Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Slayers Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Perfect Chaos ❯ Perfect Stranger ( Chapter 6 )

Ranma ½/Sailor Moon/Slayers Crossover Fanfiction

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½, Sailor Moon or Slayers Anime/Manga. Ranma ½ belongs to the lovely Lady Rumiko Takahashi. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and finally Slayers belongs to Hajime Kanzaka. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profits are gained from writing this.

 

“ “ Speech

[ ] Thoughts

 

Perfect Chaos

 

By Montymouse

 

Chapter Six - Perfect Stranger

 

***

 

Past, Saturn Military Complex

 

Ranma Saotome aka Ran Greystar lay in a soft bed, glancing up at the medical machine next to him that was monitoring his vital signs. The streams of green lit runes scrolling up and down the screen. The room was fairly small but well equipped with machines and monitors connected to the far side of the room. Ranma notice there was a few wires and tubes connected to his arm and waist, which was slightly worrying as he wondered how badly was he beaten up.

 

Ranma sighed as he rested his head on the plush pillow. His mind more troubled than ever. He was stripped to the waist and pale bandages encased his ribs and along his right arm. Turning his head to the right, Ranma smiled a little, as there was a large bouquet of purple flowers. He had already guessed that they were from Hotaru.

 

He then looked up when he heard the sound of the door opening, and smiled weakly at whom it was that had entered. The person took a few steps and pulled up a chair beside him. Ranma notice there was a bundle of documents underneath his arm.

 

“What no grapes?” said Ranma.

 

“Only sour ones, believe me, you don't want to touch the dessert served in this place,” replied Taris in a humorous tone.

 

“Yeah, I already know,” said Ranma as he looked distastefully at a half-eaten bowl beside his bed.

 

Taris grinned as he sat down and moved the bouquet of flowers to make space for his documents. He then took a quick glance up at the rather bulky medical machine before turning his attention back to the patient.

 

“It's good to see you're awake, you kinda had me going there at one point.”

 

Ranma nodded as he remembered something before he ended up here. “Thanks, Taris.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For saving my life,” Ranma answered and tried to get into an upright position on his bed.

 

Taris offered a helping hand and grinned. “Don't worry about it, you saved my life on more than one occasion. Remember the Rhea Outbreak?”

 

“Erm . . . “ Ranma said and tried searched desperately for that memory.

 

“The one with the neurone plague virus? You know the virus that would infect a human within hours,” Taris added.

 

“Oh yeah, the one with the plague zombies?”

 

Taris nodded. “That's the one.”

 

Ranma breathed a little sigh of relief and quickly glanced at the documents on the table beside him as Taris was busy looking at the monitoring machine briefly.

 

[Classified - Operation Pandora Moon?] Ranma said, just barely able to read the heading of the document. [Hmm . . . what does that mean?]

 

“We almost didn't make it, if you hadn't slowed down their advances,” said Taris.

 

“You still suspect it involved one of the other planets? You know, Taris, it was seven years ago and the culprits for unleashing that biological weapons were found, tried and executed for that.”

 

Taris shook his head. “There no way those guys that were tried could have done this without help or aid. A weapon like that could not have been cheap. Imagine if they managed to unleash the virus on Saturn instead of one of the moons? Think about it, out of all the other planetary kingdoms who do you think would gain the most?”

 

“I suppose . . . “ Ranma replied as he could argue against that. Taris did have a valid point. “Who do you suspect?”

 

Taris rubbed his forehead. “I'm not sure . . . since then, of all the planetary kingdoms, I have found nothing more than the usual round of alliances, counter alliances and pact breaking.”

 

Ranma listened closely to what Taris was saying. In the chaos of terrorist activities, alien pirates and political upheavals, the Moon Kingdom stood out amongst the list. Then again, practically every other kingdom was easily capable of devising such scheme to take advantage of the chaos. Ranma knew that Queen Shonai of Saturn wasn't like that. He had felt no deceit from her upon their meeting. Ranma admired the woman. She had tried her best for her world and her daughter ever since her husband passed away.

 

“And . . . you don't seem to be bothered with your usual finding?” Ranma asked.

 

Taris grinned. “As long as it doesn't include us, beside the Moon Kingdom seems to be keep some sort of order between the planetary kingdoms.”

 

Ranma nodded and decided to change the subject.

 

“Taris, where am I?” I know, I'm in a hospital of some sort but where exactly am I?” asked Ranma.

 

“You're in the military hospital ward, it would be unwise for us to place you in the public medical ward. It was attract too much attention, I suppose I don't have to explain why?” answered Taris and glance at one of the monitors.

 

“The doctor says you will be out in three days, the toxins residues in your body had almost been completely flushed out of your systems. I'm surprised there was no side effects of the toxins the assassin used on you."

 

“Why is that? What could have possible happen to me?” asked Ranma. Feeling his strength slowly returning back to him every passing day.

 

Taris sighed at Ranma's overconfidence in not realisation the seriousness of the situation.

 

“Well, for starters, you should be in a coma and dead,” Taris answered his question. “You were always the survivor, Ran.”

 

Taris and Ranma laughed at humour of their situation. Taris expression changed as he picked up the dossier and threw it on his bed containing a few data files and pictures of what seemed to be the assassin. Ranma rip the seal that kept the dossier sealed and quickly flicked through the pages. He stopped at a certain page revealing the evidence of weapons found in the scene plus background information relating to the incident.

 

"Hmm . . . what did you make of weapons you found on him?" Ranma inquired.

 

"Custom job, designed to inflict maximum damage and organs, how you managed to stay in one piece is a mystery. The needle device we found was, interesting . . . apparently it's true intent is to paralysis the victim for a easy kill, by numbing the nerves in your body and saps your strength with seconds," explained Taris. "I saw one like this during the Pluto campaign, ten years ago. I sent it down to the lab guys for analysis, no word from them yet.

 

"What about the assassin? Found anything more about the guy?"

