Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)
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AND NOW ON WITH....
Chapter 7: Wild search
"Monkey God? Yeah, I guess I did hear that somewhere." Ranma stated.
"Isn't that some sort of legend or something?"
"It is a legend." Rei confirmed. "A Chinese legend to be precise."
Who would have imagined seeing Rei Hino, Ranma Saotome and Trunks
Briefs sitting in a room talking about such an unusual topic. To be frank,
it all happened rather unexpectedly. Rei and Trunks had agreed to meet in
order to discuss the last fight the Sailor Senshi and 'Son Goku' held.
However, the one who first knocked at Trunks' door wasn't Rei, but Ranma
instead, who dropped by for a surprise visit. After all, Nerima wasn't too
far away from Juuban, especially when you came flying.
The Saiyajin hybrid welcomed the martial artist into his apartment.
Since he was one of the few persons who knew about him, he decided that in
the end it wouldn't be so bad if he came to talk with Rei and him. Actually,
it was quite inevitable considering that the two would eventually meet in
such circumstances, so might as well start getting used to it now.
Rei felt somewhat awkward at first by the unexpected visitor, but
then again, she knew that Trunks had talked to Ranma about his situation and
got him to cooperate. Not to mention that the martial artist had been
informed about her relationship with Trunks as well, so all of this was just
bound to happen one day or another.
Still, this didn't make things easier for her, considering that now
she would have to be cautious when talking about the Sailor Senshi without
making Ranma suspicious. Hiding information on Trunks to her friend was
already very uncomfortable and she was hoping that she wouldn't have to lie
while being in his friend's apartment.
Not surprisingly, the conversation between the three didn't start so
smooth. It was only after Trunks touched the topic of yesterday's fight that
the tension in the room began to disappear.
"I have to give it to you, Trunks," Rei continued, "You outdid
yourself in getting such an original identity. How did you came up with the
idea of using the name Son Goku, the Monkey God?"
"I didn't." he said plainly. "I don't even known what this Monkey
God business is all about."
Both guests blinked in surprise at that comment.
"Wait a minute." Ranma began, obviously intrigued, "You're trying to
tell us that you took the name Son Goku, rode a flying cloud and fought with
an extendible staff *without* knowing *anything* about the Monkey God?"
"Yes, I am." Trunks responded. "As a matter of fact, the reason I
went for that kind of getup was because, a) In order to take a completely
different identity so that the Sailor Senshi wouldn't recognize me or
associate me with Super Saiya-Man, I decided that using the Kintouen to fly
instead of flying by myself would be less suspicious. And b) because using
the Nyoi Bo instead of a sword would also be less suspicious."
"Hold on a sec." Rei stated, being now her turn to sound intrigued,
"*Where* did you get the Kintouen and the Nyoi Bo? Those things don't grow
on trees for all I know."
"Well, back in my world, there's a place called Karin's tower." he
told his guests, "Actually, that's where I get my senzus. In any case, the
Kintouen I brought comes from a bigger Kintouen which belongs to Karin-sama,
the owner of the tower. He also lent me the Nyoi Bo. Both items once
belonged to a person called Son Goku, he's the Saiyajin I once told you
about on my last trip, remember? The one who was suffering from a heart
disease. In any case, I took his name, because... well... he's really a
great guy and an even better warrior, so I kinda feel honored by using his
name."
Both Rei and Ranma looked at their host with big round eyes. After
a few seconds, this began to make Trunks a little uncomfortable.
"Wh... what? Does it sound so corny?" he asked.
"You mean to tell us..." Rei said, "that there was a guy in your
world named Son Goku, who rode a flying cloud and used the Nyoi Bo?"
"That's what I just said." Trunks confirmed, a little annoyed by
repeating what was already been told more than once. "Excuse me, but could
we get to the point here? Why did Mercury said something about Monkey God?
It looks like I'm the only person here who doesn't know about that."
"Like we said," Ranma answered. "The Monkey God is a Chinese legend.
I heard something about it when I went to Jusenkyou and got my curse. What
you just told us about your friend describes most aspects of the Monkey God
known as Son Goku."
"I thought you knew about the legend in order to come up with the
costume you used." Rei added. "But I see you didn't. Wow... talk about
coincidence... I wonder if there's a connection..."
"Well, I don't know if there is," the Saiyajin hybrid declared, "but
since you two know so much about this so-called Monkey God, how about
sharing that information with me? Might as well know who am I suppose to be
now. It could be helpful."
"Well, I don't known that much really." Ranma pointed out. "I only
heard the story once and I wasn't paying much attention."
"I know the story." Rei stated. "My grampa used to read me stories
about it when I was little, not to mention that I had to study it once. You
know: priesthood obligations. I don't know every single detail though, but I
can give you a general view of the legend."
"I'm all ears."
Enter movie scene
[The scene opens and we see the Earth from an outer space view. Strangely, it
looks more red than blue. Suddenly, several beams of light blaze through the
emptiness of space and head right for the planet.]
Rei's voice-over: In beginning of time, according to Chinese Legends, the
Goddess of Life sent three thousand magical rocks to the Earth, which she used
to cool down the planet from hellfire and brimstone.
[Earth is seen gradually regaining its original blue color. Then the beams of
light from before leave the planet and head back to outer space.]
Rei's voice-over: When the job was done, the Goddess summoned the rocks back. But
she missed five of them, which remained on Earth. Four of them eventually eroded,
but the last one began to absorb the land's power, causing earthquakes and other
natural catastrophes.
[The remaining rock is seen glowing with a green color, growing each time more
by the power it absorbed.]
Rei's voice-over: When the rock reached its limit, it began to crack like an egg.
From the inside emerged a giant ape.
[The earlier mentioned ape, bigger than most mountains, began to growl and trashed
everything that stood in his way.]
Rei's voice-over: Eventually, the huge ape made it to the Tang Dynasty's domain
and caused havoc. In order to defeat him, the palace asked a Warrior God name
General Tin Fong to help them.
[This time we see Tin Fong facing the giant monkey in a ferocious battle. After a
hard fight, the general manages to cut the ape's tail with his sword. Something
unexpected happens then...]
Rei's voice-over: By cutting the monster's tail, it turned into a small monkey
who ran off and sought refuge in the mountains where other monkeys lived. That's
how the legend of the Monkey King began.
Trunks' voice-over: Hold on a sec. I thought we were going to talk about the
Monkey God, not the Monkey King.
Rei's voice-over: I'm getting there, Trunks. This is part of the story.
Trunks' voice-over: Okay.
Rei's voice-over: Anyway, the reason Monkey became the leader of all monkeys
was due to his exceptional intelligence and courage which placed him above
average monkeys.
[We see Monkey standing on top of a cliff doing Tarzan noises while beating
his chest like a drum with his fists.]
Monkey: Who's da master??
Rei's voice-over: However, Monkey realized that one day he, as well as all
of his race, would inevitably die. Therefore he went on a quest to learn
immortality, like previous men such as Buddha. He ended up with a Taoist
immortal who took him as an apprentice.
[The scene opens on top of a different mountain. This time Monkey is
standing in front of an old man.]
Man: So, can you fly?
Monkey: Er... fly?.. er... well umm... like this?
[We see Monkey performing great leaps, going from one mountain to another.
In the end, he reaches the Taoist with the last jump, looking proud of
himself.]
Man: That's jumping, not flying. Here, let me show you how it's done.
[The immortal puts two fingers in his mouth and whistles. Soon after, a
yellow cloud comes flying. The immortal jumps on it and begins the
demonstration.]
Monkey: Cool!
Ranma's voice-over: So I assume that's how he learned to use the Kintouen.
Rei's voice-over: Exactly. However, Monkey was thrown out after showing off
his new skills to his friends.
[We now see how the Immortal sends Monkey down the mountain with a swift
kick in the butt.]
Immortal: Rule number 1: No showing off. Out you go!
Monkey: (falling) WHAAAAAaaaaaaa...
Rei's voice-over: Anyway, I believe that when he returned home, he began to
raise an army and train all of the other monkeys. His next step was to
obtain a suitable weapon, so he went to the Undersea Kingdom of the Dragons
to look for one.
[A new scene opens, a typical Atlantis look-a-like place: palace, merfolks,
underwater castles, etc... On one side, Monkey is going through a chest,
pulling out several weapons but not approving anyone. Next to him, a dragon
is looking rather annoyed.]
Monkey: (throwing around weapons)Too small... too big... too... too... I
don't even know *what* this is!... Let's see... no... no... no... too
extravagant... too weird... too cute... Yikes! What is *this* doing here??
Dragon: Hey, are you done yet? I have some other things to take care of.
Monkey: Oh, then why don't you bring me a lemonade while you're at it? Easy
on the sugar.
Rei's voice-over: Now would be a good time to say that Monkey was a very
rude guest and had a certain talent to irritate everyone.
[The Dragon looks more irritated with each passing minute. Eventually Monkey
gives up, but his eye catches something unusual at the bottom of the
Undersea Palace.]
Monkey: Hey, Dragy. What's that thing?
Dragon: Don't call me that! Anyway, that over there is the Nyoi Bo. It's
what holds the Undersea palace.
Monkey: Bo? It looks awfully big for a Bo.
Dragon: The Nyoi Bo is a magical Bo which can grow large enough to hold a
palace or small enough to be a toothpick placed behind the ears.
Monkey: (grinning) You don't say...
Rei's voice-over: I don't remember if the Nyoi Bo was given to Monkey or if
he stole it. But in any case, it ended up being his.
Monkey: (holding his Bo high): All right!! Now I only need an armor.
