Disclaimer: "Ranma 1/2 ", "Sailor Moon" and other sources (unless stated otherwise) belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre crossover/fusion story.
Part 37: "Cast of Characters- Kodachi, Act Two".
Location: Za'Ha'Dum (Sector Z).
Since the very beginning, astronomers from many worlds have wondered if the nebula that looks like hungry wolf (which includes the red star for the "eye" of the wolf) was a sign of the end times…or a gate way to Hell. In actually, it is both and neither; it was the left over from a titanic battle that has shaped the Milky Way Galaxy. And that area of space continues to do so to this day.
That region of space, known as "Sector Z", has a reputation of being a very dangerous place to visit, so much so that nearby governments have a death penalty in place for those who even attempt to enter this sector…save for those who have special permission to go there, like the Starfleeter Commander Saotome and his family for instance. Even after getting into the sector, which is said to contain both treasures and technology beyond imagination, there are quite a number of inhabitable worlds that are ruled by dark mages, mad scientists, evil "changing breeds", unseelie courts and other "dark" beings that are virtual obstacles on the proverbial "path" towards the capital of the "Shadow Remnant", Za'Ha'Dum, the former home world of the advanced alien species known as "The Shadows".
The planet itself, ruled by Empress Anna (formerly "Aiko Saotome", the daughter of Ranma and his wife Usagi Tsukino), in the name of her long-departed masters, "sits" on top of a nexus that leads to even more "dark" realms and dimensions, including the "Low Umbra", home of demons, the dead, creatures and beings (whose true names can drive men mad, like the Cthulu and the "Watchers of the Deep") and Oblivion itself. When one visits the place, they are taken aback how pleasant the world APPEARS to be, like something out of a "Pleasantville" movie. Only when one feels the crushing weight of dark foreboding can one begin to suspect this "false eden", as the victim slowly becomes corrupted. When this process is over, the victim becomes a willing minion of the Shadow Remnant…and the Wrym, the third in the so-called "Cosmic Triat". Usagi, being a trained mystic, had studied this phenomenon, and deduced that the entire planet was one big "Malefica Malfesans" book, which, like the legendary LeMarchand Puzzle boxes (which leads to the hellish realm of the "Cenobites"), was used to corrupt "will-workers" (like hyper-scientists and mages) vis-à-vis desire of dark knowledge. Everywhere are symbols and words taken from the book, which, upon being read, creates a corrupting meme effect. And when all these words have been "uploaded" (directly or indirectly) into the mind of the targeted victim, even when not "acquired" in any particular order, like a virus infecting a computer's operating system, the victim becomes corrupted, and serves the will of the Wyrm.
The Wrym was the balance between the chaotic Wyld and ordered Weaver. Wyrm's purpose was to balance the two forces, but has long since become corruption incarnate. In essence, it seeks to corrupt both Wyld and Weaver into distorted versions to achieve that balance. If not…then it was to destroy both Wyld and Weaver.
And the child of Ranma (the avatar of the Wyld) and Usagi (the avatar of the Weaver) would become the avatar of the Wyrm.
By no means this was an easy thing to do. Young Aiko had to be born with a corrupted soul (called a "Widderslainte") first, thanks to the machinations of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious (whose newest body was that of a "mirrored" version of the legendary Captain Jonathon Archer). Though rebellious, and given into dark impulses, the love of Aiko's parents did much to balance the young girl's soul. However, it took the Shadows, who sought to use chaos as a means of evolving "lesser" species, to release the darkness from within. Reborn as the Senshi of Darkness, "Sailor Z", Aiko, now Anna, went on a quest to fulfill her desires, by plunging the galaxy into a state of war; the energy that would be released from the trillions of deaths during the "Shadow War" would allow Anna to open the nexus on Za'Ha'Dum itself, and thus allow "Those-Whose-Names-Should-Not-Be-Known" to cross into the mortal planes, thus allowing Oblivion to destroy the universe. At least, that would have been the case, had her parents not have intervene…an intervention that ended with Anna's death.
