Iria: Zeiram The Animation Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Right Path ❯ The Right Path 1 ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Right Path
by AceTalon

Disclaimer: This fic isn't to make money, all titles are made by their
respective authors.
Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi
Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi
Iria Zeiram by Keita Amemiya


Chapter 1


Kael was a young soldier under the command of Queen Serenity of
the Silver Millenium. He wasn't particularly fond of fighting, nor the
kind of junk a soldier had to suffer through to obtain their positions,
if they climbed the ladder in rank. He didn't even want to do this.
He did it because he needed the money, that and his parents were making
him. What he really wanted to be was a scholar, someone who did
something to further the technology of the Silver Millenium, not waste
time marching back and forth endlessly for no purpose. No one in the
world would dare attack the queen, especially in her city. And here he
was, guarding some stupid passage that probably hadn't been used in
a couple centuries. He sighed and leaned on his spear.

"Why are they making me guard some stupid corridor in the
palace?" Kael grumbled. "I should be home studying for a professional
job! Not out here lounging around looking out for enemies of the
queen, which don't even exist in this time and era. The Silver
Milenium has no enemies!"

While the man ranted on and on about his bad fortune, he did
not take the time to look around him and decipher why something felt
wrong.

A figure stood in the darkness, watching him. Waiting for him
to drop him guard sufficiently. Then, with the quickness of a snake,
it struck.

Kael saw in the corner of his eye some movement, but it wasn't
enough. He screamed and tried to bring his spear up to bear. The
creature saw this and slapped the spear away with ease, as if it wasn't
even there. It gave a high pitched squealing laugh. Kael watched in
horror. How did it make that sound? It didn't even have facial
features on its head! He backed up and looked at it again. No, he
was wrong. There was a small white head on its forehead, and it was
smiling.

"What the hell?!" he shrieked. He tried to run away, to call
for help. Someone had to know this thing had infiltrated the palace!

The monster calmly reached into its cape and drew a bola. He
swung it around his head a couple times before letting it fly.

Kael looked over his shoulder and saw death wrap around his
legs. He fell clumsily. Frantically he tore at the metal string,
trying to unwrap it. Death's grip, however, would not loosen so
easily. He looked up and cringed in terror and revulsion. The
creature grabbed his face, to muffle his voice, but even that was
unnecessary. In these halls of old, these silent catacombs, no one
could hear a scream.

The creature, otherwise known as Zeiram, finished with the
body, leaving only a suit of armor as any sign of someone being there.
The Zeiram had many plans for this civilization, this 'Silver
Millenium'. And he knew just how to do it. Reaching into his clothes,
he brought out a flower-like organic bulb that pulsed with life. This
little creature was his key to destroying the civilization. Now to look
for a suitable place to put it and let it grow, let it influence. He
needed minds, minds of the highest caliber. Minds with intelligence,
with skills. To do that, he would have to search the whole
galaxy. And what easier way was there to search then in times of
trouble, where unexpected disapearances raise no questions?

********************************

History is written by the victor

********************************

Uriko paced back and forth in the fairly luxuriant room. Where was
that son of hers? He was supposed to be here a half hour ago!
If he was out partying again there's no telling what she would do. If
he was out again late, then he might, he might.

She shook her head. There was no way that her darling, innocent boy
was engaging in such questionable acts! He was pure, well mannered,
and was always polite. But, if he was pure, then it might be that
much easier for those harlots at his school to...to...

The door opened, and in stepped Uriko's son. He was of average height,
black-haired youth with bright blue eyes. At 16, he was just old
enough to start doing things that were considered 'mature' and that's
all Uriko could think of at that moment.

"Ranma, do you know how late you are?" Uriko demanded, walking up to
face him.

Ranma closed the door and faced his mother. "What's it this time,
mother?" he asked himself tiredly. "Have I shamed my mother somehow?
Did I go accidentally soil the house's reputation? What now?"

