al709382@campus.ccm.itesm.mx

			Ominous Clouds
			    Part I


	Espers.
	Creatures born in the mind of Squaresoft's devious programmers.
Creatures which can destroy a city with a mere thought. Creatures that
are above Good and Evil.
	Brindel.
	The cosmic interpretation of the Yin-Yang duality. Male and female;
brash and cool; red and green; male and female. TerBril and AnBril.
	Otaku.
	Perhaps the most dangerous of the three. Beings whose intellect has
risen to such levels as to believe that animated characters are real,
thus endowing such characters with actual life. Beings who, by written
methods, can control entire universes.
	Esper Phoenix, Phaeron.
	Vermillion Star, TerBril.
	Otaku and fanfic writer, myself.
	The trio stood near the edge of Jusenkyo. A cool, shearing breeze
wailed all around. But neither felt it.
	Already three of the springs were drained. Phaeron had dried
Fengnichuan, his own spring, and the Spring of Drowned Demon. Of the two
others, Shuanshontsuniichuan had been destroyed by Ranko, although
somebody had seemed to refill Nyannichuan. Dammit, didn't they know that
by refilling the spring they would imprison its spirit again?
	TerBril and I could only watch as Phaeron's rage grew. He had seen her
drown in Nyannichuan. Only the fact that Ranko had been released from it
could hold him from vaporizing the spring again.
	"Okay, we're here," I finally said. "You know what to do?"
	TerBril nodded, the breeze brushing his red hair. But as he stood
forward, he was stopped by Phaeron's hand.
	"Wait," the Esper said coldly. "At least let her know."
	With a nod, TerBril created a small portal with his hand. I agreed, and
using the laptop I brought I simply wrote Ranko into the scene.
	"Wha..." the redhead blinked in confusion. Being transported from the
bathroom to Jusenkyo isn't something you would expect. Turning bright
red, Phaeron covered his eyes while TerBril gave her his own red robe,
which became an Amazon outfit of said color. Ranko just glared at me for
my inoportune call.
	"Okay, go," Phaeron said, realizing Ranko was dressed.
	"Wait a sec. Don't you wanna use Nannichuan to cure yourself?" Ranko
asked.
	I shook my head, "All I did to you made me deserve this. Even if I have
to live with the curse of turning into a cat, I will bear it as a
reminder not to bring such harm to you."
	Esper and redhead blinked, then looked at each other and turned mild
red. Snickering at them, TerBril finally scanned Jusenkyo with his
crimson gaze. His hair flowed upwards as tendrils of ruby dust rose
around him. As he lifted his hands, hundreds of small garnets appeared
over the springs, a gem over each. They all glowed in unison with
TerBril's eyes, and in a faint blue haze they absorbed the springs'
captive spirits.
	"Now," the astral being nodded at Phaeron and Ranko.
	"Hah!" the redhead suddenly leapt high into the air while the Phoenix
spread his arms and bent down in a horseriding posture. A searing flame
encased him.
	"Hiryuu shoten-ha revised!" Ranko yelled as she reached the top of her
leap. Phaeron immediately sent a great gush of fire towards her.
Gasping, TerBril defended himself with an arm while sending an aura
shield to protect me.
	"Flaming Dragon!" Ranko punched downwards. The force of her attack
flung the spiral of flames down towards Jusenkyo.
	All of the valley was immersed in a sea of fire. The Joketsuzoku, the
Musk, and even the people of Mt. Phoenix could only see a giant red
dragon rise from what used to be the Training Ground of Cursed Springs.
	"Gotcha!" a large phoenix bird caught the descending redhead on its
back. Landing, Phaeron changed back to human shape.
	"Okay, we did what you asked us," TerBril turned to me, "But what about
your answer?"
	"That's right," Ranko said, "Will you join all the other guys and fight
us?"
	"I have come to a decision," I stood up, folding the laptop and tucking
it under my arm, "I understand why those guys are so mad at you..." I
paused as Ranko's brother came into view.
	"Well, I have to admit my other selves weren't too happy about their
fanfics," Ranma said. "Especially the one who got Wing stuck as a
girl..." he shuddered.
	"At least you didn't write any story about ME getting pregnant while
sharing Ranma's body," Ranko smirked. TerBril and I sweated visibly: I
_did_ have such story in the works. Then we sweated even more as we
recalled that these characters can read our minds.
	"Don't worry," Ranma noticed our look of terror, "I mean, it's Akane,
right? Now, if it were Ryouga..." his eyes went ablaze at the thought.
Ranko added, "But I'd watch out for her. If you splash her with
Nannichuan water she'll be pretty mad, even if she's already a
tomboy..."
	A mallet suddenly landed on her head. It had a note attached: "I heard
that!"
	"But still, you understand why they're doing this," Phaeron glared at
me. He still hadn't forgiven me for killing him off.
	I nodded, "But this went too far." Wing... stuck as a girl. Biles and
his bone marrow... Shadow Hunter, or Kyone... Nightelf... Cynewulf...
Alpha Centauri... Then there were the _others_. Bridget was still
trapped in ancient America. Lawson might have gotten the wrong Kasumi.
Why, even the original target, SKJAM!, had been struck. And by Phoenix
Ikki, no less!
	"If I am to help you," I began, "Then you must understand this: I will
defend _you_ from the other authors, but your maniacal copies must fend
off by themselves." I smirked, "Except maybe the ones that got Web
Dragon. They _do_ have a point."
	Ranma and Ranko gagged in disgust. It was easily seen they DO NOT like
stories about having sex with each other. And neither do I.
	"But about the Knights..." Ranko asked. She had become quite a friend
of Hikaru's, even though the other pigtailed redhead was still living at
Shadow Hunter's place.
	"I don't think they would attack us. All they wanted was to get me
cursed for that fanfic I'm gonna write. But they might be useful allies,
especially against the Tenchi Muyo horde and the Knight Sabers."
	"Anyway, any ideas about this 'strike back' deal?" Ranma asked. "The
other guys are already attacking us."
	"Just one," I said. TerBril and I looked at each other. With a strong
red blast, we became one.
	"Finally!" I, the TerBril, smirked, "Now, let's go. We've got some
copies to punish."
	"Right," Ranma and Ranko smirked as well. Phaeron flared his scarlet
aura.
	"Okay..." I clenched my fist, rising into the air. I never did like
self-insertion 'fics, but this is fun!
	"Bridget will be first."


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The TerBril
(who's finally the TerBril again!)