However, this was not the end of Anna's journey.
Anna's death allowed her to experience an epiphany of sorts. Guided by Lorien the First (who was the first being to achieve sentience), Anna realized that she was not some pawn…she was the embodiment of a greater force that was sick…ill. It sought to destroy and corrupt for the sake of destroying and corrupting. It needed guidance…it needed direction. It needed…purpose. It was then that Anna learned that she was the avatar of the Wyrm, and that she could decide how to achieve universal balance deliberately and not indiscriminately. Renewed, Anna returned was resurrected, and began to organize what will become known as the Shadow Remnant. And while she still has dark impulses, Anna takes pride in the mission of neutralizing the excesses of the Wyld and the Weaver…even if an entire populated world must be destroyed in the process, and has done so quietly for nearly a century.
And she might have to do so again.
At first, Anna was merely amused by the actions of the Dominion, whose masters, the Changelings, sought to bring order by waging war against the civilizations of the Alpha Quadrant. She then became curious when she learned of the acts infiltrations that were designed to destabilize the Interstellar Alliance. Anna became concern when she learned that Sector Z was being targeted for Dominion scrutiny. Finally, she became outraged when one of her key ministers turned out to be a Changeling spy…and her would-be assassin (upon exposure). However, Anna did not kill the creature. Oh, no. She had much better plans for it…
In the palace of Empress Anna…
"Ack-ack-ack-" said the Changeling, as it was suspended between a solid and gel state. Anna was merely watching this from the comforts of her throne.
"I have to hand it to the Obsidian Order and Tal Shiar," Anna smirked, while referring to the intelligence agencies of the Cardassian and Romulan governments respectively. "That weapon that they created to deal with your kind certainly has merits."
Anna gets up, and walks towards the creature, which was being held in a force field…for the Changeling's safety.
"Why is it that the Dominion targeting Sector Z?" Anna asked sweetly.
The Changeling struggles to look in Anna's direction.
"You…are…the child…of the Chaos Factor…!"
"Figures," Anna says, as she rolls her eyes. The Borg had tried to invade her territory on numerous occasions, all in the name of trying to establish "order" in the galaxy. It wasn't because of HER that these cretins invaded her world to cause trouble…it was always because of her father.
Sigh.
"Well, when I get back from my trip, you, my friend, will tell me EVERYTHING that the Dominion is up to," Anna says, as her eyes glowed red, and her fangs began to show. "And then…I will consume you, body and soul…SO SAYS THE WILL OF THE WYRM!"
Location: Tendo Compound, Tokyo, Japan (Earth).
Nabiki Tendo could manipulate Time, Space and the Mind, as if they were just clumps of clay. She was worship like a goddess (even though she was technically an Exemplar). And she was respected as an equal amongst beings far beyond the comprehension of mortals. But even she can be humbled, where family is concerned. So when Nabiki and Kasumi were invited to THE wedding of the century, their father Soun insisted on going with them.
"But Daddy-!"
"No, buts!" Soun said firmly. "I do not want either YOU or your sisters to be living in sin! You will be married, and that's THAT!"
"Father," Kasumi said evenly, who was slightly worried that their argument would wake up the babies from their respective naps. "We WERE married; I into the Ono clan, and Nabiki into the Kuno clan."
"And what about your sister Akane?"
"Technically, "Akane" was married to Ranma in a previous life," Nabiki replied. "She's Amanda now. She deserves her own happiness, and her own destiny now."
"That can be rearranged," Soun says, as he reveals a flask of water. "Before coming home, I visited Jusenkyo, and acquired some water from the 'Spring of Drowned…Akane'. We can use this to rectify a mistake."
While Kasumi was an Exemplar of the Primordial Arts (Entropy, Prime and Spirit) and Nabiki was an Exemplar of the Dynamic Arts (Mind, Time and Space), both girls were savvy enough to recognize the magical nature of Jusenkyo to know that what their father had in his possession was genuine.
