Hi everyone,
Certain people (Glare at RRML) have been asking me for this for a
while and to be honest, the reason it took so long is because I had
to be in a certain mood to write this thing.
Namely, totally depressed.
Have a nice day.
(BTW, for those of you on the FFML, read Revenges End to understand
some of the stuff I'm going to describe here.)
___________________
I imagine that I never saw it coming. Then again, I guess no one
ever does.
I mean, Anime character coming to visit you and get revenge for what
you had done to them in fan fiction? Get real. They're only
characters on paper....
Or so I had once believed.
***
The first thing that came back to me was the spit. I'm nine years
old and I'm surrounded by the school gang. They laugh at me, call me
names, shove me around the circle that they've formed around me as
they take pot shots at me and let loose globs of saliva upon my young
form.
"Help me," I silently cry to the teachers who simply stand several
yards away and do nothing.
Apparently, they aren't paid enough to save one child from eight.
Finally, my rage reaching its peek, I let my bookbag swing off my
left shoulder and swing it with the skill of a master and it lands
upon the face of one of the fatter members of the mob with a dull
*THWACK*. This doesn't stop the others however.
That was okay, I wasn't going to stop either. I strike at them
again and again and again, each time I knock another one away. I
probably would have broken free on my own, if not for the hand of one
of the teachers who had been watching before, which clamped down on
my shoulder and dragged me away, where I was yelled at for my
"unprovoked behavior."
Apparently, they ARE paid enough to save eight children from one.
The next thing that came to me was, that same boy, me, sad and alone,
many years later, discovering a form of art known as Anime. I find
a club about it. I go to that club. I become a member. I make
friends...
And then I learned about her.
A member of the club told me about a certain show called Sailor Moon.
I try it... and I start laughing. I mean, it was FUNNY stuff.
However, as I continue to watch, I start getting more into it and
more specifically, I get more interested in the main character. "I
wish I had a friend like that growing up," I thought as I watched
Tsukino, Usagi continually pratfall, make air headed mistakes and yet
was always able to save the day, "Someone who wouldn't have cared if
I had acted a little different from everyone else and would always
stand up for me when I needed someone by my side."
I guess, in a way, I loved her. Not THAT kind of love mind you, but
the kind of love one feels for a good video game or when they enjoy a
movie or a really good ice cream soda.
However, there was someone there who I felt the exact opposite for.
Don't ask me why she did, but she was the one who reminded me of all
those that had done wrong against me.
The one who reminded me of the spit and the names and the attacks
from behind. The one who reminded me of all those who never gave me
a chance and only stood up for me when it suited them. The one who
reminded me of those who had tried to stifle my imagination and those
who simply didn't care to listen to my pleas for help.
The one in red. Rei Hino.
In psychological terms, I was, "directing the hopes and rage of my
inner child towards fictional characters in an attempt to purge the
emotions from my subconscious."
Then I learned about something called fan fiction.
True, I was a little unorthidoxed with what I crossed over my
favorite Anime series with and maybe I was a little harder on Sailor
Mars then I should have been, but at the same time, I enjoyed writing
and also enjoyed the releaving of my soul when I was finished with a
chapter or short story.
However, everyone must eventually pay the piper, as the saying goes.
***
I remember typing at a keyboard when it started. A voice behind me
said, "Excuse me. Are you (I can't remember the name) AKA Flashman?
"
I swiveled my seat around and fell out of it when I saw who was
standing in the doorway of my computer room.
There were two of them, except that only one of them really caught
my eye. I was somewhat aware that Ranma Saotome, student of The
Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, was leaning against the doorway,
glaring at me, however I was too engrossed in who was with him to
really care.
It was her. My favorite Anime character of all time. The one, the
only, often imitated but never duplicated, most awesome warrior of
Love and Justice, Sailor Moon.
Naturally, the first thing I asked was, "Is this some kind of joke?
"
"Afraid not," Sailor Moon replied, "And I'll ask again. Are you
(the name, lost in static) AKA Flashman?"
"Yeah," I said cautiously, "that's me."
Ranma took over as he asked, "Author of the fan fics TRIO, Endworld:
Moon Run, and the guy who made Super Saya-jins out of C-Ko and..." he
shuddered, "Azusa."
"Yeah," I replied as I got up and walked closer to them, thinking
this was some kind of trick.
