Endless Sand! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: "Ranma ½", "Sailor Moon", "Star Trek", "Dune" and other sources belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Part 1
In a far off place known as "The Fifth World", an enigmatic being known as "Ranma Prime" scans a tiny, inhabitable world known as "Earth". Like all denizens of this place, Ranma was the size of a giant, and only transportation through a "Boom Tube" (a form of wormhole that adjust the size of the so-called "New Gods" to the height of normal humanoids in the regular universe). New Gods were the result of "Ragnarok", when the Old gods destroyed themselves in one final battle between good and evil. Legend has it that these same gods inspired the ancient myths on Earth, so much so that it is because of humanity's racial memory that kept the god's avatars around. That is why there is a blond Thor instead of a red-haired one, why Jehovah turned from the vengeful god of Moses to the both the loving Christian god AND the absolute god of Islam, why there is a Jupiter instead Zeus, why the Gao'uld and the Asgard are in existence, and so forth. Most importantly, why the Lunarian "Moon Princess" can end up as a Japanese middle school girl.
Ranma was a unique individual in this regard.
In many ways, Ranma is a "New God" himself. Even before realizing the potential of his sex-changing "Jusenkyo curse", and learning of his various "heritages" (i.e. his "bloodlines"), Ranma pride himself in perfecting his martial arts prowess as a practitioner of the Musabetsu Kagato-ryu (called "Anything Goes Martial Arts" in English). The methodology of this eclectic style took on the idea that anything and everything "goes", enabling Ranma to learn various martial arts "sub-styles" in order to choose a preferred set of "techniques". This process of creating a fighting style of his own has enabled him to defeat strong opponents, including gods, alien intelligences and other so-called "super-beings". And as time went on, Ranma grew more potent as a fighter, taking advantage of his bloodline potential, newfound abilities and other augmentations. And when brute force was useless, Ranma would apply these skills in the mental arts as well, outthinking opponents who could warp reality with his or her mind. Coupled all this with the fact that he acquired nearly 22,000 years worth of life experiences, and his connection to "The Wyld", Ranma is an unpredictable foe to be reckoned with.
And all he cares about is a nice bowl of beef ramen…if Ranma even bothered to eat, especially since he no longer consumes "food" (thanks to making his body nearly 100 percent efficient in "chi manipulation").
As Ranma observes the activities on Earth, he feels delicate fingers on his shoulders. Ranma was dressed in a white T-shirt, black sweatpants, while he used a simple rote that created a floating view-screen in front of him. The martial artist, contrary to the fact that he was a magic wielder and a hyper-scientist, did not consider himself to be anything other than a "jock". Not that Ranma was "dumb", but his mind was set towards using knowledge to extend his ability to fight. For example, he could create a ritual spell that would enable him to create a pocket universe, but lacked the insight to determine the laws of physics of that realm. An egghead, he was NOT.
"Ranma, what are you doing?" says a voice.
Ranma turns his head to face his long time love Princess Queen Usagi-Thordis, the Lord of Asgard…the home of the Norse gods. In the old days, the blond, "Meatball-headed" woman would have been a small, lithe girl (once known as "Usagi Tsukino") whose greatest achievement was to avoid tripping on her own shoelaces. Years later, Serena was almost a foot taller than her erstwhile husband, muscular (lean, but curvy where it counted), and possessed an heir of authority and power. In some ways, she has hated her "evolution", and even though she has developed an iron-will and a strong sense of self-confidence, Serena felt like a freak at times. She loved her husband of many, MANY years, so she felt that her appearance did not match her view of what it means to be a "loving wife". But being Asgardian (i.e. "going native") forced Serena to deal with her role, which will soon include the role of "Neo-Queen of Crystal Tokyo" (a role she had abandoned when Serena took up residence of Asgard full-time…after Ranma faked his own death), the best way she could.
"Just watching our younger selves leaving the 31st century," Ranma said, as he leaned back, while feeling Serena's embrace.
"Oh," Serena says, as she suddenly let's go of Ranma.
Ranma turned around to see his wife upset.
"Usagi, what's wrong?"
Tears began to fall from Serena's eyes.
"The moment we return, we will never have this…moment. Amanda and her sisters will want a piece of you, as will Pert, Kodachi, Ukyo, Sasami…AND Tsunami, and all the Sailor Scouts…save those who are family. I don't want to share you…and yes, I've allowed it to happened in the past, but…still…"
"Oh, Usagi," Ranma said, as he went over and lifted his wife's chin. "Please don't cry. When Nabiki was last here, I gave my word that I will accept ALL of my obligations. And when Wesley Crusher "ascended", never to return, he made me swear to take care of his wife and lineage. Heck, I'm willing to be with Hoshi…and I KNOW she was once your old boyfriend Mamoru Chiba's recent incarnation."