Rei's voice-over: This was easier said than done. Monkey went to the
Heavenly Citadel in order to get the Armor of the Gods. I'm pretty sure he
stole that one.
[We now see Monkey inside a palace. The guards that were guarding the
entrance to the treasure room have been knocked out and Monkey is pretty
much helping himself as if the place was his.]
Monkey: Oh, look! A poor abandoned armor. How cruel to leave it here
completely unprotected. It is my duty to give it a good place to live. And
what a coincidence, my chest seems to be completely unprotected. Looks like
we can help each other.
Voice: Not so fast!
Monkey: Hun?
Ranma's voice-over: (doing a girl's voice) Stealing is evil!! I, Sailor Moon,
won't forgive this act! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!!
WHAM!
Rei's voice-over: Don't interrupt me, Ranma!
Ranma's voice-over: Ouch! Hey, it was just a joke!
[At the entrance, a man wearing military garment blocks Monkey's only way of
escape.]
Man: That armor isn't yours to take. If you want it, you'll have to go
through me first!
Rei's voice-over: That man was the top boss of the Heavenly Citadel's
defense core. His name was Ten Shin Han.
Trunks' voice-over: Ten Shin Han?? Are you serious??
Rei's voice-over: Well... yeah. Why do you ask?
Trunks' voice-over: No, never mind. Please go on.
Rei's voice-over. Well, okay. Anyway, Ten shin Han defeated Monkey and sent
him inside the Pot of Hell's fire as a punishment.
Monkey: (being kicked into the pot) Not agaiiiiinnnnnnnn...
Rei's voice-over: However, once inside, I don't really known how, but Monkey
got the Pill of Divinity, or something similar. The pill gave him enough
power to brake the Pot of Hell's fire and escape.
Monkey: (braking loose) Okay, now I'm pissed!!
Rei's voice-over: The tables had turned. Now, Monkey was strong enough to
challenge Ten Shin Han again and win. The Gods decided that being such a
wild and chaotic person, Monkey was bound to cause trouble. As a way to
prevent this, they invited him to "live" among themselves so they could keep
an eye on him.
Trunks' voice-over: Really? Well, looks like that ended up well. I guess
that's how he became a God then.
Rei's voice-over: Not quite. It didn't take long for the Gods to realize
their error. Monkey ended up being quite a handful. Like I previously said,
he had a natural talent to irritate everyone.
[The scene opens and Monkey is standing firm in front of a peach tree, with
his arms crossed in front of his chest.]
Rei's voice-over: For instance, there was an occasion where Monkey had to
guard a tree which grew the God's special peaches. Instead of guarding them,
he ate most of them.
Ranma's voice-over: So he ate a couple of peaches, big deal.
Rei's voice-over: They didn't call them the Gods' special peaches for
nothing, Ranma. Eating them gave him immortality, something not just anyone
is suppose to have access to.
Trunks' voice-over: That does sound a little more serious.
Rei's voice-over: That wasn't all. The last straw was even worse.
[Inside a big palace, Monkey is just walking along looking bored. Up ahead
he sees a huge desk which is empty. Tired of doing nothing, Monkey takes a
seat and puts his feet on top of the desk as he yawns. A huge book on top of
the desk catches his attention quickly.]
Monkey: (opening the book) Hello? What have we here?
Rei's voice-over: That book just happened to have the names of all the
persons whose souls should be judged once they would die. Fearing the death
of his children and brethen, Monkey destroyed the pages where all of his
people's name were written. This didn't please the owner of the book: Enma
Daiou-sama.
Trunks' voice-over: The Lord of the Heavens gates, the one who judges the
souls of the people who pass on in order to see if they should go to Heaven
or Hell.
Rei's voice-over: (surprised) That's... right. Where did you learned that?
Trunks' voice-over: I'll tell you later. Please go on.
Rei's voice-over: Okay. Well, back to the story, the Gods had took all that
they could from Monkey, so the almighty Buddha had to interfere. Everyone
agreed that locking the trouble making chimp in the Mountain of the Five
Elements for five hundred year was a suitable punishment.
[We see two eyes popping out into the dark.]
Monkey: Hello? Anyone? Hey! You said there was a party here!! Hey!! Is
anyone listening to me?? Com'on, guys!! This isn't funny anymore!!... Hello??..
Ranma's voice-over: And so the troublesome ape became one with earth again.
(sarcastically) How sweet.
Rei's voice-over: The story doesn't end there, Ranma. Several years later,
an exiled Buddhist monk was sent to the Mountain of the Five Elements in
order to release Monkey and make him go the 'right way'. At that day, the
monk gave Monkey a new name: Sun Wu Kong. Which translated to Japanese
became Son Goku.
[A new scene opens. On top of the Mountain of Five Elements, the monk and
the recently renamed Sun Wu Kong look at the horizon.]
Monk: Take a good look, Sun Wu Kong. Take a good look at this world. Soon we
will begin our journey around it, going where the Gods want us to go. Acting
in their name. Living for them. From this point on we shall both put our
souls in this holy mission. Can you feel it, Sun Wu Kong? Can you feel the
adventures that await us?
[The monk turns around to his companion, only to see him absentmindedly
scratching his ears.]
Sun Wu Kong: (to himself) Man... it's been YEARS since I last ate a banana.
(realizes that the monk is looking at him) Oh, I'm sorry, were you saying
something?
Rei's voice-over: To make the long story short, the monk and Sun Wu Kong
went to acquire the writings of Buddhism from India. Along their way, they
met with other interesting personalities. A perverted pig called Pat Kuai
and Sa Qing, a warrior who wanted to redeem himself. After performing
several good deeds, they were all promoted as Gods. Therefore the Legend of
Son Goku: The Monkey God.
End of movie scene
"Well..." Ranma began, "for not knowing all the details, you sure
told us quite a story there, Rei."
"Priestesses have to be knowledgeable in legends and lore." the girl
stated. "Although I'm probably missing some things. Did that information
helped you, Trunks?"
"It certainly did." the Saiyajin hybrid declared. "But I do think
that I'll need to learn more about it. The more I know, the better."
"You're really taking this Son Goku thing seriously, aren't you?"
Ranma pointed out.
"It's not as if I have a choice." Trunks told him. "Now that the
Senshi saw me in that costume, might as well play along. The more I act like
this Monkey God, the less they'll be suspicious that I'm a fraud. And more
importantly, less chances they'll have to discover who I really am."
"I guess you're right." Ranma realized.
Rei silently sighed. Trunks seemed convinced that remaining a
mystery in the battle field was for the best. Even if it looked that way,
she couldn't really feel comfortable with the whole concept. Especially
since it meant lying to her friends. She had one of those feelings. Things
probably weren't going to end well.
"So, where can you find more about Son Goku?" Ranma asked.
[Well... Guess I'm already a part of this.] Rei thought. "I... might
know of a place."
**********
Ami Mizuno was known among her friends and school mates as a person
who didn't get distracted easily. However, everyone gets distracted once in
a while. The girl confirmed this when she realized that the bus she was in
had already passed her house.
Walking now towards her intended destination, the young genius began
to ponder on the topic which caused her to lose her attention earlier: Son
Goku. Once again... things just got more complicated. Even if this wasn't
the first time something like this happened, it still wasn't something easy
to get used to.
Never the less, she could make some hypothesis on how things would
unfold from this point on. For one side, Usagi was probably going to trust
this new warrior, while Rei would certainly be suspicious of him. She
wouldn't be surprised if Minako showed more interest in discovering whether
this man was handsome underneath that hood. And she was expecting Mako-chan
to say that he reminded her of a certain purple haired boyfriend she once
had. What worried her the most though was Haruka and Michiru. The two Outer
Senshi were known for being rough on newcomers and were most likely going to
be *very* rude to Son Goku.
[Hmmm... it still feels weird to call him that.] Ami thought. [I
wonder if he really *is* Son Goku. He doesn't look like the one from the
legends. You can hardly call him a monkey for that matter. But then again,
you don't see a man flying on a cloud and using an extendible staff very
often.]
Ami went on with her brainstorming until her eyes suddenly caught a
sight of someone she knew. Her serious look changed into a happy one in
blink of an eye. It had been quite some time since she last saw him.
"Ryouga!" she said out loud.
A confused looking young man who stood among the crowd turned around
to pinpoint the voice's origin. He spotted Ami in a matter of seconds and
went to great her.
"Ami, hi!" he said surprised. "What brings you here to Neri...
wait... we're not in Nerima, are we?"
Ami couldn't help to giggle at that comment. She didn't mean any
insult towards Ryouga by doing so, but to her, it was simply adorable the
way her friend realized he was lost.
The bandanna boy didn't take long in joining in on the laughter
while scratching the back of his head with his hand in a sign of
embarrassment. In Ami's book, this made him look even more cute.
"So I guess there's no need for me to ask what brings you to
Juuban." she stated.
"No, I guess not." he responded. "It's nice to see you again though.
How have you been lately?"
"I've been doing well, thanks." she said. "How about you? Did you
go on a training journey?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Are you coming from school?"
"Yes, I am. I was heading home. Say... why don't you come with me?"
she suggested a little nervous, "I mean... I could offer you a glass of
water or something similar and you could tell me more about your trip."
"Sure. Lead the way."
Most people who knew Ami would've been surprised to hear such a
direct proposition coming from her mouth. Especially if it was directed to
a boy. However those how *really* knew her, such as her close friends, also
knew that Ryouga was possibly one of the few members of the opposite sex to
whom Ami could talk so freely (or as freely as her shy personality allowed
her to).