"Sailor Moon" looked at me and said, "We're here to Revenge you."
I circled around "Sailor Moon" once and said, "Well, whoever you are,
I gotta compliment you. That's one heck of a good costume but I
think this is getting a little silly. Now, off with the wig!"
I grabbed Sailor Moon's "wig" and got the surprise of my life as it
didn't come off and the girl let out a loud shriek of, "OW! LET GO
OF MY *HAIR*!!!"
I turned pale as I started to realize that this might not be a joke
and reached behind me, where I had left my soda on the desk top. I
grabbed the soft drink, flung it at them and made a break for the
door as they covered their faces.
I was subconsciously aware that I had just rushed past two girls
where one had been before and that the red head had gotten some soda
in her eyes, but I didn't get very far until an outstretched leg made
me take an unplanned trip to the floor.
I rolled over and when the stars cleared, the "talented" Sailor
Jupiter placed her foot onto my chest. She grinned evilly at me and
said, "Hi. Remember me? The one you had going against a certain
giant lizard?"
I felt my throat going dry as I heard Ranma-chan roar, "WHEN I FIND
THAT TWERP I'M GONNA RIP HIS HEAD OFF!!!"
Jupiter called out to her two accomplices, "It's okay. I got him."
The two other females joined their taller companion and kneeled down
so they could get in my face. "Hello," Ranma-chan said as she
grinned at me evilly, "Before we begin, do you know what a Revenging
is?"
I could only shake my head, as my throat had gone too dry to say
anything. Sailor Jupiter took over and said, "What you have done to
us in your fan fiction has caused all of us harm and we're here to
pay you back. Normally, we'd just beat you up or let Ranma and his
friends use some Jusenkyou water on you and ruin your life."
"But," Sailor Moon added, "You're a special case. While you have
done some cruel things to us and have thought up some even worse
things that you've stored away for future reference, you've at least
given all of us a fighting chance. So we're going to do the same
thing."
Confused, I asked, "What do you mean?"
"I'm going to teach you a little bit about the Anything Goes School
of Martial Arts," Ranma-chan replied with a grin that implied she
wasn't going to be a gentle teacher.
***
I won't go into too much details about the training. I'll just
focus in on the highlights.
And I STILL want to know how they managed to transport the Room of
Spirit and Time into my backyard.
***
One thing I'll give Ranma's teaching skills, they were regular as
clockwork and my typical day went like this...
8:00-8:30 Am: Wake up and get cleaned.
8:30-9:00 Am: Breakfast. (Akane)
9:00-11:00 Am: Katas. Lots and LOTS of katas.
11:00-12:00 Pm: Learn a new technique.
12:00-1:00 Pm: Lunch. (C-Ko)
1:00 Pm: Sparing.
1:01 Pm: Pause to shove Senzu bean down my throat.
1:02 Pm: Repeat 1:00.
1:03 Pm: Repeat 1:01.
1:04-3:00 Pm: Alternate 1:00 and 1:01.
3:00-6:00 Pm: Meditation.
6:00-7:00 Pm: Dinner. (Usagi)
7:00-9:00 Pm: Speed training by dodging Sparkling Wide Pressures.
9:00 Pm: Hit the sack, exhausted.
I'm sure most of you have figured out what I mean by the names that
were listed by the mealtimes, but for those who haven't, it seems
that my "friends" had decided to torture me farther. While they
feasted upon Makotos culinary delights, I was given a bento box which
had one of the three names scrawled upon it, telling me who the chef
was.
I know what you're thinking, "How the hell did you survive THAT?!"
At first, I asked myself the same question, but soon, I began to
discover that the cooking wasn't as bad as everyone said it was... or
my stomach had transmutated into cast iron over night, take your pick.
C-kos main problem seemed to be that she added WAY too many spices
to everything, ESPECIALLY the hot stuff but if you were armed with a
large glass of milk, your stomach could pass it without too much
complaint.
Usagi had the exact opposite problem. Everything that was made by
her was too bland or you could taste things that the spices were
supposed to cover up or enhance.
Akane... well, SHE lived up to her reputation. However, I struck a
deal with her French Toast and every morning, it would sneak over to
the others tables, steal a little stuff for itself and me and I'd let
one of its friends run free to play with him.
Don't ask me why what I'm going to describe to you next took so long
to happen. I guess it was the shock finally wearing off.
