Okay, a few author's notes before we get into this...
-First off, you'll notice I ditched the "Ramza Beoulve" bit in the
header. Nobody was buying it, and it was getting dull. 
-At present, you'll only notice elements of 4 series involved in
Sakusen, not including the non-anime element involved which defines
the theme of the entire story. While 4 series isn't bad for a
multi-xover, it's not the full scope of Sakusen. Are you ready for
this? There will be characters from thirteen different series in this
fic. 
-As for that non-anime element, well...think about the name I've been
posting this under so far, then grab your nearest J-E dictionary and
look up "Sakusen"...^_^ 

I hope to see more C&C on this now that the plot is actually moving.
Enjoy!





	"Twenty-eight crystals from four sacred gods,
	Each entrusted to the heart of the descendants,
	With the nine holy maidens to watch over them.
	Destiny will overtake them when the time is right,
	And bring them together, to face Fate as one,
	When the sacred lands are threatened.
	So says the legend passed from the First Shrine,
	the legacy of the gods to the people of this world."


	-  -  -  -  -  S  A  K  U  S  E  N  -  -  -  -  -

	-Prologue: The History of Sakusen and the Late Emperor-

	It was in a time long lost in the mists of myth that the land of
Sakusen flourished under the protection of the four sacred gods which
created it.
	Sakusen was a vast land divided into four provinces, each named for
one of the sacred gods: the northwest province, Yuuki, named for the
God of Courage; the northeast province, Someisa, named for the God of
Wisdom; the southeast province, Meiyo, named for the God of Honor;
and the southwest province, Tsuyosa, named for the God of Strength.
In the center of the land, on the point at which the four borders
meet, lay the First Shrine, an eternal monument to the gods which
gave creation to the land of Sakusen. Historically, nine Holy Maidens
were appointed to watch over the land, the Shrine, and the people.
Each Maiden lived in a shrine of her own. There were two shrines in
each province, with the last shrine resting atop the First Shrine at
the center of the land. For many years, the other eight shrines had
remained empty, save for the power stones which would be passed on to
the next appointed Holy Maidens. The Maiden Pluto, who lived in the
shrine above the Sacred Gods, remained to stand watch over the lands.


	It would not be for the historians to say that all in Sakusen was
peaceful. Tsuyosa was ruled by a tyrannical despot, who sought to
invade his neighbors and take control of all of Sakusen. However, his
efforts were kept in check by the rightful Emperor of the land,
Hotohori. The young Emperor ruled from his palace, Konan, in the
heart of Yuuki province. 
	In the year of Sakusen's greatest prosperity, Hotohori was
assassinated. The court accused the Emperor's bodyguard and most
trusted general, the Imperial Knight Endymion, of the heinous crime.
Because of the lack of a dungeon at Konan, and the time required to
undertake the funeral arrangements for the Emperor, the guardians of
the court agreed that until such time as he was to be tried and
executed for his crimes, Endymion would be banished to Tsuyosa. This
decision unsettled the populace, not because the supposed criminal
would have a chance to escape, but because sending him to Tsuyosa was
as good as signing his death certificate. 
	Which was what Endymion believed the court wanted. The Knight had
been framed, but was unable to prove his innocence. He suspected that
the other generals of Yuuki had conspired to remove the Emperor, and
take over the throne of Sakusen for their own purposes. Disgraced,
and unable to do anything about it, Endymion left for the border of
Tsuyosa. 

	The death of Emperor Hotohori had left the land without a ruler.
Hotohori had not borne a male heir; rather, his only heir was his
adopted daughter, and women were forbidden from claiming the throne.
The rulers of the other provinces were each making their own bid to
claim the imperial throne.
	In Tsuyosa, the tyrannical King Vegeta began massing his troops at
the borders of Yuuki and Meiyo. Yuuki's forces were able to hold back
the invasion, and to keep anyone from entering or exiting the
province. Meiyo's border forces were strained, but held against the
strong army. However, it was feared that Tsuyosa would break through
and overrun the province at any moment.
	Meanwhile, Duke Mizuhara of Someisa consulted with his prime
minister, Schtalubaugh, on possible ways to claim the throne of
Sakusen without escalating an all-out civil war. One option
considered was to offer a pact to Prince Toma of Meiyo, to offer aid
in repelling Tsuyosa in exchange for fealty. For his part, Prince
Toma wished to settle the issue of succession by dueling honorably
with the other rulers. 
	As the three rulers campaign for the imperial throne of Sakusen,
Endymion aimlessly wanders the slums of Tsuyosa, his heart full of
despair. Soon, however, his thoughts are interrupted as he happens
upon a young woman being threatened by a group of Tsuyosa soldiers.
As he prepares to do battle, other would-be saviors arrive on the
scene, and Endymion soon finds himself engaged in a very unusual
street brawl...

