Chapter 2: Myth of the Heart
August 23 2045 It was the worst year ever. In the Two Hundred years of the SND's Operation we had never had such an incursion before. They literally were coming out of the woodwork. The World lost half of its population in those first few months. I doubt we would have survived the next six if it hadn't been for him.
Excerpt from Decade of Hell, Biography of Captain Xian Xue Long of the US SND.
Ranma followed the mysterious man in to one of the local diners. The Man sat down at a table just as Ranma walked through the door. He approached the table with a look of curiosity on his face but it could be seen that he was still weary of this new man. "Please have a seat Satome-san, I apologize about not being able to give you any information at the site, but we couldn't have you be seen by the police. Bad politics you know." Ranma sat down and for the first time he got a good look at the mans face. The man was clearly of Asian decent but he had some odd features, His eyes in fact were what seemed the most different in that while they were green, they also seemed to contain all the colors of a rainbow, "Like a Prism." Ranma thought. "Allow me to introduce my self. My Name is Xian Xue Long, I won't beat around the bush Satome-san, you impress me, your fighting skills, your honor and your drive to protect the people around you, we have had you under observation sense we heard stories of a shape shifter in Japan we-" Xian said, interrupting Ranmas thoughts. "What do you mean "observation", how can you have been observing me!" Ranma shouted at Xian, while shooting to his feet and slamming his hands on the table causing it to shake. Several of the other patrons of the restaurant turned there heads at him and looked at him. Ranma grinned sheepishly and sat down. "Done?" Xian inquired dryly "Yes." "Good" "Sorry." "Its all right, any way I was going to say, that we gathered our information about you through an internet contact that we know only as MercMoneyHandler." Xian said. Ranma made a mental note to say something to Nabiki about her selling information on him on the internet. "Any way I came here to make you a job offer. It is the least that we can do for dealing with the Phoenix King like that. We were preparing to move in and deal with him but they pushed the rebirth forward, if it weren't for you the world would be a very, very different place." Xian stated morbidly. "Why should I take a job from you, I don't even know who you work for, for all I know you could work for the Yakuzza!" Xian looked down to the table and contemplated his words. He smiled a little at Ranmas comment. "No, No I'm not; I represent a special branch of the United States Military." Ranma looked startled at this. "The Military! I don't think that this is Legal! Isn't this treason!" Ranma started to get up from the table. Xian rolled his eyes. "Sit down and let me finish." Ranma sat back down and looked mildly embarrassed. Xian began speaking again. "Like I said I represent a special branch of the U.S. Military. No you wouldn't be betraying Japan because the enemies you would be fighting are not even human." Xian paused for a moment to let this statement sink in. "What do you mean not Human?" Ranma questioned. "The Branch of the Military I represent is called the SND, It stands for the Super Natural Division, Though we are a bit larger than the name implies, The SND is charged with the duty of protecting the world from any and all threats that are represented by none human, non mortal enemies. Like The Phoenix King." Ranma looked a little puzzled at this he seemed as if he had a question that he wanted to ask. "Um can you repeat that? In plain Japanese this time maybe?" Xian rolled his eyes, "Have you ever seen the Movie Men in Black?" "Ya, that was a pretty good movie, I especially lik-" "Well any way that's kind of what we do, We make sure that any person or thing that has above human abilities behaves them selves, and try to make sure that most humans don't know too much about it." Xian leaned back in his seat and signaled to one of the waitress. "Could you please bring me a cup of coffee, and my friend would like?" "Oh nothing for me." Ranma answered. "Ok suit yourself I'll be back in a few seconds." The waitress walked off to get Xian his coffee. Xian and Ranma sat in silence for the few seconds that it took for the girl to return with the coffee. "Ranma, we need your help. The SND is stretched to the limit and we need new agents to replace those that have retired or have passed on. Ranma you have what it takes to make sure that this world around you stays the way it is and that the human race is able to continue to govern itself to its destiny." "Look I think that this is a great thing but your wrong I cant help you, I can't even figure out my fiancé situation, what am I going to do, just up and leave, not tell any one where I'm going? I can't do that Pops and Mr. Tendo will just have Nabiki Hunt me down and then that will expose your group. So you see I just can't leave." "Yes on the matter of Miss Tendo, she was actually my next appointment." "Nabiki? What would you want with her all she dose is black mail people for money. I know first hand how she doses it." Ranma sighed after saying this. "That's precisely the reason were going to recruit her she has managed to make the brass uncomfortable with the amount of data she has been finding out. She's just lucky that she didn't go after Nacth, they would have just outright killed her." "Look Satome-san, I can help you out with one of your "fiancés", Khu Lon owes me a couple of favors personally and the Tribe owes the SND at least one. You're at least interested in the job right?" Xian took a drink of his coffee after speaking. "Sure I am, it's a Martial Artists Duty to protect those who can't protect themselves, and can you really help me out with the fiancés?" "I can only help you out with the Amazon problem, the other two you will have to make a decision." "A decision?" Xian sighed "Yes Satome-san you have to decide, personally I feel that it is bad practice to string along this many girls but I can understand the situation that you are in. Satome-san if you want this job you can have it, but I'm afraid I can't let ether of your other two fiancés come with you. It would be just too dangerous, they both lack the skills necessary to survive in the line of work that you would be doing." "And what exactly would I be doing in this job you have for me? You never did say, and I would like to know before I sign up for anything." Ranma looked a little worried after saying this. "Satome-san you would be doing the same job that I do, you would be out in the field dealing with any potential threats that come up from the non human populace of the world. It's quite a lot of fun actually." Xian said this all with a smile. "So you're sayin that I gotta run out on my engagement to Akane! No way I don't think I could do that to her!" Ranma once again bolted out of his seat. "I didn't explain that well enough, I didn't say leave her, I just said that you couldn't bring her with you if you take this job, Ranma you are a very special type of human you are going to live a very long time, the SND gives all of its agents several year breaks between periods of assignment, You would serve a four year stretch and then have the next four off." Xian sipped his coffee after saying all this. "Really?" "Yes Really." "Where do I sign up then?" Xian smiled "No signing a verbal contract is good enough, welcome to the real world partner."