It was late in the afternoon and I was meditating when a thought
came to me. "How ironic," I thought, "The one being you would have
wanted as a friend if she had been real IS real and she hates your
guts. Just like everyone else."
The next thing I knew, I was crying like a little kid. I couldn't
stop it and I couldn't have explained it if anyone had asked. I was
so absorbed in my grief, that I didn't notice someone standing behind
me until they had sat down. I knew it wasn't Ranma, because he would
have hit me and said something about men not crying (AKA: The biggest
load of bull I've ever heard). Makoto... I'm not sure how she would
have acted, as she had mostly kept away from me and let Ranma do his
thing except when it came to the nightly speed training.
I think you can guess who it was by now and she looked at me with...
pity? Regret for what she had to do? Or was she just trying to make
me feel even worse?
"Is something wrong?" Usagi asked me.
"Oh nothing," I spat, my tears unable to hide my sarcasm, "It's just
that my favorite character in the whole wide world is gonna do
something really terrible to me."
"'Favorite character'? Could have fooled me."
I sniffed and rubbed at my eyes furiously as I snarled, "How the
hell was I supposed to know you were real?! Besides, I had to do
those bad things to you or no one would have ever read my stuff
because I would have practically made you invincible and nothing
turns readers off faster then an author making their favorite
character more powerful then what others think they really are.
"Fan fiction writing is like a community to me. If I turn people
away from my stuff, it'll be like I'm alone again, like when I was a
little kid and I was the school outcast. I don't want to be alone
again.
"Do you REALLY know what it feels like to be alone? Not like in
your final battles at the end of each season, but I mean, REALLY
alone. Where everyone doesn't even have the decency to laugh at you
behind your back and does it right in your face! Where, when you ask
them why, they don't give a reason and just spit on you! Where the
word 'friend' translates to, 'who put him up to this and how much is
the bet for?'! Where spit is thrown at you as often as fists are!
And fists are used so often that it's a mirical that you don't have
any broken bones!
"How about having someone vandalizing your house and then getting an
award from the school for good citizenship?! Even AFTER you and your
parents told the school officials about it! How do you think THAT
feels?! Have you ever wished that you were never born?!"
She said nothing, she just looked at me with that same look I
couldn't identify and then, softly, she asked, "Is that why you're so
cruel to Rei-chan sometimes?"
I nod. "Yeah. She looks and acts like so many of the jerks who
singled me out as their whipping boy. Always so full of anger and
usually unloading it on you. She just presses my buttons and so I
press back."
"What about forcing Mako-chan to fight Godzilla?"
"Hey," I replied, "I LIKE Makoto. She's tied for my second favorite
Senshi. Besides, I can see her doing it."
"I suppose..."
There was a loud rustling sound in the bushes, indicating that Ranma
was on his way back to bring me in for dinner. Usagi stood and left
before the martial artist made it to the clearing.
Now, as weird as it may seem, after that discussion, I gained an
almost Zen-like (and I mean the religion, not the author) acceptance
of the fact that they were going to do something very horrible to me
when the training was complete.
Not much of interest happened for a while, except that I was
actually getting stronger and faster and that I could last for five
minutes, and then longer, in sparing with Ranma before I was a bloody
heap. Plus, Usagi would ocasionaly give me that same weird look I
couldn't identify.
One night, while trying to sleep, I overheard my three captors
talking.
"Don't tell me you're actually feeling sorry for him," Ranmas
distinctive growl said.
"Of course not," came the reply from Usagi, "All I'm saying is that
maybe we don't have to send him to that awful war. Maybe just put
him into his own Godzilla fic."
"Much as I'd enjoy seeing that," I heard Makoto say, "he's still
gotta pay for all that he's done and we agreed that showing him what
he's done to you twice Usagi, once to Ranma and once to the rest of
us Senshi is the only way for the Revenge to be proper."
"I guess..." Usagi's voice sounded convinced.
Ranmas voice cut in with, "Besides, he's as ready as I can make him.
It happens tommorow."
The next day, I was a nervous wreck. Whatever they were planing for
my final fate, happened today. I tried to hide it but they could
tell. Ranma walked up to me and said, "For the past seven months, in
the Room of Spirit and Time, which is only five hours real time, I
have trained you for this day. What is going to happen to you is
that your memory will be mostly erased, with only a few clues as to
who you really are remaining. You will retain all knowledge of what
I have taught you however, because you are going to be transported to
a war.