 

"Well, that's a tricky question," replied Taris with an uncertainly in his voice. Ranma noticed his friend stroking his well-trimmed beard, which was always a sign of uneasiness.

 

Ranma raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What's that suppose to mean, explain?"

 

"He's dead."

 

Ranma sighed and rolled his eyes up. "Yeah I know that because you pumped him full of bullets."

 

Taris shook his head and raised his hand up, "No, I meant he was already dead before I killed him"

 

"Huh . . . " Ranma said with a confused expression.

 

"A Undead, genetic tracing and biological profiling reveals that he died some thirty years ago. We still haven't worked out the identify of your assassin, so it may take awhile."

 

Ranma tried to rise to proper upright position in his bed but quickly resume back to his original position when pain in his side flared up from his injuries.

 

"Hey, take it easy. You don't want to make it worse, do you?" Taris stood up and calmly tucked him in his bed and adjusted the angle of the bed for a better view.

 

"You're not my mother," said Ranma. Taris laughed and sat back in his chair.

 

"Yeah, I know," Taris admitted. "But someone has to keep a eye out for you. Besides Senshi of Saturn, your fiancée is heading back here from the Moon palace to check up on you." Taris stood up and walked toward the window. His arms clasped behind his back.

 

Ranma looked at Taris with a serious expression. "How is she?"

 

"She will be okay for now. She be fine once she find out that you have regained consciousness and alive. Most of those idiotic nobles and barons have started a rumour on what actually happened, then there was the political problems coming out of this situation."

 

"Like what?"

 

"Oh, you know, there's a mole in our military organisation that is giving vital information about our strategic and tactical plans and data. Others says that Saturn is too dangerous and demands that it's highly armed force should be disbanded and reintegrated as a simple planetary force to serve the Moon Kingdom." Taris explained, barely controlling the bitterness in his tone of voice. Ranma knew from his memory set about Taris was that all that he really wanted was to serve his Queen and protect the people of Saturn, not get himself tangled in political problems.

 

Ranma nodded and looked at his old friend. "What do you think of this?"

 

Taris was still facing the window and looked up at the moons of Saturn, he could almost see Titan up there. "What? Our military strength or the Moon Kingdom?"

 

"Both," said Ranma, noticing his sword and some of his stuff was placed on a short table on the far end of the room. He then closed the dossier and placed it one the table next to his bed.

 

"To put it in simple words, I don't trust them,” answered Taris honestly. “There something about them that makes me uneasily especially the court of those Inner Planets. Also I don't think we can rely on the Outer Planets for supports, I have my suspicions about them too.”

 

“Have you got any evidence to support your suspicions?” Ranma asked as he closed the dossier.

 

Taris shook his head. “I fear that Queen Serenity may requested to Queen Shonai to disband our military organisation. They fear that we may have become too powerful which is making the other planets nervous. It's all about politics. We need a defence force that is equipped to deal with everything, without it, we rely heavily on the support from the Royal Court of the Moon. I don't like it at all."

 

There were a few minutes of silence between them until Taris turned away from the window and walked beside Ranma's bed.

 

“Enough about that, you have enough on your plate right now,” Taris said. “You just stay here and get well.”

 

“Where do you have to be now?” Ranma asked.

 

“I have to leave for inspection at the Titan orbital shipyard,” Taris replied and shook Ranma's hand. “I think the Princess will be arriving shortly so you won't be alone. Remember Ran, you got three days to rest and relax before you are out of this place.”

 

Ranma nodded and watched as Taris left the room and closed the door behind him.

 

[Three days] he thought and looked out of the window.

 

THREE DAYS LATER . . .

 

“Do you remember anything else during the incident in the communication dome?” asked Taris Madok, sipping his glass before picking up another data sheet.

 

Ranma Saotome aka Ran Greystar looked up and shook his head. He was currently sat cross-legged on the floor completely surrounded by stack of reports.

 

“Apart from the dead guy, nothing.”

 

“Oh . . .” Taris replied and started to pour out another glass. Ranma politely declined Taris offer of his drink. The faint smell was quiet strong for his taste.

 

An informal mood had descended upon the two as they tried to sort out the mess. Both the Saturn officers were sat quietly in the upper levels of the Saturn military complex. A whole pile of data reports and hololithic cubes were littered everywhere. Ranma rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply as he looked at his fifth data report. Taris was in the middle of reading the daily activity reports from the Saturn intelligence unit to discover anything unusual before moving onto the more secretive and highly confidential reports on the other planetary courts. All the other planets were doing the same thing so why can't they do the same thought Taris.

 

Ranma placed the report onto top of a rather large stack, which was slightly tilting to one side. He then rested his elbows on his knee with a weary expression

 

“How about you, old friend?”

 

Taris leaned forward, setting his drink down beside him and pushed himself to his feet. Shuffling towards the table where a system chart had been spread with indication of any suspicious activities reported through the system.

 

“Hmm . . . so far nothing,” Taris said and studied the chart. “I do not believe that the events which have occurred here could have done so without some guiding influence.”

 

There was a slightly confused look on Ranma's face as he stood up. He then walked towards Taris and started to read some of the notes stuck on the chart.

 

“And what is that suppose to mean?”

 

Taris turned his head. “There are too many coincidences, and I do not believe in coincidences. Someone or something is behind all of this, take for example your sudden arrival on Saturn and the recent assassination attempt on your life?”

 

“Huh . . . what are you getting at?” Ranma asked, slightly taken back by Taris question.

 

Taris shrugged. “It's nothing . . . I don't know yet but I suspect it has something to do with you and the Princess. Just be on your guard for anything, okay, Ran.”

 

Ranma nodded. “Advice taken.”

 

Taris grinned and turned his attention back to the chart and pointed to the third planet from the sun.

 

“In a week or so, Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom is formally invited the members of the Royal family and the Saturn Court to celebrate her engagement to the Prince Endymion. God helps us all if he becomes the next King in line!"

 

Ranma was surprised by Taris tone of voice. “What is so wrong with the Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion engagement?”