This didn't happen from one day to another though. At the beginning,
Ami showed her default shy behavior when facing Ryouga, and truth be told,
so did he for that matter. It was only after several months, as well as
several unusual circumstances which brought them together, that their
friendship had grown enough to attain the level of trust they had now.
Surprisingly, they owed such favor to Kuno Tatewaki.
After a few minutes of walking, the two of them made it to Ami's
apartment.
"Make yourself at home." she said, as she walked in. "Do you want a
glass of water?"
"Don't mind if I do." Ryouga responded as he put his heavy backpack
near the door, "By the way, I have two things here I want to give you."
"Really?"
"First of all, here." he said as he took out a book and gave it to
her.
"The book I leant you the last time you were here." Ami realized.
"Did you finish it?"
"I did." he told her. "I kinda liked the main character. In a dark
way, I was somehow able to relate to him. It's not a 'happy ending', but it
made me think for a while."
Ami took the book which title was 'The Stranger' from Albert Camus,
winner of the Nobel prize of Literature in 1957. The story was of a man who,
being indifferent to life itself, found a meaning of it moments before his
death. Like most of Camus' books, the story revolves around the absurdity of
society. It was a great book none the less and Ami was happy that she could
find a good Japanese translation in order to read it. She had leant it to
Ryouga about a month ago. It was something of a tradition that the two had
ended up doing.
Being the scholar that she is, Ami was concerned about Ryouga's
education, especially since this last one spend so much time on the road.
The main problem was that her friend could get lost while walking on a
straight line, which unable him from attending any sort of education
facility frequently.
But she had an idea. If Ryouga couldn't go to school, make school go
to Ryouga. And what better source of education than a book which can be
carried anywhere you go?
Ryouga wasn't very fond of the idea at first, since he considered
that improving his martial arts in order to defeat Ranma was a higher
priority than reading. But then again, the bandanna boy had a well known
weakness with girls and the word 'no'. And Ami was far from being an
exception.
The girl's plan eventually gave results as Ryouga actually ended up
enjoying his readings. So, each time they met, Ami would lent a book to her
friend and discuss the one that he had already read. In a way, it also
guaranteed that they would always keep in touch.
"And I also have this for you." he added as he took out a small box.
"Cookies." she stated as she opened her present. "Where did you get
them?"
"Well... I *think* I got them at Hokkaido, but I could be wrong."
"That's very sweet of you, Ryouga." she told him. "Thank you very
much."
The bandanna boy just blushed as his friend smiled at him in
gratitude. Even if she was probably the only girl he could talk to without
sounding like a babbling idiot, she was a girl no less, and a pretty one at
that too. Not to mention that her resemblance with Akane didn't made things
easier for him either. Fortunately, he regain composure quickly.
"So, were you heading to Nerima to challenge Ranma again?" Ami began.
"Not yet." Ryouga declared. "I'm still working on this new technique.
I'll challenge Ranma once I've mastered it completely."
In spite of being a Sailor Senshi and facing super-natural enemies
on a regular basis, Ami wasn't prone to violence herself. She had often
tried to talk Ryouga out of his ongoing 'vengeance' against Ranma,
suggesting a more peaceful alternative instead. Unfortunately, her friend
was very determined, or obsessed, depending on which term you liked the most.
Men were still a mystery to her, and she could somehow guess that
understanding Quantum Physics was probably a lot easier than understanding
the opposite sex.
"Right now, I'd really like to see how Akane is doing." he continued.
"I miss her."
"I see..." Ami responded.
Strange. For some reason, Ami's smile seemed to waver after saying
that. Ryouga didn't gave it much thought though.
"Oh, by the way, Ryouga," she said, conveniently changing the
subject, "I was planning to go to the library in search of a book. Would you
like to join me? Maybe we can get a book for you too, before you head back
to Nerima."
"Well... er... sure." he declared.
"Okay, let's go."
**********
One of the most imposing buildings in Dominia was Arlakk's tower.
Maybe it wasn't as tall and majestic as the Lord's tower, but it was still
really hard to miss. Stones which were dark as night raised the
necromancer's lair into the sky. Hideous looking gargoyles guarded its doors.
Dead trees stood around the property, twisted in several unusual ways with
branches that resembled claws.
One would think that not a single soul would be found in such a
place. This comment always amused Arlakk, since tormented souls were regular
visitors in his domain. Whether he had summoned them himself or they had
come by their own free will, attracted by the dark nature of the tower,
hearing shrieks, howls and other unnatural sounds were not a strange things
coming from his garden.
From the inside, his lair wasn't very different. All was dark. Not
only due to the sorcerer's choice of color for interior decoration, but also
because a torch was rarely lighten as well. Arlakk didn't seemed to mind the
lack of illumination though. As matter of fact, he felt quite comfortable.
With no doubt, he was the only person who could feel at ease in such a place.
The owner of the tower entered his laboratory. A place filled with
scrolls, books, potions and other magical items which could only be
identified by him. Some of those things were placed in book shelves or
tables, but most were scattered among the floor in no apparent order.
[One of these days, I'll have to clean this place.] he thought,
even though he well knew that he wouldn't go beyond the point of just
thinking it instead of doing it.
Sitting on his throne, which was possibly the only piece of
furniture that wasn't occupied by books or similar things, Arlakk took off
his hat which he threw somewhere at random.
"Master, you have returned." said a deep, yet distinguishable female,
voice coming from the shadows (which isn't saying much since shadows were
everywhere).
"Yes, I have, Delif." the necromancer spoke.
"Has our Lord reconsidered your offer in this mission?" the creature
asked.
"Unfortunately, no. The operation is still in the hands of my
incompetent coworker." he briefed. "Our liege believes that it is wise to
let Eron proceed with the investigation, especially since new defenders have
shown up."
"Sending Eron to do a job which was meant to be yours is an error."
Delif stated. "I don't understand why the Lord isn't able to see that."
"Do not speak of our Lord in such disrespect, Delif!" Arlakk growled.
"His wisdom is way above ours. We can't even *dream* of questioning his
genius. Whatever decision he takes is for the best."
"I... I'm sorry. Please forgive my impertinence, Master."
"humph! You have to learn how to control those emotions of yours,
Delif." the necromancer declared. "It's something I overlooked the day I
created you in order to make you a more ferocious warrior, but you have to
learn how to behave *outside* the battlefield."
"Yes, Master. I won't disappoint you anymore."
"In any case, your words hold some truth." he continued. "There is
no way Eron will be victorious in his mission."
"You are so certain of it, Master?"
"Quite certain." Arlakk went on, "His Elite Raider may have proven
efficient against the Sailor Senshi, but it became nothing more than a rag
doll when fighting against that new defender. This new character is way
beyond Eron's possibilities."
"Do you believe he is a magical being like myself?"
"Quite the contrary, Delif." he explained. "There was no magical
energy in him what so ever. Maybe that quarter staff of his was magical, but
not him. And yet... a tremendous power came from him. A power not yet
unleashed."
"In any case, that shouldn't be a problem for you, Master." the dark
figure said. "If the defender has a spirit, you can bring him down to his
knees without big effort."
"True." acknowledged the necromancer. "But I don't plan to get
overconfident. We still don't known what other surprises the defenders have
in store for us. In any event, it's up to Eron now. All we can do now is
wait and see."
**********
"When you said that we were going to find some information on Son
Goku, I thought we were going to some ancient shrine to see some wise old
man or something similar." Ranma said, somewhat disappointed.
"So what's wrong with a library?" Rei asked him. "There's a lot of
history book here which can help us."
"It just boring, that's all."
"Stop complaining and hold this instead." Rei told him as she gave
him another book to carry.
Ranma did as told and the two went to join Trunks who was sitting on
a nearby table while checking other books they had already found.
"Found anything interesting?" Ranma asked as he also took the chance
to yawn.
"A picture of Sun Wu Kong." Trunks responded, as he showed him the
image.
Indeed it was a picture of the famous Monkey God. A monkey, no doubt
about it. Even if he had the body of a human, his face proved that he wasn't.
Dressed in red clothing with a silver armor protecting his chest, he stood
on top of a cloud, apparently riding it like a surf board while holding his
magical Bo staff in a fighting stance. Sun also seemed to wear a golden
circlet on his head.
"Hmmm... doesn't look much like your costume, does it, Trunks?" Rei
pointed out.
"Not one bit." he confirmed. "But then again, it's no surprise. I
knew nothing of Sun Wu Kong till today. It would've been one incredible
coincidence if my costume would've matched this picture."
"Well, what does your costume look like?" Ranma asked intrigued.
"Let's just say that you're looking at the first Shinobi-like Son
Goku.(*)" Rei told him.
"Well what else was I suppose to wear?" Trunks said in defense. "I
*had* to hide my face somehow so I wouldn't be recognized."
"Well, you could start wearing a monkey mask from now on." Ranma
suggested, although he really didn't sound serious about it.
"It's kinda late for that now." he replied.
"So, what else have you found?" Rei asked.
"I especially wanted to know what special powers the Monkey God has."
the Saiyajin hybrid answered. "According to this book, Sun Wu Kong can make
copies of himself. To do so, he just plucks a pinch of his fur and blows it
into the breeze. From each piece of fur he pulls, a clone will appear."
"Anything else?" the pigtailed boy inquired.
"Unless I'm mistaking," Rei cut in, "Sun Wu Kong also had the
ability to see demons. Since he spent so much time in the Pot of Hell's
fire, he gained the 'Hell's sight' which allowed him to identify demons
and monsters who were in disguise."
"I wonder what else was he able to do." Trunks said. "Maybe I can
mimic some of his skills in order to convince the Senshi that I'm him."
