Gaia's Awakening
---
" " are speaking
' ' are quotes
< > are toughts
[ ] are panda sign
* * are sounds
^_^ is me ... oups ?
---
Chapter 1
---
Akane was on the end of the cave. After the much needed traps, spikes,
boulders, she was a the end of the cave. The only obstable between her and
the exit was a big cauldron. After inspection, she noted that it had boiling
water.
<I need to push it in some way>
But the metal was way to hot to touch it, burning her skin.
<I can't possibly use thoses damn handles! They are as hot as the cauldron
itself!!>
And yet it seemed like she had not the choice. Gathering all her bravery,
she tentativly put her arms under the handles on each side of the big
cauldron.
"Ouch! That's way to hot... I can't do it!" She says aloud.
"Giving up?" she ears from the other side of the boulder. "You have the
right to, if you think you can't handle it."
"Never!" she nearly shout in response. "I'll do it!"
A new time, she gather bravery and the add her rage to it. The take the
handles, burning badly her arms. And in one short effort, push the cauldron
enought to let her exit the cave.
"Good... You succeded the trial. For all here, you are now one of us, an
proud Amazon warrior. COngratulation, child." now, Akane reconize the voice,
this of the great master of the Amazones, the Matriarch, Colon.
"Thanks you very much, Elder." She looked then at her burning marks,
somewhat not as surprised as the thought she would have be : a dragon mark
on the right arm and a tiger one on the left.
"These are our mark, child. You'll be able to heal them sometime in the
future, but if you do, you will cease to be one of us." The lady showed her
her own arms, revealing the same burns. "Like you know, I could heal them if
I wanted to, but this is our sigil. Be proud of them. They are the symbol of
the Taoism religion we follow here."
Nodding her understanding, Akane let herself to be showed the path to return
to the village.
"You have mastered the powers you already got, child. But you have a long
way to go to catch up to others."
"Hum... Ranma said that I have awakened not long ago."
"Yes, he is quite powerful now, he apparently have awakened himself quite a
long time ago now... but know that I'm a waken myself since the armageddon."
Akane gaped to this info. The Elder was awakened 50 years ago? But how? She
can't be more than 40 years old... Colon seeing this smirked at her.
"Unbelieving, hu? You'll see yourself that being a waken have more that the
power itself. I need only a couple hours of sleep to be totally refreshed
and I barely eat at all... and I stopped to age severals years ago."
Akane head was ow spinnig. Between these informations and the strees of the
test, she was completly drained.
"Don't worry child, you are not to this stage or your evolution... yet. For
now, you must increase your power and help us to beat this prideful tyran."
Her eyes gleam a cold spark. "He dares to insult all of us like this. The
Amazon cannot accept the fate of hunted prey. Soon... soon we will be readyn
and then, It will be time for payback."
With this, the Elder vanished from Akane's view, knowing the girl could
return back to the village by herself now.
Akane stayed a short moment here, just standing, her mind lost. Then she was
done, she resumed her pace. A feast was due to celebrate her succes.
---
The traditionnal acceptance feast was a buffet and, for Ranma and Ranko, it
meant an 'all you can grab' buffet. While they pleasured themselve by
vaccuming food, the Amazons were busy chatting with their new sister :
Akane.
Ryoga was too shy to approach her, even if the desire to do so was burning
throught him.
Akane quickly became a good friend of Shampoo, the village's best warrior,
elders excluded. Now that they were in good relations, Akane built the
courage to ask Shampoo a question that plagued her.
"Shampoo, Ranma and Ranko are brother and sister, right?"
"Yes. Twins to be exact."
"I'm a little surprised because, before I came here, my father did mention
that Ranma was a single child."
"If you had come here before Ranma had, you would have understood easilier.
There was another trial to be accepted, in the last cave just before the
cauldron. You would have fought your inners demons there. You know about our
curses, right?"
"Yeah, you turn in a cat, Ryoga in a little pig, Ranma and Ranko change
sex."
"Correct. Ranma's curse affected the test somewhat. So, in place of fighting
his inner demons, he fought his dark inner self. But this dark self didn't
vanish after the test, it took his own body and became another Ranma. The
real Ranma changed a little during this, and the new Ranma now goes by the
name of Ranko."