For some unfathomable reason, Ranma could only guess, his mother Uriko
had this constant fear that her son had done something stupid. Well,
maybe he had sometimes, but no one really cared about his social
standings, himself included. He was just some obscure noble that had
his position because of his father. Well, back to what his mom Uriko
was saying.

"Did you have sex?"

"...what? Where the hell did you get that idea?!" He shouted
at her. Recently his mom's mind was always in the gutter! "No, I
didn't have sex!"

"Really, you didn't go with any of those, those harlots from
your school? You should only have sex once you get married!"

"Mom! There are no girls at school that I'd ever wanna go
out with!"

"Really, so you don't have any sort of relation with anyone
from your school right-"

"NO!" How could his mom even suggest such things? Even after
she suggested something totally different before.

"Well, thats good to know," she said briskly. She left pretty
quickly after that.

Ranma groaned in exasperation. Why did she ask him to come
home so soon? Just to ask him if he was fooling around with someone?
It was kind of strange, to know that your mom was shallow. It was
even stranger that she was asking him if he was having sex because she
kept shoving girls in his face, asking him if he wanted to marry any of
them. He always would respond with "I'm too young to get married,"
but he knew that an excuse that weak wouldn't be able to hold her off
for long. He left the house before his mom got anymore strange ideas.


Ranma looked at the garden under his house. His home sat on a
hill overlooking a small garden that the family owned. To anyone not
from the planet mercury, the garden might look rather drab and
colorless, but to the inhabitants of the planet it was a well-kept
garden that had quite a nice variety. It was much like the inhabitants
of the town to Ranma's thinking. Bland, colorless, and completely
boring. He ignored the scenery of the garden. He needed some action,
something fun. He needed to get his mind off his dull existence.

He was Ranma Saotome. Nothing special about him. He
came from a long line of nobles, nothing special. His mom was a
pervert and his dad, well, he was one too. To each their own, just in
this case both 'owns' were peverted.

What was there to do to get his mind off the boredom of
everyday life? All he ever did was go to school, hear the gossip,
and work out with some friends at the activity center. Besides that,
and fending off his mother, there wasn't much else. What he really
wanted to do was to learn to fight, to use a sword, but his mother
refused to allow any sort of weapons instructor into their home.

"It's unnecessary and crude," she had said, before adding that
once he got married to a rich and powerful woman he could hire guards
to do that sort of thing.

His mother didn't understand anything. He didn't want to
learn to fight to protect them, though that could be a very good
reason, he wanted to do it was because it excited him. To see the
knights of the queen spar with weapons sent a chill down his spine.
They had the power to make a difference. To know how to fight. What
did he have? A family name, thats all. Not even an important one.

Ranma sighed. He needed to get to school. That just reminded
him of what his mom asked him a few minutes ago. He hadn't even gotten
out of bed when she called for him and she accused him of sleeping with
someone! He shook his head and entered the school courtyard.

*************************************

At the Queen's Court, Queen Serenity and her advisors, along
with the Queens of each planet in the solar system, otherwise known as
the Senshi, held a meeting. They each exchanged pleasantries with each
other, until one decided to get the meeting going.

"My Queen," Luna said. "We must do something about the rabble
that has sprouted from the planets. The peasants are starting to
become more violent and have started forming rebel groups. They may
soon become a problem if we do nothing about it."

Jupiter added to the argument.

"What the queen's advisor says is true, I have witnessed
first-hand one of these terrorist groups brought to justice. When the
guards questioned them, all that they answered was that they fought
for the Silver Millenium.

"Just another bunch of fanatics," laughed Venus. "Besides,
they're off the streets now, right?"

"There's always garbage like them in the cities," Mars
said in contempt. "Just kill them and be done with it."

"That would not be wise," stated Mercury. "If the
rebels are killed, then others will follow. However, if they can be
'convinced'-"

"What, you mean brainwash them? Why take the effort?" Mars
asked, rolling her eyes.