"Blame that on my father Q," Serena replied. "He just wanted me to be happy, and Mamoru being male would be a problem in our marriage."
"Good ol' Q," Ranma said with a smirk. "What a jerk."
"Ranma!"
"Hey, if he's my father-in-law, then I have the right to badmouth him. Still, Q was there for us whenever any of our kids evolve into…Q, and I am especially glad that some of our problem children were never allowed to gain 'omnipotent' abilities. THAT would be very bad."
"And because Robert and Keikiko's Q lineage comes from Amanda, Amanda herself is in charge of 'over-sight' on their behalf," Serena says.
"Right."
"I do wonder why I never became a Q," Serena mused.
"Because you are the avatar of 'The Weaver'…the living embodiment of Order itself. THAT alone makes you more powerful than the Q. So if you REALLY wanted to, you can change the laws of the physical universe that could render the Q 'impotent'. But you already know this."
"Oh. Well…I guess I was always afraid of losing control…or becoming corrupt like when I was once 'Darth Lune'. I mean…I can push entire systems out off place, for goodness' sake!"
"And it is that awareness within your consciousness that keeps you check."
"I guess so…"
And then suddenly…
FLASH!
The sorcerer and "trickster god" of the Norse pantheon appears.
"Good morning, dear sister," Lady Nabiki-Lokidis smirked, as she bowed his head slightly.
Serena, whose silken robes were open, exposing her nearly see-through nightgown, got angry at the intrusion. As she quickly wrapped her gown around her, Ranma merely chuckled.
"Ranma!" Serena yelled, as storm clouds brewed. As the Lord of Asgard, by way of the power of Thor, her moods could affect the very weather itself.
"Sorry, dear," Ranma said, as he tried not to laugh.
Eyes blazing, Serena turned her attention to her "sister".
"Why hast thou intruded upon my person unannounced?" Serena demanded, while cursing the fact that she slipped into what she called "Thorspeak". She preferred to speak standard Japanese.
"Forgive me, my Queen," Lokidis says. "Lady Sif and Amora the Enchantress are insisting your decision on which of thy sons—Wotan and Magni respectively—should become heir to the throne."
Serena sighed. She was hoping that Lokidis' newest role as her "Security and Intelligence Chief" for her "home" pantheon would do much to focus the Trickster's talents, rather than leave him to his own devices.
"You could have sent a messenger, 'sister'! I did have plans to deal with that situation."
"I could have sent a messenger…but where's the fun in that," Lokidis says jokingly. "Besides...I have business to attend to with thy husband."
"Oh, that's right," Ranma says. "I'm suppose to sign some contracts and stuff."
"Correct," Lokidis says, just before she snaps her fingers.
FLASH!
"Much more appropriate attire, I think," Madame Nabiki Tendo says. Instead of dressing like an ancient Norse mystic, she appeared as a businesswoman with trimmed hair while carrying a briefcase.
"Now, if you don't mind, I get started in your office, Ranma-baby," Nabiki smirked, as she enters the house where Ranma has been staying for many centuries now.
"Sometimes, I don't know about her," Ranma said, as he turns to look look at his wife. However, he noticed a depressed Serena, as she begins to smoke her long pipe. He knew that she smokes whenever she needed comfort.
"Babe, don't pay Nabiki no mind. She's just...like that."
"I know, I know. It just that with this…body and my one eye, I don't know if I can claim to be the same person that fell for a headstrong martial artist. At least I don't have to ALWAYS be in either my 'Gammazon' or 'Saiyajin' forms."
"And who that might this martial artist you like so much be…?"
"Ranma, please. No jokes."
"Okay, here's the scoop. First, you replaced your eye with one of mine, when one of my bodies were destroyed in that fight I had with Loki; that's why you wear that eye-patch of yours, since your Sharingan is 'on'. Secondly, you've evolved or changed for centuries, so this 'role' of being ruler of Asgard is not new."
Ranma, standing in front of the All-Mother, then removed Serena's pipe from her hand, set the object down on the wood balcony, and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist.
"Usako, I've been with you since, well, forever. To be honest, if I could be with just YOU, I would in a heart beat. Bottom line, when we got married at the little chapel on Chikyuu, I made a commitment to be there for you…both in sickness AND in health. Sure, you're a big woman now, but that won't change how much I love you."