"Hu? You want to make me believe that you let his dark side live? And that
'she' is his dark side?"
"Even the elders don't know for sure how it happened. But after it was done,
the magic of the cave that used to do the test was completly dried up... so
the test can't be passed anymore. You had it easy Akane... maybe you
wouldn't have succeded it if that test was still active." Shampoo teased
Akane with a big grin.
"Yeah, right... whatever. She doesn't seem that bad to me. Are you sure she
is his dark side?"
"I just repeated what was told by the elders. I don't know more than you in
this..." she shrugged her shoulders, and resumed eating while something was
left.
---
"Come on Ryoga! Don't tell me you are stuffed yet!! There is plenty more."
shout Ranma to the lost boy. "You lost you appetite, lost boy?" Ranma then
resume eating at his normal pace, that is, for a waken of the saotome school
of eating-all-you-can-to-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet, very secret technique.
"Argh! shut up! Stuff you face so that I can't hear you, will you? And I DO
NOT get lost that much, thanks you." replied Ryoga.
"Ranma, *munch* don't tease him, *munch* he got better for that. *munch*"
"Hu... thanks." Ryoga is under his usual blush when talking with a girl.
---
"They are at it again."
"Akane, you know they love each others like siblings. They just tease each
others for fun."
"Well, it look like pretty stupid to me, Shampoo."
"You have not seen my Amazon sisters just before a tournament. This is
nothing."
Akane looks at Shampoo like she had grown a second head. Well, at least, her
new life promise to be anything but dull.
"Speaking of them, where are theirs parents? Your father cooks at your home
and your mother is dead, but I didn't heard a word on theirs..."
"For Ryoga, it's easy : they are lost somewhere on earth. Only his awakening
allow Ryoga so stay near the village enought to not get lost."
"It can't ba THAT bad?"
"Akane, Ranma told me once that Ryoga can get lost in a room with only a
door and no windows. I can assure you it was pretty much the case before his
awakening. Because since he is here, he got a lot better, even if there is
still a lot of room to improve."
"Oh... and Ranma's parents? his father is a friend of mine."
"His mother may be dead for all we know. His father, Genma, on the other
hand... it's a sore spot for him..."
"He is dead?"
"Worse, Akane, for us anyway. He had willingly joined force with the
bettles."
"What? Why would he do that? He left Ranma and Ranko here alone?"
"No. He doesn't know for Ranko, yet. But for Ranma, it was Elder Colon that
chassed Genma before he could get to Ranma."
"Thanks for telling me. I will be able to not make the mistake to mention it
to them."
"The big problem is, when we'll be ready to attack, we might face him. I
hope Ranma get strong enought to hold his own against his father."
"Genma is that powerfull? Colon beat him no?"
"Yeah, but Elder Colon is more powerful than what we can imagine. Genma and
Ranma awakened at the same time, but Ranma was very young then, Genma's
power grew faster than Ranma's at the start. I could bet that Ranma is
increasing his power faster than anyone here now."
"Let's hope it'll suffise".
"Yeah."
---
And so, the training continued. Harder than ever, pressing each amazon well
further theirs limits. Accentuing each one advantage. Ryoga's resistance to
damages and resistance, Ranma's speed, Akane's raw strenght, Shampoo's
agility and Ranko's psychic powers.
So the return to the ennemies' land was planned. I didn't take that long to
leave. only the best was sent to gather informations. Elder Colon would
finish the warriors training while Ranma and the others are doing do their
researches.
The travel was quick, thanks to the feeble amout of sleep and food needed.
Ma Yuan being based in Lost Angeles in the USA, the Amazons scouts decided
to go there to test theirs powers, before they all go to Los Angeles, so
that they would know how they rank against the bettles.
---
"Guys, hide yours powers to appear to be slightly less powerfull than them."
Ranma is in his trademark blue chinese shirt with black troussers and black
combat bracers.
"Pfff.. Ranma, don't tell what we don't know. We want to know how much we
need to beat them." snarls Ryoga in his yellow shrit and dark green pant,
with his trademark yellow and black bandana.
"They don't search for power below 50 anyway... so as long as we stay on
human level, we are safe." Ranko is dressed like Ranma, her chinese shrit
red instead of blue.
