Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ In Darkness In Fire ❯ Brewing Storm ( Chapter 3 )

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

Outside of all that exists, in a place where nothing existed, yet existed everywhere at once, a tall dark woman with green hair streaming down her back stood holding an apparently ivory staff, this staff was in the shape of a key, a heart filled with a garnet orb at the top. She stared into a hole in the nothingness, a gap within the every shifting chaos of time. This gap was surrounded by ornate doors depicting angels and demons, this was what was known as the gates of time. The image within the open gates was that of a woman, auburn hair cut short with a small jade clip behind her left ear. She stared directly ahead with gray eyes that glinted like naked steel in the light. "How?" The woman howled, "I thought they were all gone, sure, there was one like them at the tail end of the Tokugawa, but I got rid of him, got rid of his entire family." A tear fell from the corner of an eye. Even the children, she knew they had done nothing, but their existence was a threat to the Earth, just as it had been to the Silver Empire. "I have to be rid of this woman, before she can ascend." She turned, and her deep eyes drilled into the woman's image, burning it into her mind. "The threat must be eliminated." She declared solemnly, fading from sight.

In Darkness In Fire

BY:XZero

Disclaimer: I own nothing...

Chapter 3 - Brewing Storm

Tsukino Usagi awoke in a cold sweat that morning, dreams of fires engulfing the pristine and ornate structures of white stone that composed the capital of the Moon Kingdom, the place she could not remember, but fought for. She realized that she didn't remember much about this kingdom she fought for, but she desperately wanted to make a difference, and knew that the old enemies of her people would not rest until they had destroyed or conquered the world. That part of her life was done, with Galaxia laid to rest no others remained, at least, that was what Setsuna told them. Despite the shifty and unreliability of her presence at their meetings, the senshi of Pluto had proven reliable, if only in dire straits. The hunter tressed school counselor, who moonlighted as a scantily clad expositionist soldier of love and justice, had given them clearance to relax, youma's had become somewhat of a rarity in the peaceful weeks following Galaxia's demise. Usagi went shivering into her bathroom, a western style restroom meant to accomodate her and minimize spacial requirements of the house. These smaller things weren't as comfortable as the spring-style bath's that most people grew accustomed to, but her family never had been very traditional, having adopted the western style long ago. The water drew quickly into the comparatively small tub, and she undressed quickly and sank to her eyeballs in the blissfully hot water. "Man, what was that about?" She whispered softly to herself, wondering when her pregnant advisor would be home. Luna had been returning less and less in the past months, she seemed to enjoy remaining with her kitten and Artemis at Minako's home, and as much as she wished she could, the oft-time meatball head could not find it in herself to hold a grudge for it. She closed her eyes and rested in the water, rinsing the film of sweat from herself as she tried to relax. Today was a sunny Saturday, and there was no school today, pending the reconstruction of the gymnasium at her school. The official story had been that it was a gas leak, as most schools in the district were prone to report. There was no way any respectable citizen of the "real world" would ever acknowledge the existence of the sailor senshi publicly, or recognize the strings of public youma attacks. She sighed deeply, she had tried to relax, but her life was turning closer to that of politics, she was supposed to be a queen one day, and despite apparent lack of maturity, she was trying to be prepared for the endless bureaucracy she faced. She would be prepared, but first, it was time for breakfast.

---

Saotome Ranma also awoke in a dread that morning, unremembered dreams haunting him still into the waking world. He shed his blanket and rose quickly, albeit unsteadily, his muscles ached from the past few days spent at his mother's home, the home in which he was raised from infancy. This room wasn't his though, all of those things were destroyed in the destruction of the original Saotome home. He cherished this space though, it was the first thing that was truly his own, the last thing that was his alone and none else's. His bare feet made padded thuds as he walked toward the bath, his supplies tucked under one arm. He knew that his mother was awake and waiting for him at the breakfast table, the wonderful smells and steady ki signature in the dining room was proof of that. The new skills he had gained since his arrival had been extremely useful, and he would be the first to admit, that some of the action animes contained some good ideas. He couldn't use most of them, but he could indeed adapt quite a few. Dragonball Z's concept of the spirit bomb was a genius use of environmental energy. The Spirit Detective's techniques were great, however, and had set him to thinking about how to adapt these things to his own usage. He had only seen that one show, but the concept of spirit energy was fundamentally the same as ki.

