Echelon
Chapter 1
Savior
By: Kagewaki Hitomi
Ranma walked back to the Tendo Dojo. He had hid the book the same way he hid the sword. He opened the gate and walked through and closed the gate behind him. He walked to the house and walked in and took off his shoes.
"I'm home!" he called out.
"Ranma! Where have you been!" screamed Genma coming to the doorway.
"None of your business old man." replied Ranma and brushed by his father going upstairs.
Ranma walked upstairs and headed for the room he shared with his father. He opened the door and walked in and closed the door behind him. He headed for the window, He sat down next to it and looked out of it. He watched the sun go down in the distance.
"What am I still doing here?" he asked himself. "I'm finally going to graduate High School in about a week. I'm starting college in a month. Well at least I'll be a way from all this till the holiday's that's good. It's also good that these idiot's won't be able to fallow me."
Ranma closed his eyes and let his mind wander. He started to think about everything that has been happening since he got here. He realized he started to hate his own father and all of the fiancée's more and more. He soon fell asleep.Ranma opened his eyes and found himself in a white area. He looked around a little, but saw nothing just white as far as the eye could see. A woman walked behind him she had brown hair that was braided. She wore a pinkish color dress and a red jacket over it.
"Hello, Ranma." she said.
Ranma whirled around and looked at the young woman who owned the voice. He saw her and looked into her bluish-green eyes.
"Um…hello. But who are you and how do you know my name?"
"I sorry I should have introduced myself. I'm Aerith Gainsborough."
"Um…nice to meet you Aerith. But why am I here?"
"You are the chosen only one who can stop a man named Sephiroth. Who will turn rhe earth into a sterile wasteland. You are our last hope."
"Okay, but why me? Out of everybody in the world why me?"
"Because when you stopped Saffron your power came to my attention. Please you're the only one who can stop him. Sephiroth use to be an elite soldier in the private military group called Marduk. That is owned by the Kimura Weapons Development Company."
"So, where do I find him?"
"I don't know, but he will find you. He will try to kill any of those that will pose a treat to his power. So, no one will stand in his way."
"After this week I'll take off and get ready for him."
"Ranma, I don't want any other person to suffer the same I had by his hands."
"I'll do everything in my power I can."
"Thank you, Ranma."
"Your welcome, Aerith."
"I trust in you Ranma. I hope you can stop him."Sephiroth came from the shadows of the room and could see Jadeite on his knees. He proceeded to walk from the shadows. The cold winter air of the South Pole didn't bother him. His boot hit the ground and the sound alerted Jadeite and he turned to face him.
Jadeite saw a tall man who wore a black leather coat and carried a great nodachi. He had a handsome face, silver hair and the strangest emerald eyes.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am... Sephiroth. Jadeite of the Dark Kingdom."
"You seem to know my name, but while You have me at a disadvantage. I don't know nothing about you besides your name."
He saw a look in Sephiroth's eyes. The look told all that he need to know. The entity scared him in a way Beryl never did.
"I have a proposition for you, Jadeite."
"What's that?" he asked.
"Your help and in exchange, I will give you the opportunity to get revenge on those who destroyed your kingdom." Sephiroth smirked "Oh, and when I ascent into godhood, those who served us will be rewarded. Handsomely."
'He must be crazy.' thought Jadeite, but he decided to humor the nut and tried to fish for more information. He asked, "Before answering, I want to know one thing who did it ?"
"The Sailor Senshi. Were the one's that destroyed your kingdom. You've met before"
Jadeite looked at Sephiroth in disbelief. It was soon replaced with anger. He screamed, "Surely you lie! That's impossible! There is no way those brats could have defeated Queen Metallia!"
Sephiroth looked at Jadeite and then sighed before replying, "Absolutely, nothing is impossible when one wields the white materia, Holy."
"The what?" he asked then thought, 'What was he talking about?'
"Well I guess you know it by another name the Ginzuishou. Sailor Moon has claimed it. And she used its power to strike down your queen."
Jadeite paled. He remembered the final battle of the Silver Millennium and how victory had been taken from them. If the Senshi has position of it, it would be like a suicide mission.
"Vengeance looked good right now. But how can I help you if they have such power?" asked Jadeite.
Sephiroth smiled and replied, his tone became patronizing, "Perfection doesn't exist. Holy has its flaws, flaws I am intent on exploiting. No one will stop me from using this pathetic planet. And it will die to fuel my apotheosis."
Jadeite still had his doubts about Sephiroth. But he still desired to join him. Also this was his chance to get his vengeance's on the Sailor Senshi.It has been almost a week when Aerith visited him in his dreams and told him about Sephiroth. Ranma woke up that morning and it was the day of his graduation. Those graduation didn't have to attend school the last week. They just had to go to the graduation ceremony later today.
