Sons of the Apocalypse
A Ranma 1/2 alternate fanwork by Wolfye Productions, Inc.
- http://fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=276284
All Ranma 1/2 characters are (c) Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications,
Inc., Shogakukan, Inc., Kitty Films and Fuji TV. Characters are used
without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story
concept, other characters and original situations are (c) Wolfye
Productions, Inc.; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes
only.
=-=-=-=-=
Part 00: The Prophecy
The bright afternoon sun shone happily down upon the quiet Nerima district,
bathing everything in a warm and healthy glow. The citizens of Nerima talked gaily amongst
themselves as they continued on merrily about their daily business. It was the middle of
summer; storms of any kind were rare for that time of year. And so, the citizens of Nerima
paid no heed to the quickly approaching black clouds. Then it hit.
The storm clouds came quickly, catching the sun completely by surprise. It had little
time to prepare as the storm began its first assault. Below, people stared in awe and fear up
at the sky, then quickly scattered to find a safe place to hide. Women held their children
protectively close to their bosoms, whilst their husbands hovered nearby. All stared in
wonderment and trepidation up towards the sky, as both sunlight and lightning fought
savagely for control of the Heavens above the Tokyo suburb.
In the very midst of this great and terrible battle stood a single white stucco building,
humble in its appearance, yet stately in historic significance. It stood upright in the centre of
downtown, seemingly oblivious to the raging war overhead.
Within the building's timeworn walls, in a single room on the fourth floor, lay a pale
sweating woman on a high metal-framed cot. Her dark auburn hair was slick with sweat, and
was plastered wetly across her high forehead. On her right side, clutching lovingly and
supportively at her tensed hand, stood a tall man with wide, wire-brimmed glasses, his bare
head covered in a plain white handkerchief. He was dressed in a white long-sleeved chan
saam with red clasps, and long loose-fitting black pants tied securely at the ankles with
white ribbons. He was a rather large man, powerfully built with broad shoulders and a deep
chest. Even his demeanor bespoke of an overwhelming power, as he stood calmly by his
wife's bedside speaking soothing words of calm into her ear.
The woman sat slightly propped up in bed, multiple pillows stuffed behind her back
for comfort and support. Her long, flawless legs were angled up at the knees, a plain white
hospital sheet draped carelessly across her mid-section.
At the foot of the bed sat a doctor, a nurse by his side, both patiently waiting for yet
another new-borne baby. Nestled within the arms of the nurse was a little blue-wrapped
bundle, the contents of which squirmed in her protective grasp. A tiny pair of hands reached
up blindly and played with the collar of her uniform.
"Okay now, one more push and it'll all be over Mrs. Saotome," the doctor called out
soothingly to the heaving and sweating mother.
Nodoka groaned with the effort and pain she was feeling, yet dutifully obeyed the
doctor's request, as she sought comfort in her husband's supportive words.
"Come on Nodoka, you can do it. Just one more little push."
And she did. With a final cry, Nodoka pushed with all her might, and then, in a
matter of seconds, felt completely empty. Tired beyond words, she collapsed back into the
pillows, still clutching her husband's large hands.
Suddenly, the stark white room was filled with a high-pitched scream, which was
soon followed by another scream. The nurse approached the man and wife, two writhing
bundles held protectively in her arms. One was handed to her, while the other was placed
gently in the large awaiting arms of her husband. The doctor approached the two of them, a
gentle smile written across his worn features. He idly wiped his bloody hands on a blue
surgical towel.
"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Saotome," he addressed the two. Today would mark
the day of his one-hundredth successful delivery. "You are now the parents of two, very
healthy, baby boys."
The two parents smiled proudly back at him, then looked lovingly at each other.
Nodoka turned back to him, the wonderful smile of proud motherhood adorning her stately
features.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Akinawa. We are both very grateful to have had you help
deliver our children." Her husband nodded in agreement, the ecstatic grin of sudden
fatherhood plastered across his rough, angular face.
"It was my pleasure," the doctor replied, bowing to them both. "I trust that Ms. Mori
has informed you on which child is which?" he asked, gesturing to the smiling nurse next to
him.
Nodoka turned her wonderful smile onto the youthful nurse. "Yes, she has," she
replied, nodding her head.
"Very well, then," Akinawa said, ushering the nurse out of the birthing room, leaving
the husband and wife to bask in their new-found parentage. "Please let us know once you
have decided on a name for your new-borne sons," he added, then closed the door softly
behind him.
