A Prequel to Echoes in Time
Echoes of the Past - Story #1 - Chapter 04
Version 1.0 (2/26/03)
By AllWhacked
Send C&C to allwhacked@hotmail.com
--- Disclaimer ---
The characters of Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takakashi. The
characters of Hokuto no Ken belong to Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. The
characters of Ninja Scroll belong to Manga. The characters of
Highlander belong to Davis/Panzer Inc. All other characters to appear
are owned by their respective owners. So in other words, I DO NOT own
shit, so please don't sue me because I have Zero money. Thank You.
--- Warning!!! ---
Anyway this is an Alterverse/Continuation fanfic with severe x-over
tendencies.
--- Note to Reader ---
This is a prequel to Echoes in Time. It focuses on Ranma's adventures
after being left behind in China, during the Nanban Mirror
episode(anime only). Now he's stranded 400 years in the past, stuck
in the middle of Imperial China surrounded by husband hungry Amazons.
The events that occur may not run in chronological order and will be
based on flashbacks on key events on his life.
Also, due to the X-Over with Ninja Scroll a few of the beginning
scenes will follow more of less the direct dialogue with the movie.
Although I try not to follow canon word for word, I felt that it was
necessary to do so for at least a few scenes so that those who aren't
familiar with the series can get a better idea of who and what is
going on. Also note there will be definitely a lot of spoiler if
you've never watched Ninja Scroll though if you haven't watched it by
now then shame on for not already seeing it.
"..." = spoken dialogue
'...' = thoughts
--- End Note to Reader, Start of Chapter ---
It was half-past three, another two hours before sun up, as Ranma and
Dakuan rowed their small boat along the length of the Shirokawa River.
With the air cooled, a heavy fog rolled in, casting a sheet of milky-
white mist to disguise their presence.
"Boy, it's time to wake up."
Ranma gave a low grunt and the two prepared themselves for landing.
With a soft thud they touched ground and quickly set about mooring the
craft, hiding it amongst the riverbank's thick outgrowth of reeds.
Once the camouflage was in place, the two checked their bearings
before heading out through a field of knee-high grass, with Dakuan
taking the lead and Ranma a few paces behind.
As the two proceeded through the dense mist, Dakuan would--every few
minutes or so--motion for the two to stop. Then, after trying to
catch some light from the moon, pull out from his robe a brown travel
warn map. He did this three times, consulting his map and then the
stars before motioning Ranma to follow. When it looked like Dakuan
was going to consult the map for a fourth time, Ranma finally spoke
up.
"Old Man, do you even know where you're going?"
Dakuan didn't even bother to turn around. "Of course I do," he began.
"I know this route like the back of my hand. Shimoda Village is just
up that way. All we need to do is continue on forward for another-
-Oooo! Aaaaaah!" The government spy let out a loud scream, piercing
the night's silence with the sounds of his heavy grunts, muffled
cries, and agonizing groans--each outburst of pain precipitated by his
frail body crashing against the side of a rock edifice. As Dakuan
flipped head over tail down a steep forty-foot in bank, he finally
came to rest at the bottom of a dried up riverbed.
"Ow my aching back!"
With the old man tumbling to his doom, Ranma emerged from the fog and
continued on forward only to abruptly stop at the cliff's edge.
Peering over, he gathered some phlegm from the back of his throat and
let loose a ball of mucus. 'Bombs away,' he thought as gravity took
hold and carried the object down to its target. About a full second
passed before Ranma heard Dakuan give out a cry of indignation when
the freefalling projectile made contact with the top of the man's
head.
'Bulls eye,' he remarked. A mischievous grin then crossed Ranma's
features as he shook his head ruefully. 'Back of my hand my ass!
That must have been what--thirty-forty feet? How could he possibly
miss something like that?'
Cupping his hands to his face. "Hey! Hey old man," he began in a
hoarse whisper. "Are you alright? I assume you're not dead down
there," he said a little jokingly.
Dakuan replied back in the hushed tone. "Shh, will you be quiet boy!-
-I'm fine--but you're going to give our position away."
Ranma ignored him however. "Well, whatever... I think it's a little
too late for that now. Your little trip down there was loud enough to
wake the dead. They probably already know we're here."
Dakuan gave pause before he answered, "Hmm, I think you're right, we
can't stay here much longer. Look, follow the path to the village,
there is a temple on the way. I'll meet you there." Ranma gave his
agreement and at that signal, Dakuan used his length extending staff
to pogo his way out of there.
At Dakuan's departure, Ranma began moving again. He immediately
veered to his right, following the cliff's edge to a path that would
lead him through a forest of dense trees. Making his way through the
woods, Ranma abruptly broke stride as he heard the sound of distant
chanting. Straining his ears, he tried to make out what was being
said.
"Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu..."
'Homage to Amida Buddha.' The words were familiar to him. He
recognized the phrase as nenbutsu, a call for Amida--a Buddhist
bodhisattvas[1] or patron saint--who promised to aid mankind on the
journey to the "Western Paradise."[2]
As Ranma continued to trek, following the direction of the chanting
like a Siren's call, the echoed words grew louder and louder until
finally he reached the bottom of a flight of stone steps. Looking up,
a large Buddhist temple came into view. And after eyeing the
structure suspiciously, a curious crease furled across his brow.
'How strange?' he thought. 'Who would be praying at this time of
night?'
He took pause and then shrugged. Well, he was supposed to meet Dakuan
there anyway, so he might as well go investigate.
++++++++++
"Namu-Amida-Butsu, Namu-Amida-Butsu, Namu-Amida-Butsu..."
Ranma entered the temple's main chamber and immediately spotted an old
woman dressed in the traditional garb of a Buddhist nun. She was
kneeling before an opaque-colored carved representation of the Buddha.
Her nonstop repetition of nenbutsu continued to echo throughout the
temple's vast halls as Ranma made his way towards the structure's
innermost sanctum. Nearing the nun, Ranma felt a bit of nostalgia.
It had been some time since he last set foot in a temple. He wasn't
sure whether this was good or bad.
Shaking his head, he eventually came to stand a few feet behind the
chanting woman who in turn abruptly stopped. "Whose there?" she asked
in a slightly apprehensive tone.
Ranma took pause. He was a little surprised that an old--probably
half-deaf--nun would be able to sense his entrance with her back
turned against him. He hadn't entered the building with any intent to
mask his presence, but still something didn't feel right about this.