"Because by, as you so crudely state it, 'brainwashing,' we can
show the masses that we have convinced poor thoughtless beggars who had
no idea what was going on, that the we ARE the Silver Millenium."
Mercury was clearly irritated at Mars' bluntness.

"Why show? We already know we are. If they don't know that
yet they deserve to die."

"You know rumors say that the rebel factions did not stem from
the peasants?" Venus felt that this was getting off topic, and that
things needed to be said. "It started because of that damned killer
that has been travelling all throughout the solar system, killing those
that have been reportedly the best of the best." Mercury gave a
mocking laugh.

"Ridiculous!" Chuckled Mercury. "For one thing, this killer
that you talk about is very recent gossip. I wouldn't even deign
to pay it any attention unless it continues for another couple years or so.
How could he travel from planet to planet so quickly as to attract the
attention of the whole solar system?"

"Still, if these rumors are true, none of our scientists,
scholars, or magicians are safe. The minds that aided in our achieving
the greatness that the Silver Millenium is at now will be taken.
People will fear, no, reject any attempt to stand out in terror of this.
That then? Is our progress to stop only now?" Serenity held her hand
out, interrupting Venus.

"You gossip far too much for your own good, Queen Venus,"
Serenity said. "You speculate much, but have little concrete evidence
on this matter." Luna cleared her throat.

"I believe we should bring our attention to the matter at
hand," She said. "This killer can wait, the peasant class however,
can not. We need to teach them their place. They must learn to
respect us, no matter the way it is done."

The Outer Senshi stayed silent, this issue was pointless to
them, and Serenity noticed.

"Do you three have anything to say about this matter?"

"No my queen, we do not," Said Saturn softly. "I handle the
peasants of my planet quickly and efficiently, there have been no
uprisings."

"Care to elaborate on your methods?"

"My queen, you would not care to use them on your own planet,
the moon," Saturn stated with cold finality, and none of the Senshi
argued her point. They knew, even though Serenity asked, what kinds of
methods Saturn used. Her skills at torturing was said to be on par
with her skill at destroying a planet. Saturn gave a smile, shaped in
such a way that it looked like an upside down half crescent, dipped her
head low in such a way that no one could see her eyes. Everyone in the
assembly unconsciously shivered. She knew exactly how to keep them on
their toes. Serenity turned to the last two.

"Uranus, Neptune?"

"No, your majesty, we do not," they replied in hushed voices.

Serenity looked to the last seat, where one Senshi should have
been but never was.

"My queen, why bother giving Pluto a seat at the assembly?
Contrary to your direct order, she has not come to a single meeting you
have called for," Jupiter said.

"Changes happen," Serenity replied. "She cannot afford to
miss many more meetings if she is to control the Gates of Time. We
must know what is to come, and if she will not tell us, there must be
a new Senshi of Time appointed."

"So what is your decision concerning the peasants, Majesty?"
asked Luna tentatively.

"Kill them or brainwash them, it is up to you to decide.
Personally I don't care if you send them into that traitor Beryl's
dimension."

"And what should we do about this monster rumor?"

"Give out a public announcement. This rumor about a body
snatching monster is completely unfounded. Anyone found spreading such
rumors shall be arrested on charges of disturbing the peace of the
galaxy. That is all."

************************************************************ **

"Ranma, your late," the teacher said without emotion. "Go
outside." He pointed to the door without taking his eyes off the
lesson book. Ranma moved his mouth wordlessly. What was the old fart
talking about? He was here on time! Grumbling he picked up his bag
and left the room. The rest of the students didn't even blink, but
sat there waiting for the teacher to get on with his lesson.

There was something strange going on. Ranma seemed to be the
only one who noticed. Everyone was turning...well...cold. Both
figuratively and literally. Although it wasn't hard to be cold on a
planet that was winter through most of the year. He didn't have many
friends. On this planet known for producing some of the greatest
scholars the galaxy has ever known, someone like him who had seemingly
only mediocre skills in the area of study was looked down upon. Ranma
longed to travel, to do something exciting! Not skulk around libraries
all day and open dusty books with inane speeches of nonsense and
poetic crap. To travel to other planets, to fight some enemy of the
galaxy, to do something that would make a difference!