"Well here's another book." the Shinto priestess declared. "I'm sure
we'll be able to find more of what you're looking for."
Trunks and Rei began to go through the books while Ranma just stood
there with his hands crossed behind his head and with a bored expression on
his face. He really wasn't expecting that he'd end up in a library today. As
a matter of fact, he was hoping he would get the chance to test his skills
by sparing with Trunks instead. At least that sounded a lot more interesting.
"Say, guys," he told his two friends, "I think I'll go outside to
get something to drink. I'll be back in a minute."
"Sure."
The martial artist walked away, leaving the two to their research.
The moment he made a left turn to head for the door, his bored
expression was changed by one of extreme concern.
"Ranma?" asked Ami. "What brings you here?"
Oh... my... God.
Exactly a couple of feet in front of him, Ami and Ryouga stood. What
on Earth were they doing here?? Especially now!
"Er... A... Ami... Ryouga..." Ranma babbled.
This was NOT good. Not because of Ryouga, but mostly because of Ami.
Ranma knew about Trunks' cover and judging from the direction these two were
taking, they were bound to see Rei and, most importantly, the Saiyajin hybrid.
Needless to say that Ranma had to stop their advance at all cost as well as
warning Trunks about the danger... somehow.
"Ami, Ryouga!!" Ranma said out loud, hoping that either Rei or
Trunks would be able to hear him. "What a surprise finding you here, of all
places!!"
"Er... Yes." Ami declared, a little confused by such a loud welcome.
"Ranma... I don't think you need to say that so loud. This is a library, you
know?"
"What are you doing here, Ranma?" asked Ryouga, less friendly. After
all, seeing his rival in a library was quite unusual, and for Ryouga, no
less suspicious.
"I... er... nothing! Nothing at all!" he declared as began to laugh
nervously. "What about you guys?"
"We came here in search of a book about Chinese legends." Ami
responded. "It's for a... er... school project."
At this point, Ranma began to curse silently the existence of
Murphy's Laws. The two were heading exactly where Trunks and Rei were at
this instant.
"But... er... you can't go there!" he said suddenly.
"Why not?" asked Ami surprised by such an outburst.
"Because... uhm... er... that section of the library is under
repair." Ranma explained.
"No it's not." the young genius declared with a chuckle. "Ranma,
what are you talking about? If it were under repair, the library lady
would've told us so."
"Com'on, Ranma." Ryouga cut in, as he began to advance, "Stop making
a fool of yourself. We're in a hurry."
"No! Wait!" the pigtailed boy stated, as he cut their path again.
"What now??" his rival asked, getting a little tired of this.
"Ryouga, I challenge you!!"
"Huh?"
Now this was even more unusual. Ranma issuing a challenge to Ryouga
instead of the other way around? However, the martial artist showed that he
wasn't joking when he took a fighting stance.
Under normal circumstances, Ryouga would've accepted without any
doubt. But in a rare act of self consciousness, he remembered where, and
more importantly, with *who* he was. The idea of beating Ranma was tempting,
but he knew that it wouldn't please Ami to witness such a thing. Especially
in one of her sacred places, such as the library.
"Sorry, Ranma." the bandanna boy told him, as he took Ami's hand and
began to walk towards their intended destination. "Maybe some other time."
Ranma wasn't ready to give up though. He quickly stood in their way
again, determined to start a fight.
"What's wrong, Ryouga?" he teased. "Scared?"
The lost one's patience was starting to run thin (which isn't saying
much), but retained himself from falling in his rival's provocation. Next to
him, Ami was showing some concern about the situation. Why would Ranma want
to challenge Ryouga so suddenly? Although worried about the implications of
having the two of them fighting in the library, she began to wonder mostly
why was Ranma acting in such a strange way.
"Ranma..." Ami began skeptically, "Is there a reason you don't want
us to get near the History area?"
He gulped. The girl was dangerously getting warmer. His only hope
now was that Ryouga took the bait and accepted to fight in order to create
a diversion. However, Ami's presence complicated things a bit. Ranma
remembered by now how the girl had a certain influence on Ryouga's behavior.
An influence that in other circumstances he would've welcomed gladly
(especially during those inconvenient situations where Ryouga was after him
for revenge), but that right now only made things more difficult.
Ranma was about to try one more provocation, when suddenly Rei came
running by his side. Looks like she heard the martial artist's warning after
all and was coming to help him distract the two unwanted guests.
"Rei? You're here too?" Ami inquired.
In order to understand the following events of this story, now would
be a good time to enter one of the strangest, most confusing and illogical
places in the world: Ryouga's reasoning process.
First we have exhibit "A": Ranma Saotome. Nerima's most notorious
source of trouble and disaster. A guy known for his multiple fiancées
problems which is matched only by the number of rivals who are out to get
him. Then we have exhibit "B": Rei Hino. One of Ami's close friends. Shinto
priestess and, although not in the same amount that Minako, a boy hungry
girl. Then there's the crime scene: the library. A place that NO ONE would
expect Ranma to be in. And let's not forget the strange behavior exhibit "A"
had shown the moment Ami and him had arrived.
It was all clear now. Ranma had tried to keep them both away from
where Rei and him were. Why would he do this? Simple. Ranma and Rei were
obviously having an "illegal relationship" and had most likely sneaked
inside the library, a place no one would ever dream of looking for them, in
order to perform some no less "illegal couple activities".
The verdict: guilty.
"RRRAAAAAAANNNNMMMMAAAAAA!!!" Ryouga growled. "How dare you cheat
on Akane with one of her own friends!?!?!"
"What??" Ranma managed to asked. It was also the only thing he
managed to say before all Hell broke loose in the library.
**********
"Well, we're here." Haruka said, as she parked the car.
"Okay, let's just hope we'll be able to find what we need." Michiru
declared.
"Did you had any luck with the Deep Aqua Mirror?" the blond asked.
"I tried again, moments ago." she answered. "It's the same image
than before."
The Deep Aqua Mirror. One of the three Talismans the Death Busters
had been looking for in the past. It's function was quite useful in the
hands of its owner: Sailor Neptune. By staring into the mirror, one could
see the truth behind certain persons or objects. The only problem was that
those visions were usually hard to decipher.
When Michiru consulted the mirror in order to learn more about the
newcomer who called himself Son Goku, there was no exception to the rule.
The artifact had taken some time in giving an image. When it did, it showed
a huge Monkey, big enough to give King Kong an inferiority complex. The beast
only growled in rage and made violent moves with its muscular arms, then
the image disappeared.
Surely this implied in some way that the new hero who fought
yesterday was the legendary Monkey God, Son Goku. But Haruka thought
differently. If he really was Son Goku, then why did he dress like a
Shinobi? Naturally, this awoke some suspicion in both Outer Senshi.
So, since they were short on clues, Michiru suggested that checking
some books on Chinese legends would prove helpful.
... You can guess where they went...
"That's strange." Michiru began, "There seems to be an awful amount
of noise coming from the library."
Haruka didn't took long to notice it as well. As the two got nearer
to the entrance, the growing sound of a fight could be heard. The duo
immediately ran towards the entrance, henshin rods ready in case a Raider
was the reason for all the commotion.
As they opened the door, they crashed against a figure who was
urgently making its way out of the building.
"Akira-san?" Haruka asked, as she remembered the man from the park.
"Haruka-san, Michiru-san, I'm sorry for that." he declared.
"What's going on in there?" Michiru asked, more concerned by the
fight than the little incident.
"There are two people fighting in the library." he answered, even
though it sounded very obvious by now.
"Who?"
"Saotome, I'm putting an end to your womanizing schemes *right
now*!!!" yelled a voice from inside the building.
"Oh... them..." Haruka realized visibly upset as she recognized the
voice. "Damn!! Why can't those two keep all their mayhem in Nerima!?!"
"I assume you know the ones responsible for this." Trunks brought
out.
"Not that I feel happy about it." Haruka responded. "In any way, I
guess we can forget about using the library today."
Haruka cursed. Of all the people she wasn't really fond of, why did
Ranma Saotome had to show up in the exact same place she had planned to go?
What frustrated her even more was that the annoying martial artist was
probably one of the few things which she couldn't handle... even as Sailor
Uranus. Still... maybe she should interfere, for the sake of the public
library.
An entire bookseller suddenly came crashing out of a window.
But then again, maybe she should let this one pass.
"Well," Michiru began, "I believe there's nothing for us to do here.
I suggest we leave. Akira-san, would you like to join us for a cup of coffee?
It appears that your plans have been change in the last minute as well."
"As a matter of fact, yes, they have." he responded. "It would be
my pleasure to accompany you."
The trio left the area while screams, shouts and sounds of walls
braking still came out of the library. Trunks decided that from now on, if
he was going to search for something, it would be through the internet.
End of chapter 7.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's notes:
(*) Shinobi means Ninja. If you didn't know, Ninjas were famous assassins
during the EDO period of Japan. These masked killers were ruthless, cold
blooded and had no sense of honor (unlike samurais). Therefore, it's not
hard to understand why Haruka feels so distrustful towards Son Goku.
Now, I would like to thank the following readers who were generous enough to
send me some information on Sun Wu Kong. Even though their information
sometimes contradicted each other, it would have been impossible to write
the part where Rei tells the story of this deity without their help.
Thanks a lot, folks!
Here's the list:
Yap Chin Weng.
Average Joe.
bren4bak.
Carolina Herbstaedt (I tried to e-mail you in order to thank you, but the
message always bounced back to me. So I'd like to thanks you here now).
Juuhachi18.
See you in chapter 8...