	-Chapter One: Rescue of the Incredulous Maiden-

	"Stop...why are you doing this?" 
	"Do yourself a favor and shut yer trap, girly."
	"Yeah, or else we're gonna shut it for ya, heh heh."
	A young girl with blonde hair tied up in twin pigtails cowered
against a wall in an alleyway, trembling, tears streaming from her
eyes. Three burly men with spiky black hair and molded black body
armor stood around her, laughing cruelly. "Let's have a little fun,
boys," the apparent leader said to his cronies.
	"HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP!!!" the girl screamed.

	Endymion froze in his tracks, hearing the cry. "Shit!" he swore,
running in the direction of the scream. *That sounds like a very
young girl...what's she doing running around in the slums? I'm not
even safe here, and I used to be a combat general!* 
	Coming around the corner, he spotted an ugly scene in an alleyway.
The screaming girl, a blonde with an odd hairstyle, was surrounded by
three...
	*Saiyans. Why did it have to be Saiyans? I _hate_ Saiyans,* Endymion
thought with disgust. Drawing his sword, Endymion called out, "Hey!
You thugs should try picking on somebody your own size!"
	The three Saiyans turned, and grinned nastily. "Well, well, boys,"
the leader drawled, "Lookit what we have here. A big hero-man, come
to save the damsel in distress." The Saiyan sneered. "You better get
outta here, knight, or we're gonna chop you up and feed you to King
Vegeta's hellhounds." The other two soldiers laughed nastily.
	"Big talk, Saiyan," Endymion said. "I've eaten your kind for
breakfast after a night of battle many times."
	"Ooooh, I'm *scaaaaared*," the leader jeered. "C'mon then, tough
guy!"
	Endymion clenched his sword, and shifted into a combat stance. The
three Saiyans moved into fighting stances of their own, and the
leader began gathering his power.
	"Hold it, hold it!" a voice called. "Three against one? That's
hardly fair!"
	"Yeah, let's even the odds!" a much younger voice said.
	Endymion looked up, and blinked. "What the--?"
	A young man wearing a red leather vest jumped from a rooftop,
landing to Endymion's right. With an audible *snik*, two sets of
brass claws appeared from his sleeves.
	With a loud "kyaaa!", a boy, probably about age eight or nine,
jumped down and landed to Endymion's left. Clad in a dark blue karate
gi, the spiky-haired boy pulled a bo staff from a sling across his
back, and twirled it menacingly. 
	"Heh heh," one of the Saiyans rumbled, "A knight and two kids.
This'll be a snap."
	"Shut up, monkey breath!" the youth with the claws said. 
	"Yeah, what he said!" the kid called out.
	Endymion turned to the two. "You kids better get outta here before
you get hurt," he advised.
	The youth in red snorted. "Man, you don't know who you're talkin'
to. I'm one of the toughest fighters around here."
	"And I'm his student," the kid said. "We trash these Saiyan bullies
on a regular basis. This bunch don't look too tough."
	Endymion shrugged. "If you say so." Without further words, the
knight charged. The young man in red leaped towards the Saiyans, and
the boy rolled into their midst like a bowling ball.
	The Saiyans laughed, and the leader released an energy blast.
Endymion narrowed his eyes, and brought up his sword, deflecting the
blast to the side. The Saiyan's eyes widened. "How did you--?"
	"Mythril," Endymion said, smiling nastily. He brought his sword down
in a horizontal slash, rending a gash in the Saiyan's armor. 
	"You'll pay for that!" the Saiyan bellowed. He dashed to the left,
and punched Endymion hard in his shield arm. Endymion grunted, and
spun to face the soldier. 
	Meanwhile, the claw-wearing lad was dodging the fists of another
Saiyan, occasionally raking his claws against the warrior's armor.
The kid, for his part, had landed on top of the third Saiyan's head,
and was bouncing up and down, dodging the soldier's attempts to grab
at him while pounding on his head with both feet and his staff. 
	"You fight well, boy," the second Saiyan said to the boy with the
red leather armor. 
	"Heh. Funny, you don't," the youth said, before executing a rising