"Human level, Ranko? we are at what can be qualified to the top best of the
human level. No human can get to this level..." Shampoo wears the Amazon
fighting uniform colored in white and pink.
"In any case, we are there. This seems to be their quarters in this
village." Akane choosed to dress in a yellow gi, remembrance of her past
'normal' life.
"Good job Akane. Hum... I think there is a squad leader in there."
"Yeah... who get it?" ask Ranko
"The first to get to him, who else..." answer Ryoga, un big smile on his
lips.
"Less talk, more fight!" announce Shampoo. "We go now!" and she start her
run along the street, straight toward the inn where are the bettles.
"Ooo-kay, we follow I think..."
"Then think quick, dear brother, first gets all the fun!!" shout Ranko while
dashing behind her friend.
---
Inside the inn, a detector begin to scream, but to late as the wall explode
to reveal a cute purple haired girl, holding two maces.
Before the three bettles can even blink, Shampoo charge one of them and
strike with her mace, hard. The bettle desesperatly try to block the blow,
but the mace isn't even slowed when it crush his blue armo and then his
sternum and ribs, killing him.
Another bettle jump on Shampoo to punch her in the face, but she side-step
him like she didn't even mean to and crash her mace down his skull,
imploding it. She then strike the last one with a double hit with both
maces, crushing him like an empty bottle.
Satisfied with her handy work, she break the next wall. Not even seeing the
door on her left.
---
Ranko know that when Shampoo is the first to enter battle, she doesn't let
anything for her friends to play with. She conclude that the better thing to
do is to break in with her own entrance.
Fixed on her target, she call for her chi and fire three small chi blast on
the wall, on the second story of the inn. She then goes in the hole to see
two surprised bettles on the room. Focusing her cho a new time, she fries
each of them with a little chi blast at the same time, hurting and stunning
them a little.
Before they can even move, she fires a new couple chi blast, killing the
first bettle and exploding the second one. She sighs because of all the
killing she need to do.
Then, she quickly one the door et exit the bloody room.
---
Akane, surprisingly, is the first to enter the inn by the door. But she is
noticed by the two bettles guarding it. Her fear is immediatly replaced by
rage as her veins are flooded by adrenaline. She charges the first guard.
Her blow is stong and as she manage to actually hit her opponent on the
stomac, she hurt him bad, shatering his armor, explusing the air from his
lungs. But even the bettle refuses to go down, he has to sit down, gasping
for air.
the second one attack her while she relish on her demi victory. She back of
to try to dodge, but she is hit on her shoulder, just bruised from the blow.
pushing a sream of pure rage she huppercut her agressor on the gut,
unprotected by the remainders of his armor, effectivly decapitating the man
and sending his free head flying on the opposing wall, making a nasty blood
trail on it's path and on the wall.
<Oh my God! I killed him. I didn't want to... No... no no no !!>
Unknow to her, the gasping bettle is recovering and prepare to hit her from
behind. It might have been the case if Ryoga wasn't supervising her. Sadky,
it was the case and the bettle saw his life end from blood loss when a
flying bandane went to severe the arm which one he tried to hit Akane with.
"Akane!"
"Oh Ryoga! Don't look at me... I killed him, I'm a murderer. I'm not better
than them..." she says sobbing.
"Stop this nonsence at once, Akane. I killed more than I wished to. I'm as
much a kiler as you if you want to see it like that."
"Why...?"
"Uh?"
"Why do we need to do this? Fighting is okay, but do we need to kill them?"
"Hell! They are more tighting machines than human being. If I'm ever
converted, I want someone to kill me. I refuse to be reduced to this... this
pathetic excuse of a human."
"But..."
"No but Akane, do you want them to kill your familly?"
"N...no."
"Then, help us. If you can't or don't want to kill, stay at the village. But
then you won't be able to defend your loved ones."
"Why do you fight Ryoga?"
"I wish I could say that it's to defend my familly, but I barely know them,
being lost and all... No, I fight for my friends, and my new familly, the
Amazons. Come on, follow me and cover my back. I want a part of the leader
too..." he finishes with a big grin.
"Yeah... sorry. I was not as prepared as I tought I was."
"I know, Akane. I know."