 

Taris turned and walked over to the table where he had settled his glass and down the drink in one.

 

“To be honest, I have nothing against her, she a nice girl and a fitting Princess for her role. She also slightly . . . erm . . . how should I say it?”

 

“Paranoid?” Ranma added.

 

“Nope,” Taris said.

 

“Cautious?”

 

“That's not it.”

 

“Insightful?”

 

Taris shook his head.

 

“Well, what is it then?” Ranma inquired as his memories of the Princess of the Moon Kingdom was still in pieces.

 

“Clumsy, that's it, she is slightly clumsy at times. I really don't know where she gets it from?”

 

“Err . . . right then . . . “ Ranma said, trying to hide his surprised in his voice, which Taris didn't pick up on.

 

Taris held his glass against his chest. “Prince Endymion, that's a different story . . . according to the files we have on him, he is a well known womaniser and would flirt with every single girl that comes in his view. He had little experience in warfare and always relies on his four generals as his bodyguards plus the entire Terra forces.”

 

“And this is what bothers you?” Taris shook his head.

 

“That's not it. There is something else.” Taris shot Ranma a serious look.

 

“What then?” Ranma asked, walking towards Taris and pulling up a chair, slightly careful not to topple the stack of files beside him.

 

“What I don't get is how he could simply become a one woman man. His past records and profile reports clearly indicate he would never stick to one woman even she is the Princess of the Moon Kingdom. There is no way that he would divorce her or have affair without risking massive embarrassing scandal in the Lunar and Terra counts. It would be a show of weakness to the other planetary courts rather than a symbol of strength if that ever happens.” Taris set his glass down on the table.

 

“So you think there is more to this royal engagement than meets the eye?”

 

Taris nodded and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand as he tried to make sense of clues and evidence that was on the chart.

 

“Now you getting it.”

 

“Was there anyone who was linked to Prince Endymion in a romantic kind of way?” Ranma asked. Taris looked towards a large pile that was next to him and threw to him a data sheet. Ranma caught it easily and started to scan the report.

 

“Actually prior to the engagement, he had broken up with Princess Beryl, her reaction to this. Let's just say, she wasn't a happy bunny.” Taris added.

 

“Oh,” Ranma replied as he continued to read the data. The whole feeling of the events was beginning to depress Taris and started to refill his glass.

 

“Shouldn't you go easy on that?” Ranma asked as he notices it was his fifth or sixth drink he was pouring out.

 

“It's quite strong, from what I heard . . . and smell.”

 

“I know, but it is rather good,” replied Taris, pouring another glass for Ranma. “Here, try it?”

 

Ranma sighed and accepted the drink and sipped the cloudy liquid, his eyes widening at its potency. Taris grinned before getting to his feet.

 

“Yes, quite strong,” he confirmed, taking another swallow. Taris slumped into his chair before his display terminal and retrieved his glass from the table.

 

“So what are you still doing up anyway, Ranma? And how is our Princess doing?”

 

“Not much else to do at the moment, Princess Hotaru is to attend to one of her open audience where people complain about their daily lives.” Ranma answered, “Besides that, the Princess is fine.”

 

Taris grinned. “Yeah I noticed, she had that bounce in her steps ever since you gotten out of medical hospital. Everyone has notice it and are happy about this, which is a good thing because to be honest, it really takes the mind of our people off other issues.”

 

“Oh . . . okay then,” Ranma answered not really understanding what he was getting at.

 

“How about you?” Still like playing the waiting game?”

 

Taris gave a slight chuckle. “Nothing else to do, you were always the man of action whilst I was the man of strategy. To wait until your opponent makes the first move and mistake which they would play right into my hand.”

 

Ranma's face reflected Taris humorous expression.

 

“Yeah, those were the good times.”

 

Taris expression changed to a more serious look. “A lot has changed since then, Ran. Times are changing and with more and more political and events happening, I wonder sometimes if I can still kept order?”

 

“Don't worry about, now I'm back now, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.” Ranma raised his glass.

 

Taris suddenly rubbed the heel of his palm against his temple and squeezed his eyes shut. He reached in his pocket and took out two white capsules.

 

“Are the headaches bad?” Ranma asked.

 

Taris waved off his concerns and without replying, swallowed the capsules with a mouthful of his drink. He shook his head and shudder at the vile taste of those capsules.

 

“Err . . . shouldn't you be taking those with water instead, it can't be good for your health.”

 

“On the contrary, my dear old friend, it is the only thing that helps.” Taris replied and notice the expression on his face. “Don't worry, Ran, I know my limits and I'm not addicted to this okay.”

 

“Alright, Taris,” replied Ranma, “but still, you should cut down, for a old friend?”

 

Taris nodded. “So tell me, what did this guy actually say to you that was going to happen within the next few weeks?”

 

Ranma placed his glass down and as he stood up, he happened to brush again the large stack of files causing them to topple over on the floor. Ranma cursed silently and as he quickly picked the files.

 

“Now then, he actually said to me was . . .“ Ranma said as he finished clearing up and turned around to hear the sound of someone snoring. Ranma sighed softly as he walked over to Taris and removed the empty glass from his hand. He then quickly checked his pulse as a precaution before silently making his way out of the room.

 

He remembered that Hotaru was waiting for him in the Royal Palace this afternoon, something in the lines of homemade cooking. So far, no shivers of coldness or feeling of sickness was felt which he took it as a good sign.

 

[There is no way that she could be as bad as Akane . . . could see?] Ranma thought. He then shook his head as no bad memories had popped up.

 

Meanwhile in the deepest region of space . . .

 

“What are you doing here?” an icy cold voice demanded from the upper floor looking down as she watched the intruder entering her citadel. The woman was partially hidden in the shadows as she slowly made towards the lavish stairwell that led to the lower landing.