Serena blushes, as she fully embraced her husband.
"Oh, Ranma, how I love hearing thy comforting words!"
"Mmmmmph!" Ranma said, as his head was engulfed by his wife's ample "chest".
"Oh, sorry, Ranma," Serena said, as Ranma came up for hair.
"Hey, don't stop; I was getting back in the mood."
With their bodies pressed together, Serena could certainly tell the truthfulness of her husband's words.
"Oh, Ranma," Serena said after she giggled.
A few hours later…long after the Norse queen has returned to the hallowed halls of Asgard...
"So, Saotome," Nabiki said, as she handed over documents for Ranma to sign. Since Ranma will be taking over his younger self's role, there was a lot of legal paper work to sign. "Have you decided on which place you want to live?"
"Well, I don't want to intrude on Robert's 'turf', so I might have to consider living at Crystal Tokyo."
"Crystal Tokyo" is a section of the greater City of Tokyo municipality, in what was once known as the Azabuu Juuban District (still does with some of the long-term residence). The city itself has since evolved in a mosaic of cultures and styles, with only the Nerima Ward being the closest in what resembles an early 21st century community. Some wards and districts were technological mini-metropolises, which reminded a few cinematic aficionados of the movies "Tron" and "Blade Runner", while other wards and districts hark back to the days of feudal Japan. This mixing and matching of architectural styles made Tokyo a dream vacation spot for both Terrans and non-Terrans alike.
Nabiki arched an eyebrow.
"Looks like you've been domesticated, Saotome."
"Look, as my legal representative, I don't need a commentary from you, Nabiki."
"But as your WIFE, I need to know where I and the others stand, and I certainly like to know where you will 'bunk'."
"Fine, point taking. But…you're not jealous, are you?"
"Me, jealous? Please."
"Oh, yes you are."
"No, I'm not. And the only reason why I tolerate your arrangements is because I happen to know your other wives well enough for me to trust YOUR judgment."
Nabiki pauses.
"And I admit that the sex is not TOO bad."
"I'm sure. Anyway, have you secured a publisher, yet?"
"One of my publishing houses will handle it."
"Figures."
"Hey, who's the avatar of the goddess Minerva?"
"Point taking."
"Anyway, I was able to generate a lot of buzz for your next autobiography. I do admit that I was wrong about your project not having any public interest, since there is a lot of scholarly research out there on you already."
"That's because I'm going to write it with a more personal touch. And these stories will deal with those experiences that have not already been told."
"Sounds like a winner."
"Here," Ranma said, as he handed back the e-documents. "All done."
"Good," Nabiki said, as she scanned the signatures before putting the e-documents away into her briefcase. "And now, my form of payment."
In two swift moves, Nabiki pulled off her business suit, exposing her naked, glorious form, and swept away Ranma's desk of his stuff-
CRASH!
-Breaking a porcelain pony.
"Hey, that was a gift!" Ranma complained.
"I'll have it fixed later," Nabiki said, as she got on the desk. "You promise to impregnate me, if I help you on your legal and publishing matters."
"Uh, not that I don't mind, I would have agreed to…THIS for free, but why a child?"
A slight softness appeared in Nabiki's eyes.
"Because…I'm lonely."
"You could get a pet, you know."
"Saotome…Ranma…I want to be a mother again. I see you with Amanda or Kasumi, at least your younger self was, and they have their own families. I haven't been a NEW mother since Nina was born. Please, I'm your wife, for better or for worse, I want THIS."
"Hmmmm…"
"And as the 'Exemplar of Time', I can make the experience last a LONG time."
"Killer, I'm sold," Ranma replied, as he, with one swift move, took off his clothes, and "dived" into "feminine paradise."
A day later…
Fully rested from his experience with Nabiki, in which Nabiki extended the day of pleasure to a year, using temporal manipulation, Ranma sat down in front on an old fashion, mechanical typewriter. The martial artist liked the feel of the pressed keys, the sounds of the clacking type. In some ways, Ranma preferred the rustic feel old non-electronic technology, marveling the craftsmanship and simplicity of this ancient machine. Of course, Nabiki will scan the finished product for distribution, but, in this case, Ranma wanted this personal touch.
With the blank paper rolled into the typewriter, which was made in the 1930s, Ranma began to write his autobiography, starting with his experiences on the distant world known as "Dune".
"And to think that Usagi and I wouldn't have become the people we are today, had we not have gone to Arrakis in the first place..."
Tbc.