In a calm voice he replied back to the woman. "Excuse me, I didn't
mean to startle you, but I was told to meet somebody here. By any
chance, have you seen an old traveling monk?"
"Oh, yes I have. I've seen him."
"Really? Where is he?"
The old woman turned her head beckoning him to come closer. When he
did, her body immediately began to convulse and Ranma responded by
tensing into a fighting stance. In a fraction of a second the woman's
body began to bulge then exploded into a mass of slithering serpents,
causing Ranma to leap back in shock. Long blue-green snakes began to
pour forth from every orifice of her body--eyes, ears, nose, mouth-
-exiting the sagging husk of skin in a hurried flush.
Then, as quickly as the snakes had emerged, they were no more-
-incinerated out of existence by a compression of energized ki. In a
crouch, Ranma eyed his surroundings. Left and right he saw nothing,
yet he continued to hear the distinct sound of slithering scales and
the occasional hiss of a snakes tongue growing louder and louder.
'Where could it--?' He looked up and his eyes bulged. Above him hung
a five-meter wide mass of beady-eyed serpents suspended from the
ceiling. The uneven swirling mass contorted and formed an image of a
face--his face to be exact. It suddenly grinned in a not so good way.
"Oh sh--!" was all that escaped his lips before hundreds, perhaps
thousands of these snakes dropped down upon him. The slithering
reptiles soon began to envelope his form, wrapping their lengthy
bodies to hold his frame in a vice like grip. Each of the snakes
began to tense it self, ever ready to constrict at once to squeeze the
life out of him, or if necessary, to drop their poison tipped fangs
into his unprotected flesh.
With snakes all around him, Ranma watched on as more and more of their
brethren emerged--seemingly coming out of nowhere. Soon the entire
floor of the temple was covered in a moving mass of scaly bodies and
Ranma couldn't help but wonder that if this was a dream, it had better
not turn into something involving tentacle rape.
While Ranma idly thought to himself, he noticed that in front of him,
the mass of snakes began to form a mound and suddenly the woman from
the hot springs emerged. As she stood up straight--completely in the
nude--a few stray serpents fell off her shoulders or slithered down
her lengthy thighs, like how morning dew would off a leaf.
"Well Shaolin," she began in a heady voice. "We meet again."
Ranma looked on in a stone cold expression. He had to give this woman
credit; it had been a long time since someone--'anyone'--was able to
get the drop on him like this.
"Congratulations," he began. "So soon after our last encounter and
you've already learned to adapt your tactics. I'm impressed."
The woman, known as Benisato, took pause. She wasn't expecting a
compliment, but recovering quickly she gave him a smile; it almost
looked warm on her angular face.
"I thank you, Shaolin. You are truly... a worthy opponent in your own
right." Benisato then thought back to their last bout. In vivid
recollection, her mind flowed through the images of the fight and how
he was able to evade the hypnotic effects of her snakes, and then when
attacked, to vanish into thin air only to reappear at her rear after
releasing what she assumed was a ki-blast. Seeing him incinerate her
snakes confirmed this.
She shuddered in remembrance of the helplessness she felt before him.
Imagining the fate she might have beheld if he had shot her in the
back like he could have. Her heart palpitated a little faster and her
naked skin began to flush; she was beginning to get the same feeling
she got whenever she found herself in the arms of Lord Gemma.
A thrill of sensation tingled across her spine--running all the way
down to her toes. It was power she felt, and she enjoyed its alluring
affect. She savored it, whishing to bask in its radiance--whether it
be her own or the kind felt by being close to a strong man. 'A man
like Lord Gemma,' her mind added.
Yet, the man standing before her was also powerful. His performance
at the hot spring proved that and after seeing how the ten-foot rock
giant, Tessai was dispatched, she knew that even Lord Gemma would be
hard pressed to take him on alone. And if not for the fact that it
was she who now held the power of life and death over this man,
Benisato might have 'perchance' been tempted to change allegiances.
'He certainly is handsome enough for my tastes,' she thought. 'And
strong. Perhaps stronger than Lord Gemma in some ways.' She felt
torn; she should kill him, yet she couldn't bring herself to do so.
Not yet anyways.
"Answer me this: Is there more than just you and the old monk?"
Ranma raised an eyebrow as he maintained an otherwise stoic
expression. If not for the snakes holding him in their grip, one
would suspect that he was perfectly fine and content in his current
predicament.
"And if I tell you, what will I get in return?" he asked.
Benisato grinned. She liked the way he operated. With a mental
command she ordered her reptilian horde to move Ranma towards her-
-inching him across the floor in a gliding motion. When the two came
within a foot of one another, Benisato spoke.
"You're an interesting man, Shaolin. If you answer my questions, I
might be persuaded to implore my benefactor to let me keep you." She
brought up one of her delicate hands to stroke his cheek one way, then
bringing her finger down to trace the outlines of his chin and jaw.
She was admiring the look of his flawless skin and his deep blue eyes.
"You and I could be very powerful if we worked together," she
continued softly. "With your strength and my cunning..." She let her
words hang there, implying more than what was actually said. If Ranma
accepted this offer (and Benisato hoped he would), it meant life and
the chance to learn more of Benisato's mysterious benefactor. On the
other hand, if he refused... well then he refused and Benisato would
need to dispose of him, less news of her implied betrayal get back to
Lord Gemma or that effeminate-brownnoser, Yurimaru.
As she waited for Ranma's answer she took a step back, never bothering
to cover her exposed body. Ranma in the meanwhile eyed her with an
impassive stare. "There are three of us," he began in a drawn out
voice. "The old monk, myself and one other..."
Benisato looked on without changing her expression, but inwardly, she
was smiling a large smile. 'Ooh yes!' she thought. 'We're going to
have so much 'fun' together. I'm sure I'll be able to convince Lord
Gemma to let me keep you. And once I do, I'll have you thank me by
licking--" Caught in her own thoughts, Benisato failed to realize the
last words being said until it was too late.
"--and she's standing right behind you."
The self-named temptress of snakes looked stunned as she felt the feel
of cold steel press across her jugular. 'Damn that man! He tricked
me. He played me for a fool--a fool! I'm going to.. to--'
Benisato's mental processes were cut short when she felt the blade's
edge push itself deeper into her throat--drawing blood as it broke
skin.