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AND NOW ON WITH....
Chapter 7: Wild search
"Monkey God? Yeah, I guess I did hear that somewhere." Ranma stated.
"Isn't that some sort of legend or something?"
"It is a legend." Rei confirmed. "A Chinese legend to be precise."
Who would have imagined seeing Rei Hino, Ranma Saotome and Trunks
Briefs sitting in a room talking about such an unusual topic. To be frank,
it all happened rather unexpectedly. Rei and Trunks had agreed to meet in
order to discuss the last fight the Sailor Senshi and 'Son Goku' held.
However, the one who first knocked at Trunks' door wasn't Rei, but Ranma
instead, who dropped by for a surprise visit. After all, Nerima wasn't too
far away from Juuban, especially when you came flying.
The Saiyajin hybrid welcomed the martial artist into his apartment.
Since he was one of the few persons who knew about him, he decided that in
the end it wouldn't be so bad if he came to talk with Rei and him. Actually,
it was quite inevitable considering that the two would eventually meet in
such circumstances, so might as well start getting used to it now.
Rei felt somewhat awkward at first by the unexpected visitor, but
then again, she knew that Trunks had talked to Ranma about his situation and
got him to cooperate. Not to mention that the martial artist had been
informed about her relationship with Trunks as well, so all of this was just
bound to happen one day or another.
Still, this didn't make things easier for her, considering that now
she would have to be cautious when talking about the Sailor Senshi without
making Ranma suspicious. Hiding information on Trunks to her friend was
already very uncomfortable and she was hoping that she wouldn't have to lie
while being in his friend's apartment.
Not surprisingly, the conversation between the three didn't start so
smooth. It was only after Trunks touched the topic of yesterday's fight that
the tension in the room began to disappear.
"I have to give it to you, Trunks," Rei continued, "You outdid
yourself in getting such an original identity. How did you came up with the
idea of using the name Son Goku, the Monkey God?"
"I didn't." he said plainly. "I don't even known what this Monkey
God business is all about."
Both guests blinked in surprise at that comment.
"Wait a minute." Ranma began, obviously intrigued, "You're trying to
tell us that you took the name Son Goku, rode a flying cloud and fought with
an extendible staff *without* knowing *anything* about the Monkey God?"
"Yes, I am." Trunks responded. "As a matter of fact, the reason I
went for that kind of getup was because, a) In order to take a completely
different identity so that the Sailor Senshi wouldn't recognize me or
associate me with Super Saiya-Man, I decided that using the Kintouen to fly
instead of flying by myself would be less suspicious. And b) because using
the Nyoi Bo instead of a sword would also be less suspicious."
"Hold on a sec." Rei stated, being now her turn to sound intrigued,
"*Where* did you get the Kintouen and the Nyoi Bo? Those things don't grow
on trees for all I know."
"Well, back in my world, there's a place called Karin's tower." he
told his guests, "Actually, that's where I get my senzus. In any case, the
Kintouen I brought comes from a bigger Kintouen which belongs to Karin-sama,
the owner of the tower. He also lent me the Nyoi Bo. Both items once
belonged to a person called Son Goku, he's the Saiyajin I once told you
about on my last trip, remember? The one who was suffering from a heart
disease. In any case, I took his name, because... well... he's really a
great guy and an even better warrior, so I kinda feel honored by using his
name."
Both Rei and Ranma looked at their host with big round eyes. After
a few seconds, this began to make Trunks a little uncomfortable.
"Wh... what? Does it sound so corny?" he asked.
"You mean to tell us..." Rei said, "that there was a guy in your
world named Son Goku, who rode a flying cloud and used the Nyoi Bo?"
"That's what I just said." Trunks confirmed, a little annoyed by
repeating what was already been told more than once. "Excuse me, but could
we get to the point here? Why did Mercury said something about Monkey God?
It looks like I'm the only person here who doesn't know about that."
"Like we said," Ranma answered. "The Monkey God is a Chinese legend.
I heard something about it when I went to Jusenkyou and got my curse. What
you just told us about your friend describes most aspects of the Monkey God
known as Son Goku."
"I thought you knew about the legend in order to come up with the
costume you used." Rei added. "But I see you didn't. Wow... talk about
coincidence... I wonder if there's a connection..."
"Well, I don't know if there is," the Saiyajin hybrid declared, "but
since you two know so much about this so-called Monkey God, how about
sharing that information with me? Might as well know who am I suppose to be
now. It could be helpful."
"Well, I don't known that much really." Ranma pointed out. "I only
heard the story once and I wasn't paying much attention."
"I know the story." Rei stated. "My grampa used to read me stories
about it when I was little, not to mention that I had to study it once. You
know: priesthood obligations. I don't know every single detail though, but I
can give you a general view of the legend."
"I'm all ears."
Enter movie scene
[The scene opens and we see the Earth from an outer space view. Strangely, it
looks more red than blue. Suddenly, several beams of light blaze through the
emptiness of space and head right for the planet.]
Rei's voice-over: In beginning of time, according to Chinese Legends, the
Goddess of Life sent three thousand magical rocks to the Earth, which she used
to cool down the planet from hellfire and brimstone.
[Earth is seen gradually regaining its original blue color. Then the beams of
light from before leave the planet and head back to outer space.]
Rei's voice-over: When the job was done, the Goddess summoned the rocks back. But
she missed five of them, which remained on Earth. Four of them eventually eroded,
but the last one began to absorb the land's power, causing earthquakes and other
natural catastrophes.
[The remaining rock is seen glowing with a green color, growing each time more
by the power it absorbed.]
Rei's voice-over: When the rock reached its limit, it began to crack like an egg.
From the inside emerged a giant ape.
[The earlier mentioned ape, bigger than most mountains, began to growl and trashed
everything that stood in his way.]
Rei's voice-over: Eventually, the huge ape made it to the Tang Dynasty's domain
and caused havoc. In order to defeat him, the palace asked a Warrior God name
General Tin Fong to help them.
[This time we see Tin Fong facing the giant monkey in a ferocious battle. After a
hard fight, the general manages to cut the ape's tail with his sword. Something
unexpected happens then...]
Rei's voice-over: By cutting the monster's tail, it turned into a small monkey
who ran off and sought refuge in the mountains where other monkeys lived. That's
how the legend of the Monkey King began.
Trunks' voice-over: Hold on a sec. I thought we were going to talk about the
Monkey God, not the Monkey King.
Rei's voice-over: I'm getting there, Trunks. This is part of the story.
Trunks' voice-over: Okay.
Rei's voice-over: Anyway, the reason Monkey became the leader of all monkeys
was due to his exceptional intelligence and courage which placed him above
average monkeys.
[We see Monkey standing on top of a cliff doing Tarzan noises while beating
his chest like a drum with his fists.]
Monkey: Who's da master??
Rei's voice-over: However, Monkey realized that one day he, as well as all
of his race, would inevitably die. Therefore he went on a quest to learn
immortality, like previous men such as Buddha. He ended up with a Taoist
immortal who took him as an apprentice.
[The scene opens on top of a different mountain. This time Monkey is
standing in front of an old man.]
Man: So, can you fly?
Monkey: Er... fly?.. er... well umm... like this?
[We see Monkey performing great leaps, going from one mountain to another.
In the end, he reaches the Taoist with the last jump, looking proud of
himself.]
Man: That's jumping, not flying. Here, let me show you how it's done.
[The immortal puts two fingers in his mouth and whistles. Soon after, a
yellow cloud comes flying. The immortal jumps on it and begins the
demonstration.]
Monkey: Cool!
Ranma's voice-over: So I assume that's how he learned to use the Kintouen.
Rei's voice-over: Exactly. However, Monkey was thrown out after showing off
his new skills to his friends.
[We now see how the Immortal sends Monkey down the mountain with a swift
kick in the butt.]
Immortal: Rule number 1: No showing off. Out you go!
Monkey: (falling) WHAAAAAaaaaaaa...
Rei's voice-over: Anyway, I believe that when he returned home, he began to
raise an army and train all of the other monkeys. His next step was to
obtain a suitable weapon, so he went to the Undersea Kingdom of the Dragons
to look for one.
[A new scene opens, a typical Atlantis look-a-like place: palace, merfolks,
underwater castles, etc... On one side, Monkey is going through a chest,
pulling out several weapons but not approving anyone. Next to him, a dragon
is looking rather annoyed.]
Monkey: (throwing around weapons)Too small... too big... too... too... I
don't even know *what* this is!... Let's see... no... no... no... too
extravagant... too weird... too cute... Yikes! What is *this* doing here??
Dragon: Hey, are you done yet? I have some other things to take care of.
Monkey: Oh, then why don't you bring me a lemonade while you're at it? Easy
on the sugar.
Rei's voice-over: Now would be a good time to say that Monkey was a very
rude guest and had a certain talent to irritate everyone.
[The Dragon looks more irritated with each passing minute. Eventually Monkey
gives up, but his eye catches something unusual at the bottom of the
Undersea Palace.]
Monkey: Hey, Dragy. What's that thing?
Dragon: Don't call me that! Anyway, that over there is the Nyoi Bo. It's
what holds the Undersea palace.
Monkey: Bo? It looks awfully big for a Bo.
Dragon: The Nyoi Bo is a magical Bo which can grow large enough to hold a
palace or small enough to be a toothpick placed behind the ears.
Monkey: (grinning) You don't say...
Rei's voice-over: I don't remember if the Nyoi Bo was given to Monkey or if
he stole it. But in any case, it ended up being his.
Monkey: (holding his Bo high): All right!! Now I only need an armor.
