Four Brothers
A Multi-X-over Fanfiction by Matthew Talbain
In collaboration with a mysterious author who shall
not be revealed for another chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, Ranma ½,
Sonic the Hedgehog, or any and all related properties.
A/N – Sorry, guys. Too many ideas floating around, and I'm
suffering writer's block when it comes to most of the other
fics. Bear with me, please, and let's just enjoy the adventure….
On a major note, a major change is in for this author's status as a lone ranger.
A cookie goes to the one who can guess who my co-author is. -grins- Here's
a hint: he's a very, very esteemed author on this site.
-----------------Prologue Ch. 1: Stars-----------------
"Are you certain?"
"Yes."
"There is no other choice?"
"No, sister. There is no other choice."
"Then we must intervene. They cannot be allowed to band together without an answer."
"I believe our brothers are behind this."
"All the more reason to stop them. Well, sisters, go and choose. My champion will join
yours when you have chosen. Until then, sisters…."
-----------Nerima Ward, 3 Years Post-Jusendo------------
"YOU….YOU PERVERT!"
"Wha?"
Morning in Nerima once again found a very sleepy Ranma Saotome in his room at the Tendo Dojo, with his fiancée Akane wielding a heavy mallet over her head. As Ranma heard Akane's cry of completely unjustified, not-so-feminine fury, he briefly wondered how sleeping in his room was perverted. He had enough time, just before being knocked back into the blessed realm of sleep, to notice that he had kicked off his blanket in his sleep, revealing his bare chest. Man, this chick needs to lay off…
Ranma's thought trailed off as he was reintroduced to Hypnos, the God of Slumber. Akane stomped off, and, had Nabiki, who was just exiting her own room, been in a more facultative state, she would have noticed the smirk on her younger sister's face. As it was, all she saw was a blur with a vaguely familiar hairstyle.
It was some time before Ranma made his way downstairs, and by then, of course, his father had eaten all of his breakfast. Ranma growled in the back of his throat, and walked into the kitchen. Focusing on what was in front of him, he barely registered a hand tapping his shoulder. He spun on his left heel, throwing the person off balance. Reflexively, Ranma reached out and grabbed the person, who happened to be a slightly surprised Kasumi, before she could hit the floor. As he set her on her feet, he failed to register the slight blush on her cheeks.
"When I heard Akane hit you, Ranma, I prepared an extra plate for you. I left it on the counter and covered it, so it wouldn't get cold." Kasumi looked down, hoping to hide her blush, but Ranma never noticed it. Nor did he notice the combined venom and worry she had used when whispering her sister's name. He just beamed broadly.
"Gee, thanks, Kasumi. That's awful thoughtful of ya." He gave the blushing girl a quick hug, which intensified the blush, and walked over to the counter. In a matter of seconds, Ranma had done Kasumi's cooking justice and complimented her on it. He reached out to give her another hug, unfortunately just as Akane walked into the kitchen. This time, Ranma actually perceived something other than the world inside his head. It was Akane's face. She was smirking, her hand twitching for her mallet. That wasn't the normal Akane face.
Ranma made a split-second decision, a decision that would alter his life forever, as Akane's familiar battle cry rose up, and her mallet came down.
The world froze as a forearm rose to block the mallet. The world restarted as a loud crack could be heard. Kasumi, who knew full well what Ranma and Akane were both capable of, fully expected it to be the crack of wood.
She bent over and vomited when she saw Ranma's right arm twitching on the ground, Akane's face glowing with something other than anger.
She was happy. She had permanently maimed her own fiancé, and she was happy. Kasumi saw Ranma staring numbly at his arm as the entire world, or at least the whole neighborhood of prominent figures of Nerima, came spilling into the Tendo kitchen.
"Nihao! Now Airen discarded Too Too Violent Girl, come consummate with Shampoo, yes?"
"Ranma, how dare you do whatever you did to Akane!"
"Saotome, you fiend! Release my beloved Shampoo!"
"Waaaaahhh! The schools must be joined!"
"Whatever that sound was, it wasn't very manly of you, my son!"
"Whatta haul, whatta haul!"
"Well, now, Son-in-Law, we'll have you in our tribe yet!"
"It's five thousand yen for Akane's mallet, Saotome."
"Ooh, goody! Ranchan's mine for sure now!"
"Hohohohohohoho! I knew my Ranma-sama would someday realize that I am the best for him!"
"Boy! Show your fiancée some respect!"
"Saotome, you cur! How dare you smite the hammer of my fierce tigress, Akane Tendo! I shall remove her and the pigtailed goddess from your vile clutches once and for all!"