Genma turned to gaze lovingly at his wife, who was presently busy as she cooed
softly to her new-borne son. The baby quieted down significantly in her embrace then
subsequently fell asleep. The infant in his arms soon followed suit.
Genma smiled adoringly. Twin sons! Not one, but two! Two wonderfully healthy
baby boys to carry on the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts! Oh, what a
joyous day this was! Surely the gods were smiling down upon his family today!
"Oh, Nodoka," he breathed, his deep voice intoned with joy and wonderment. His
wife looked up from the sleeping infant, her shining eyes meeting his awed gaze.
"Nodoka... Two baby boys!" he cried exultantly, although careful not to wake his sleeping
sons. "My dear, you've made me the happiest man on Earth!"
Nodoka looked up at her husband, his excitement and joy perfectly matching her
own. She looked down at the tiny baby sleeping peacefully in her warm embrace. His tiny
eyes were closed shut, making it impossible for her to see what colour they were. They
would probably remain closed for the next couple of days, until the muscles were
finally strong enough for them to open. His tiny, delicate head was lightly covered with a
small spray of short black hairs, which barely seemed to cover the whole of his head,
displaying the pink skin hidden underneath.
She looked over at the baby her husband was holding. Genma had finally taken to
sitting down in the chair next to the bed, and was busy studying the little boy's face. This
one was the older of the two by about five minutes, and he looked identical to the one that
she held. But then again, something seemed different with this one.
Then it came to her. Where the boy that she held had jet-black hairs, the one that her
husband held sported a light shock of dark auburn hairs, similar to her own. A very subtle
difference, yes, but a difference nonetheless. She smiled. At least there would be something
to help people tell the two apart, since, other than their hair colour, the two infants looked
exactly alike.
"Genma," she finally spoke. Her husband turned and looked up at her.
"Yes, my dear?"
"It is time that we discussed a name for our two sons," she said simply. Genma
nodded in agreement, as if he, too, were pondering the same thing. He then sat back and
waited patiently for his wife to continue.
---
"Mr. Akinawa?"
Akinawa looked up from his patient's clipboard to find Mori standing before him
with two sets of papers in her hand.
"Yes, Ms. Mori? What can I do for you?"
She held out the sets of papers to him. "The Saotomes have decided on a name for
their two sons already. I need you to sign their birth certificates and medical records," she
informed him in a soft, melodic voice.
"Oh, very well then," he said, taking the papers from her. "I wonder what they
decided on."
"They're very... unique."
He shuffled through the papers until he found the birth certificates. They were
placed in chronological order. A small frown of puzzlement crossed his face.
"Kuraima and Ranma Saotome..." he said thoughtfully. "You're right, they certainly
are different," he said to the waiting nurse, putting a slight emphasis on that last word.
*"Dark Horse" and "Wild Horse",* he mentally translated. Why on Earth would someone
want to name their sons that? They certainly weren't common boy names.
"Hmm... It seems as if the Saotomes have a fondness for horse names," he
commented, idly remembering the father's name. Mori simply nodded in agreement.
Akinawa reached into his pocket and pulled out a black ink pen. After briefly
scanning the medical records to make sure everything was in order, he quickly signed the
papers and handed them back to the waiting nurse. She bowed to him, then took off down
the hall to the maternity ward.
Katsuke watched her go with some bemusement. She was certainly very pretty. He
idly wondered if she was already seeing someone. When she finally turned the corner, his
thoughts drifted back to the young couple he had just helped to deliver. *Kuraima and
Ranma... What strange names,* he thought again. With a final shake of his head, he turned
his attention back to his patient, and the medical clipboard in his practiced hands.
---
The citizens of Nerima stared up at the sky with a look of bewilderment. Just
moments ago, the sky had been active with a viscious battle between sun and storm. The
savage war, which had been punctuated frequently with momentary strikes of sunlight and
lightning, had lasted a total of just a few hours.
Then, just when the terrible battle for the Heavens had seemed to reach its peak, it
suddenly dissipated as quickly as it had first started, leaving in its awesome wake a lonely
and desolate sky, devoid of both light and shadow. It was grey, lifeless; not one sunbeam
nor storm cloud marked its dreary visage.
The people were stunned. What on Earth had just happened? The past events
became a tumbled mass of confusion. A great battle had just taken place, and they were no
the wiser for it.
(End of Part 00)
---
1. chan saam - Cantonese word for shirt. I shall use this word to depict those Chinese-style
shirts the Saotomes prefer to wear.
---
Notes:
The number 4 is Chinese culture is an ominous number, oftentimes signifying bad luck, and
even sometimes death.
