Valandar TheRed <valandar_the_red@yahoo.com> wrote:
This story has gotten so deep in my mind, I cannot let it go. So,
here's another chapter in less than twenty-four hours. Remember, C&C is
greatly appreciated.
Chapter 2 shows up before my response to chapter 1.... I hope the author, at
least, received that response.
By the way, I don't know where this fits in the series, except that
it's somewhere before Ranma and his Mom are reunited.
Disclaimer: The trolls in Great Britain at Games Workshop
own Warhammer 40,000; I don't. I don't own the Ranma
characters, either.
The Emperor's Hand
Chapter Two: Reaction
<snip section about future Emperor's power>
Interesting. Is this Warhammer cannon? I'm not familiar with that game. It
is, however, nice to have an explanation for why humans no longer possess
psionic power or much magic.
************************************************
Cologne pondered the problems with what had happened. The obvious
problem was the reaction of four fiancee-starved young girls, upset at
the loss of the boy they loved. Check that - Akane's reaction was quite
clear. Irrational guilt, self-loathing, and fear. Fear for Ranma. She
was pretty sure that Shampoo's mind had shifted over into 'warrior'
mode, concerned only with completing the objective. In this case, that
was finding a way to retrieve her Airen.
It was the Kuonji girl that worried her. She had seemed to return
to 'business as normal' over the past two days, but she always had her
own agenda. Add into that mix the Kuno girl, and there was liable to be
trouble. While it was unlikely that Ukyou would attack Akane, Kodachi
would jump at any opportunity to rid herself of the youngest Tendou.
Since she seemed to be the only one that clearly saw the phenomenon,
Cologne could not let that happen.
Yet.
I'm getting the implication that Cologne wouldn't mind if Kodachi "rid
herself" of Akane, once Akane is no longer useful. Is that what you intended
to imply? If so, I presume that she's thinking that such an action would
remove two of Shampoo's rivals.
Right now, the most likely aspect to look into was the similarity
between the phenomenon that Akane described, and the effects generated
by an old friend. The problem was simply finding him.
So Cologne (presumably) knows the future Emperor. This could lead to
interesting complications.
************************************************
Kasumi and Nabiki stood outside their little sister's room. In
Kasumi's hands was a plate of food, while Nabiki merely wrung her hands
behind her back. Reaching up, the middle Tendou girl gently rapped on
the door. There was no answer. "Come on, Akane, at least eat
_something_. It's been almost two days!"
Slowly, the door opened. Akane's hand reached out, and accepted
the plate, but did not open it far enough to admit them. Stepping
forward, Nabiki stopped the door with her foot. "Sorry little sister,
but you've got to let us in. We can't let you go through this alone."
She was a mess. She was still wearing the same school dress that
she had worn the day of the incident, rumpled and stained from a
combination of crying jags, and rage at herself. Her eyes were dry,
however; she had run out of tears. One hand clenched into a fist, then
relaxed in impotence. Still holding the plate with her other hand,
Akane slowly sat down on her bed. "Uh huh."
Kasumi glanced at Nabiki, and then the two young women sat on
either side of their little sister. Kasumi spoke first. "Ukyou stopped
by earlier today. She seemed worried about you." Akane nodded. "She
told us about what you saw when Ranma vanished." Akane simply sighed.
"Why didn't you tell us what you saw?"
Akane spoke, her voice dry and cracked from dehydration. "I... I
wasn't thinking. Ranma's gone. And it's my fault."
"Now don't say that, Akane-chan." Kasumi glanced at Nabiki, then
continued. "You see, we saw it, too. But we just didn't know what it
was."
Akane's eyes widened. "B-but Cologne said...>koff<" Her dry throat
could take no more, and she broke down into a coughing fit. Nabiki
reached... well... _somewhere_, and produced a glass of water.
Interesting.... Since you deliberately reference this ability (and that
_Nabiki_, of all people, possesses it), you may need to reconcile it's
existence with the fact that all psionic abilities were sealed within the
Emperor. I certainly hope that this isn't merely a throw-away reference.