uppercut which buried his claws in the jaw of the Saiyan. Descending,
he jerked his claws out, leaving the dazed warrior in the air.
Touching down with one toe, he thrust himself skyward again, aiming
another shot below the groinplate of the Saiyan's armor. With a
bloodcurdling scream of pain, the large soldier dropped to the
ground. The victorious youth gave a shout of triumph, and moved to
assist his student with the other Saiyan.
	Endymion's opponent laughed as he gathered an aura about his fist.
"Say goodbye to your head, knight," he told Endymion.
	The knight chuckled. "Say goodbye to your fist," he said. Out of
nowhere, he produced three long-stemmed red roses, and threw them at
the Saiyan point-blank. The warrior's eyes widened in shock, then in
pain, as the roses embedded themselves in his elbow, wrist, and the
major veins in between. Blood dripped from his wounded arm as he
attempted to dislodge the roses. Endymion raised his sword, and
brought it down on the Saiyan's head. One sickening crack later, the
soldier dropped to the ground, dead.
	"Hn. His head was harder than I expected," Endymion quipped, turning
to face the rest of the battle. The two young martial artists had
effectively pounded the final Saiyan into unconsciousness, and were
tending to the frightened girl. He sheathed his sword, and headed
over. Crouching next to the trio, he extended his hand, helping the
young girl up. "Are you alright, miss?" he asked.
	The blonde looked up at him with watery blue eyes. "Y-yes, I think
so," she said. "I was so s-scared..." she trembled, clutching his
arm.
	"Well, you'll be alright now," he said. "Where are you from? I could
take you home..."
	She shook her head. "I c-can't get home. I'm from Yuuki province..."
	"YUUKI!?" Endymion and the two martial artists chorused. 
	"What the heck're you doin' down here, all by yourself?" the youth
in red asked, as he sheathed his claws.
	"I-I wasn't alone..." she said. "I got separated from my friend..."
Looking up at the knight again, she blushed. "Thank you for h-helping
me. My name's Usagi."
	"You're welcome, Usagi. My name is Endymion."
	Usagi's eyes widened. "THE Endymion?" she asked, somewhat fearfully.
"As in General Endymion?"
	"Whoa, you're the General of Yuuki?" the younger boy asked.
	"What're *you* doin' here in Tsuyosa?" the elder of the two martial
artists asked. 
	Endymion bowed his head. "I'm exiled, pending trial."
	"Did--did you really...you know...?" Usagi asked.
	"Of course not!" Endymion said hotly. "I was loyal to Hotohori! I'd
never do such a thing! I was set up!"
	"Wait...what happened to the Emperor?" the elder youth asked.
	"Don't you know?" Usagi said. "Emperor Hotohori was assassinated
three days ago. "Endymion is believed to be the murderer."
	"Che," the boy in red snorted. "I can tell by lookin' at him that's
bullshit. If he was like that, what the heck would he be doin'
rescuing girls from Saiyans in the slums?"
	"Yeah," the younger boy said. "He'd probably be the guest of King
Vegeta or something if he was that way." Bowing to the knight, he
added, "By the way, I'm Gokou."
	"And I'm Ranma," the other boy said. 
	"It's nice to meet both of you," Endymion said, smiling. "You're
both very skilled fighters."
	"Thanks!" Gokou said. "Ranma's been training me all my life, ever
since..." he shuffled his feet. Endymion looked questioningly at
Ranma.
	"He don't like to talk about it," Ranma said, "but his father was
one of *them*," he spat, gesturing at the fallen Saiyans. "He got
thrown out as a baby, left to die in a gutter, 'cuz King Vegeta
thought he'd be too weak to be a soldier when he grew up."
	"Well, I'd say you've already proven that bastard wrong," Endymion
said, grinning. Turning to Usagi, he was about to speak again, when
there was a wet cough behind them. The group turned to see a woman
with dark blue hair dragging herself into the alley. Her garments
were covered with blood, and she looked pale.
	"LUNA!" Usagi shouted, running to the woman. Endymion, Ranma, and
Gokou followed, forming a semicircle around the two girls. Endymion
cast wary glances about, expecting trouble at any moment.