"You delinquent! Happo Five-huh!"
Ranma, amidst all the yells, all the cries, and the misunderstandings on all sides, could only stare at his right arm, and the blood flow that continued to pump from a stump that extended only four inches beyond his elbow. His ears were deaf to all but the furiously pumping beat of his heart. His eyes were blind but for the lifeless, waxen limb that lay shattered on the floor. He was numb: he could feel not the slightest thing. As he stared, and the crowd around grew quiet, his blood ceased flowing. Ranma Saotome's healing factor, exceptional as it was, had saved his life once more. But even Ranma's prodigious toughness and healing wouldn't save his arm. He was now, in his own eyes, useless.
"A..Akane….what have you done?"
Ryouga's voice broke the deafening silence. Akane's triumphant smirk faltered, but she hitched it back almost instantly.
"Why, I've finally beaten him, Ryouga! I beat Ranma! Aren't you proud of me?"
But the eyes of those around her, the shaking heads and the disapproving eyes, all said no. For, in Nerima, there had never really been any true hatred that lasted very long. Everyone, even Ryouga and Kuno, recognized that Ranma was the strongest. He was a paragon, a pillar of power that none could match. They could only hope to keep up. He made them stronger, and in fighting them, made himself stronger. The girls pursuing him didn't even fight each other to their strongest. It was the Unwritten Rule. Nobody would be hurt, and Ranma would be the strongest. Ranma would be the most powerful.
Now, that creed had been broken. Ryouga, as P-chan, had seen Akane just the night before, unable to even bruise Ranma's head with the dining room table. But suddenly, this morning, without any justification at all, she had broken Ranma's right arm, his dominant hand, from his body. In a lust for power, Akane had destroyed a martial artist's very life. She had removed a martial artist's only real tool. His fist.
And, indeed, everyone recognized that there had been no reason for it. They blamed Ranma for the smallest things, never meaning a word of it. It was a play, an act, and they all played their parts perfectly. All realized it, except, it seemed, Akane. It seemed that she truly was the dimmest bulb in the box.
"Come on, guys! I…I defeated Ranma! I'm the strongest now! Come on, the pervert's been broken! Guys….what…what is it, guys?"
It was Kuno, now, who spoke. He sheathed his katana, staring with livid eyes at the woman he had proclaimed to love. But even he was not so delusional as to be blind to Akane's own shortcomings.
"Tendo-san, you are a martial artist. Think very, very firmly on this: how would you feel if your martial arts were removed from you forever?"
Akane blinked.
"I'd…I'd be sad, torn apart that I couldn't do them anymore. I wouldn't want to go on anymore."
Kuno snorted through his nose.
"And yet you practice them only sparingly, and not even with the pure dedication of a true master. But you, in your lack of control, have removed the ONLY thing a fellow martial artist has ever known. His entire life, eighteen years of pure martial arts, is gone. Eighteen years of living the Art, of breathing it, drinking it, eating it. If I remember correctly, at times, the Art was all he had. All of the friends he has, he has through the Art. Every accomplishment, every award, every COMPLIMENT he ever experienced, was through the Art. The only thing that set him apart from us was the Art. And you have stolen that from him in a blind rage. You, Akane Tendo, are no martial artist. You are a bully."
With that, Kuno and the rest began to filter out of the room. In moments, only Ryouga, Mousse, Ranma, Soun, Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane and Ranma's family remained in the room. Kasumi, having recovered enough of herself to stand properly, saw that Ranma still hadn't moved. Akane, her confusion growing, began to walk out of the room, mumbling to herself.
"But… I was in the right. He deserved what he got, and I'm the best now! So… why is everyone siding with Ranma?"
Akane smiled a little more surely as she heard the muffled sound Ranma made as he sank to his knees, his one good hand cupping his face as soul-wracking sobs issued forth from the tortured youth. She was in the right after all. Ranma finally realized how in the wrong he'd been. It never occurred to her that Ranma was sobbing because he had lost his entire life with the loss of his arm.
"Hmm. This world…Toltiir was right. I can feel the energies of many powerful beings. It's insane! I've never seen a world with so many mortals of such a fine caliber!"
A figure, clothed only in her red, fiery aura, flew quickly through the skies over the planet Earth. Her golden skin glowing from within, it seemed, as she scanned the surface world below her. Her eyes glowed with an immense hope, a cradle upon which the salvation of herself and her sisters sat upon, and she flew. That hope, however, seemed to dim as she flew…
"So few of them seem to be even the least inclined to the good. Why? Those who are good are too self-absorbed, or in too much of a good place to even consider coming to aid me. I guess I need…wait… what's that sound?"