"With this, Amanda can be restored to her true form, and all will be well."
Nabiki looks at her sister, who nods in response.
"Dad, we won't try to stop you from your plan, but we must warn you that what you are proposing will be…dangerous," Nabiki said.
"Yes, Father," agreed Kasumi. "Even as we speak, there are forces at work that will prevent you from succeeding in your task."
Soun puffs up his chest.
"Nonsense! I am Akane's father! There is nothing that I won't do for my little girl!"
Location: "The Krenim Imperium" (Somewhere in the Delta Quadrant). FWOOSH! The KIS Tempus, a large vessel that was the size of a battle fortress, successfully eliminates the colony of a rival power…from the time-stream. "Excellent!" says a balding, stern-looking man named "Annorax". "The first use of our weapon in battle has proven to be a success.""I'm glad that my assistance has helped," said a voice from behind, as SHE hugged the man (while he was sitting in his command chair).
Feeling uncomfortable, Annorax shrugs of the gesture.
"Not now…Miss Tendo," Annorax says, as he turns around to face his lover. "I…I have protocols to adhere to while on duty."
The Gallifreyan "Time Lord" known as "The Mistress" merely looks at him.
"As you wish," The Mistress says. "I will be attending to business then."
"Akane, wait-!"
Ignoring this, The Mistress returns to her "Jade Pagoda", which was the size of a British Police Box, which was stashed in the cargo-hold of the Tempus. However, it was actually a trans-dimensional vehicle called a "TARDIS", which is capable of traveling across time, space and beyond.
As she entered the pagoda, she berated herself for acting like a silly schoolgirl. She was supposed to be beyond such flights of fancy, having acquired her present body nearly two centuries ago. Before then, she was known as "The Master", a Time Lord dedicated in one of two goals: universal domination.
The other goal was the elimination of his fellow Time Lord, the Doctor.
However, with the demise of the Time Lords, which took place during the last "Time War", the being now known as "The Mistress" has to re-evaluate her life's purpose. Only she and the Doctor are the last of their kind…and she didn't count her so-called sisters or her and their numerous offspring and descendants (might as well crossbreed a monkey with a human to get the equivalent result). Then again, both she and the Doctor were already "half-human" to begin with (or her latest body was), so it is possible that Gallifrey was not completely lost. However, only she and the Doctor are the two Time Lords in existence at the moment, which was a fitting outcome to have. After all, a "Holmes" must have its "Moriarty".
Still, not everything was going her way. One example of this is her passionate emotions, which seems to dominate her vast intellect. Every time she checks in on her 'husband' Ranma, she gets jealous whenever Ranma in interacting with his women. But that shouldn't be the case, right? The body of Akane Tendo should not be interfering with HIS thoughts and emotions, and it was only by luck that she, as the Master, had learned that Susan, the Doctor's grand-daughter, had gave birth to three daughters before succumbing to injuries from her participation in the last Time War. The Master had hoped to obtain the body of the middle Tendo sister, Nabiki (due to her disposition) but the body the youngest Tendo sister was more than available. And with the merger, the Master and the body of Akane Tendo became…The Mistress. Unfortunately, trying to take over the body of a Galiffreyan, even one as diluted, was a sticky situation. The Mistress was neither the Master nor Akane Tendo; she was both yet neither. And to top it off, the soul of Akane Tendo has been reincarnated as a power alien entity, whose very presence in the universe is affecting how she behaves (actually sleeping with a man was one such result).
At least, the Mistress still wears her patented "black body suit", something that she used to wear as the Master.
Sigh.
As The Mistress enters her TARDIS, her present companion greets her.
"Hey, Akane," says Adam, as he gets up. Adam Mitchell was a companion of the Doctor and a friend to his other companions Rose Tyler, Miss Gwyneth (a displaced Victorian) and an older version Ranma Saotome, before he screwed up his relationship by getting into trouble in the 201st century. The Mistress gave Adam another shot at traveling across time and space…and beyond…as long as he served her willingly.