	"U...sagi..." the woman rasped, blood flowing from her mouth. "I'm
sorry...I got split away from you...when the Saiyans
started...chasing us." 
	"Oh Gods," Usagi said. "Luna, what happened to you?"
	"Saiyans...caught me," she said. "I got away when they were...taking
off their armor...to rape me."
	Usagi put her hands to her mouth, fighting the urge to vomit. Ranma
winced, Gokou turned pale, and Endymion scowled.
	"Usagi...please," Luna said. "I failed...I need you to continue my
journey...please promise me," she said.
	Usagi frowned. "I would, Luna, but I don't even know what your
journey is. You never...never told me exactly why we left Yuuki, why
we came here..."
	Luna reached shakily into a pouch hanging loosely from her side, and
pulled out an object wrapped in oilcloth. She placed it in Usagi's
hands. "Do you...do you know what you are, Usagi?" she asked.
	Usagi blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?" she said.
	Luna smiled thinly. "Open...that package," she instructed. Furrowing
her brow, Usagi did so...and gasped, as did the others. Inside the
oilcloth lay a smooth, glowing yellow stone, shaped like a crescent
moon. 
	"That..." Endymion said, staring at the unwrapped object. "That's
the Stone of Moon!"
	"Yes..." Luna said.
	"It went missing only a week ago," Endymion said. He looked at Luna,
frowning. "You took it?"
	"I...had to," Luna said, coughing. "I'm...a prophet," she continued.
"I saw...saw the eight girls who...who would become the Holy Maidens
this generation."
	"The Holy Maidens?" Gokou asked.
	"An old legend," Ranma said quietly.
	Endymion silenced them both. "You say you...you *know* who the Holy
Maidens are to be?"
	"That's right..." Luna said. Sitting up shakily, pausing to cough up
more blood, she took the smooth yellow stone from the oilcloth, and
pressed it to Usagi's forehead. 	The blonde blinked. "Wha--huh?" she
asked.
	Endymion's eyes widened. "Y--you mean...?"
	Luna nodded. "Yes. Please...I'm too weak to do this myself. Would
you...?"
	Numbly, Endymion nodded, taking the stone from Luna's trembling
hand. Holding it steady against Usagi's forehead, he intoned, "In the
name of Yuuki, God of Courage, and land upon which the Holy Shrine of
Moon stands, I ask of this sacred stone: if this girl is truly thine
Maiden, empower her now!"
	The stone's glow intensified, and Usagi gasped. Endymion drew his
hand away, and Usagi stood. Her body began to glow as her clothes
dissolved. Bright ribbons of energy spun around her. After a moment,
the light ceased, and Usagi stood before them, looking
somewhat...different. 
	Her clothing had been replaced by a tight, silken white leotard. A
much-too-short dark blue skirt flowed about her waist, and a red bow
adorned her chest beneath an open blue collar. Red boots adorned with
small crescent moons at the tops graced her feet, and elbow-length
white gloves trimmed in red covered her hands. Red jewels adorned the
round tops of her odd hairstyle, and a crescent moon sigil shone upon
her brow. As the onlookers stared, and Usagi looked down at herself,
a thin gold belt appeared around her waist above the top of her
skirt, from which hung a large golden crescent. 
	Endymion gaped for a moment, then dropped to one knee, bowing to
Usagi. Following his lead, Ranma also bowed to the young woman.
Confused, Gokou decided to do the same.
	"Ummm..." Usagi said, sweating nervously. "Please...stop that." 
	The three males rose. Luna smiled. "I was right...Usagi...you must
continue the journey. I...I know now you can do it..."
	"What journey? Right about what? Luna...!"
	"You...Usagi...are the Holy Maiden Moon," Luna explained. "I...saw
your image in a vision first...and then the other seven. My mission,
then, was clear..."
	"She took the Stone of Moon," Endymion chimed in, "and found Usagi,
then..." he frowned. "But why wait this long to give it to her? Why
did you only visit the Shrine of Moon in Yuuki?"
	"I was...discovered," Luna said. "By those who do not wish for the
Maidens to be awakened." She closed her eyes. "I had...to leave Yuuki