A war between revenged authors like yourself and the forces of a
being known only as (?)."
"What the hell kinda name is THAT?" I interrupter.
Ranma glared at me in a way that warned of physical harm if I
quipped again. He continued, "You will be deposited on their front
door and, hopefully, they will accept you and you will be given the
fighting chance that you were promised. Are you ready?"
My throat had gone dry, but I nodded and said, "Ready or not, here
you come."
Ranma nodded to Usagi, who transformed to Sailor Moon, and then to
Princess Serenity. The Princess held the Ginzuishou to my forehead
and before its light washed over me, she whispered something too soft
for me to hear.
I'd like to believe that it was, "I'm sorry."
My mind went blank and the next thing... or the first thing I should
say, I remember is a woman in a skin tight outfit that practically
screamed "Color Blind" was moving me through a portal. She was one
of my creations, Warp. She looked at me and said, "Sorry buddy.
Gotta make a little detour first."
Suddenly, I'm sprawled out on some hard ground, I'm not sure where.
I heard a noise and sat up, turning towards it source...
And there she was. The only Animate who I actually hated.
The one who reminded me of all that was bad in my life.
Sailor Mars.
Of course, I had no idea who she was at the time, just that I was
deathly afraid of her and the maniacal glint she had in her purple
eyes as she glared at me.
She grabbed me roughly by the collar and said to me, "Hello there.
Remember me?"
Before I could answer in the negative, she ranted on, "Oh, but of
course not. All I am is someone who you like leaving half dead
whenever you get the chance! Nearly bleeding to death is no fun, do
you know that? Neither is having a broken arm and THAT'S just the
tip of the iceberg. You would have done a lot worse to me and you
had plans to put me through a lot worse and yet you didn't go through
with it when someone who pegged you right as an 'ass hole' and the
ensuing argument made you wuss out. Still though, just thinking of
it was enough to give it form... and it sucked big time.
"How would you like it if you were critically injured? Huh? What
do you say we find out?"
She put her right hand to my face and said two words which would
make me wake from my sleep in a cold sweat for the rest of my life.
"FIRE... SOUL!"
Spit has nothing on flame.
What happened next... no... no... I don't want to remember what
happened next... the pain... (?) touching me and wiping my memory
clean of what Mars did to me, except for the residual dreams... being
experimented on like a lab rat... the awakening of my Stand... being
split in two when Daimahoh was born... having my head cut open to
remove pieces of my brain so I could be attuned to MOGERA...
No... no... NO!!! NO MORE!!!
___________________________
Setsuna removes her hands from my temples as I lay on the ground in
a fetal position, shivering like a newborn infant. The familiar feel
of the silver Jason mask I now wear over my face irritates me as I
now remember the ones who were responsible for me having to wear it.
True, Rei was greatly responsible for my disfigurement, but it was
that scientists who worked for (?) who made it unfixable.
"Such pain," I heard Setsuna say as she strokes my hair, "Relax, let
me take it away, at least for a little while."
I growl in frustration as I sit up. Setsuna's a nice woman... okay,
okay, she's a drop dead stunning woman. However, she seems to think
that the two of us are destined lovers. I don't go into that destiny
stuff and the fact that she's so adamant about it turns me off big
time. If she didn't act like it was supposed to happen and just let
it happen, then maybe...
"Let me go," I say as I stand and head for the door, "I gotta think
about this... alone."
Surprisingly, she does and I head off into the night. I reach a
hanger bay and walk in, seeing both halves of MOGERA parked for the
night.
MOGERA, my mecha. I can feel the AI "watching" me, waiting for me
to say something. I don't plan to though, I just want to think about
what my life is doing right now.
Let's see. I've got superpowers and a really kick ass mecha (Like I
always wanted). Usagi doesn't recognize me because of the mask and
scarring probably and so she's my best friend. (Like I always wanted.
) I've got the respect of my fellow XHI emploies. (Like I always
wanted.) And I've got an incredibly beautiful woman who wants me.
(Like I always wanted.)
I remove my mask and look at the horrid reflection that stares back
from the metal of MOGERA and I also wander through the dark resseses
that are the memories I still have tucked away inside.
"Too damn high," I mutter before I head back to my room to sleep.