 

The intruder in question simply looked up and returned the glazed directed against her the moment she entered. She slowly reached for the edge of her hood and with a quick motion, pulled it back to reveal her long green hair and sharp features. She then beckons the woman on the upper floor to come down to meet her. As the green hair woman moved through the hallway. Broken marble statues, large chunks of stone and shattered crystal littered the granite polished floor. The woman thought at that moment at what she was noticing. It was a shame to see fine workmanship so thoughtlessly destroyed.

 

“I told you not come,” the woman said as she stepped out into the pale light, illuminating her hardened and sharp facial features. Her reddish long hair flowed down to her waist. She was wore a long black cloak which beneath the cloak was deep purple dress which parts to reveal the polished hilt of a jagged shortsword. She stands and greets the stranger.

 

The green hair woman stopped and looked directly into the woman's eyes. There was awkward silence between the two women. There was an uneasy moment passed as the green hair woman broke the silence.

 

“I see that you have not taken the news of Prince Endymion announcement of his engagement to Princess Serenity lightly,” she said as she took in the rise of anger in the woman and the tightening of her knuckles. For a split second, the green hair woman had thought that she would lash out against her.

 

“He was suppose to be mine! Mine! Not to that Princess!” the red hair woman snapped. “I'm going to kill her and her whole damn family for this!”

 

The green hair woman slowly placed her hand on her shoulder when she felt the surge of dark magic running thorough her, normally signalling that she was about to lash out.

 

“Calm down, Beryl . . . everything will have it's place. You just have to wait a bit longer.”

 

Beryl immediately shrugged off the woman's hand and pointed accusingly. Her anger flared up as a dark aura completely enveloped her as she gathered her powers.

 

“You!” she exclaimed with dire hostility in her voice. “You never mention this would happen! This royal engagement, why didn't you tell me this would happen! You must have known!”

 

The woman raised her hand in slight warding gesture and casts a low-levelled shield spell.

 

“I was kept in the dark as you were, you must understand this. The court of the Moon and the Terra Kingdom has kept all of us in the dark about this royal engagement. I was as surprised as you were . . . “

 

[At least I took it better than she did] she thought looking around the devastation caused by Beryl in her citadel upon hearing the news.

 

Beryl shook her head and turned her back and looked at the ground. She kneeled down and brushed away some of the debris, picking up a broken picture. The woman looked over Beryl's shoulder and saw what she had picked up.

 

“The bitch will pay, that I will make sure personally,” Beryl whispered darkly before tearing up the picture in tiny pieces. She then looked over her right shoulder with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

 

“Why, sister?”

 

The green hair woman was silent for a moment before speaking up.

 

“It was out of my control,” She said calmly. “I would have done everything in my power to halt this ridiculous announcement if I could, we all know who he was destined for . . .” she said in attempt to cushion the emotional damaged done to Beryl by Queen Serenity Royal claim.

 

“Would have or wouldn't!” Beryl hissed.

 

The green hair woman stood unflinching at Beryl's dangerous tone.

 

“I was summoned to the Lunar Palace this morning by the order of Queen Serenity. The questions they asked me were quite uncomfortable. She was mainly asking about my recent actions. I have also been asked about my opinion on this engagement, if I had objected to this, she would have been suspicious of my motives for questioning this.” The green hair woman explained.

 

“This is only a minor setback, sister.” She offered a hand to the red hair woman. “Come, let us have a set in your living chamber before the fireplace, there are things we must discuss which is why I am here.”

 

Beryl calmed down slightly and allowed herself to be guided through her citadel into a massive circular marble chamber. There was a large empty fireplace at the far end along with two lavish looking chairs. Beryl was composed enough to summon a crystal drink tray as soon as they reached the fireplace. The tray magically appeared right next to her as she poured two generous measures of amber light liquid. She picked up the glasses and walked towards her sister, handing her a glass whilst she down her drink in a single swallow. The green hair woman sipped her drink as she cast a spell, which caused a large fire to blaze away in the fireplace.

 

Beryl turned and settled herself into a high-backed chair as she magically cast another measure of red liquid in her glass. The green hair woman settled in her chair in a casual pose.

 

“Now, sister, you have something to say?” Beryl asked as she circled the rim of her glass with her index finger.

 

“It's about Commander Ran Greystar, commander of the first Saturn forces and protector of the Princess of Saturn,” the woman said with resentment in her tone.

 

“Do not concern yourself with him, he will not be a problem for much longer, plans for his demise has already been set into motion,” Beryl explained to reassured her and gently placed her crystal glass down. She then clasped her fingers together, leaning forward and rested her chin on them.

 

“Oh . . . the last time I heard, Ran Greystar has already survived your recent assassination attempt, what makes you so sure that you will succeed this time?” The woman asked, taking another small sip of her drink before casting a gaze at her with mild discontent.

 

“Don't you have any faith in me anymore, sister?”

 

“No,” she replied in a stern tone and leaned back against her chair. “I still don't know how he managed to survived my little trap and come back in piece. I saw him die . . . “

 

“Does he know it was you that set him up?” Beryl asked, as she was slightly concern about the implications.

 

The woman shook his head. “No.”

 

“How can you be so sure?”

 

“Because he believes it was someone else that set him up,” the woman smirked evilly. “I have decided to give you another chance. We are sisters after all and should stick together.”

 

“I see,” Beryl said in a slightly amuse tone before filling up her glass magically before moving onto something that was bothering her.

 

“Sister, there is someone else apart from him that could pose more of a direct threat to our intentions,” Beryl's tone changed into a more serious expression.

 

“Taris Madok,” the green hair woman answered bitterly. She remembered the experience of having her plans defeated on more than one occasion by him.

 

“How did you know about him. “Beryl inquired with suspicion and curiosity.

 

“The woman ignored her sister for a moment as she finished off her crystal glass of amber liquid. Beryl quickly filled her glass afterwards.

 

“I have my sources . . . “ she said eventually and placed her glass down on a marble stand beside her chair. “Taris has always been a dangerous foe even with Ran out of the picture. He poses a dangerous threat than he ever did. Ran is just one man but . . . Taris has the entire Saturn Guard and Military forces under his command, more than enough to repel our forces.”