"I told you not to call me by that name," The Mistress says, as she closes the doors of the pagoda behind her. All TARDIS vehicles were way bigger on the inside than on the outside.
"I'm sorry," Adam says. "So, where are we going next?"
The Mistress goes to the control panel of her TARDIS, and began to start up the launch sequence.
"We, my young friend, are going to 'crash' a wedding."
"And we are doing this because…?"
"If you want to know, my…former husband is getting married, and I'll be damned if I allow that to happen…smoothly."
Location: DS9 (Bajoran Sector).
A week later…
Starfleet Ensign Kodachi Kuno gets up from her, feeling good about what will take place during the next forty-eight hours. Not only were Worf and Dax were getting married, but also so were Ranma and Sasami were getting married. In fact, Ranma and Sasami will have FOUR wedding ceremonies: Starfleet, Bajoran, Klingon and Juraian (which will take place on Jurai, even though Ranma's mother and cousins will be in attendance for the first three as well). To that end, Kodachi has been helping Usagi plan for the wedding, since the Starfleet counselor was close to all parties involved (in fact, she was already married to Ranma). Some have asked why Usagi would even be involved, thinking that she should be upset about the whole affair. Usagi would reply that she wants to see her husband happy. And besides…there were personal "perks" that she could have, if she was so inclined.
As Kodachi got cleaned up for work, she could have sworn that she wasn't alone. It was as if there was someone watching her…
THERE!
Kodachi turned her head, and saw the floor-length mirror in her bedroom. However, instead of seeing her reflection, she saw the reflection of a pleasant-looking woman. She had long, brown hair, wore the same clothes that she wore and had deity-markings on her face. Tentatively, Kodachi moved her body, while the image mimicked her movements.
"This is fun," said the image.
"!" Kodachi replied, as she gave off a warding sign.
The image then looked concerned.
"Do not worry, Kodachi Kuno. I am not some 'evil spirit'."
"Then…what are you?" Kodachi asked. "Come to think of it…you remind me of Kasumi Tendo, Ranma-sama's…friend."
"She is my, well, WAS, my mortal analog at one point in time," says the image. "As what I am…my name is 'Belldandy', the Norn goddess of the present, though my secondary domain is "Nature". I am one of three who represents Fate. My 'rank' is 'First Class Unlimited', and I normally manage the 'The Goddess Relief Office' in Heaven, but…I was asked by the 'All-Mother' to help a friend of hers."
Kodachi looks Belldandy, who has a noticeable sad expression.
"Are you…well?" Kodachi asks.
Belldandy merely smiles.
"I am fine. It is just that…I miss my husband Keiichi, but…I am bound to you-"
"What do you mean?"
Belldandy explains that Kodachi had "technically" died during the retaking of DS9, and that she and Belldandy were merged as one being, so that Kodachi can still fulfill her purpose.
"Then…what happens after that?" Kodachi asked.
"I…I do not know. Perhaps you move on to your reward, and I can return home, or I, or you, simply fade into oblivion."
"Then…we should do something, right? There has to be another way!"
Bell looks thoughtfully.
"The only thing that could save the two us both is 'The Act of Unity'. It's a process where we have to accept our own past, each other's present and agree on a spiritual level to accept one another from this point forward. I must confess this 'transmogrifying' process has rare been doing, and it is usually been to reflect the prevailing culture of the day. But…"
"But what?"
"I do not know what to expect from Keiichi afterwards."
"I know what you mean. What if…Wesley-sama does not accept this either?"
Silence.
"I am willing to do this, if you are," Kodachi says.
"Then, it is agreed. Let's us join together in harmony…"
Kodachi and Belldandy touch each other. Where they touched, alight enveloped them both…
And two other pairs of females, mortal and goddess alike, go through a similar process, as each of them sacrifice for the other to become a new being…
And on Asgard, an immortal howls in anger, over what he perceives to be an injustice. The immortal then pleads to the All-Mother to get a chance to reclaim his wife. And although she is concerned as to what effect this will have on her plans, the All-Mother known as Princess Serena agrees to the request.