A Ranma 1/2 alternate fanwork by Wolfye Productions, Inc.
- http://fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=276284
All Ranma 1/2 characters are (c) Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications,
Inc., Shogakukan, Inc., Kitty Films and Fuji TV. Characters are used
without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story
concept, other characters and original situations are (c) Wolfye
Productions, Inc.; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes
only.
=-=-=-=-=
Part 00: The Prophecy
The bright afternoon sun shone happily down upon the quiet Nerima district,
bathing everything in a warm and healthy glow. The citizens of Nerima talked gaily amongst
themselves as they continued on merrily about their daily business. It was the middle of
summer; storms of any kind were rare for that time of year. And so, the citizens of Nerima
paid no heed to the quickly approaching black clouds. Then it hit.
The storm clouds came quickly, catching the sun completely by surprise. It had little
time to prepare as the storm began its first assault. Below, people stared in awe and fear up
at the sky, then quickly scattered to find a safe place to hide. Women held their children
protectively close to their bosoms, whilst their husbands hovered nearby. All stared in
wonderment and trepidation up towards the sky, as both sunlight and lightning fought
savagely for control of the Heavens above the Tokyo suburb.
In the very midst of this great and terrible battle stood a single white stucco building,
humble in its appearance, yet stately in historic significance. It stood upright in the centre of
downtown, seemingly oblivious to the raging war overhead.
Within the building's timeworn walls, in a single room on the fourth floor, lay a pale
sweating woman on a high metal-framed cot. Her dark auburn hair was slick with sweat, and
was plastered wetly across her high forehead. On her right side, clutching lovingly and
supportively at her tensed hand, stood a tall man with wide, wire-brimmed glasses, his bare
head covered in a plain white handkerchief. He was dressed in a white long-sleeved chan
saam with red clasps, and long loose-fitting black pants tied securely at the ankles with
white ribbons. He was a rather large man, powerfully built with broad shoulders and a deep
chest. Even his demeanor bespoke of an overwhelming power, as he stood calmly by his
wife's bedside speaking soothing words of calm into her ear.
The woman sat slightly propped up in bed, multiple pillows stuffed behind her back
for comfort and support. Her long, flawless legs were angled up at the knees, a plain white
hospital sheet draped carelessly across her mid-section.
At the foot of the bed sat a doctor, a nurse by his side, both patiently waiting for yet
another new-borne baby. Nestled within the arms of the nurse was a little blue-wrapped
bundle, the contents of which squirmed in her protective grasp. A tiny pair of hands reached
up blindly and played with the collar of her uniform.
"Okay now, one more push and it'll all be over Mrs. Saotome," the doctor called out
soothingly to the heaving and sweating mother.
Nodoka groaned with the effort and pain she was feeling, yet dutifully obeyed the
doctor's request, as she sought comfort in her husband's supportive words.
"Come on Nodoka, you can do it. Just one more little push."
And she did. With a final cry, Nodoka pushed with all her might, and then, in a
matter of seconds, felt completely empty. Tired beyond words, she collapsed back into the
pillows, still clutching her husband's large hands.
Suddenly, the stark white room was filled with a high-pitched scream, which was
soon followed by another scream. The nurse approached the man and wife, two writhing
bundles held protectively in her arms. One was handed to her, while the other was placed
gently in the large awaiting arms of her husband. The doctor approached the two of them, a
gentle smile written across his worn features. He idly wiped his bloody hands on a blue
surgical towel.
"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Saotome," he addressed the two. Today would mark
the day of his one-hundredth successful delivery. "You are now the parents of two, very
healthy, baby boys."
The two parents smiled proudly back at him, then looked lovingly at each other.
Nodoka turned back to him, the wonderful smile of proud motherhood adorning her stately
features.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Akinawa. We are both very grateful to have had you help
deliver our children." Her husband nodded in agreement, the ecstatic grin of sudden
fatherhood plastered across his rough, angular face.
"It was my pleasure," the doctor replied, bowing to them both. "I trust that Ms. Mori
has informed you on which child is which?" he asked, gesturing to the smiling nurse next to
him.
Nodoka turned her wonderful smile onto the youthful nurse. "Yes, she has," she
replied, nodding her head.
"Very well, then," Akinawa said, ushering the nurse out of the birthing room, leaving
the husband and wife to bask in their new-found parentage. "Please let us know once you
have decided on a name for your new-borne sons," he added, then closed the door softly
behind him.
