists parallel to this world. It is like this world in every respect except for one thing. There is no sunrise. It is forever shrouded in darkness and is filled with strange and fearsome beasts of all kinds which occasionally cross over to this world. You have seen them before."
"What do you mean?"
"Vampires, demons and werewolves ... The creatures which the Sailor Senshi usually battle to keep this world a safe place. Isn't that right Nabiki?"
For once, Nabiki was silent. So were the rest of the Tendos and the Saotomes.
"Well, my time is up. May be the blessings of the gods be with you." the elder Amazon spoke and was gone in the twinkling of an eye.
The Tendos and the Saotomes gathered at the table remained still for a moment.
"So what do we do, Nabiki?" Akane asked.
"I don't know. Something tells me she's telling the truth. Cologne won't go out of her way to play a joke of this sort on us. She has nothing to gain from it," Nabiki replied.
"She said 'to avoid places of large human gatherings'. Does this mean that Nerima would become a target for the this so-called Enemy?" Akane asked again.
"I don't know Akane. I just don't know anymore." Nabiki replied.
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That night ....
In the Tendo Dojo ....
The Tendo sister woke up with a start. It was that strange dream again. The dream that had been happening with greater and greater frequency. The dream of a creature. A horrifying creature .... of unimaginable power and evil that ruled a vast empire that spanned the multiverse. Oddly enough, she does not fear it for the creature seems familiar to her in some way. Like she had known it all her life. Yet when she tried to dig deeper into her memories to recall the terrible creature, nothing would come out.
'The name. I know that I know its name. Yet I cannot remember it. Why?' she wondered as she shook her head.
Furthermore, when she tried to get a better look at it, it would recede into the shadows. Before fading ..... completely away from sight.
She had often thought of talking about the dream with her sisters but it was pointless to make them worried over nothing. Besides, it was just a dream and dreams are foolish things .... right? ^_-
Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.
Shaking her head, she looked at her clock. It was almost time to get up anyway. To get ready for the day. Quickly, she got up and about to do her daily chores for the family.
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Psi-Corps Headquarters ....
Site of the most powerful and dangerous organisation on Earth ....
"Recently, our agents have detected an upsurge in the number of disturbing dreams or nightmares of the population at large throughout the world as well as the EA colonies."
A map appeared in front of them displaying all the population centers of Earth followed by its colonies.
"The red circles denote the prevalence of the dreams in brain pattern activity which run from EM-6 to EM-20. Normal brain activity when asleep is EM-1 to EM-5. As you can see, this increase in dream activity was noted during the Second World War, the Middle East Crisis, the Dilgar War, the Global Civil War or each time an event of cataclysmic proportions is about to happen. Our allies operating throughout the dream realms have also reported an increase in the number of dream storms making travel through the dream realms an increasingly risky proposition."
Blue circles highlight all the areas that are spoken off by the speaker.
"There is also a major buildup of potential psychic energy in many regions throughout the world. The Giza Pyramid in Egypt, the Standing Stones of Carnac in France, the Andes Mountains in Peru, The Devil's Gate at St. Louis, the Himalaya Mountains in Tibet, the Golden Gate Bridge in New York City, the Old Mayan and Aztec Temples in South America, the Bermuda Triangle, Mexico City, Stonehenge, Calgary, Ireland, Transylvania, Easter Island, the Marianas Trench, Mecca, the old site of ancient Jerusalem, the Vatican City in Italy, Antartica, the Death Railway connecting Thailand to Burma, The Devil's Triangle south of Kyushu, Jusenkyo in China and of course, the Juuban Ward in Tokyo itself."
"Paranormal activities have been on the rise especially in East Asia which includes the countries formerly known as China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. Recently, many of our agents have detected a sudden massive spike of potential psychic energy when a mountain was vaporised which was explained away as the work of 'terrorists' by the local media and the Chinese government. We have requested access to those areas but the local authorities have proven most uncooperative."
"So has the Japanese government which has resisted all our efforts to investigate the 'Sailor Senshi' in the Juuban Ward in Tokyo, Japan. It seems the 'Sailor Senshi' have acquired a celebrity status and the local authorities are unwilling to do anything about it for fear of a popular backlash."
"Still, all hope is not lost. President Clark has been busy pilling pressure on both governments to allow us to enter their respective countries. It would be only a matter of time before we can gain free and complete access. And then the Senshi and their secrets will be ours. The second area of interest is the Nerima Ward. The main person that we have been keeping under observation is a sixteen-year old boy called Ranma Saotome who we believe is the key to all these events."
"Ranma Saotome? Didn't they just bury him in Japan? He was reported to have died in China. They even carried his body to be buried in Japan."
"He was listed as dead by the Japanese Government. This recent photograph of Ranma Saotome at a park in Nerima, however, suggests otherwise. Being that all kinds of paranormal activities tend to centralize around this Ranma Saotome, it was not difficult for us to understand why the government wanted to be rid of and bury this loose cannon as soon as possible. Ladies and gentlemen, we must be ready. The signs are there. All this happenings point to some major event that is about to take place throughout the world."
"How can you be so sure?"
"How can you be so sure that it isn't? To be ready for anything is better than to be caught unprepared. Do you dare take the risk that this is just a false alarm?"
There was silence. There were telepathic activities among the leaders and senior members of Psi-Corps for a moment before they ended with this message.
"The decision is made. We will begin by first looking for Ranma Saotome and the Sailor Senshi."
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Watch the reaction of Babylon 5, President Clark, Nightwatch and Psi-Corps to Dark Day as the Ba'al return to Earth for a long-awaited reunion. I've also explained as best as I can as to why a certain Tendo sister behaves the way she does in the Ranma 1/2 series in this fanfic. For those of you, who have read Rifts World Book 4: Africa, you will know the reason why^_^.
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