He took the stairs, taking the stairs at the opposite end each
time he went down a flight.

"I wasn't meant for this," he thought. "Going to school,
listening to the droning of the teacher, getting sent to the hall, and
getting jerked one way or another by my parents. I gotta get out of
this stupid place, away from this life."

He had reached the bottom of the school by this time and was
opening the door when a hand tapped his shoulder.

"Hey sonny, watcha doin?" Ranma spun, his heart racing. When
he saw it was just the janitor, he sighed in relief. For a moment he
thought that he'd been caught by the principal. It was said the guy
stalked the halls during class and beat up students that were late or
ditching.

"Hey George," Ranma raised his hand to greet the older guy.

"Seems like your troubled about something," George leaned on
his mop. "Why don't ya tell me about it."

Ranma sat down on the stairs that led up to the school. "I
dunno, I'm not, well, satisfied with whats going on."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, like why are you doing this janitor work? Why not do
something more, I don't know, important? Don't you ever feel that
you were meant to do something bigger?"

"Well, boy, I think my job here is pretty important." He
smiled slightly.

"Why's that?"

"Well, I'm helping the next generation."

"How?" Ranma didn't understand. How was doing janitor work
helping the next generation? He looked up and the grinning George.

"Its not the work I'm talking about." That old janitor had a
twinkle in his eye. "Its about talking to people about their problems.
Like a school counciller, only...different."

"Huh? Then...what?"

"I look for people like you who...don't seem to fit in."

"How the hell does anyone 'fit in' in this damn school?
Everyone's cold as marble here! With the exception of my parents,
who try to force me to do something peverted one way or another, I'd be
surprised if anyone in this damn town could express a shred of
emotion." Ranma exploded. His clenched his fist at the bottled up
emotions that he'd felt for almost his whole life was let out,
expressed in those few sentences.

"Exactly my point, sonny. Only a couple people ever think
something isn't right, and your one of them." George made some
half-hearted swipes with his mop while he spoke. "I've noticed that
these people are the ones with the greatest impact on history too."

"George, you've lost me there. What are you talking about?"
Ranma was genuinely confused. Fitting in was a bad thing? History?

George the janitor gave a fake sigh. "Ok, lets start from the
beginning."

"When did we ever start?" George looked at him and shrugged.

"Good question. Sometime that I've been talking to you, but
just bear with me here Ranma."

"...ok, whatever."

"First of all, you feel that life isn't the way it should be,
right?"

"Yeah..."

"What do you find is out of place?"

"Everyone is just so...well...cold. No one ever expresses any
sort of emotion. Besides my parents, you, and a few friends, this
whole town feels like a graveyard. Its been this way for my entire
life, even as a child! The last time I even hinted at this behavior to
someone I was given depression medicine from a doctor who didn't even
know what was wrong with me. You still following me George?"

"Yes, but lets take this more to a global scale. You follow up
on news?" George held up his hand to gesture around him.

"You mean the gossip that gets posted around? Yeah I read it.
Why?" Ranma didn't know which way this conversation was pointing. He
was almost surprised that George didn't tell him that it was just a
phase and he'd grow out of it.

"Think about the rebels. You have heard that there have been a
few caught?"

"Yeah."

"You've heard whats happened to them, right?"

"They left, convinced that there was nothing wrong. George, I
don't see what this has to do with my personal problems about life,"
Ranma said with a look of doubt.

"Son, its not just about you. Some people think these rebels
are only disgruntled peasants and convicts. These people genuinely
believe that there is something that they can change in the galaxy.
You see where I'm leading to?"

"Yes, I'm starting to follow you. Go on."