Genma turned to gaze lovingly at his wife, who was presently busy as she cooed
softly to her new-borne son. The baby quieted down significantly in her embrace then
subsequently fell asleep. The infant in his arms soon followed suit.
Genma smiled adoringly. Twin sons! Not one, but two! Two wonderfully healthy
baby boys to carry on the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts! Oh, what a
joyous day this was! Surely the gods were smiling down upon his family today!
"Oh, Nodoka," he breathed, his deep voice intoned with joy and wonderment. His
wife looked up from the sleeping infant, her shining eyes meeting his awed gaze.
"Nodoka... Two baby boys!" he cried exultantly, although careful not to wake his sleeping
sons. "My dear, you've made me the happiest man on Earth!"
Nodoka looked up at her husband, his excitement and joy perfectly matching her
own. She looked down at the tiny baby sleeping peacefully in her warm embrace. His tiny
eyes were closed shut, making it impossible for her to see what colour they were. They
would probably remain closed for the next couple of days, until the muscles were
finally strong enough for them to open. His tiny, delicate head was lightly covered with a
small spray of short black hairs, which barely seemed to cover the whole of his head,
displaying the pink skin hidden underneath.
She looked over at the baby her husband was holding. Genma had finally taken to
sitting down in the chair next to the bed, and was busy studying the little boy's face. This
one was the older of the two by about five minutes, and he looked identical to the one that
she held. But then again, something seemed different with this one.
Then it came to her. Where the boy that she held had jet-black hairs, the one that her
husband held sported a light shock of dark auburn hairs, similar to her own. A very subtle
difference, yes, but a difference nonetheless. She smiled. At least there would be something
to help people tell the two apart, since, other than their hair colour, the two infants looked
exactly alike.
"Genma," she finally spoke. Her husband turned and looked up at her.
"Yes, my dear?"
"It is time that we discussed a name for our two sons," she said simply. Genma
nodded in agreement, as if he, too, were pondering the same thing. He then sat back and
waited patiently for his wife to continue.
---
"Mr. Akinawa?"
Akinawa looked up from his patient's clipboard to find Mori standing before him
with two sets of papers in her hand.
"Yes, Ms. Mori? What can I do for you?"
She held out the sets of papers to him. "The Saotomes have decided on a name for
their two sons already. I need you to sign their birth certificates and medical records," she
informed him in a soft, melodic voice.
"Oh, very well then," he said, taking the papers from her. "I wonder what they
decided on."
"They're very... unique."
He shuffled through the papers until he found the birth certificates. They were
placed in chronological order. A small frown of puzzlement crossed his face.
"Kuraima and Ranma Saotome..." he said thoughtfully. "You're right, they certainly
are different," he said to the waiting nurse, putting a slight emphasis on that last word.
*"Dark Horse" and "Wild Horse",* he mentally translated. Why on Earth would someone
want to name their sons that? They certainly weren't common boy names.
"Hmm... It seems as if the Saotomes have a fondness for horse names," he
commented, idly remembering the father's name. Mori simply nodded in agreement.
Akinawa reached into his pocket and pulled out a black ink pen. After briefly
scanning the medical records to make sure everything was in order, he quickly signed the
papers and handed them back to the waiting nurse. She bowed to him, then took off down
the hall to the maternity ward.
Katsuke watched her go with some bemusement. She was certainly very pretty. He
idly wondered if she was already seeing someone. When she finally turned the corner, his
thoughts drifted back to the young couple he had just helped to deliver. *Kuraima and
Ranma... What strange names,* he thought again. With a final shake of his head, he turned
his attention back to his patient, and the medical clipboard in his practiced hands.
---
The citizens of Nerima stared up at the sky with a look of bewilderment. Just
moments ago, the sky had been active with a viscious battle between sun and storm. The
savage war, which had been punctuated frequently with momentary strikes of sunlight and
lightning, had lasted a total of just a few hours.
Then, just when the terrible battle for the Heavens had seemed to reach its peak, it
suddenly dissipated as quickly as it had first started, leaving in its awesome wake a lonely
and desolate sky, devoid of both light and shadow. It was grey, lifeless; not one sunbeam
nor storm cloud marked its dreary visage.
The people were stunned. What on Earth had just happened? The past events
became a tumbled mass of confusion. A great battle had just taken place, and they were no
the wiser for it.
(End of Part 00)
---
1. chan saam - Cantonese word for shirt. I shall use this word to depict those Chinese-style
shirts the Saotomes prefer to wear.
---
Notes:
The number 4 is Chinese culture is an ominous number, oftentimes signifying bad luck, and
even sometimes death.