---
Ranma entered crashing the last part of the building visible on this face.
<If I want some fun, that's the only 'free' side.>
AS soon as he entered, he saw two things : the only man on the room was
sitting at his desk and dressed in a brown battle suit, very alike the blue
bettles. The second thing was that this man power was higher than the others
ones, meaning he was the leader.
"Found you." annonces happily Ranma.
"Fools. Maybe you are strong enought to kill bettles likes bees. But you'll
find that I'm not like them." The man stand and take a battle stance.
"Come get me!" Ranma adre him, getting ready too.
"You amuse me. I'm a Justicer."
"And you have a big mouth."
Ranma zap the distance between him and the brown armored guy in a blink,
trying his defense with a simple hit. He succes in hitting but don't do much
damage.
"Good... I feared you wouldn't even entertaint me. Apparently, you'll do
fine."
"Puny rebel..." howl the justicer while wipping a little blood from his
mouth.
"Want more? You just have to ask!" tease Ranma just before launching another
simple attack. This time, his opponent move out of the fist path at the last
second.
"Well, that's better. And how's that?"
This time, Ranma's body itself seems to blur while he hit tje man just
bellow the chest armor.
"Urgh... *cough* You dare?"
"Your're funny you know? Just a moment before, you were sure that you were
going to crush me... Now that's not gonna happen. Bye!"
This time, Ranma hit the armor and it absorb all the damages.
<Damn. I might have to take better care of my aim.>
The next chi powered blow is perfectly calculated to hit the unprotected
jaw, pushed forward by the last punch. The man goes flying on the wall. He
get back up with diffuculty.
"Ready for more, pal?" <Damn, I'm near my limit. I can't go with chi powered
blows like that forever. Maybe allowing the others a little fun? Well, if
they manage to get theirs ass here, that is. Wait? He can't even stand by
himself?> "This is the final blow!" shout Ranma while he throws himself at
the justicer, his right fist glowing blue.
Ranma hit the barely standing man in the jaw a last time, making him to lose
the last of his conciouness.
"Pfiou... It was harder than I tought it would be."
Ranko finally enter the room, looking as fresh as before the start of the
battle.
"Argh! Too late."
"He. He was nearly as tought as Ryoga. A good match."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Justicer my ass. If one of us is able to defeat them on a one on one,
we won't have to wait too long before our attack."
"Yeah. But you didn't finised him..."
"Didn't have time... Damn armors."
"Hey... you just gave me an idea."
"Hu?"
"Let's take theirs armrs, we can use the boost."
"Why not... It's not like he hitted me, but I'm the faster, and maybe the
others won't have as mush luck as me. Hey look!"
"A sword? Maybe Shampoo will be happy to get it..."
"Yeah. Let's get out of here..."
"Okay, let me finish him and take his uniform. We might have a need for it
later." she says, using a chi blast to blow up the justicer head.
---
Amazon village, after the scouts have returned.
"So, children. How are things?" ask Elder Colon.
"Their Justicers are tought. As much as us. The bettler nonetheless are like
weaklings now." annunce Ranma.
"Hum... and what is this?" she asks while poiting to a large cloth pile.
"We kind of stealled some uniforms... It might come in handy..." answer
Ranko.
"Well done. I think that you can now go prepare our arrival to our nemesis
hive."
"We leave as soon as we are ready."
"The use the bettles uniforms can help you to get in the city."
"We won't disapoint you, Elder." promise Ryoga.
The next morning, the group was once again leaving the village, planning a
new step needed before the final battle.
---
author's notes :
Things are speeding a little. Sorry for the explanation lenghts but I need
to show you all the differences between my universe and the canon
ranmaverse.
As you saw, there are a lot.
Next chapter will deal with the implantation of the 5 youngs warriors in Ma
Yuan headquarter's city...
And someone return when he is not needed.
Basically, I have only a single prereader yet and I write as fast as he can
correct. But I need at least two more to help the nexts drafts...
This is the firts draft of the chapter 1
I'm forced to post firsts draft to gain prereaders.
but when I will have enought of them, I will be able to post second draft
more quickly and you will be able te read without all the spelling and
gramar horrors that I put in this...
sorry... ^_^
see ya soon
.---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
| Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
| Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
| Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject |
`---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'