"I told you get rid of them," spoke the third companion. "If you
don't I will--"
"STOP! Don't hurt her," voiced Ranma, his body still wrapped amongst
the mass of writhing snakes. His voice was not loud, but it carried a
level of heightened authority that left both women staring at him in
stunned silence. "Kagero, that's your name, right? Let her go."
The female ninja or kunoichi double-blinked. "You want me to what!?"
she gasped. She then took pause and frowned at him. She didn't have
to take orders from him, yet still, she did owe him her life and it
was a debt that she intended to repay. But still...
"Get rid of those snakes first," she said.
Benisato paused for a second, before sending out her mental command.
In that instant the snakes began to slither away, withering their
bodies loose from their captive, before speeding towards the nearest
exit. As this went on, she eyed Ranma with a speculative gaze; the
same look mirrored by the woman standing behind her.
"Kagero, aren't you forgetting something?"
The woman looked at him with a wry smile. "I did not promise to let
her go and I don't have to take orders from you." The kunoichi
tightened her grip on her prisoner before barking out her demands to
Benisato. "And now it is your turn to answer some questions. Who do
you work for and what is it that you're doing in this village?" But
before she could receive a reply, Kagero felt a jolt of stinging-pain
coming from her inner thigh. The sensation was brief and it soon
passed.
"Her sting is most deadly," Benisato began. Her words were in
response to having had one of her vipers--hidden within the folds of
her nether regions--slither out of its enclosure to deliver a double-
fanged injection of highly venomous toxins into the kunoichi's exposed
flesh. "You would have been wise to have listened to your friend you
know, if you did perhaps you wouldn't have to die."
Kagero responded by pressing her wakizashi[3] even deeper across
Benisato's throat. "Nice try bitch, but venom doesn't work against
me--I'm immune to poison... Now answer my questions! Who are you and
what are you doing in this village?" She emphasized her point by
digging her thumb and forefinger into Benisato's shoulder, eliciting a
muted cry of pain.
As Kagero waited to see the results from her torture, she was alerted
to an odd tingling sensation coursing into and through her body. She
realized that this feeling was coming from her direct contact to
Benisato and before she could fully register this fact, she was
temporarily blinded by a brief flash of light and found herself flung
up into the air--landing with a dull thud against a wooden pillar.
Watching in detached amazement, Benisato's body lit up in white-light
as thousands of volts of electricity funneled into her body from a
thin--though faintly visible--string attached around her neck. The
woman let out an agonizing scream that was soon muted when Ranma let
loose a ferocious attack.
"Kijin Raishu Dan." The 'Demon God Assault Bomb'[4] cut a vacuum-
blade induced trench nearly ten-feet long and half-a-foot wide across
the floor of the temple, splintering everything in its wake including
the thin bonds of the electrified wire. With the string cut, it
quickly began to dissolve into a faint red line leading out from the
temple and into the dark forest.
++++++++++
In Shimoda Village, Yurimaru sat across a low wooden table with a
faint iridescent string held across his palm and forefinger.
"Two failures in one day are unforgivable. I wound another line
around your neck this time, but unfortunately you did not notice for
you were a fool."
Yurimaru savored the sensation of having rid himself of his main
romantic rival. The fact that he was able to do so in such a painful
manner was an added bonus. And despite the fact that the line was
somehow severed, Lord Gemma's most trusted lieutenant knew--despite
his desire to have incinerated Benisato's body inside out--that his
limited attack had still caused his victim's heart and vital organs to
shut down, essentially rendering his target clinically dead. To
revive her now would take some sort of miracle he thought.
+++++++++++
"Is she dead?"
Kagero received no reply as Ranma set himself to work. 'One... Two...
Three... Four,' he counted as he pressed the palm of his hand across
Benisato's naked chest. He was performing CPR, a technique of medical
science not yet known in medieval Japan, but something he had picked
up from his native time period. Now combining his foreknowledge in
emergency medicine with his skills in Hokuto Shin Ken, he knew what he
had to do.
'Breath,' he now thought, pressing his lips against Benisato's. He
pinched her nose close and blew a deep breath into her chest to cause
it to rise and fall with his own. It was his hope that he could
restart her vascular system, doing so in time before her brain
suffered irreparable damage.
He continued these actions a few more times. 'One... Two... Three...
Four... Breath. One... Two... Three... Four... Breath.' He stopped
and pressed his right ear to the left breast. He heard a thump, then
a pause, then another thump. Her heart was beating. He then brought
his ear up to her mouth and felt her shallow but steady breath. She
was going to live.
Across from Ranma, Kagero watched from a kneeled position. She was
recovering from her electrical shock, nursing a minor burn on her left
hand, as she watched the Hokuto Shin Ken Master go to work. She knew
from past experience what electricity could do to the human body,
having once witnessed a young-lord attempt to defy heaven by
brandishing his katana to the sky during a thunderstorm. 'Poor Lord
Kuno.'
Breathing in through her nose, the prevalent smell of burnt hair added
to the vivid memory of the young-lord's demise as she transposed his
image over the unconscious visage of this agent of Kimon. Refocusing
her attention, Kagero watched as the woman, whom she suspected as good
as dead, suddenly take in a pained gasp of breath while her eyes shot
wide in alert awareness. Somehow, Ranma had breathed his own life
force back into this woman. It was the only way that Kagero could
explain it. 'My god, he must be a chi master,' she thought.
With her mind racing at this new revelation, Kagero juggled this
thought with a second realization that her enemy was still alive.
Seeing Benisato now breathing regularly, though the woman's eyes were
now closed and looked as if she were in a state of peaceful slumber,
Kagero inched her injured hand towards the handle of her short sword-
-readying its use incase the now sleeping woman suddenly attacked.
Wincing as she rounded the wooden grip with her injured hand, she
began to slowly pull the blade from out of its sheath, but was stopped
when she felt a gentle hand rest itself across her wrist.
Looking up, she saw Ranma shake his head.
"There's no need. I hit a series of tsubo points that will keep her
unconscious for the next few yours. It will give us a chance to get
out of here, where we can question her later."
Kagero nodded numbly as she listened to all this. It sounded liked a
good plan.
"Now here, let me look at that burn of yours."
Kagero failed to react as Ranma took her hand into his. She watched
with a detached sense of awareness as he first began to strip away the
cord bindings that held her kote or wrist guard together. When he was
done, he proceeded to run his thumb and forefingers up the length of
her forearm--pressing or massaging various pressure points from her
elbow down to her palm.