Akane
accepted it, and sipped slowly. "S-she said no one else could see it."
Nabiki spoke. "Akane, we were outside. I was home early, taking
care of the Dojo's debts, and everyone else was enjoying the sunshine.
I thought it had been established in chapter one that Nabiki was out acquiring
money from Kuno?
Then we saw something off in the distance, some sort of shimmering
light. Then, it was gone."
Numbly, Akane added, "Gone. Just like Ranma."
Weird spacing here.
"Now, stop that right now, Imouto-chan. He'll be back. He always comes
back." Nabiki looked at Kasumi, and mouthed the words, 'Help me out,
here!'
Kasumi put one arm around Akane, and tilted her little sister's
head to rest on her shoulder. "Anyway, we all saw it. That is, everyone
except Happosai. Even Auntie Nodoka saw it."
"W-was Mr. Saotome in panda form?" asked Akane.
Nabiki grinned. "Yup. You should have seen it. He looked like he
was stuck between changing to human and staying cool, or suffer the
heat, and avoid Auntie Nodoka's katana." She shrugged. "One of these
days, they're going to get things sorted out, but, for now, it's
getting really annoying."
"It was rather curious," mused Kasumi. "Auntie Nodoka and Mr.
Saotome seemed to be able to see the light better than anyone else,
even though Mr. Saotome's eyesight is not the best in his panda form.
Nabiki and I could see it okay, and Father could make it out. But
Happosai could not see it at all, and the neighbors didn't see a
thing."
Akane sat in thought, then her eyes flew wide open. Fighting the
urge to down her water, she slowly emptied the glass, then began
eating. However, Nabiki recognized the signs of her mind working.
"Careful, Imouto-chan, there's smoke coming out of your ears," she
teased.
"I think I may know why some people could see the light, and
others couldn't," she muttered, reaching for her dinner.
"Oh? And why is that?" asked Nabiki.
Akane started to answer, then blushed almost solid crimson, and
simply sat, and ate. If she admitted what she had realized, she would
have to admit something to her sisters, and herself, she didn't think
was true.
You may want to phrase that "hadn't thought was true." She seems to realize
it now, at least.
It seems obvious that only those with some connection to Ranma could see his
departure. The exact nature of that connection, however, is still unclear.
Is it those who care for him, or those that he cares for? What, if anything,
did Kodachi see? What about Ryoga or Mousse? Hiroshi and Daisuke? I doubt
Kuno would have seen much of anything either way.
************************************************
The cooling mists of the waterfall glistened like a cloud of
infinitesimal diamonds before the young man. Closing his eyes, he
breathed deeply of the clear air. It was time. Time to once more walk
among men.
He rose to his feet, and opened his eyes. His mind reached out
across the world, finding the one he should seek nearly half the world
away. Just the lightest of feather-like touches, and he knew. He
gestured, even though there was no need, and exerted the incredible
force of his will upon the very fabric of Reality. It resisted, and he
bent every fiber of his being to the task. Eventually, the strands of
time and space parted, a thousand myriad colors outlining a shimmering,
dark pool in the sky. Steeling himself, he stepped through.
Thus, did the man who had walked the Earth for ten thousand years
begin the quest to fulfill his destiny. A quest that, thirty thousand
years later, would lead him to choose a champion from the depths of
history.
Now that is an interesting coincidence. The being who later became the
Emperor began his influence of human destiny within a few days of the time
Ranma disappeared. Did he sense the actions of his future self? If so, what
are his thoughts of the situation?
- Valandar the Red of the Empty Tankard
http://members.tripod.com/~Valandar/fanfic.html
You seem to like throwing out new chapters that raise lots of questions. I
hope you'll begin answering a few of them sometime. Anyway, I've enjoyed
reading this and look forward to more.
Defender of the Light
Elite Mage
Junior Member of the Inner Circle of the Mage's Council
"Contrary to popular opinion, magic and science _do_ mix."
"Of _course_ I cheated. Scientists think magic is cheating, and mages think
most forms of technology are cheating. I use both."
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