 

“I see . . . so what do you suggest we do about this threat?

 

The woman smiled evilly and raised her glass to toast as Beryl did the same.

 

“Let me decide on what to do with him. You just make sure that preparation is completed on time. Our allies are waiting for us to make the first move, then we shall have what we desire the most.“

 

”After all, we are sisters. Aren't we?” She finished her sentence.

 

Beryl smiled and gently hit her glass with hers.

 

“Revenge will be sweet antidote for the broken heart.”

 

“Indeed . . . in two weeks from now.”

 

***

 

Immortal Realm . . .

 

“Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,” muttered a hooded immortal as he cast his vision across the nightmarish landscape that stretches in every direction to the distance horizon dancing with unnatural light.

 

The faceless Immortal hovered in the darken skies and had started to float gently towards the hostile environment. Directly ahead was featureless, wind blasted plain stretches away endlessly, beyond the horizon. The souls of the dead and the damned wandered aimlessly in solitude. Just as his feet was about to touch the ground, an ethereal wind gets up and started to blow against his flowing dark robes, sending a cold shiver down his spine, causing him to doubt about what he had to do.

 

Chaos shrugged off the cold chill and started to taken in his surrounding.

 

“Hmm . . . where now?”

 

Directly to his right was streams of blazing lave cut fissures through the coal black soil, and pools of molten mud, glowing cherry red, spout geysers of yellow flame that seem to claw vengefully at the orange sky. The intense heat and the awful stench of sulphur would have been overwhelming to mortals. They would have probably lasted only a few minutes in an environment as hostile as this.

 

To his left was the completely the opposite from the vision he was seeing to his right. Awkward ice crevasses, razor edged ice and constant bitter ice winds were found here. Massive ice mountains averaging over seventeen thousand feet high, and shaped like giant shark's fins. As the ice winds blow around its peak, great plumes of cloud trail away across the glacier. Caverns full of dangerous crystal stalagmites and stalactites, whole lakes frozen solid posed a danger to anyone who dared cross.

 

Glancing to his left and right for a few times, Chaos shrugged his shoulders.

 

“Nothing else to do but go ahead,” whispered the Immortal.

 

[I do hope she is here] thought Chaos mentally. Time would never approve of this action he was undertaking and also knew that she would never ever come here due to the dangers it posed.

 

Suddenly something popped into his head, which he had almost forgotten about.

 

“Hmm . . . I wonder how Lina and Co are doing?” Chaos said in an inquisitive tone as the path he was walking on was getting harder to see as the unnatural light started to fade away.

 

***

 

Present, Nerima . . . Furinkan High

 

“FOUL DEMON, FEEL THE WRAITH OF BLUE THUNDER!”

 

Kuno Tatewaki exclaimed loudly and flashed his wooden sword down onto Zelgadis head, which was suddenly followed by a loud snap of wood being broken. Kuno hopped back and looked dumbly at his broken sword, as a thought passed through about what just happened. He didn't really have much time to think about it when he looked up to see a blurring incoming fist towards his face.

 

CRACK!

 

Followed by knee in the gut, and finally followed by a powerful uppercut.

 

POW!

 

Ryoga and Mousse who were behind the Kendoist simply watched as Kuno flew over their heads and landing behind them with a sickening sound. Both seasonal fighters turned around and waited for Kuno to get up from the beating like he usually does when he fight with Ranma. They were mildly surprised when he didn't as Mousse walked over to his prone form and checked if he was still alive.

 

“He's out cold and I'm not kidding!” Mousse shouted to Ryoga.

 

By now, most of the students of Furinkan High including Akane and Nabiki Tendo were already gathered from a safe distance to see what the commotion was all about. At first, they had thought it was Ranma against the local idiots and that he had returned. They were quite surprised and shocked to see a Ranko look alike and a scary looking guy standing at the gates.

 

“Who are they?” one of the students wondered.

 

“Who is she! What a babe!” Daisuke leered at the red hair female.

 

“Yeah, she had a lovely pair . . . “ Hiroshi started to say until . . .

 

“INCOMING!”

 

Hiroshi and Daisuke heard the warning and looked up to see a huge fireball heading towards them. Everyone either ducked or scattered apart as the fireball slammed into the tree, setting it alight. Immediately the local fire safety club rushed out and put out the fire before it spread in a very effective and efficient time.

 

“That was close,” Hiroshi said.

 

“Yeah, too close for comfort” Daisuke added.

 

Suddenly they realised that they were surrounded by girl with unhappy bordering anger faces with their hang bags or assortment of hand weapons.

 

“Oh . . . “ Hiroshi and Daisuke started to say.

 

“PERVERTS!” The girls started to say and the onslaught began.

 

Meanwhile Zelgadis simply dusted his hands together like he had just gotten rid of trash and grinned. His Chimera Golem inheritance had made him extremely resistance to any physical attacks. It was easy as good as the effects from Ryoga's Bakusai Tenketsu. He then saw the idiot that tried to attack him for no reason being carried away in a stretcher.

 

“What a idiot,” Zelgadis muttered as he glanced over his shoulder to see the pretty red hair girl and smiled.

 

“What are you looking at?” Lina demanded as she placed hands on her slim waist. Zelgadis immediately started to turn away as soon as he saw the flash of anger in her eyes normally signalling her attacks.

 

“Err . . . nothing, just checking if you were alright.”

 

“Good, you better not become one those perverts otherwise they be hell to pay” Lina warned.

 

[Heh . . . Naga, eat your heart out, wait till you see me now] Lina thought secretly. She had already notice the effect it was having on men since her changes upon arriving in this word. Right now, she was starting to hate this amount of unwanted attention because of her looks and wished for everyone who tried to hit on her to go to hell.

 

“Of course, Lina.”

 

“Must be that time of the month,” Zelgadis muttered darkly and cast a mute spell, just in case Lina heard him.