As Kagero felt his callused worn fingers tickle her flesh, a sudden
warmth spread out across her lower limb, helping to alleviate much of
the pain caused by her injury. At the same time, while she relished
in the euphoric feel of excess adrenaline and pain-killing endorphins
as they coursed through her body, the female ninja became suddenly
self-conscious of her close proximity to the Shaolin warrior.
She did nothing however to stop his actions, watching him in wide-eyed
fascination as he then began to remove a set of objects from the folds
of his sleeves. First came a stone mortar, then a pestle, then
followed by a variety of small leather pouches. Finally, he pulled
out a steaming hot kettle and a medium sized bowl.
'How in the world?' Kagero thought. 'There is no way he could hide
that much stuff on him.'
However, sensing the ninja woman's unsaid question, Ranma replied:
"It's an ancient Chinese hidden weapons technique. It lets me to hide
most anything on my person, without revealing the objects bulge.
Quite useful when you travel; there's no need for luggage."
A slight smile broke across Kagero's lips, which Ranma momentarily
noted before setting his hands into a blurred set of motions. In less
than a few seconds, he had pinched, squeezed, and ground the right
proportion of Chinese medicines to use as a healing poultice to apply
to Kagero's wounds. Then applying some heated sake to the mix, he
stirred it all into a bowl until everything was an even light green
color.
Then staring the ninja woman straight in the eye, Ranma took hold of
her injured hand and gently place it palm down into the bowl of
medicine. Kagero's hand briefly stung upon contact and she
momentarily winced, before contorting her face back into a neutral
expression. After about ten seconds of soaking, Ranma placed his own
hand into the bowl, palming the bottom of Kagero's hand with his own.
"Don't be afraid at what's about to happen."
Before Kagero could reply, a flash of light emitted from the bowl and
soon the liquid mixture it contained began to evaporate. With her
eyes wide in shock, Kagero was about to pull her arm away but it was
locked into place as Ranma's other hand gripped it like a steel vice.
"Just a few more seconds and it'll be over."
A faint blue aura then began to envelop the two as Kagero nodded her
head in understanding--feeling most of her anxiety leave her. In her
mind, she knew this man was helping her, somehow she knew this, but
she was still afraid. As much as it galled her to admit it, she was
truly frightened. However, as she stared further and further into the
man's cobalt blue eyes--eyes emitting both care and compassion--she
somehow forgot this fear; instead, focusing on his caring expression
and the aura of warmth and confidence she felt her self in.
And as soon as it began it ended. Looking at Ranma's face, she saw
him smile.
"Take a look at your hand now."
Feeling somewhat dazed, Kagero did as was told. Looking up at her
injured palm, she noticed that the burnt and blistered flesh was no
more. In its place was new, soft, pink skin. Staring at it, she
proceeded to run her fingers over the area and marveled at the lack of
pain she was feeling.
Looking up, "How did you--?"
"Ancient Chinese healing technique." Ranma then added: "Now lets take
a look at that snake bite."
"There's no need," she answered briskly, clenching her already closed
legs further together. A look of obvious discomfort etched across her
face.
Ranma then gave her a sigh. "I don't think now is a time for feminine
modesty. That snake that bit you was probably poisonous. I don't
think she," tilting he head back to a sleeping Benisato, "was joking
when she said 'her sting is most deadly.'"
Again Kagero said there was no need, adding: "As I said before, I'm
immune to poison." Ranma however still gave her a look of doubt, so
Kagero continued her speech with her arms now locked across her
shoulders, as she was about to address something of obvious personal
discomfort. "I'm not lying to you, I'm immune to poison. It's
because of my.. my body. Poison has seeped into every party of my
being. It's become so strong that even the touch of my lips could
kill you instantly. And as a side effect, the poison in my body
cancels out the effects of other poisons. Thus I'm immune."
Ranma blinked and then nodded. "I didn't realize. I'm sorry I forced
you to reveal something so personal. I can tell that it was not easy
for you, but I thank you for your honesty." He briefly bowed his head
to her with his eyes closed, then got up. "I think it's time for us
to go. That hand of yours should be okay in the next few hours. The
herbs and sake were used to kill any infections and promote the
healing process; the little light show was to accelerate skin
regeneration. But sorry to say however, be careful with the sword of
yours, you've just lost about a decades worth of protective calluses."
Ranma then pulled from the sleeves of his shirt, a large cotton
blanket that he used to wrap Benisato's naked body in. He then
proceeded to cradle her in his arms, as he lifted her up and headed
out through the temple's main entrance. Turning his head back, he
noticed Kagero still sitting on the ground, with an unreadable
expression on her face. "Yo Kagero!" He waited until she
acknowledged him. "Another thing. Thanks for the rescue." He gave
her a warm smile and then turned around, heading out into the
darkness.
Kagero looked back at him with her own wistful smile, though it almost
seemed panged with regret.
--- End of Chapter ---
Notes:
[1] Bodhisattvas - In the Buddhist religion, bodhisattvas are
individuals who have reach nirvana and have decided to return to earth
in physical form to aid the rest of man on this journey. In the
Japanese Buddhist tradition, many Bodhisattvas are prayed to like gods
and they take on a following similar to how saints are treated in the
Catholic Church.
[2] Western Paradise - In the Buddhist religion, especially in the
Jodo and Shin Jodo sects of Buddhism, was a place that Amida Buddha
promised to help people get to. The Western Paradise in itself is not
Nirvana, but rather a staging ground to Nirvana that is basically like
being in Heaven.
[3] Wakazashi - Shorter than the Katana (about 68 cm), this sword was
worn indoors by the Samurai, because the Katana was too long to fight
in small rooms.
[4] Kijin Raishu Dan - The Kijin Raishu Dan or 'Demon God Assault
Bomb' is basically a vacuum blade technique that Genma Saotome
invented in the Ranma 1/2 cannon. The move is part of the Yamasenken-
-a school of martial arts that Genma invented but sealed away because
they were too dangerous or something like that. In any case, because
this is my fic, I've decided that in this alternate universe, Ranma is
the actual inventor of the Kijin Raishu Dan, which readers can further
speculate whether or not Ranma is the true founder of the Yamasenken
and the Umisenken (the Yamasenken's sister school).