He got dressed and headed down the stairs. He went into the dining area to eat breakfast. During breakfast Akane was stirring at him all through the meal. After he ate breakfast he went out to the dojo to train.
He trained for a couple of hours before it was time to get ready. Ranma went into the house to take a bath and get dressed. He then headed to the guest room to change. He put on a pair of black slacks then, black pants with a brown belt, black socks, white dress shirt that he tucked into his pants. He grabbed the tie and placed it under the collar and tied it. He pushed the collar down and button the last button and then pushed it to his neck.
He put on a black vest and button up the five buttons. He then put on the jacket and also button it's two buttons.
He heard Akane call out, "Are you dress yet, idiot!"
"Yes," he screamed back and grabbed his shoes.
He then headed down stairs and saw his father still dressed in his crappy gi. At least Mr. Tendo was dressed for the occasion. His mother was in a fancy kimono for the occasion. Kasumi was dressed in her house dress and Nabiki was dressed lady's business suit. Akane had on a dark blue dress with a little make-up.
Ranma sat down on the stairs and slipped on the shoes. He then tied both of them and then stood up.
"Are you ready to go?" asked his mother.
"Yes."
"Can we go I want to see my son graduate."
They had all left for the school together. The graduation ceremony was in a hour.A young man named Bartholomew Solomon sat in coach section of the airplane. He was just leaving Los Angeles for Tokyo, Japan. He was going to college there though he was born in America, but went to school in Japan till the 10th grade before moving back to America. So, he had decided to go to college overseas.
Bartholomew had on dark blue pants with a black belt and wore brown shoes. A white dress shirt with the long sleeves rolled up. He had a black jacket in his lap. He had black hair and green eyes.
"It's nice to go back to my second home." he muttered.
Soon the plane was going to take off from the airport and in twenty or so hours he be in Japan. And soon he would be in a place he felt more at home then in Los Angeles.
He was very adapt in archery and skilled in fencing with a rapier that was on par with his archery skills. He had his sword with him on the plane in the baggage compartment with his bow and arrows.Zack pressed a few buttons and the capsule opened up. A young woman with long blonde hair fell out. She only had on a kimono with an obi tied around he waist. Zack caught her before she hit the ground. He held her in his arms as he looked for any signs of life in her.
"Quistis, are you okay?" he asked.
He didn't receive an answer from her. But he could tell that she was alive by the slow breaths she took. He sighed a little happy that she was alive.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked another question hoping to get an answer.
Still no answer came from her. So, he picked her up in his arms and ran. He had his sword strapped to his back with a small backpack on one shoulder. He ran up some stairs. He then ran out the lab up some more stairs and them out the house.
The mansion was on the outskirts of Sapporo in Hokkaido. Zack had ran like both of there lives had depended on it. Which it did at the moment soon he would be surrounded by Kimura's armed troops.
Zack looked down at Quistis. She had long blonde hair to her middle back and undone with her bangs pushed to the side and went to her shoulders. He remembered that she had deep blue eyes when he last saw her five years ago.
He continued to run and he was heading for the train station that was about up a mile. He thought it would be good to head back to Tokyo.Ranma stood with the other student body that was also graduating from High School. They watched as there principal that was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts give a short speech.
"You're all wondah to your self what can de big kahuna say to you as you all leave dis school. What can I expect from de outside world? Will I find my niche? What should de big kahuna know about de vast territory dat lies beyond de confines o' subculture o' textbooks, Ramen noodles, an' coin-operated laundry. De big kahuna can say one thing de kahuna is proud, yeah. So, cognates an' surf up."
All the students cheered. After the graduation ceremony ended. They all joined there families. Before they left the school grounds for good.
Ranma, Akane, and the rest of there family left and headed for the restaurant in a neighboring district. They had made it to the restaurant with no incident. They got a table and sat down.
Ranma looked around the table and then looked at his glass before looking straight ahead. He had thought this through to the very end and nothing would discourage him from this course of action. He was a man and this was his decision.
He cleared his throat to get there attention and when he did. He stated, "Um…tonight I'm heading out on a training trip for about two weeks college starts."
"Ranma, you must stay here and marry Akane!" harped Genma.
"Yes, son. The Schools must be joined!" replied Soun adding his own two sense.
"Besides son you don't need college to teach the art! Look at me!" stated Genma.
"Any respectable dojo teacher needs a degree in Physical Education. And besides I'm not an idiot like you old man." he commented.
"So, what college are you suppose to get into?" asked Nabiki sarcastically.