Quickly, the being swooped down, alighting next to a window in what appeared to be a Nexus of Power. She could feel the power radiating, almost oozing, from the streets of this district. And yet she could feel goodness burning from one individual. It was in most of the auras she could feel, that was true. But the sheer goodness from this one individual, the most powerful of them all, was like a bonfire to their candles. She could feel no selfishness, but almost too much selflessness. She felt no ill will, none at all. She could feel his pain, his desire to grow stronger. She could feel every single hardship he had ever endured. She could even feel the harsh reality of his power being removed from him. Only after this point did she feel a hopelessness in his aura. This is what had drawn her here.
She looked through the window, her gleaming red, pupil-less eyes latching onto the scene before her. A tall man, in a long white coat, was standing next to the one with the brilliant aura, whose back was facing her. He sighed, turning towards a pair of females in the back of the room. The being strained her ears to hear what was said.
"I'm sorry, Kasumi, Saotome-san. In this case, his healing factor was a curse rather than a blessing."
The being, confused by this, looked on, her interest becoming piqued. She could tell she was not the only one who was confused. The eyes of the two females, the red-haired one whose aura vaguely resembled the young man's especially, showed confusion.
"Doctor, how could Ranma's healing be a curse?"
Ranma, huh? So that was his name. She filed that for later use as she listened in once more.
"Because, Saotome-san, in most cases like this, we have some time to repair the damage. However, we need to do it within a maximum of two hours after the wound is inflicted, or repair becomes impossible."
The three females were still completely confused, though the chestnut-haired one seemed to be on the verge of understanding. Suddenly, Ranma turned to his right, to face the wall opposite the doctor. And suddenly, the being understood everything. The conversation, the confused look in the women's eyes, and the feeling of despair rolling off of Ranma's aura.
His arm, apparently the medium for his power, had been severed. Ranma's face, however, was neutral. Completely, and utterly neutral. To the being, it was worse than the tortures inflicted upon her beloved world so far away and so long ago. He had seemed so happy, so utterly carefree. And now this. The being's musings were quieted, however, as the doctor resumed his explanation.
"I know the injury occurred a scant hour ago, Saotome-san, but we cannot reattach his arm. His healing factor has repaired the damaged nerves, skin, and muscle to the greatest extent possible. We cannot reattach his arm now. For all intents and purposes, his wound is a little over two months old, physically."
The auburn-haired woman, Saotome-san, swayed in place before fainting into Kasumi's arms. With that, the doctor quickly patted Ranma on the shoulder, whispering some kind of encouragement, before helping Kasumi to take the elder woman out of the room. She slid through the wall, stepping lightly onto the wooden floor, before walking over to Ranma. He never turned around, but instead spoke up.
"Who are you? Why were you waiting out there?"
He was not expecting the answer he got.
"I need your help, Ranma. But first, I need to know if I can trust you, if I can even choose you."
Ranma, curious, broke out of his reverie long enough to look up at her strangely. He didn't even notice some of his old bluster returning.
"How can ya do that?"
The being merely laid her palm on Ranma's head.
Instantly, she screamed silently to the stars, falling to her knees as Ranma's memories poured into her. The pain, the fear, the loneliness, and the strife flew into her. She lived the Neko-Ken, watched her friends drop like flies into a painful mockery of the blessed gift of friendship. She watched a young girl offer that very gift, only to yank it away. She watched her former best friend become an enemy, then a fiancé. She lived through a beaten fighter kissing her cheek, then tracking her down to kill her. She felt that same person kiss her lips, whispering words of love. She felt hate, anger, rage, hopelessness, and yet none of it lasted very long. The tortures were nothing, really. As long as she had the Art, she was fine.
And then Akane removed even that little bit from her. The being let go of Ranma's head, pulling the young man into a shuddering hug, more for her own comfort than his.
"Oh, Blessed Creation, what have they done to you? You gave so much…why? Why did you not kill them? Why did you let them get away with so much?"
She did not expect Ranma to answer, nor did he. He simply held the sobbing being, stroking her hair with his one good hand. They stayed like that for an unknown amount of time, before she looked into his eyes.
"It has to be you, Ranma. No other person could accept the gift I have, nobody I wouldn't worry about. But you… my gift will never be abused by you."
Ranma nodded. He looked down at her. "Ya keep mentionin' this 'gift' thing. What is it? What would ya need a cripple like me for?"