Echoes of the Past - Story #1 - Chapter 04
Version 1.0 (2/26/03)
By AllWhacked
Send C&C to allwhacked@hotmail.com
--- Disclaimer ---
The characters of Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takakashi. The
characters of Hokuto no Ken belong to Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. The
characters of Ninja Scroll belong to Manga. The characters of
Highlander belong to Davis/Panzer Inc. All other characters to appear
are owned by their respective owners. So in other words, I DO NOT own
shit, so please don't sue me because I have Zero money. Thank You.
--- Warning!!! ---
Anyway this is an Alterverse/Continuation fanfic with severe x-over
tendencies.
--- Note to Reader ---
This is a prequel to Echoes in Time. It focuses on Ranma's adventures
after being left behind in China, during the Nanban Mirror
episode(anime only). Now he's stranded 400 years in the past, stuck
in the middle of Imperial China surrounded by husband hungry Amazons.
The events that occur may not run in chronological order and will be
based on flashbacks on key events on his life.
Also, due to the X-Over with Ninja Scroll a few of the beginning
scenes will follow more of less the direct dialogue with the movie.
Although I try not to follow canon word for word, I felt that it was
necessary to do so for at least a few scenes so that those who aren't
familiar with the series can get a better idea of who and what is
going on. Also note there will be definitely a lot of spoiler if
you've never watched Ninja Scroll though if you haven't watched it by
now then shame on for not already seeing it.
"..." = spoken dialogue
'...' = thoughts
--- End Note to Reader, Start of Chapter ---
It was half-past three, another two hours before sun up, as Ranma and
Dakuan rowed their small boat along the length of the Shirokawa River.
With the air cooled, a heavy fog rolled in, casting a sheet of milky-
white mist to disguise their presence.
"Boy, it's time to wake up."
Ranma gave a low grunt and the two prepared themselves for landing.
With a soft thud they touched ground and quickly set about mooring the
craft, hiding it amongst the riverbank's thick outgrowth of reeds.
Once the camouflage was in place, the two checked their bearings
before heading out through a field of knee-high grass, with Dakuan
taking the lead and Ranma a few paces behind.
As the two proceeded through the dense mist, Dakuan would--every few
minutes or so--motion for the two to stop. Then, after trying to
catch some light from the moon, pull out from his robe a brown travel
warn map. He did this three times, consulting his map and then the
stars before motioning Ranma to follow. When it looked like Dakuan
was going to consult the map for a fourth time, Ranma finally spoke
up.
"Old Man, do you even know where you're going?"
Dakuan didn't even bother to turn around. "Of course I do," he began.
"I know this route like the back of my hand. Shimoda Village is just
up that way. All we need to do is continue on forward for another-
-Oooo! Aaaaaah!" The government spy let out a loud scream, piercing
the night's silence with the sounds of his heavy grunts, muffled
cries, and agonizing groans--each outburst of pain precipitated by his
frail body crashing against the side of a rock edifice. As Dakuan
flipped head over tail down a steep forty-foot in bank, he finally
came to rest at the bottom of a dried up riverbed.
"Ow my aching back!"
With the old man tumbling to his doom, Ranma emerged from the fog and
continued on forward only to abruptly stop at the cliff's edge.
Peering over, he gathered some phlegm from the back of his throat and
let loose a ball of mucus. 'Bombs away,' he thought as gravity took
hold and carried the object down to its target. About a full second
passed before Ranma heard Dakuan give out a cry of indignation when
the freefalling projectile made contact with the top of the man's
head.
'Bulls eye,' he remarked. A mischievous grin then crossed Ranma's
features as he shook his head ruefully. 'Back of my hand my ass!
That must have been what--thirty-forty feet? How could he possibly
miss something like that?'
Cupping his hands to his face. "Hey! Hey old man," he began in a
hoarse whisper. "Are you alright? I assume you're not dead down
there," he said a little jokingly.
Dakuan replied back in the hushed tone. "Shh, will you be quiet boy!-
-I'm fine--but you're going to give our position away."
Ranma ignored him however. "Well, whatever... I think it's a little
too late for that now. Your little trip down there was loud enough to
wake the dead. They probably already know we're here."
Dakuan gave pause before he answered, "Hmm, I think you're right, we
can't stay here much longer. Look, follow the path to the village,
there is a temple on the way. I'll meet you there." Ranma gave his
agreement and at that signal, Dakuan used his length extending staff
to pogo his way out of there.
At Dakuan's departure, Ranma began moving again. He immediately
veered to his right, following the cliff's edge to a path that would
lead him through a forest of dense trees. Making his way through the
woods, Ranma abruptly broke stride as he heard the sound of distant
chanting. Straining his ears, he tried to make out what was being
said.
"Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu..."
'Homage to Amida Buddha.' The words were familiar to him. He
recognized the phrase as nenbutsu, a call for Amida--a Buddhist
bodhisattvas[1] or patron saint--who promised to aid mankind on the
journey to the "Western Paradise."[2]
As Ranma continued to trek, following the direction of the chanting
like a Siren's call, the echoed words grew louder and louder until
finally he reached the bottom of a flight of stone steps. Looking up,
a large Buddhist temple came into view. And after eyeing the
structure suspiciously, a curious crease furled across his brow.
'How strange?' he thought. 'Who would be praying at this time of
night?'
He took pause and then shrugged. Well, he was supposed to meet Dakuan
there anyway, so he might as well go investigate.
++++++++++
"Namu-Amida-Butsu, Namu-Amida-Butsu, Namu-Amida-Butsu..."
Ranma entered the temple's main chamber and immediately spotted an old
woman dressed in the traditional garb of a Buddhist nun. She was
kneeling before an opaque-colored carved representation of the Buddha.
Her nonstop repetition of nenbutsu continued to echo throughout the
temple's vast halls as Ranma made his way towards the structure's
innermost sanctum. Nearing the nun, Ranma felt a bit of nostalgia.
It had been some time since he last set foot in a temple. He wasn't
sure whether this was good or bad.
Shaking his head, he eventually came to stand a few feet behind the
chanting woman who in turn abruptly stopped. "Whose there?" she asked
in a slightly apprehensive tone.
Ranma took pause. He was a little surprised that an old--probably
half-deaf--nun would be able to sense his entrance with her back
turned against him. He hadn't entered the building with any intent to
mask his presence, but still something didn't feel right about this.