He flinched as the cold water struck him, causing his body to... shift, all this time and countless changes, the best way to describe it would be shifting, it was like he could feel his body changing. The hardened and well cut muscles in his torso expanded, becoming softer, albeit still quite firm breasts. All the other parts of himself seemed to collapse in on themselves, shrinking as it were. The most disturbing part of it all was the part of a man that most considered the manhood, it was as if it just disappeared, falling inward to become something else entirely. On more than one occasion he had walked into the restroom to relieve himself and almost forgot to sit down, standing having been a reflex that had been part of his life in the wild for years. Suddenly though, Jusenkyo happened, and he learned things no man should learn. His knowledge of the female anatomy was more intimate than any man could ever dream. He knew everything about it, because it was part of his training to know his body. Scrubbing himself clean took moments, but as always, those moments seemed to drag into eternity, the rough surface of the sponge drug across her body. He would never admit it, by certain parts of him always reacted no matter what he did when he bathed. He finished and nearly dove into the furo, eager to regain his gender. "Much better." He smiled and chose to soak for a moment, indulging himself in the heat. His deliberation, whether or not to remain in the furo much longer than he had, ended when his stomach grumbled in rage, protesting the amount of time he had spent not feeding it. That decision made he hurriedly dried, dressed and groomed himself, pulling his hair out of a pigtail for once to allow it to dry faster.

Nodoka had risen in the early morning, as false dawn began. A quick bath and she was dressed and beginning her chores for the morning, she could feel from his ki that Ranma was still sleeping, and would be for quite some time. Awaking early to watch the sunrise was a habit she had started years ago, allowing herself to remember that if she had one connection left to her son, it was the heavens, no matter where he was, they still shared the sky. So to this day she watched the stars, and took that time to prepare herself for the day, drawing in her strength and continuing, which for a long time was all she could do. Depression threatened her world more than once, and she had almost fallen into it several times throughout the years, but always she remembered the sky, and brought herself back from the despair that her lonely lifestyle created. The sun peeked over the horizon and the pre-dawn phantoms were banished, long shadows hanging on to life in the growing light dispelled by the awesome celestial torch. Taking a moment more to appreciate the sky, Nodoka went about preparing breakfast for herself and Ranma. She anticipated an intense hunger, and went about making a large meal, one which she was sure would readily be devoured mercilessly. She was not to be disappointed, she felt her son awake and go through his morning ritual, the one that he seemed to develop while he was here. Few words passed between them, aside from their time spent conversing over breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Or the time she instructed him, but other than that, they moved in silent harmony.

"Good morning mom." The raven haired young man said, yawning and stretching himself like a cat, back arched and every bit of him extended for several seconds. "Good morning son. Breakfast is still warm, so eat up." She smiled to him, and began her meal, just as Ranma started his uncanny impression of a Hoover.

Their meal was spent talking about things that were mostly inane, Ranma relating his traveling experiences, while Nodoka listened. Then, in turn, she would relate to him stories of things that she had done during his absence. It was a poor replacement, but they wanted the closeness that was lacking. Even now, they weren't as close as a mother and son should be, and their rituals had started to build a bond between them other than that of instructor and pupil. The meal ended, and they carried the flatware into the kitchen, where they deposited it in the sink. "The dishes are yours to do this evening Ranma. Do not tire yourself too completely to do them, like you have done several times in the last few weeks." The auburn haired mother admonished, a smile crossing her features.

---

Mizuni Ami walked calmly toward the Hino Shrine, schoolbooks tucked under her arm, and a gentle smile on her face. Ami was known to be a bookworm, and as such, she tended to spend the majority of her time reading, but the less known side of her was the one that enjoyed nature. It seemed odd for someone like her, but there was nothing in life more enjoyable than resting in the shade of the Sakura trees, reading while the wind played with her hair. That was how she had been when she realized that the senshi meeting was today, and that she should be right on time if not a few minutes early if she left and traveled on foot. It was this that brought her to her current location, standing at the foot of the stairwell that led to the shrine proper. She exhaled audibly and proceeded up the steps, adjusting the books in her arms to make it easier to lean forward against the shallow steps. Arriving at the temple she was surprised to see Yuuichiro not working, but rather standing with Rei, talking, and from the seem of it, they were doing so companionably.

Ami's light footsteps took her closer to the pair, but all too quickly, Rei spun around and faced her, surprise written clearly across her face. "Ami! You're here early." She seemed to freeze, trying to find her way through the situation at hand, her eyes were wide and panic stricken. Ami laid her friend's fears to rest, a gentle smile and a finger touched to her lips and pulled across. Rei's eyes widened further for a moment, and then returned to normal. She had gotten Ami's message, and Ami merely cantered into the house, leaving alone the temple's inhabitants.

Hino Rei, a modern everyday rich girl, priestess, devil hunter, was spending time with her closet boyfriend, someone who had been there as he could while she was going through her hardest times. Yuuichiro had been there when it all ended, waiting patiently for her, and when a crush betrayed her, it was he who held her while she cried, held her despite her protests. Even while she beat on his chest, punching at him with all her diminished strength, he held her, solid and unflinching. At the end of it, she was falling asleep, but she would never forget what she heard when her tears stopped, "I'll be here for you..." He hadn't asked anything of her, he just wanted her to be happy, a change from the few boys she had dated, all of whom were interested in the innards of her skirt rather than her. A stream of tears rolled down her cheek at the thought, and when the calloused hand wiped away the moisture, she smiled. "Me and the girls are going to do our homework, could you make sure no one bothers us?" All the older man did was nod, and she knew in her heart that he would do so.