before I could give...Usagi the stone," she continued. "I warn you
all...there are many in Sakusen who do not wish to see the Maidens
brought back unto this world."
	"Probably the same ones who'd want to see Emperor Hotohori
assassinated," Ranma said.
	Luna nodded, coughing. "Yes...evil is growing in this world. In
the...wastelands, the monsters have...already begun to rise.
It...won't be long before the evil overtakes...the peaceful and
prosperous parts of the land."
	"And so, the time for the Maidens to reappear is now," Endymion
said, rubbing his chin.
	Luna nodded. "And...the Descendants."
	"The Descendants?" Usagi asked.
	"The...warriors of the ancient lore...whom only the Holy Maidens
know about. I...learned of the legend when I visited the...shrine of
Moon..." 
	"Luna! Who are the other Maidens? Tell us!" Endymion said.
	"The...they are..." Luna coughed, sending a spray of blood into the
air. Then, she went limp.
	"Luna?" Usagi asked. She knelt beside the woman, and began shaking
her. "Luna!" 
	Endymion knelt, and felt her neck. He shook his head sadly. Usagi
began sobbing.
	Ranma tapped Endymion on the shoulder. "You're gonna try to find the
other Maidens, and find out about this Descendant stuff, aintcha?" he
asked quietly.
	Endymion nodded. "If I'm right, Hotohori's murder and Luna's warning
of evil rising are related. I have to find out what's going on. I
need to know who framed me, and why. If the Maidens are a key to
finding out the truth, then I have to find them and awaken their
power."
	Ranma nodded. "Then we're coming with you."
	Endymion sighed. "Ranma...I thank you for your help in fighting
those Saiyans, but...I'm about to face...hell, I don't *know* what
I'm about to face. I couldn't ask you to take on a quest like this."
	Ranma shrugged. "It's better than hangin' around in the slums
fightin' the Saiyans. Besides," he added, grinning, "I could look at
this as a training journey for me an' Gokou."
	Gokou's eyes widened. "A training trip! Wow! We haven't done that in
a long time!"
	Usagi stood. "If you're going to search for the Holy Maidens, then
I'll go with you."
	Endymion shook his head. "You need to get back to your Shrine--"
	"No, Endymion," Usagi said. "I owe Luna this. I must find them.
Besides," she added, "how do you propose to get me back into Yuuki,
with the border under guard the way it is? We only got through last
time because we were thrown out."
	Endymion sighed. "Alright, but please promise to be careful. Things
are probably going to get very dangerous."
	Usagi gripped the crescent hanging at her waist. "The knowledge from
the Stone is beginning to awaken in me," she said. "I can feel its
power changing me. I think I'll be able to take care of myself," she
said.
	"Still," Ranma interjected, "I think I'd like to teach you how to
fight, so you can defend yourself better."
	Endymion nodded. "That would be helpful. In fact, I think I'd like
to observe. I've never seen fighting quite like what you kids do," he
said, chuckling. 	
	Ranma shrugged. "You pick up martial arts fast around here. You
hafta, if you don't wanna get creamed by the Saiyans."
	"Well, we'd best get out of here before any more show up," Endymion
said. "We should head for the Jupiter Shrine...isn't it just beyond
the slums?"
	Ranma nodded. "Yep. About a day's journey from here."
	Gokou walked over to the Saiyans, and began digging through their
pouches. "Hey, Ranma!" he called. "I think I dug up enough zenni to
get some supplies!" 
	"Good work, Gokou," Ranma said. Endymion chuckled.
	"Okay, we'll do a little shopping before we get underway," the
knight said. "Let's get going, shall we?"
	The four left the alleyway, just as the least injured of the two
unconscious Saiyans began to stir. 

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"You've got Beoulve blood in you alright...even 
if you are a bastard."
       --Cardinal Draclau, FFTactics
---
The Eternal Lost Lurker
My hair is purple. I wear mirror shades.
Am I cool or what?
EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/9502

I deny responsibility. 
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