At the same time of the transmogrifying process…
"Ranma, did you feel that?" Usagi said, as she peeked her head from within the bathroom. She and her husband were getting dressed, when the two of them felt a surge of energy along the ethereal planes.
Ranma looked up from his reading. He had to bone up on four different wedding protocols, which is why he was taking the day off.
"I did. I figure one of our numerous guests were doing something mystical."
"It wasn't me," Usagi said. She was still reveling in the previous night's activities. After all, she wasn't going to see her husband for at least a month during his wedding honeymoon with Sasami. "So have you decided on who should be your best man?"
"Of course, I have. It's going to be Ryouga."
"I'm glad to hear that, since there was concerned on Naru's baby being due this week."
"Naw, Dr. Bashir and Amanda have that covered. The plan is that when the wedding is over, the birth will be artificially induced."
"That's right, Ryouga want you to be there when his child is born."
"Correct. I mean, if I am to be the godfather to Ryouga and Naru's kid, then I need to be there."
"We could post-pone it-"
"Naw, I promised Naru that as soon as we re-claim DS9, we'd get married. I'd do it SOONER, but Mom wants a traditional wedding."
"Yes, she is something else. So is everyone coming?"
"Pretty much. Nabiki had to pull a lot of strings to allow the Enterprise-E to be here."
"As 'Nacheyev', of course."
"Of course. And, of course, security is real tight, so a full fleet is nearby to protect the guests."
Usagi nods, as she sits on her husband's lap.
"You know, I should be jealous," Usagi says, as she wraps her arms around Ranma."
"Why? Are you having seconds thoughts?"
"No. It's just that when you and I got married on Chikyuu, all we had was a marriage license, a cupcake to share and a wedding reception at a tiny chapel that was situated along the beach looking westward. There we are, with Bulma as my bridesmaid, and our foster son Goku as your bestman…and we did that in order to adopt Goku shortly after his grandfather Gohan had died. But…it would be years before we would be able consummate our love."
"Which is interesting since the only way you and the kids can do so safely is ONLY through love and affection, thanks to that wish I made with involving the 'Dragonballs'," Ranma says. "Anyone who tries to take advantage of you or the kids in a sexual manner will get a nice surprise."
"Hence the family curse, and ironic term 'Fire Crotch Syndrome'," Usagi giggled, referring to the fact that she and her children possess varying degrees of acidic blood, thanks to their xenomorphic nature. That is why a virgin in the family must be in love (or, at least, like the person), otherwise problems can occur.
"Seriously, I want you to enjoy yourself with Sasami, but be gentle. I know you have a reputation as a magnificent lover and all, but this will be Sasami's first time."
"Really?" Ranma says. "I did not know that."
"Well, not all 'princesses' are pseudo-nymphomaniacs."
"'Pseudo'?"
"Very funny. Look, before I go off to work, let me leave you with a parting gift," Usagi said, as began to kiss Ranma, starting with his lips and cheeks, then his neck, then his chest…
"Oh…my," Ranma said, upon being touched on a sensitive spot on his body.
Meanwhile, in the Promenade…
"Oh, honey," says Rouge, as she and her husband Pantyhose Toro walked the Promenade of DS9. "I'm glad that you accepted Ranma's wedding invitation."
"Humph," Taro scoffed. "Ever since I learned of Happosai's existence in this era, I renewed my request get HER to give me a new name. I figure that freak will be here anyway, so…that's why WE'RE here."
Rouge looks up.
"So…you are using me…again?"
"Of course not! I just figure that we could kill two birds with one stone. At the very least, I'll ruin Saotome's happiness for not doing something about the antics of his 'master'."
Rouge sighs. Sometimes her husband can be so bull-headed…literally.
Tbc.