 

“DIE RANMA! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO COME BACK! DAMN YOU!” Mousse and Ryoga shouted as they both leapt towards Lina Inverse thinking it was Ranma in his girl form. They were hoping to double-team her before the hard guy would step into block their attempts.

 

WHOOSH! SPLASH!

 

Quake! Quake!

 

Oink! Oink!

 

Lina and Zelgadis blinked and wondered what the hell just happened. First two rather tough looking fighters tried to attack Lina, just as she cast water based spell.

 

The next thing they knew it, what was left of the two guys was a duck and a black pig and whole pile of wet clothes.

 

Zelgadis looked towards Lina with a curious expression. “Erm . . . Lina, did you just cast a transformation spell or something?”

 

Lina looked at her hands before looking up at Zelgadis.

 

“Erm . . . no, just a water based spell.”

 

“Oh . . . just checking, we better get out of here,” Zelgadis pointed out as he sense someone with a magical presence approached them, a rather tomboyish looking girl and the whole school approaching them.

 

“Over here!” Zelgadis and Lina immediately turned to see someone hiding behind the wall. It was a brown hair girl dressed in a blue uniform with a rather large unusual weapon strapped to her back.

 

“Who are you?” Zelgadis asked, stepping toward her.

 

“We don't have much time, please come with me, I explain everything.”

 

Lina pushed Zelgadis out of the way to present herself in front of the brown hair girl.

 

“Oh no, we not falling for this again, we're not stupid you know!” Lina exclaimed. “See!”

 

The brown hair girl looked up and down the red hair girl for a moment.

 

“What seems to be the problem?” She said innocently and noticed a group of people that she really didn't what to talk to coming towards them. Lina was fuming with anger and had begun to gather her magic for a fireball. The brown hair girl had to act fast, Zelgadis seemed to be neutral to coming with her whilst Lina was dead against it.

 

[Good enough] thought the brown hair girl as she thought of something that might work. She looked at Lina with an innocent expression, which turned into shock.

 

“Look Lina, a gold dragon!” she raised her hand against her mouth and pointed her finger directly behind them.

 

“Huh . . . gold dragon? Filia!” Lina turned around immediately and was surprised to see nothing what she had in mind. All that Lina could see was a group of people rushing towards them.

 

“Hey, what the big deal! There is no gold dragon there!” Lina said and started to turn to face the brown hair girl.

 

WALLOP!

 

Zelgadis simply stood there as Lina collapsed to the ground. The brown hair girl had just used her rather large kitchen utensil strapped to her back and literally smacked Lina rather stubborn head.

 

“Quickly, pick her up and follow me!” She said and turned on her heels running down the street. Zelgadis looked at her then at Lina then back again before picking up the unconscious sorcerer.

 

“Hey, who are you?” Zelgadis shouted.

 

The brown hair girl turned her head slightly to show one side of her face and smiled.

 

“Ukyo.”

 

Meanwhile in Juuban . . .

 

Something completely different was happening in the suburb of Tokyo. Standing in the green park were two groups of people, a rather large crowd of people was gathered at the edge of the park boundaries, waiting for something to happen. What makes this so unusual was the high turnout of people coming to watch plus there was not one single Youma or monster type creature in the immediate area. EXCEPT for . . .

 

“I AM THE PRETTY SAILOR SENSHI SAILOR MOON! IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE AND ALL THAT IS GOOD! STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING!” exclaimed a rather pretty blond hair girl dress in what looked like a Sailor Fuku.

 

“YEAH, THAT'S GOES FOR ME TOO, STOP TRYING TO STEAL MY . . . ERR . . . OUR THUNDER!” added in by another blond hair girl in a similar costume with a red bow tied to her hair. Merchandise sales of Sailor V had taken a severe hit since the arrival of this girl in question.

 

“NEVER! I AM AMELIA WILL TESLA SAILLUNE, PRINCESS OF SAILLUNE, FIGHTER OF JUSTICE! HEROINE OF GOOD!” countered by a pretty dark hair young girl in a white fully clothed costume. A beam of light lit around her to further improve her stance of justice.

 

“FOR THAT IS GOOD, YOU WILL NEVER STOP MY QUEST FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE. BY THE WAY, ISN'T IT RATHER CHILLY WEARING THOSE SKIMPY COSTUMES, WHO DESIGNED THEM . . . NAGA?” Amelia added.

 

“HOW DARE YOU INSULT US, WE ARE THE PRETTY SAILOR SENSHI AND WE ARE HEAR TO STOP YOU! WHO IS NAGA?” answered angrily by a raven hair girl in a red sailor Fuku and a tall brown hair girl in a green Sailor Fuku.

 

“OH, FOUR AGAINST ONE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE FAIR, NO MATTER, JUSTICE SHALL ALWAYS PREVAIL!”

 

Gourry on the other hand was sitting beneath a tree, slightly bored expression, and the sword of light beside him as he watched the on going dispute between Amelia and the Sailor Moon and her Senshi.

 

[This is going to take awhile . . . I wonder how can they talk like that without taking a breather?] Gourry thought and notice that sitting a couple of yards away from him was a cute blue hair Sailor Senshi who was busy analysing on some sort of Semi invisible computer.

 

“We're suppose to be looking for our friends, not this shouting match.” Gourry muttered. “Two more minutes then we are out of here, if she likes it or not.”

 

“OH YEAH, YOU LOT DON'T SCARE ME AT ALL!” Amelia shouted and was turning a slight shade of blue, she looked over towards her opponents and they were doing the same.

 

[This is getting sooooo . . . embarrassing] thought the blue hair Sailor Senshi Mercury as she started to scan of this girl to see if she was from the silver millennium.

 

She then looked over to her friends who were either out of breath or was running out of words to say, they had probably used up a whole month worth of speeches by now. She was about to go to help when she heard a beep from her computer.

 

Sailor Mercury immediately looked down at her computer as she started to access the file found.

 

“ . . . “ Sailor Mercury was speechless at what she staring at on her mercury computer. It was a graphic portrait picture from one its archive files. It wasn't a picture of the dark hair girl or the blond male warrior sitting a few yards away from her but a completely different picture dating back from the silver millennium.