In a calm voice he replied back to the woman. "Excuse me, I didn't
mean to startle you, but I was told to meet somebody here. By any
chance, have you seen an old traveling monk?"
"Oh, yes I have. I've seen him."
"Really? Where is he?"
The old woman turned her head beckoning him to come closer. When he
did, her body immediately began to convulse and Ranma responded by
tensing into a fighting stance. In a fraction of a second the woman's
body began to bulge then exploded into a mass of slithering serpents,
causing Ranma to leap back in shock. Long blue-green snakes began to
pour forth from every orifice of her body--eyes, ears, nose, mouth-
-exiting the sagging husk of skin in a hurried flush.
Then, as quickly as the snakes had emerged, they were no more-
-incinerated out of existence by a compression of energized ki. In a
crouch, Ranma eyed his surroundings. Left and right he saw nothing,
yet he continued to hear the distinct sound of slithering scales and
the occasional hiss of a snakes tongue growing louder and louder.
'Where could it--?' He looked up and his eyes bulged. Above him hung
a five-meter wide mass of beady-eyed serpents suspended from the
ceiling. The uneven swirling mass contorted and formed an image of a
face--his face to be exact. It suddenly grinned in a not so good way.
"Oh sh--!" was all that escaped his lips before hundreds, perhaps
thousands of these snakes dropped down upon him. The slithering
reptiles soon began to envelope his form, wrapping their lengthy
bodies to hold his frame in a vice like grip. Each of the snakes
began to tense it self, ever ready to constrict at once to squeeze the
life out of him, or if necessary, to drop their poison tipped fangs
into his unprotected flesh.
With snakes all around him, Ranma watched on as more and more of their
brethren emerged--seemingly coming out of nowhere. Soon the entire
floor of the temple was covered in a moving mass of scaly bodies and
Ranma couldn't help but wonder that if this was a dream, it had better
not turn into something involving tentacle rape.
While Ranma idly thought to himself, he noticed that in front of him,
the mass of snakes began to form a mound and suddenly the woman from
the hot springs emerged. As she stood up straight--completely in the
nude--a few stray serpents fell off her shoulders or slithered down
her lengthy thighs, like how morning dew would off a leaf.
"Well Shaolin," she began in a heady voice. "We meet again."
Ranma looked on in a stone cold expression. He had to give this woman
credit; it had been a long time since someone--'anyone'--was able to
get the drop on him like this.
"Congratulations," he began. "So soon after our last encounter and
you've already learned to adapt your tactics. I'm impressed."
The woman, known as Benisato, took pause. She wasn't expecting a
compliment, but recovering quickly she gave him a smile; it almost
looked warm on her angular face.
"I thank you, Shaolin. You are truly... a worthy opponent in your own
right." Benisato then thought back to their last bout. In vivid
recollection, her mind flowed through the images of the fight and how
he was able to evade the hypnotic effects of her snakes, and then when
attacked, to vanish into thin air only to reappear at her rear after
releasing what she assumed was a ki-blast. Seeing him incinerate her
snakes confirmed this.
She shuddered in remembrance of the helplessness she felt before him.
Imagining the fate she might have beheld if he had shot her in the
back like he could have. Her heart palpitated a little faster and her
naked skin began to flush; she was beginning to get the same feeling
she got whenever she found herself in the arms of Lord Gemma.
A thrill of sensation tingled across her spine--running all the way
down to her toes. It was power she felt, and she enjoyed its alluring
affect. She savored it, whishing to bask in its radiance--whether it
be her own or the kind felt by being close to a strong man. 'A man
like Lord Gemma,' her mind added.
Yet, the man standing before her was also powerful. His performance
at the hot spring proved that and after seeing how the ten-foot rock
giant, Tessai was dispatched, she knew that even Lord Gemma would be
hard pressed to take him on alone. And if not for the fact that it
was she who now held the power of life and death over this man,
Benisato might have 'perchance' been tempted to change allegiances.
'He certainly is handsome enough for my tastes,' she thought. 'And
strong. Perhaps stronger than Lord Gemma in some ways.' She felt
torn; she should kill him, yet she couldn't bring herself to do so.
Not yet anyways.
"Answer me this: Is there more than just you and the old monk?"
Ranma raised an eyebrow as he maintained an otherwise stoic
expression. If not for the snakes holding him in their grip, one
would suspect that he was perfectly fine and content in his current
predicament.
"And if I tell you, what will I get in return?" he asked.
Benisato grinned. She liked the way he operated. With a mental
command she ordered her reptilian horde to move Ranma towards her-
-inching him across the floor in a gliding motion. When the two came
within a foot of one another, Benisato spoke.
"You're an interesting man, Shaolin. If you answer my questions, I
might be persuaded to implore my benefactor to let me keep you." She
brought up one of her delicate hands to stroke his cheek one way, then
bringing her finger down to trace the outlines of his chin and jaw.
She was admiring the look of his flawless skin and his deep blue eyes.
"You and I could be very powerful if we worked together," she
continued softly. "With your strength and my cunning..." She let her
words hang there, implying more than what was actually said. If Ranma
accepted this offer (and Benisato hoped he would), it meant life and
the chance to learn more of Benisato's mysterious benefactor. On the
other hand, if he refused... well then he refused and Benisato would
need to dispose of him, less news of her implied betrayal get back to
Lord Gemma or that effeminate-brownnoser, Yurimaru.
As she waited for Ranma's answer she took a step back, never bothering
to cover her exposed body. Ranma in the meanwhile eyed her with an
impassive stare. "There are three of us," he began in a drawn out
voice. "The old monk, myself and one other..."
Benisato looked on without changing her expression, but inwardly, she
was smiling a large smile. 'Ooh yes!' she thought. 'We're going to
have so much 'fun' together. I'm sure I'll be able to convince Lord
Gemma to let me keep you. And once I do, I'll have you thank me by
licking--" Caught in her own thoughts, Benisato failed to realize the
last words being said until it was too late.
"--and she's standing right behind you."
The self-named temptress of snakes looked stunned as she felt the feel
of cold steel press across her jugular. 'Damn that man! He tricked
me. He played me for a fool--a fool! I'm going to.. to--'
Benisato's mental processes were cut short when she felt the blade's
edge push itself deeper into her throat--drawing blood as it broke
skin.