She walked into the room where they met, in her part of the house, near her room. Ami sat reading from a college level Chemistry text, Rei passed her friend with a grateful nod and smile, into the bathroom to wash her face, to erase the tear tracks from her otherwise unblemished skin. She took a moment to look at herself in the mirror, marveling at the lack of marks, battles had injured her all over, but when it was all over, and the fuku was gone, replaced by her normal civilian clothing, nothing remained, she would feel tired, but never would an injury leave a scar. Not since she had first donned the unorthodox armor.

Aino Minako and Kino Makoto had once again proven their inability to procure male companionship for even a single evening, quite simply, the two girls couldn't get a date, no matter how hard they tried. This morning found them walking together up the stairs of the Hino shrine, intent to join their other comapnions within the holy grounds for their meeting. It had become more of a formality, an excuse to get together and hang out. They went inside to find everyone else already there, Usagi snacking on some candy or another, while all the others chatted amiably. The only one not present was Setsuna and the single man allowed to know their business, Usagi’s boyfriend. Neither one’s absence was surprising, however, as all had become used to not seeing either. The first came and went as she pleased, while the second was off studying overseas.

“So what’s new you guys?†The sometimes senshi of Jupiter asked cheerily. Everyone at once started, “Well, I had this weird dream last night.†That caused a shared confused glance, before Rei began in the growing silence. “It was the Moon Kingdom, burning. Everywhere there were people fighting.â€

Usagi continued, added to the creep factor. “There were people lying dead in the streets, and I had the feeling that we were fighting.†Ami chimed in now, her soft voice haunted as she recalled the unusual dream.

“It was Armageddon, everything destroyed or burning, ashes from the sky carried by the wind.†Mokoto started where she left off. “A giant storm enveloped everything, it was like God was angry at the moon or something.†The senshi of Venus finished it all. “It was the end.†Each whimpered lightly when the tingle shot down their spines, each reliving that moment. They gazed at the Outer senshi though, none of which looked like they had shared in this dream, as they appeared shocked. Usagi, ever cheerful was the first to recover, casting a questioning glance at the three young women, two of whom were cuddling, the third occupying herself with a sad gaze that ended in space. Michiru and Haruka both answered to the negative, shaking their heads. It was only then that Michiru noted the odd expression on her adopted daughter’s face.

“What about you guys? Did any of you have weird dreams?†Her genuine question seemed to make the youngest of the senshi even more distant and sad, but a touch on the shoulder fixed that, causing her to perk up immediately, startled by the sudden emergence back into the real world. “Huh? I’m sorry, what was that?†She asked vacantly, not entirely aware of what was said.

“I asked if any of you had any weird dreams recently Hotaru, have you?†Usagi was getting worried, usually the little girl was quiet and shy, that was to be expected from an introvertive person, but never was Hotaru known to be inattentive. That just wasn’t like her, so when she had spaced out through her question, the meatball headed heroine’s features became a concerned puzzlement. She did not have long to wait, however, the raven haired girl responded in an odd voice, one filled with sadness, a voice that carried throughout the entire room, reaching all ears despite its lack of volume.

“I was in a weird place, there were people everywhere, and they seemed afraid of me, not strange, but they were fighting me, and I was killing them, but they were winning. I… I used the Silence Glaive, and… then everything goes away, the whole planet, gone.†She broke down into silent tears then, her body wracking from the sobs. “I didn’t want to hurt them, but I had to, they were bad people.†She cried because that wasn’t the whole truth, she was sad because she couldn’t tell them the entire truth, she didn’t think they’ accept her after something like that. She killed warriors, that wasn’t anything new, but what she couldn’t bear to tell them was that in addition to these fighters, she had killed entire families, children, mothers nursing their babies, everyone. She couldn’t tell them that when they started to gain the upperhand, she had destroyed a planet, annihilated it, and left its remains as a belt of asteroids. It was for this that she cried, for the souls of those who died so their future could be, begging forgiveness for doing so.

---

Ranma felt the strength within him grow, and could touch it now, months had passed since he had first picked up that practice weapon, since everything had started, and now, he had reached the plateau, the same one his mother had reached, the one she claimed that she could never rise above. She encouraged him to create new techniques of his own, to mark the world with a style of combat that would shake the foundations of martial practice forever. That was what he was doing, he realized, he had started to master this art, and would have it perfectly integrated into his own soon enough. He realized that it was now the time to take his stand, he needed freedom, and he had to forsake his name to do it. With that thought he fell into sleep, mind whirling at what would be done the next day.

Nodoka felt the coming storm, it was as if it were brewing inside her, something would happen soon, something big. She hadn’t the slightest clue how right she was.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Well, this is it, the third chapter of IDIF, I hope you all enjoy it, please send reviews if you do, I really like those. Anyhow, as promised, I am setting the stage for the next part, and hope you will enjoy it. I’ll try to maintain as close to this pace as I can, but between college and looking for work I’m going to be pretty busy for awhile. Next time: The Storm