"Now, these rebels are devout in their beliefs, as most people
are. You know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah." Ranma could understand that. It would be a strange
someone that could change the way HE thought.

"These people, they are arrested, brought into the Queen
Mercury's palace, and leave a day later with the belief that nothing
needs to be changed. You see an inconsistency here?"

"Something's strange is happening on Mercury?"

"Not just Mercury, sonny, the whole galaxy. Others, though,
aren't as forgiving. I hear things that aren't heard by most people.
Secret things."

"And your gonna tell me these things?" Ranma didn't know if he
was the one to keep a secret if was about the Silver Millenium. He was
slightly uneasy about being told confidential secrets. Against his
will, he was starting to believe the old janitor's unspoken words. The
Silver Millenium had a conspiracy. It never had the interest of the
people.

"Only if you promise not to tell anyone." The janitor looked
around to make sure they were alone. He gestured for Ranma to follow
him into the courtyard behind the some shrubs and a couple trees.
It wasn't exactly hard for Ranma to notice that he was being secretive.
"Promise not to tell anyone and I'll tell you everything I know."

"Before I do, I need to know something. Are you a rebel?"

"If you mean going around preventing atrocities done by the
kingdom, no. I'm too old and have not the skills for it. In spirit I
am, however, in that I don't think the same way as we are supposed to
think.

"Supposed to think? You mean..." Ranma couldn't believe it.
Was there some sort of galaxy wide plot to control the people?

"Promise you won't tell anyone and I'll tell you more."

"Okay. I swear by the rings of Saturn that I won't tell a
soul." Ranma swore fervently.

"Saturn? Bite your tongue, sonny! Thats the last place you'd
want to refer to." The janitor lightly slapped Ranma in the back of
his head. To most people, as was taught in class, Saturn was a special
planet. Being the largest planet with rings with the deadliest senshi
it was thought to be almost holy. When people did swear by Saturn or
any part it was supposed to be a special oath. Seemed like this
janitor knew even more than he was letting on. "But the oath is
genuine, so listen up."

"Like I said before, I am to some extent a rebel because I
think outside the norm. I'm not a true rebel, though for reasons I'm
telling you now. You want to know what is going on in the
galaxy?"

Ranma nodded.

"As I told you before, strange things are happening to rebels.
They're being changed. The rebels on other planets are not so lucky.
Many of them are being killed outright, or worse, tortured into
submission and forced to give up all their secrets down to everything
from when they last had a a freedom fighter meeting to where they live.
The only planet that hasn't had any uprisings is Pluto. The planet
doesn't even have a government because its too small. Saturn, my boy,
is the worst of them all."

"What?! How is that?"

"I'm sure that you know of Queen Saturn's power, right? That it
is said she can destroy whole planets if necessary?"

"Yeah, but if she did that then there would be no Queen Saturn.
The threat of world destruction wouldn't be enough to stop the rebels."

"Ranma, she doesn't use threats. Bluff's are weak to her.
Only by acting does she cow her people into submission."

"What kinds of acts?"

"Torture."

"..."

"Remember, don't tell anyone. The people would suffer even
more if you did." Ranma interrupted at this point.

"Why are you telling me this? I thought you said that the
rebels were all people from a poorer class."

"I said thats what most people thought of them," He corrected.
"Most people don't know that it isn't just 'peasants' that join the
rebels, but many from the middle class and even a few nobles. Royalty
joining the rebels is unthinkable, however. They're too sheltered to
know anything beyong what they see in their dandy-little palaces."

"So, although I don't believe any of this George, I'm starting
to understand it." Ranma said this with doubt in his voice. He may
not believe it, but with understanding comes wisdom, and with that he
may believe. George knew that he was on the right path.

"Don't worry about it, boy. I'm not telling you to join the
rebels and go on a killing spree or anything."

"You still haven't answered me about why your telling me this."