"I told you get rid of them," spoke the third companion. "If you
don't I will--"
"STOP! Don't hurt her," voiced Ranma, his body still wrapped amongst
the mass of writhing snakes. His voice was not loud, but it carried a
level of heightened authority that left both women staring at him in
stunned silence. "Kagero, that's your name, right? Let her go."
The female ninja or kunoichi double-blinked. "You want me to what!?"
she gasped. She then took pause and frowned at him. She didn't have
to take orders from him, yet still, she did owe him her life and it
was a debt that she intended to repay. But still...
"Get rid of those snakes first," she said.
Benisato paused for a second, before sending out her mental command.
In that instant the snakes began to slither away, withering their
bodies loose from their captive, before speeding towards the nearest
exit. As this went on, she eyed Ranma with a speculative gaze; the
same look mirrored by the woman standing behind her.
"Kagero, aren't you forgetting something?"
The woman looked at him with a wry smile. "I did not promise to let
her go and I don't have to take orders from you." The kunoichi
tightened her grip on her prisoner before barking out her demands to
Benisato. "And now it is your turn to answer some questions. Who do
you work for and what is it that you're doing in this village?" But
before she could receive a reply, Kagero felt a jolt of stinging-pain
coming from her inner thigh. The sensation was brief and it soon
passed.
"Her sting is most deadly," Benisato began. Her words were in
response to having had one of her vipers--hidden within the folds of
her nether regions--slither out of its enclosure to deliver a double-
fanged injection of highly venomous toxins into the kunoichi's exposed
flesh. "You would have been wise to have listened to your friend you
know, if you did perhaps you wouldn't have to die."
Kagero responded by pressing her wakizashi[3] even deeper across
Benisato's throat. "Nice try bitch, but venom doesn't work against
me--I'm immune to poison... Now answer my questions! Who are you and
what are you doing in this village?" She emphasized her point by
digging her thumb and forefinger into Benisato's shoulder, eliciting a
muted cry of pain.
As Kagero waited to see the results from her torture, she was alerted
to an odd tingling sensation coursing into and through her body. She
realized that this feeling was coming from her direct contact to
Benisato and before she could fully register this fact, she was
temporarily blinded by a brief flash of light and found herself flung
up into the air--landing with a dull thud against a wooden pillar.
Watching in detached amazement, Benisato's body lit up in white-light
as thousands of volts of electricity funneled into her body from a
thin--though faintly visible--string attached around her neck. The
woman let out an agonizing scream that was soon muted when Ranma let
loose a ferocious attack.
"Kijin Raishu Dan." The 'Demon God Assault Bomb'[4] cut a vacuum-
blade induced trench nearly ten-feet long and half-a-foot wide across
the floor of the temple, splintering everything in its wake including
the thin bonds of the electrified wire. With the string cut, it
quickly began to dissolve into a faint red line leading out from the
temple and into the dark forest.
++++++++++
In Shimoda Village, Yurimaru sat across a low wooden table with a
faint iridescent string held across his palm and forefinger.
"Two failures in one day are unforgivable. I wound another line
around your neck this time, but unfortunately you did not notice for
you were a fool."
Yurimaru savored the sensation of having rid himself of his main
romantic rival. The fact that he was able to do so in such a painful
manner was an added bonus. And despite the fact that the line was
somehow severed, Lord Gemma's most trusted lieutenant knew--despite
his desire to have incinerated Benisato's body inside out--that his
limited attack had still caused his victim's heart and vital organs to
shut down, essentially rendering his target clinically dead. To
revive her now would take some sort of miracle he thought.
+++++++++++
"Is she dead?"
Kagero received no reply as Ranma set himself to work. 'One... Two...
Three... Four,' he counted as he pressed the palm of his hand across
Benisato's naked chest. He was performing CPR, a technique of medical
science not yet known in medieval Japan, but something he had picked
up from his native time period. Now combining his foreknowledge in
emergency medicine with his skills in Hokuto Shin Ken, he knew what he
had to do.
'Breath,' he now thought, pressing his lips against Benisato's. He
pinched her nose close and blew a deep breath into her chest to cause
it to rise and fall with his own. It was his hope that he could
restart her vascular system, doing so in time before her brain
suffered irreparable damage.
He continued these actions a few more times. 'One... Two... Three...
Four... Breath. One... Two... Three... Four... Breath.' He stopped
and pressed his right ear to the left breast. He heard a thump, then
a pause, then another thump. Her heart was beating. He then brought
his ear up to her mouth and felt her shallow but steady breath. She
was going to live.
Across from Ranma, Kagero watched from a kneeled position. She was
recovering from her electrical shock, nursing a minor burn on her left
hand, as she watched the Hokuto Shin Ken Master go to work. She knew
from past experience what electricity could do to the human body,
having once witnessed a young-lord attempt to defy heaven by
brandishing his katana to the sky during a thunderstorm. 'Poor Lord
Kuno.'
Breathing in through her nose, the prevalent smell of burnt hair added
to the vivid memory of the young-lord's demise as she transposed his
image over the unconscious visage of this agent of Kimon. Refocusing
her attention, Kagero watched as the woman, whom she suspected as good
as dead, suddenly take in a pained gasp of breath while her eyes shot
wide in alert awareness. Somehow, Ranma had breathed his own life
force back into this woman. It was the only way that Kagero could
explain it. 'My god, he must be a chi master,' she thought.
With her mind racing at this new revelation, Kagero juggled this
thought with a second realization that her enemy was still alive.
Seeing Benisato now breathing regularly, though the woman's eyes were
now closed and looked as if she were in a state of peaceful slumber,
Kagero inched her injured hand towards the handle of her short sword-
-readying its use incase the now sleeping woman suddenly attacked.
Wincing as she rounded the wooden grip with her injured hand, she
began to slowly pull the blade from out of its sheath, but was stopped
when she felt a gentle hand rest itself across her wrist.
Looking up, she saw Ranma shake his head.
"There's no need. I hit a series of tsubo points that will keep her
unconscious for the next few yours. It will give us a chance to get
out of here, where we can question her later."
Kagero nodded numbly as she listened to all this. It sounded liked a
good plan.
"Now here, let me look at that burn of yours."
Kagero failed to react as Ranma took her hand into his. She watched
with a detached sense of awareness as he first began to strip away the
cord bindings that held her kote or wrist guard together. When he was
done, he proceeded to run his thumb and forefingers up the length of
her forearm--pressing or massaging various pressure points from her
elbow down to her palm.