"Tokyo University."
Nabiki laughed before she said, "Yeah, right I didn't even get into that university."
Ranma sighed and pulled out a letter from his suit pocket then unfolded it and throw it on the table. Nabiki reached for the letter and picked it up. She then proceeded to read it over. Then she looked back at him.
"Your serious?" she asked
"Yes, I'm."
"But how? Your grades are some of the worse. I've ever seen." replied Nabiki.
"If you look at my true transcript. In every subject it's almost all A's out of all the time I attended Furinkan High."
"How could we miss it?" asked Nabiki.
"Yeah, you sleep in class all the time." commented Akane.
"Well I can easily keep my grades up all the time. I had asked the Vice Principal and teaching staff to keep it quite. So, no one could fallow me to the college." he sighed and said, "Besides I want some peace and quite for a while."
"Ranma it's very rude to tell us, now before you leave." replied Nodoka.
"Sorry, mom. I had to keep till the last minute.A young woman by the name of Keiko Asano was behind the bar counter. She had on a white t-shirt and a black vest on over it. She wore earrings in each ear. She had on black shorts that went a little past the knees and a short dress that in the front only went to the mid-thigh, but in the back went to her ankles. That was easy to move in.. On her feet she had on white socks and black Converse tennis shoes.
Keiko had long midnight black hair that flowed to her waist with a pair of red eyes that accompanied her beautiful face. At the moment she was cleaning a glass and then the phone started to ring. She had placed the glass done and throw the towel on to the counter.
She walked to the end of the counter and opened it up, before heading upstairs. She then headed to her office next to her room on the second floor. She picked up the receiver.
Hello?
Sister, it's me Akira.
Oh, brother where are you?
I'm in Sendai at the moment.
Do you have information of the Kimura secret in Hokkaido? That they tried so hard to cover up.
Yes, it was easy to find that information. That's if you grease up the right hands.
Did the information have anything on fathers werabouts?
No, they did not have that information. I still remember the last time I talk to him. It was a week before he went missing five years ago. Why do you ask all of a sudden?
I got this letter. It was either from a man or woman, but it was address to the pet name father gave me.
You mean kinhime?
Yes, do you think he's still alive?
I do sister. The Kimura Weapon's Development Company will pay. We will get our answers, sister.
I hope so brother.
Is your bar Keiko's Nana-Ten, is it still in business?
Yes, it is. Also, brother we need to recruit more people to our group.
I know that. But how. Do you have an idea?
Yes, you know I'm about to enter college. So that's a way.
But we need someone or somebody who knows how to fight.
Sure. Word through the grape vine is that Ranma Saotome will be attending the same college as me.
It would be good to have him on board with us.
Yes, it would. He suppose to be very strong.
I know Keiko. How about you use your sex appeal on him to get us to join.
I'll do what I can.
Make sure it is good. he replied the line went dead.
She hung up the phone and left the room. She headed back down the stairs. She went back to what she was doing before the call. She had to open up in an hour anyway.Ranma stood in the guest room of the Tendo Dojo. He had packed all of his meager belongings into his backpack and looked at the room one last time. The room that been his fathers and his for the three years he's been here. He sighed and picked up his backpack and closed the door behind him.
He had dressed back in Chinese cloths. He had his backpack on as he reached the bottom of the stairs and put on his shoes. The others came to say good bye and the other two to harp.
"Here you go Ranma I packed you some to eat on you trip. It's leftovers from yesterday's dinner." replied Kasumi.
"Thanks."
"I still can't believe you got into Tokyo U. and I couldn't."
"Well good bye to you, too Nabiki."
"Son when you get back into Tokyo please come visit your mother."
"I'll try to do that."
"Probably going to do something perverted."
"Whatever you say Akane."
"Ranma you should stay here and marry Akane! Right now for honor!"
"Shut up father. What do you know of honor, besides I'm old enough to make my own chooses."
"But, son. You should listen to your father and marry Akane. And combine the schools."
"I'm going. I'll be back in when ever." replied Ranma and left.
Ranma jumped over the gate and stalked down the street so he couldn't be seen. He didn't want Ukyo or Shampoo to see him or bother him during his training. This was something he didn't want anybody to know he was in magic, Not even his family.
He snuck out of Nerima without incident. He was going into the mountains for the next two weeks. He would be traveling all night to reach the spot he wanted to train in.
To Be Continued….In Chapter 2: A Beautiful Lie.Author's Note: Well this chapter came out faster then my other stories, but I will continue to write the others. This chapter title comes from a song title by 30 Seconds to Mars. Well read and review. Kagewaki Hitomi signing out.