"I'm telling you this so you get the big picture. It isn't
enough to get a nagging feeling about your life, you need to know why
you've got that feeling. When you know that, you can make decisions
that will affect your whole life much easier than seeing only the
icing on the cake."

"...This is some pretty heavy shit you just told me," Ranma
stated bluntly. "I'm gonna need a few days to think about this."

"You've got your whole life to think about it. It'll only get
worse as time passes. Remember, though Saturn is the worst of them all
the planets are using some method in dealing with the uprisings."

"George, you asked me if I checked up on the news. I get all
the stuff about the planets now, after that very long in-depth backround
information you gave me. But you haven't mentioned anything
about that mysterios killer, or group of killers, that has been
been snatching people and making them disapear. They don't even KNOW if
this is a killer or what.

"That, Ranma, is something no one knows about."

"What?!"

"Its said that many people have started the uprisings solely because
of those incidents. It is also said that these people that are
disappearing are noteworthy people that excel at something. Another is
that the people, the ones that are dissatisfied, are missing. Its also
said that this whole thing with the disapearing bodies is a ploy to turn
the people against the government. I don't know, they're all rumors.
Whether any of it is true is anyones guess. However, if you even think
that you've spotted someone that gives you a sense of unease, you
shouldn't talk to them or get near them."

"I'm feeling uneasy about everything you've told me. Does that
count?" Ranma said this slightly joking, slightly sarcastically.

"Well, I can be your exception then," He joked back. "Remember,
respect your elders boy!"


Ranma slowly became aware of himself. He looked up. The light was
slowly disapearing over the horizon. He must have been listening to ol'
George longer than he thought. He couldn't believe he skipped class the
whole day! Oh well, no time to think about it now. Gotta get home.

"George, its time for me to go home now. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya sonny, if you ever want more information on what they DON'T
tell you in school, stop on by." George's words were pretty ironic,
considering that he was at the school and Ranma did learn these things at
school.

"See you."

George slowly walked back towards the building, leaving Ranma alone
to walk home in light of the falling sun, to ponder the events of the last
couple of hours.

There WAS something wrong with his life, but it wasn't just about
him. It effected the entire galaxy. The ruling class of the entire kingdom
of the Silver Millenium was corrupt. George failed to mention it, but
Ranma was guessing that the real reason for the uprisings was because of
the unfair taxes and the treatment of the lower classes. But then again,
George mentioned that there might be another reason. Someone behind the
scenes, but that was just a rumor.

Ranma shook his head. All of this would only matter to him if he
actually BELIEVED the old man. He had done enough reflecting. It was time
to go home.


*************************************************
< br> George walked back inside of the school, fingering the dagger
he always kept under his clothes. It was always at this time that he
was most nervous. Ranma could lie to him and have him arrestes, to
wander around like a zombie as the rest of them were when they were
arrested. On the other hand, he could have put enough evidence in
Ranma's mind to just tip the scale in the rebel's favor and get Ramna to
join them. He didn't like his job. There were numberous times where
he had to kill people to silence them and not give him away because
they were too stubborn and too sheltered to understand what people on
the outside felt. To live in fear everyday of some bogeyman that
wasn't content to hide under the bed or of the queen's own soldiers,
they would never feel that kind of fear. Either way, George knew that
someday Ranma MUST choose the right path, or Ranma would be killed.
And not by a janitor.

*************************************************

Standing on top of the school, a creature had watched the entire
conversation between the old man and the boy. He had been told to watch
the boy, but this old man seemed to have something in common with the boy.
Dangerous, maybe. Zeiram had given him no guidelines about removing
bothersome unknown problems. He would wait another day before making a
move. The Zeiram had told him to watch this boy. The memories of his
first absorbed victim those hundreds of years ago was a cousin of this boy.
Even at birth, when the cousin witnessed it, this boy was different, and
Zeiram would take no chances.

(end of chapter 1)



Authors notes: Well, not much for me to say about this. The original idea
started out much differently, but changed along the way.