As Kagero felt his callused worn fingers tickle her flesh, a sudden
warmth spread out across her lower limb, helping to alleviate much of
the pain caused by her injury. At the same time, while she relished
in the euphoric feel of excess adrenaline and pain-killing endorphins
as they coursed through her body, the female ninja became suddenly
self-conscious of her close proximity to the Shaolin warrior.
She did nothing however to stop his actions, watching him in wide-eyed
fascination as he then began to remove a set of objects from the folds
of his sleeves. First came a stone mortar, then a pestle, then
followed by a variety of small leather pouches. Finally, he pulled
out a steaming hot kettle and a medium sized bowl.
'How in the world?' Kagero thought. 'There is no way he could hide
that much stuff on him.'
However, sensing the ninja woman's unsaid question, Ranma replied:
"It's an ancient Chinese hidden weapons technique. It lets me to hide
most anything on my person, without revealing the objects bulge.
Quite useful when you travel; there's no need for luggage."
A slight smile broke across Kagero's lips, which Ranma momentarily
noted before setting his hands into a blurred set of motions. In less
than a few seconds, he had pinched, squeezed, and ground the right
proportion of Chinese medicines to use as a healing poultice to apply
to Kagero's wounds. Then applying some heated sake to the mix, he
stirred it all into a bowl until everything was an even light green
color.
Then staring the ninja woman straight in the eye, Ranma took hold of
her injured hand and gently place it palm down into the bowl of
medicine. Kagero's hand briefly stung upon contact and she
momentarily winced, before contorting her face back into a neutral
expression. After about ten seconds of soaking, Ranma placed his own
hand into the bowl, palming the bottom of Kagero's hand with his own.
"Don't be afraid at what's about to happen."
Before Kagero could reply, a flash of light emitted from the bowl and
soon the liquid mixture it contained began to evaporate. With her
eyes wide in shock, Kagero was about to pull her arm away but it was
locked into place as Ranma's other hand gripped it like a steel vice.
"Just a few more seconds and it'll be over."
A faint blue aura then began to envelop the two as Kagero nodded her
head in understanding--feeling most of her anxiety leave her. In her
mind, she knew this man was helping her, somehow she knew this, but
she was still afraid. As much as it galled her to admit it, she was
truly frightened. However, as she stared further and further into the
man's cobalt blue eyes--eyes emitting both care and compassion--she
somehow forgot this fear; instead, focusing on his caring expression
and the aura of warmth and confidence she felt her self in.
And as soon as it began it ended. Looking at Ranma's face, she saw
him smile.
"Take a look at your hand now."
Feeling somewhat dazed, Kagero did as was told. Looking up at her
injured palm, she noticed that the burnt and blistered flesh was no
more. In its place was new, soft, pink skin. Staring at it, she
proceeded to run her fingers over the area and marveled at the lack of
pain she was feeling.
Looking up, "How did you--?"
"Ancient Chinese healing technique." Ranma then added: "Now lets take
a look at that snake bite."
"There's no need," she answered briskly, clenching her already closed
legs further together. A look of obvious discomfort etched across her
face.
Ranma then gave her a sigh. "I don't think now is a time for feminine
modesty. That snake that bit you was probably poisonous. I don't
think she," tilting he head back to a sleeping Benisato, "was joking
when she said 'her sting is most deadly.'"
Again Kagero said there was no need, adding: "As I said before, I'm
immune to poison." Ranma however still gave her a look of doubt, so
Kagero continued her speech with her arms now locked across her
shoulders, as she was about to address something of obvious personal
discomfort. "I'm not lying to you, I'm immune to poison. It's
because of my.. my body. Poison has seeped into every party of my
being. It's become so strong that even the touch of my lips could
kill you instantly. And as a side effect, the poison in my body
cancels out the effects of other poisons. Thus I'm immune."
Ranma blinked and then nodded. "I didn't realize. I'm sorry I forced
you to reveal something so personal. I can tell that it was not easy
for you, but I thank you for your honesty." He briefly bowed his head
to her with his eyes closed, then got up. "I think it's time for us
to go. That hand of yours should be okay in the next few hours. The
herbs and sake were used to kill any infections and promote the
healing process; the little light show was to accelerate skin
regeneration. But sorry to say however, be careful with the sword of
yours, you've just lost about a decades worth of protective calluses."
Ranma then pulled from the sleeves of his shirt, a large cotton
blanket that he used to wrap Benisato's naked body in. He then
proceeded to cradle her in his arms, as he lifted her up and headed
out through the temple's main entrance. Turning his head back, he
noticed Kagero still sitting on the ground, with an unreadable
expression on her face. "Yo Kagero!" He waited until she
acknowledged him. "Another thing. Thanks for the rescue." He gave
her a warm smile and then turned around, heading out into the
darkness.
Kagero looked back at him with her own wistful smile, though it almost
seemed panged with regret.
--- End of Chapter ---
Notes:
[1] Bodhisattvas - In the Buddhist religion, bodhisattvas are
individuals who have reach nirvana and have decided to return to earth
in physical form to aid the rest of man on this journey. In the
Japanese Buddhist tradition, many Bodhisattvas are prayed to like gods
and they take on a following similar to how saints are treated in the
Catholic Church.
[2] Western Paradise - In the Buddhist religion, especially in the
Jodo and Shin Jodo sects of Buddhism, was a place that Amida Buddha
promised to help people get to. The Western Paradise in itself is not
Nirvana, but rather a staging ground to Nirvana that is basically like
being in Heaven.
[3] Wakazashi - Shorter than the Katana (about 68 cm), this sword was
worn indoors by the Samurai, because the Katana was too long to fight
in small rooms.
[4] Kijin Raishu Dan - The Kijin Raishu Dan or 'Demon God Assault
Bomb' is basically a vacuum blade technique that Genma Saotome
invented in the Ranma 1/2 cannon. The move is part of the Yamasenken-
-a school of martial arts that Genma invented but sealed away because
they were too dangerous or something like that. In any case, because
this is my fic, I've decided that in this alternate universe, Ranma is
the actual inventor of the Kijin Raishu Dan, which readers can further
speculate whether or not Ranma is the true founder of the Yamasenken
and the Umisenken (the Yamasenken's sister school).