 

[Who is this?] Mercury wondered as she set up an inquiry of their identity.

 

The slightly corrupt picture was a handsome young couple somewhere in their early twenties. There was a green hair woman in an aqua blue with semi - transparent ballroom dress.

 

“Hmm . . . the woman does look like Setsuna Meiou. There is something about her that isn't right?” Mercury commented as she tried to clarify the image but due to amount of corruption to the file, there wasn't much she could do about.

 

[She definitely not Setsuna. This is strange . . . perhaps she relative or even a sister to Setsuna? I wonder who is this person behind her?] Ami thought as she zoomed on the second person in the picture. He had his arms across her in a gesture of close affection. He was a dark haired man with a nice trimmed short beard. He was dressed in a rather fetching purple and black uniform. The couple was set against a backdrop of beautiful unearthly scenery.

 

{IDENTIFICATION QUERY COMPLETE} the computer read out.

 

{DATE UNKNOWN}

 

{FEMALE - PRINCESS OF PLUTO - UNABLE TO ACCESS FILE OR REGISTER}

 

{MALE - UNABLE TO IDENTIFY - INCOMPLETE/MISSING INFORMATION}

 

“Strange . . . maybe Luna or Artemis might know?“ Sailor Mercury blinked, she was so curious about who the couple was that she had almost completely ignored the fight or war of words with her fellow Senshi and the new `heroine' and her bodyguard. Mercury had a feeling that this was important somehow and desperately wanted to find more about the couple but realised when her friends needed her help right now.

 

[Maybe later] Mercury thought as she saved the image to a new file where she could exam it more closely.

 

***

 

Immortal Realm . . . Restricted Area

 

Seven Hours later . . .

 

The faceless immortal was finding it difficult and the darkening skies did nothing to raise his spirits as he continued on with his search. He then remembered why he was doing all of this and was determined to trudge on beneath the oppressive skies. Chaos could slowly feel his very essence slowly sapped away as this strange place had unwritten rules that did not apply to the cosmic balance. He knew that he could probably die in a place like this unless he returned back to the immortal realm where his strength and cosmic energy would be restored almost immediately. Chaos still refused to give up as he had travelled so far, risking his very existence to find the one that could possibly help him.

 

At last he could see something looming ahead of him, but this does nothing to dispel the unsettling feeling he was having. The mists are quickly cleared by the icy mountain winds. If he were just a mortal, right now he would be tired, shocked and frozen to the bone.

 

He was walking across the rocky ground when catastrophe befell him. His right foot crashes through the thin layer ash crust, causing him to lose his balance.

 

[This is not good . . .] thought Chaos as he struggled to free his leg and paled when more was to come.

 

[Definitely NOT good!] Chaos thought when he heard a tremendous crack of splintering ices. The very ground opened up directly beneath him and the next thing he knew it, he had fallen through the newly formed ice gorge. As he fell, he let out a string of curses in different languages.

 

A few moments later . . .

 

[Heh, at least it solves that question . . . it wasn't a forever bottomless gorge] Chaos thought humorously as he laid flat on his back in a snow filled crevasse. Looking up, he estimated that he fell at least a hundred feet or so. The immortal simply lay there for a few moments, trying to piece together what just happened and wondered if anything was broken. He also waited for a few minutes or so before he said a certain phase that most mortals would say in a situation like this.

 

“At least it can't get any worse!”

 

Chaos cringed for moment, as he was half expecting a piano or elephant to land on him. He then remembered that he wasn't a western cartoon strip and was fairly sure it didn't happened in the Japanese Anime.

 

“Heh . . . “ Chaos chuckled to himself. “I been watching WAY too many DVDs and Internet downloads.”

 

“Or maybe not . . . “ Chaos said when he notices that he was surrounded by razor sharp stalagmites and jagged ice.

 

Miraculously he found to have escaped death and was just inches from being skewered by an ice cone. Shaken but not stirred, Chaos staggered to his feet and grasps an ice stalagmite for support. He then instinctually checked that he was still in one piece and most importantly missing any vital bits.

 

He then turned around and looked down at his imprint in the snow and scratched his head in puzzlement and confusion.

 

“I'm sure this isn't one of those self insert stories I read lately,” Chaos muttered to himself when the imprint was a rather impressive looking Angel imprint with wing and the halo.

 

“Heh . . . sometimes I surprised myself,” grinned Chaos before turning around to see if he could continue on his journey. “Hmm . . . “

 

Chaos could see a faint light seeping from a fissure slightly to his left. With his natural curiosity getting the better of him, he staggers across the crevasse floor and started to explore this mysterious cave. After a few hundred yards, Chaos found himself in a huge cavern that spreads out in all directions as far as the eye could see.

 

[Nice place . . . someone has got to live here] Chaos started to wander northwards, noticing that the entire cavern was carved out of ice blocks with such fine precision and detail that he couldn't help but be impressed by the whole place.

 

“HELLO? ANYONE HERE?” Chaos shouted. His voice echoed repeatedly through the passageways and tunnels.

 

[Huh, I guess no one is home, just my luck, I have travel all the way here into this damn realm, risking life and limb, just . . .] Chaos was immediately on guard when he senses a powerful aura of unknown magic getting closer and closer. [Perhaps I spoke too soon]

 

Chaos knew he was in trouble as his powers had significantly weakened during his journey to the restricted area, it was going to take all of his cunning and skills to outwit whoever was coming towards him. Looking down the dark tunnel, the immortal started to ready himself and started to think what Ranma would do in a situation like this but immediately shook his head for that thought, no one was like Ranma.

 

“Alone?” A voice echoed throughout the icy cavern. “Either you are incredible brave . . .”

 

Chaos couldn't help but smirk.

 

“Or . . . incredible stupid.”

 

“HEY!”