Rei's voice-over: This was easier said than done. Monkey went to the
Heavenly Citadel in order to get the Armor of the Gods. I'm pretty sure he
stole that one.
[We now see Monkey inside a palace. The guards that were guarding the
entrance to the treasure room have been knocked out and Monkey is pretty
much helping himself as if the place was his.]
Monkey: Oh, look! A poor abandoned armor. How cruel to leave it here
completely unprotected. It is my duty to give it a good place to live. And
what a coincidence, my chest seems to be completely unprotected. Looks like
we can help each other.
Voice: Not so fast!
Monkey: Hun?
Ranma's voice-over: (doing a girl's voice) Stealing is evil!! I, Sailor Moon,
won't forgive this act! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!!
WHAM!
Rei's voice-over: Don't interrupt me, Ranma!
Ranma's voice-over: Ouch! Hey, it was just a joke!
[At the entrance, a man wearing military garment blocks Monkey's only way of
escape.]
Man: That armor isn't yours to take. If you want it, you'll have to go
through me first!
Rei's voice-over: That man was the top boss of the Heavenly Citadel's
defense core. His name was Ten Shin Han.
Trunks' voice-over: Ten Shin Han?? Are you serious??
Rei's voice-over: Well... yeah. Why do you ask?
Trunks' voice-over: No, never mind. Please go on.
Rei's voice-over. Well, okay. Anyway, Ten shin Han defeated Monkey and sent
him inside the Pot of Hell's fire as a punishment.
Monkey: (being kicked into the pot) Not agaiiiiinnnnnnnn...
Rei's voice-over: However, once inside, I don't really known how, but Monkey
got the Pill of Divinity, or something similar. The pill gave him enough
power to brake the Pot of Hell's fire and escape.
Monkey: (braking loose) Okay, now I'm pissed!!
Rei's voice-over: The tables had turned. Now, Monkey was strong enough to
challenge Ten Shin Han again and win. The Gods decided that being such a
wild and chaotic person, Monkey was bound to cause trouble. As a way to
prevent this, they invited him to "live" among themselves so they could keep
an eye on him.
Trunks' voice-over: Really? Well, looks like that ended up well. I guess
that's how he became a God then.
Rei's voice-over: Not quite. It didn't take long for the Gods to realize
their error. Monkey ended up being quite a handful. Like I previously said,
he had a natural talent to irritate everyone.
[The scene opens and Monkey is standing firm in front of a peach tree, with
his arms crossed in front of his chest.]
Rei's voice-over: For instance, there was an occasion where Monkey had to
guard a tree which grew the God's special peaches. Instead of guarding them,
he ate most of them.
Ranma's voice-over: So he ate a couple of peaches, big deal.
Rei's voice-over: They didn't call them the Gods' special peaches for
nothing, Ranma. Eating them gave him immortality, something not just anyone
is suppose to have access to.
Trunks' voice-over: That does sound a little more serious.
Rei's voice-over: That wasn't all. The last straw was even worse.
[Inside a big palace, Monkey is just walking along looking bored. Up ahead
he sees a huge desk which is empty. Tired of doing nothing, Monkey takes a
seat and puts his feet on top of the desk as he yawns. A huge book on top of
the desk catches his attention quickly.]
Monkey: (opening the book) Hello? What have we here?
Rei's voice-over: That book just happened to have the names of all the
persons whose souls should be judged once they would die. Fearing the death
of his children and brethen, Monkey destroyed the pages where all of his
people's name were written. This didn't please the owner of the book: Enma
Daiou-sama.
Trunks' voice-over: The Lord of the Heavens gates, the one who judges the
souls of the people who pass on in order to see if they should go to Heaven
or Hell.
Rei's voice-over: (surprised) That's... right. Where did you learned that?
Trunks' voice-over: I'll tell you later. Please go on.
Rei's voice-over: Okay. Well, back to the story, the Gods had took all that
they could from Monkey, so the almighty Buddha had to interfere. Everyone
agreed that locking the trouble making chimp in the Mountain of the Five
Elements for five hundred year was a suitable punishment.
[We see two eyes popping out into the dark.]
Monkey: Hello? Anyone? Hey! You said there was a party here!! Hey!! Is
anyone listening to me?? Com'on, guys!! This isn't funny anymore!!... Hello??..
Ranma's voice-over: And so the troublesome ape became one with earth again.
(sarcastically) How sweet.
Rei's voice-over: The story doesn't end there, Ranma. Several years later,
an exiled Buddhist monk was sent to the Mountain of the Five Elements in
order to release Monkey and make him go the 'right way'. At that day, the
monk gave Monkey a new name: Sun Wu Kong. Which translated to Japanese
became Son Goku.
[A new scene opens. On top of the Mountain of Five Elements, the monk and
the recently renamed Sun Wu Kong look at the horizon.]
Monk: Take a good look, Sun Wu Kong. Take a good look at this world. Soon we
will begin our journey around it, going where the Gods want us to go. Acting
in their name. Living for them. From this point on we shall both put our
souls in this holy mission. Can you feel it, Sun Wu Kong? Can you feel the
adventures that await us?
[The monk turns around to his companion, only to see him absentmindedly
scratching his ears.]
Sun Wu Kong: (to himself) Man... it's been YEARS since I last ate a banana.
(realizes that the monk is looking at him) Oh, I'm sorry, were you saying
something?
Rei's voice-over: To make the long story short, the monk and Sun Wu Kong
went to acquire the writings of Buddhism from India. Along their way, they
met with other interesting personalities. A perverted pig called Pat Kuai
and Sa Qing, a warrior who wanted to redeem himself. After performing
several good deeds, they were all promoted as Gods. Therefore the Legend of
Son Goku: The Monkey God.
End of movie scene
"Well..." Ranma began, "for not knowing all the details, you sure
told us quite a story there, Rei."
"Priestesses have to be knowledgeable in legends and lore." the girl
stated. "Although I'm probably missing some things. Did that information
helped you, Trunks?"
"It certainly did." the Saiyajin hybrid declared. "But I do think
that I'll need to learn more about it. The more I know, the better."
"You're really taking this Son Goku thing seriously, aren't you?"
Ranma pointed out.
"It's not as if I have a choice." Trunks told him. "Now that the
Senshi saw me in that costume, might as well play along. The more I act like
this Monkey God, the less they'll be suspicious that I'm a fraud. And more
importantly, less chances they'll have to discover who I really am."
"I guess you're right." Ranma realized.
Rei silently sighed. Trunks seemed convinced that remaining a
mystery in the battle field was for the best. Even if it looked that way,
she couldn't really feel comfortable with the whole concept. Especially
since it meant lying to her friends. She had one of those feelings. Things
probably weren't going to end well.
"So, where can you find more about Son Goku?" Ranma asked.
[Well... Guess I'm already a part of this.] Rei thought. "I... might
know of a place."
**********
Ami Mizuno was known among her friends and school mates as a person
who didn't get distracted easily. However, everyone gets distracted once in
a while. The girl confirmed this when she realized that the bus she was in
had already passed her house.
Walking now towards her intended destination, the young genius began
to ponder on the topic which caused her to lose her attention earlier: Son
Goku. Once again... things just got more complicated. Even if this wasn't
the first time something like this happened, it still wasn't something easy
to get used to.
Never the less, she could make some hypothesis on how things would
unfold from this point on. For one side, Usagi was probably going to trust
this new warrior, while Rei would certainly be suspicious of him. She
wouldn't be surprised if Minako showed more interest in discovering whether
this man was handsome underneath that hood. And she was expecting Mako-chan
to say that he reminded her of a certain purple haired boyfriend she once
had. What worried her the most though was Haruka and Michiru. The two Outer
Senshi were known for being rough on newcomers and were most likely going to
be *very* rude to Son Goku.
[Hmmm... it still feels weird to call him that.] Ami thought. [I
wonder if he really *is* Son Goku. He doesn't look like the one from the
legends. You can hardly call him a monkey for that matter. But then again,
you don't see a man flying on a cloud and using an extendible staff very
often.]
Ami went on with her brainstorming until her eyes suddenly caught a
sight of someone she knew. Her serious look changed into a happy one in
blink of an eye. It had been quite some time since she last saw him.
"Ryouga!" she said out loud.
A confused looking young man who stood among the crowd turned around
to pinpoint the voice's origin. He spotted Ami in a matter of seconds and
went to great her.
"Ami, hi!" he said surprised. "What brings you here to Neri...
wait... we're not in Nerima, are we?"
Ami couldn't help to giggle at that comment. She didn't mean any
insult towards Ryouga by doing so, but to her, it was simply adorable the
way her friend realized he was lost.
The bandanna boy didn't take long in joining in on the laughter
while scratching the back of his head with his hand in a sign of
embarrassment. In Ami's book, this made him look even more cute.
"So I guess there's no need for me to ask what brings you to
Juuban." she stated.
"No, I guess not." he responded. "It's nice to see you again though.
How have you been lately?"
"I've been doing well, thanks." she said. "How about you? Did you
go on a training journey?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Are you coming from school?"
"Yes, I am. I was heading home. Say... why don't you come with me?"
she suggested a little nervous, "I mean... I could offer you a glass of
water or something similar and you could tell me more about your trip."
"Sure. Lead the way."
Most people who knew Ami would've been surprised to hear such a
direct proposition coming from her mouth. Especially if it was directed to
a boy. However those how *really* knew her, such as her close friends, also
knew that Ryouga was possibly one of the few members of the opposite sex to
whom Ami could talk so freely (or as freely as her shy personality allowed
her to).