The being smiled gently, kissing his forehead. She looked deep into his eyes, trusting him completely. "Ranma, where I come from, there is an Artefact of immense power. Merely touching it will grant the wish of the one who lays hands on it. This Artefact was an accident, an unforeseen slight in the great plan of my sisters and I. We had created a world, a wonderful, beautiful world full of peace and blessing. But when we left this world to observe it, to watch it grow, we left a portion of our power by accident. This Artefact, the Tri-Force as it was to become known as, luckily lay beyond a curtain of magic. The Artefact influenced the world in which it lay, until a king of the land deemed it too dangerous. He took up the symbol of the Artefact for his family, to keep it in the minds of his people, and ordered a temple to be built to turn the curtain into a wall. The temple became the only door, and a plain, iron sword became the key to that door."
"However, the power of the Artefact was not lost or diminished. It continued to affect the land behind the curtain, changing it into a Golden Land of milk and honey, the Sacred Realm. The power was even absorbed into the iron sword, which was supposed to ward off magical energy. The sword became a blade to slay all evil, and became known as the Master Sword. Time passed, and the warnings of the ancient king were forgotten. A huge, bloody war broke out over the land, and two figures would stand prominent over the rest."
"The first, a dark man atop a black stallion, had instigated the war from the shadows in order to weaken the kingdom called Hyrule. When the war died down, he then stepped out into the light and swore fealty to the King, Harkinian the First. But he was false."
"The second was a mere infant who would grow to incredible courage. He had been carried by his wounded, dying mother into a peaceful wood, and there he was raised by the Kokiri. Ten years passed, and the boy started out on an adventure that would see the Tri-Force split, the young boy turned into a man, and the dark one turned into a frightful beast. At the end of it all, the boy was sent back to his own time, while the dark one stewed in the Sacred Realm, separated from reality by the very Artefact he had sought to obtain."
The being knelt down before Ranma, taking his hands in hers.
"Please, Ranma, I need your help. My sisters and I, a trio of Goddesses, have four siblings of Evil. They have freed Ganondorf and, though they removed from him his portion of the Artefact and allowed it to resume its rightful place, they have given him a portion of the power of our brother, Karn. With this, Ganondorf opened a seal into other worlds, and our brothers' greed brought them into the vast universes. They have afflicted two other worlds with their powers. Now, all of the Creation of Kami-sama himself is threatened by their powers. Atrophy, Ignorance, and Terror. These are the powers of our brothers, Karn, Ciylu, and Malkore. My sisters, Nayru and Farore, possess the opposites of Ignorance and Terror, Wisdom and Courage. I possess Atrophy's opposite, Power. I am named Din."
Ranma knew what she was asking of him. He understood the implications. But one thing held him back.
"How could a cripple like me help? I'm kinda missin' my arm, ya know…"
Din smiled, laying her hand upon Ranma's right stump. She looked into his eyes.
"I can help. You won't have a natural right arm, not for some time at least, but I can give you a substitute. You could feel it, you could move it as though it were your own. But you will probably never have the same look, or even the same abilities, in that arm ever again. Do you accept this, and my gift?"
Ranma merely nodded. With that, Din's hand and Ranma's stump began to glow with a crimson light. She began to chant in an odd language Ranma could not recognize. Soon, the glow spread to cover all of Ranma's body. So bright was it that the epicenter of the glow had to shield his cobalt eyes from the light.
It began to die down, and Ranma stared at what had once been a lifeless stump in wonder. He lifted his hands, for now he indeed had two, to his eyes. He grinned, broadly, and he hugged Din with all of his prodigious might. For indeed, Ranma's strength had increased. He stood, wondering at Din's squeak of surprise, and turned to the full-length mirror in his room. He was, to say the least, surprised.
His raven hair affected the most change. It was now long and spiked, and a ponytail draped between his shoulder blades, instead of a pigtail ending at the middle of his neck. His sleek musculature seemed more defined, his face more angular, and his eyes now swirled with a crimson energy, though they remained cobalt. His arms, once a stump, was now what appeared to be a metallic glove, a gauntlet extending to the area his stump had ended. A large red gem adorned the back of his new hand, and a strange series of runic symbols danced along his forearm. A similar gauntlet, this one leather only plated on the back, however, dressed his right forearm. He sensed a great strength seeping into him from the gauntlet, and from his silver right arm. To finish his appearance, a red triangle spiked from below his pectoral to his shoulder, covering his heart. A similar crimson marking covered his left cheek and eye, but it soon faded as he stared.
He turned to Din, and he nodded. In a flash of scarlet light, he was gone from his world, leaving only a torn shirt and a dried bloodstain as proof he'd ever been there.
A/N: Whatcha think? Another cookie goes to the one who can guess the other Goddess Avatars are. A BIG cookie goes to the first who can tell me why it's named "Four Brothers". -grins-