 

Chaos smirk turned into a frown. It was at that point that he realised that he had let he guard down and that the voice he was hearing seemed to be coming directly behind him. Chaos started to straighten his robes and turned around slowly.

 

“ . . . “ Chaos was left speechless at who standing a couple of feet away from him.

 

She was tall, proud and enigmatically graceful. The woman wore tribal long flowing silver robes, which matched her white and silver hair. She possesses an almost unearthly beauty, which the immortal found fascinating that such beauty could exist in a hellhole like this. Ancient runes and words were embroidered into the cloth of her long sleeves and strange mark was tattooed onto her left cheek and down her neck. Her most striking feature was her eyes. Chaos couldn't but stare at her eyes as her pupils were like mirrored glass, anyone looking into her eyes would see himself or herself reflected in them.

 

Realising that he had been staring into her eyes for a tad too long, Chaos straighten his robes again indicating nervously and also to make himself look presentable.

 

“Ah, you must be Lorena, High Priestess of the . . .” Chaos started to announce. The silver white hair woman raised her staff followed by a spark of white energy. Chaos was immediately flung back against the icy cavern wall with a heavy thud.

 

[Damn, what hit me?] Chaos shook his head. The invisible force bolt that had slammed into him had disorientated him and struggled to get to his feet. Chaos vision cleared and he looked up to see the woman lowering her arcane staff. The runes on her staff blazed and pointed the tip at Chaos face.

 

[If you ever mention that word in my presence, I will kill you where you stand, Chaos] she says without speaking, her soft lyrical voice forming the words in his mind. Chaos knew that it would be useless to use his powers to read her thoughts, as her mental protective barriers were extremely difficult to break.

 

[Why have to you come here?] She demanded. There was an expression of barely controlled fury was on her face.

 

“I need your help, High Priestess Lorena.” Chaos said as slowly got to his feet. He was finding it extremely difficult to read her facial expression for any signs that could help him. Seeing that she hadn't removed her staff from his face, he continued on what he was going to say.

 

“It can be beneficially for both of us if you agree to the terms that I have set out.” Chaos grinned when he thought to have seen the sign of curiosity on her face. His cheerful expression suddenly changed when he immediately felt that he might had played this wrong when a sense a sharp building of energy. He quickly started to whisper a few words to raise some sort of protective shield.

 

[Why should I ever help an immortal such as you? Your kind only cares for themselves and nothing else, for their amusement and pleasure] Lorena mentally communicated angrily and launched a fierce force bolt at the immortal, slamming him against the cavern wall.

 

She remembered bitterly about the betrayals and promises made by his kind. It was one of the main reasons why she was force to live here. Her own people had abandoned her for breaking the ancient oath and had banished her to the void but she no regrets for doing so and would glad do it again if she was given another chance.

 

“Please, Lorena, hear me out, it's about your son . . . “ Chaos protested weakly and thanking silently that her had enough energy to form a protective barrier to deflect most of the energy. Lorena glared at him as she took another step towards him. Chaos glimpses his reflection in her eyes.

 

Then something odd happened, the white hair priestess paused when she managed to hear what he had said and took a step back to gaze sternly at him in a confused manner. Her staff was withdrawn away from Chaos face. The immortal could sense her powering down slightly, her anger subside for the moment as she tilted her head to one side.

 

[I do not understand what you speak of? I do not have a son of my own, is this some sort of trick or game you are playing, immortal Chaos?] Lorena communicated telepathically and raised her hand towards the far side of the cavern wall as a white shimmering portal appeared.

 

Chaos was about to speak up but was she wasn't finished. [I am not in the mood to play your games. This is your one chance, leave now before I change my mind and have you killed] She threatened and turned around, walking away from him.

 

Chaos was slightly confused, perhaps he had gotten his facts wrong and that his journey to his place was all for nothing. He had put into so much time and effort searching for her and after she mentioned she had no son, it looked like a dead end. He looked at the shimmering white portal for a few moments. Then something popped into his mind, which he searched for his trusty notepad and flicked through a few pages. Perhaps he didn't really explain it properly and besides he couldn't leave without explaining his true motive of his journey.

 

Chaos took about a split second to make up his decision and gathered his confidant, knowing that it was risking her wrath but he knew that what he might say could get her to listen to him. Seeing the white hair priestess about to disappear into one of the tunnels, he had to act fast.

 

“Lorena!” Chaos cried out to get her attention.

 

[What is it now?] Lorena said. She made no attempt to stop or look over her shoulder to acknowledge him.

 

“I'm sorry . . . what I really mean is your adopted son, Ran Greystar,” Chaos shouted as he struggles to regain his balance and get back to his feet.

 

Lorena froze to the spot at her hearing the name that she thought she would ever hear again. She almost lost hold on her staff.

 

[Ran . . .] her lips started to open to form the single word.

 

She stood there for a few moments in silence and bowed her head, looking at the ground. Her back was turned against him as Chaos slowly approached the silver hair woman with absolute caution as he really didn't want to feel the full impact of her force bolt. Given his weaken state, the next one would probably kill him if he weren't careful.

 

“Lorena . . . he needs your help, I cannot do this alone, you must help me.” Chaos placed a hand on her shoulder, which she immediately shrugged off and turned around to face him.

 

[Tell me, everything. I'm going to trust you once for you have brought to my attention, someone I consider special. If I find that you have lied to me at anytime, I will kill you where you stand, do we have an agreement?] Lorena communicated and to prove her claim, a powerful black energy ball materialised in her hand. Chaos took a step back as he felt the powerful negative waves in the energy ball.

 

Chaos nodded and bowed forward. “You have my word as the immortal guardian of Chaos, I swear by it that everything is true of what I say.”

 

Lorena studied him for a few moments before nodding. She turned slightly to her right and walking toward the cavern wall where a swirling portal opened up before her.

 

[Follow me, Chaos]

 

TBC . . .

 

***

 

Author Notes:

 

Please send your comments and constructive criticism to:

 

pnmonty@hotmail.com

 

Version 1.0 25/09/04

Version 2.0 04/10/04