This didn't happen from one day to another though. At the beginning,
Ami showed her default shy behavior when facing Ryouga, and truth be told,
so did he for that matter. It was only after several months, as well as
several unusual circumstances which brought them together, that their
friendship had grown enough to attain the level of trust they had now.
Surprisingly, they owed such favor to Kuno Tatewaki.
After a few minutes of walking, the two of them made it to Ami's
apartment.
"Make yourself at home." she said, as she walked in. "Do you want a
glass of water?"
"Don't mind if I do." Ryouga responded as he put his heavy backpack
near the door, "By the way, I have two things here I want to give you."
"Really?"
"First of all, here." he said as he took out a book and gave it to
her.
"The book I leant you the last time you were here." Ami realized.
"Did you finish it?"
"I did." he told her. "I kinda liked the main character. In a dark
way, I was somehow able to relate to him. It's not a 'happy ending', but it
made me think for a while."
Ami took the book which title was 'The Stranger' from Albert Camus,
winner of the Nobel prize of Literature in 1957. The story was of a man who,
being indifferent to life itself, found a meaning of it moments before his
death. Like most of Camus' books, the story revolves around the absurdity of
society. It was a great book none the less and Ami was happy that she could
find a good Japanese translation in order to read it. She had leant it to
Ryouga about a month ago. It was something of a tradition that the two had
ended up doing.
Being the scholar that she is, Ami was concerned about Ryouga's
education, especially since this last one spend so much time on the road.
The main problem was that her friend could get lost while walking on a
straight line, which unable him from attending any sort of education
facility frequently.
But she had an idea. If Ryouga couldn't go to school, make school go
to Ryouga. And what better source of education than a book which can be
carried anywhere you go?
Ryouga wasn't very fond of the idea at first, since he considered
that improving his martial arts in order to defeat Ranma was a higher
priority than reading. But then again, the bandanna boy had a well known
weakness with girls and the word 'no'. And Ami was far from being an
exception.
The girl's plan eventually gave results as Ryouga actually ended up
enjoying his readings. So, each time they met, Ami would lent a book to her
friend and discuss the one that he had already read. In a way, it also
guaranteed that they would always keep in touch.
"And I also have this for you." he added as he took out a small box.
"Cookies." she stated as she opened her present. "Where did you get
them?"
"Well... I *think* I got them at Hokkaido, but I could be wrong."
"That's very sweet of you, Ryouga." she told him. "Thank you very
much."
The bandanna boy just blushed as his friend smiled at him in
gratitude. Even if she was probably the only girl he could talk to without
sounding like a babbling idiot, she was a girl no less, and a pretty one at
that too. Not to mention that her resemblance with Akane didn't made things
easier for him either. Fortunately, he regain composure quickly.
"So, were you heading to Nerima to challenge Ranma again?" Ami began.
"Not yet." Ryouga declared. "I'm still working on this new technique.
I'll challenge Ranma once I've mastered it completely."
In spite of being a Sailor Senshi and facing super-natural enemies
on a regular basis, Ami wasn't prone to violence herself. She had often
tried to talk Ryouga out of his ongoing 'vengeance' against Ranma,
suggesting a more peaceful alternative instead. Unfortunately, her friend
was very determined, or obsessed, depending on which term you liked the most.
Men were still a mystery to her, and she could somehow guess that
understanding Quantum Physics was probably a lot easier than understanding
the opposite sex.
"Right now, I'd really like to see how Akane is doing." he continued.
"I miss her."
"I see..." Ami responded.
Strange. For some reason, Ami's smile seemed to waver after saying
that. Ryouga didn't gave it much thought though.
"Oh, by the way, Ryouga," she said, conveniently changing the
subject, "I was planning to go to the library in search of a book. Would you
like to join me? Maybe we can get a book for you too, before you head back
to Nerima."
"Well... er... sure." he declared.
"Okay, let's go."
**********
One of the most imposing buildings in Dominia was Arlakk's tower.
Maybe it wasn't as tall and majestic as the Lord's tower, but it was still
really hard to miss. Stones which were dark as night raised the
necromancer's lair into the sky. Hideous looking gargoyles guarded its doors.
Dead trees stood around the property, twisted in several unusual ways with
branches that resembled claws.
One would think that not a single soul would be found in such a
place. This comment always amused Arlakk, since tormented souls were regular
visitors in his domain. Whether he had summoned them himself or they had
come by their own free will, attracted by the dark nature of the tower,
hearing shrieks, howls and other unnatural sounds were not a strange things
coming from his garden.
From the inside, his lair wasn't very different. All was dark. Not
only due to the sorcerer's choice of color for interior decoration, but also
because a torch was rarely lighten as well. Arlakk didn't seemed to mind the
lack of illumination though. As matter of fact, he felt quite comfortable.
With no doubt, he was the only person who could feel at ease in such a place.
The owner of the tower entered his laboratory. A place filled with
scrolls, books, potions and other magical items which could only be
identified by him. Some of those things were placed in book shelves or
tables, but most were scattered among the floor in no apparent order.
[One of these days, I'll have to clean this place.] he thought,
even though he well knew that he wouldn't go beyond the point of just
thinking it instead of doing it.
Sitting on his throne, which was possibly the only piece of
furniture that wasn't occupied by books or similar things, Arlakk took off
his hat which he threw somewhere at random.
"Master, you have returned." said a deep, yet distinguishable female,
voice coming from the shadows (which isn't saying much since shadows were
everywhere).
"Yes, I have, Delif." the necromancer spoke.
"Has our Lord reconsidered your offer in this mission?" the creature
asked.
"Unfortunately, no. The operation is still in the hands of my
incompetent coworker." he briefed. "Our liege believes that it is wise to
let Eron proceed with the investigation, especially since new defenders have
shown up."
"Sending Eron to do a job which was meant to be yours is an error."
Delif stated. "I don't understand why the Lord isn't able to see that."
"Do not speak of our Lord in such disrespect, Delif!" Arlakk growled.
"His wisdom is way above ours. We can't even *dream* of questioning his
genius. Whatever decision he takes is for the best."
"I... I'm sorry. Please forgive my impertinence, Master."
"humph! You have to learn how to control those emotions of yours,
Delif." the necromancer declared. "It's something I overlooked the day I
created you in order to make you a more ferocious warrior, but you have to
learn how to behave *outside* the battlefield."
"Yes, Master. I won't disappoint you anymore."
"In any case, your words hold some truth." he continued. "There is
no way Eron will be victorious in his mission."
"You are so certain of it, Master?"
"Quite certain." Arlakk went on, "His Elite Raider may have proven
efficient against the Sailor Senshi, but it became nothing more than a rag
doll when fighting against that new defender. This new character is way
beyond Eron's possibilities."
"Do you believe he is a magical being like myself?"
"Quite the contrary, Delif." he explained. "There was no magical
energy in him what so ever. Maybe that quarter staff of his was magical, but
not him. And yet... a tremendous power came from him. A power not yet
unleashed."
"In any case, that shouldn't be a problem for you, Master." the dark
figure said. "If the defender has a spirit, you can bring him down to his
knees without big effort."
"True." acknowledged the necromancer. "But I don't plan to get
overconfident. We still don't known what other surprises the defenders have
in store for us. In any event, it's up to Eron now. All we can do now is
wait and see."
**********
"When you said that we were going to find some information on Son
Goku, I thought we were going to some ancient shrine to see some wise old
man or something similar." Ranma said, somewhat disappointed.
"So what's wrong with a library?" Rei asked him. "There's a lot of
history book here which can help us."
"It just boring, that's all."
"Stop complaining and hold this instead." Rei told him as she gave
him another book to carry.
Ranma did as told and the two went to join Trunks who was sitting on
a nearby table while checking other books they had already found.
"Found anything interesting?" Ranma asked as he also took the chance
to yawn.
"A picture of Sun Wu Kong." Trunks responded, as he showed him the
image.
Indeed it was a picture of the famous Monkey God. A monkey, no doubt
about it. Even if he had the body of a human, his face proved that he wasn't.
Dressed in red clothing with a silver armor protecting his chest, he stood
on top of a cloud, apparently riding it like a surf board while holding his
magical Bo staff in a fighting stance. Sun also seemed to wear a golden
circlet on his head.
"Hmmm... doesn't look much like your costume, does it, Trunks?" Rei
pointed out.
"Not one bit." he confirmed. "But then again, it's no surprise. I
knew nothing of Sun Wu Kong till today. It would've been one incredible
coincidence if my costume would've matched this picture."
"Well, what does your costume look like?" Ranma asked intrigued.
"Let's just say that you're looking at the first Shinobi-like Son
Goku.(*)" Rei told him.
"Well what else was I suppose to wear?" Trunks said in defense. "I
*had* to hide my face somehow so I wouldn't be recognized."
"Well, you could start wearing a monkey mask from now on." Ranma
suggested, although he really didn't sound serious about it.
"It's kinda late for that now." he replied.
"So, what else have you found?" Rei asked.
"I especially wanted to know what special powers the Monkey God has."
the Saiyajin hybrid answered. "According to this book, Sun Wu Kong can make
copies of himself. To do so, he just plucks a pinch of his fur and blows it
into the breeze. From each piece of fur he pulls, a clone will appear."
"Anything else?" the pigtailed boy inquired.
"Unless I'm mistaking," Rei cut in, "Sun Wu Kong also had the
ability to see demons. Since he spent so much time in the Pot of Hell's
fire, he gained the 'Hell's sight' which allowed him to identify demons
and monsters who were in disguise."
"I wonder what else was he able to do." Trunks said. "Maybe I can
mimic some of his skills in order to convince the Senshi that I'm him."
"Well here's another book." the Shinto priestess declared. "I'm sure
we'll be able to find more of what you're looking for."
Trunks and Rei began to go through the books while Ranma just stood
there with his hands crossed behind his head and with a bored expression on
his face. He really wasn't expecting that he'd end up in a library today. As
a matter of fact, he was hoping he would get the chance to test his skills
by sparing with Trunks instead. At least that sounded a lot more interesting.
"Say, guys," he told his two friends, "I think I'll go outside to
get something to drink. I'll be back in a minute."
"Sure."
The martial artist walked away, leaving the two to their research.
The moment he made a left turn to head for the door, his bored
expression was changed by one of extreme concern.
"Ranma?" asked Ami. "What brings you here?"
Oh... my... God.
Exactly a couple of feet in front of him, Ami and Ryouga stood. What
on Earth were they doing here?? Especially now!
"Er... A... Ami... Ryouga..." Ranma babbled.
This was NOT good. Not because of Ryouga, but mostly because of Ami.
Ranma knew about Trunks' cover and judging from the direction these two were
taking, they were bound to see Rei and, most importantly, the Saiyajin hybrid.
Needless to say that Ranma had to stop their advance at all cost as well as
warning Trunks about the danger... somehow.
"Ami, Ryouga!!" Ranma said out loud, hoping that either Rei or
Trunks would be able to hear him. "What a surprise finding you here, of all
places!!"
"Er... Yes." Ami declared, a little confused by such a loud welcome.
"Ranma... I don't think you need to say that so loud. This is a library, you
know?"
"What are you doing here, Ranma?" asked Ryouga, less friendly. After
all, seeing his rival in a library was quite unusual, and for Ryouga, no
less suspicious.
"I... er... nothing! Nothing at all!" he declared as began to laugh
nervously. "What about you guys?"
"We came here in search of a book about Chinese legends." Ami
responded. "It's for a... er... school project."
At this point, Ranma began to curse silently the existence of
Murphy's Laws. The two were heading exactly where Trunks and Rei were at
this instant.
"But... er... you can't go there!" he said suddenly.
"Why not?" asked Ami surprised by such an outburst.
"Because... uhm... er... that section of the library is under
repair." Ranma explained.
"No it's not." the young genius declared with a chuckle. "Ranma,
what are you talking about? If it were under repair, the library lady
would've told us so."
"Com'on, Ranma." Ryouga cut in, as he began to advance, "Stop making
a fool of yourself. We're in a hurry."
"No! Wait!" the pigtailed boy stated, as he cut their path again.
"What now??" his rival asked, getting a little tired of this.
"Ryouga, I challenge you!!"
"Huh?"
Now this was even more unusual. Ranma issuing a challenge to Ryouga
instead of the other way around? However, the martial artist showed that he
wasn't joking when he took a fighting stance.
Under normal circumstances, Ryouga would've accepted without any
doubt. But in a rare act of self consciousness, he remembered where, and
more importantly, with *who* he was. The idea of beating Ranma was tempting,
but he knew that it wouldn't please Ami to witness such a thing. Especially
in one of her sacred places, such as the library.
"Sorry, Ranma." the bandanna boy told him, as he took Ami's hand and
began to walk towards their intended destination. "Maybe some other time."
Ranma wasn't ready to give up though. He quickly stood in their way
again, determined to start a fight.
"What's wrong, Ryouga?" he teased. "Scared?"
The lost one's patience was starting to run thin (which isn't saying
much), but retained himself from falling in his rival's provocation. Next to
him, Ami was showing some concern about the situation. Why would Ranma want
to challenge Ryouga so suddenly? Although worried about the implications of
having the two of them fighting in the library, she began to wonder mostly
why was Ranma acting in such a strange way.
"Ranma..." Ami began skeptically, "Is there a reason you don't want
us to get near the History area?"
He gulped. The girl was dangerously getting warmer. His only hope
now was that Ryouga took the bait and accepted to fight in order to create
a diversion. However, Ami's presence complicated things a bit. Ranma
remembered by now how the girl had a certain influence on Ryouga's behavior.
An influence that in other circumstances he would've welcomed gladly
(especially during those inconvenient situations where Ryouga was after him
for revenge), but that right now only made things more difficult.
Ranma was about to try one more provocation, when suddenly Rei came
running by his side. Looks like she heard the martial artist's warning after
all and was coming to help him distract the two unwanted guests.
"Rei? You're here too?" Ami inquired.
In order to understand the following events of this story, now would
be a good time to enter one of the strangest, most confusing and illogical
places in the world: Ryouga's reasoning process.
First we have exhibit "A": Ranma Saotome. Nerima's most notorious
source of trouble and disaster. A guy known for his multiple fiancées
problems which is matched only by the number of rivals who are out to get
him. Then we have exhibit "B": Rei Hino. One of Ami's close friends. Shinto
priestess and, although not in the same amount that Minako, a boy hungry
girl. Then there's the crime scene: the library. A place that NO ONE would
expect Ranma to be in. And let's not forget the strange behavior exhibit "A"
had shown the moment Ami and him had arrived.
It was all clear now. Ranma had tried to keep them both away from
where Rei and him were. Why would he do this? Simple. Ranma and Rei were
obviously having an "illegal relationship" and had most likely sneaked
inside the library, a place no one would ever dream of looking for them, in
order to perform some no less "illegal couple activities".
The verdict: guilty.
"RRRAAAAAAANNNNMMMMAAAAAA!!!" Ryouga growled. "How dare you cheat
on Akane with one of her own friends!?!?!"
"What??" Ranma managed to asked. It was also the only thing he
managed to say before all Hell broke loose in the library.
**********
"Well, we're here." Haruka said, as she parked the car.
"Okay, let's just hope we'll be able to find what we need." Michiru
declared.
"Did you had any luck with the Deep Aqua Mirror?" the blond asked.
"I tried again, moments ago." she answered. "It's the same image
than before."
The Deep Aqua Mirror. One of the three Talismans the Death Busters
had been looking for in the past. It's function was quite useful in the
hands of its owner: Sailor Neptune. By staring into the mirror, one could
see the truth behind certain persons or objects. The only problem was that
those visions were usually hard to decipher.
When Michiru consulted the mirror in order to learn more about the
newcomer who called himself Son Goku, there was no exception to the rule.
The artifact had taken some time in giving an image. When it did, it showed
a huge Monkey, big enough to give King Kong an inferiority complex. The beast
only growled in rage and made violent moves with its muscular arms, then
the image disappeared.
Surely this implied in some way that the new hero who fought
yesterday was the legendary Monkey God, Son Goku. But Haruka thought
differently. If he really was Son Goku, then why did he dress like a
Shinobi? Naturally, this awoke some suspicion in both Outer Senshi.
So, since they were short on clues, Michiru suggested that checking
some books on Chinese legends would prove helpful.
... You can guess where they went...
"That's strange." Michiru began, "There seems to be an awful amount
of noise coming from the library."
Haruka didn't took long to notice it as well. As the two got nearer
to the entrance, the growing sound of a fight could be heard. The duo
immediately ran towards the entrance, henshin rods ready in case a Raider
was the reason for all the commotion.
As they opened the door, they crashed against a figure who was
urgently making its way out of the building.
"Akira-san?" Haruka asked, as she remembered the man from the park.
"Haruka-san, Michiru-san, I'm sorry for that." he declared.
"What's going on in there?" Michiru asked, more concerned by the
fight than the little incident.
"There are two people fighting in the library." he answered, even
though it sounded very obvious by now.
"Who?"
"Saotome, I'm putting an end to your womanizing schemes *right
now*!!!" yelled a voice from inside the building.
"Oh... them..." Haruka realized visibly upset as she recognized the
voice. "Damn!! Why can't those two keep all their mayhem in Nerima!?!"
"I assume you know the ones responsible for this." Trunks brought
out.
"Not that I feel happy about it." Haruka responded. "In any way, I
guess we can forget about using the library today."
Haruka cursed. Of all the people she wasn't really fond of, why did
Ranma Saotome had to show up in the exact same place she had planned to go?
What frustrated her even more was that the annoying martial artist was
probably one of the few things which she couldn't handle... even as Sailor
Uranus. Still... maybe she should interfere, for the sake of the public
library.
An entire bookseller suddenly came crashing out of a window.
But then again, maybe she should let this one pass.
"Well," Michiru began, "I believe there's nothing for us to do here.
I suggest we leave. Akira-san, would you like to join us for a cup of coffee?
It appears that your plans have been change in the last minute as well."
"As a matter of fact, yes, they have." he responded. "It would be
my pleasure to accompany you."
The trio left the area while screams, shouts and sounds of walls
braking still came out of the library. Trunks decided that from now on, if
he was going to search for something, it would be through the internet.
End of chapter 7.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's notes:
(*) Shinobi means Ninja. If you didn't know, Ninjas were famous assassins
during the EDO period of Japan. These masked killers were ruthless, cold
blooded and had no sense of honor (unlike samurais). Therefore, it's not
hard to understand why Haruka feels so distrustful towards Son Goku.
Now, I would like to thank the following readers who were generous enough to
send me some information on Sun Wu Kong. Even though their information
sometimes contradicted each other, it would have been impossible to write
the part where Rei tells the story of this deity without their help.
Thanks a lot, folks!
Here's the list:
Yap Chin Weng.
Average Joe.
bren4bak.
Carolina Herbstaedt (I tried to e-mail you in order to thank you, but the
message always bounced back to me. So I'd like to thanks you here now).
Juuhachi18.
See you in chapter 8...