Authors Note Thank you to every one who took the time to read and respond to the first chapter I got a lot of good feedback and will put it to good use, I apologize for taking so long to get out with this chapter but it is kind of an important chapter as it sets the basis for the future. Please keep responding I really appreciate it!
jyariku@yahoo.com
August 23 2045 It was the worst year ever. In the Two Hundred years of the SND's Operation we had never had such an incursion before. They literally were coming out of the woodwork. The World lost half of its population in those first few months. I doubt we would have survived the next six if it hadn't been for him.
Excerpt from Decade of Hell, Biography of Captain Xian Xue Long of the US SND.
Ranma followed the mysterious man in to one of the local diners. The Man sat down at a table just as Ranma walked through the door. He approached the table with a look of curiosity on his face but it could be seen that he was still weary of this new man. "Please have a seat Satome-san, I apologize about not being able to give you any information at the site, but we couldn't have you be seen by the police. Bad politics you know." Ranma sat down and for the first time he got a good look at the mans face. The man was clearly of Asian decent but he had some odd features, His eyes in fact were what seemed the most different in that while they were green, they also seemed to contain all the colors of a rainbow, "Like a Prism." Ranma thought. "Allow me to introduce my self. My Name is Xian Xue Long, I won't beat around the bush Satome-san, you impress me, your fighting skills, your honor and your drive to protect the people around you, we have had you under observation sense we heard stories of a shape shifter in Japan we-" Xian said, interrupting Ranmas thoughts. "What do you mean "observation", how can you have been observing me!" Ranma shouted at Xian, while shooting to his feet and slamming his hands on the table causing it to shake. Several of the other patrons of the restaurant turned there heads at him and looked at him. Ranma grinned sheepishly and sat down. "Done?" Xian inquired dryly "Yes." "Good" "Sorry." "Its all right, any way I was going to say, that we gathered our information about you through an internet contact that we know only as MercMoneyHandler." Xian said. Ranma made a mental note to say something to Nabiki about her selling information on him on the internet. "Any way I came here to make you a job offer. It is the least that we can do for dealing with the Phoenix King like that. We were preparing to move in and deal with him but they pushed the rebirth forward, if it weren't for you the world would be a very, very different place." Xian stated morbidly. "Why should I take a job from you, I don't even know who you work for, for all I know you could work for the Yakuzza!" Xian looked down to the table and contemplated his words. He smiled a little at Ranmas comment. "No, No I'm not; I represent a special branch of the United States Military." Ranma looked startled at this. "The Military! I don't think that this is Legal! Isn't this treason!" Ranma started to get up from the table. Xian rolled his eyes. "Sit down and let me finish." Ranma sat back down and looked mildly embarrassed. Xian began speaking again. "Like I said I represent a special branch of the U.S. Military. No you wouldn't be betraying Japan because the enemies you would be fighting are not even human." Xian paused for a moment to let this statement sink in. "What do you mean not Human?" Ranma questioned. "The Branch of the Military I represent is called the SND, It stands for the Super Natural Division, Though we are a bit larger than the name implies, The SND is charged with the duty of protecting the world from any and all threats that are represented by none human, non mortal enemies. Like The Phoenix King." Ranma looked a little puzzled at this he seemed as if he had a question that he wanted to ask. "Um can you repeat that? In plain Japanese this time maybe?" Xian rolled his eyes, "Have you ever seen the Movie Men in Black?" "Ya, that was a pretty good movie, I especially lik-" "Well any way that's kind of what we do, We make sure that any person or thing that has above human abilities behaves them selves, and try to make sure that most humans don't know too much about it." Xian leaned back in his seat and signaled to one of the waitress. "Could you please bring me a cup of coffee, and my friend would like?" "Oh nothing for me." Ranma answered. "Ok suit yourself I'll be back in a few seconds." The waitress walked off to get Xian his coffee. Xian and Ranma sat in silence for the few seconds that it took for the girl to return with the coffee. "Ranma, we need your help. The SND is stretched to the limit and we need new agents to replace those that have retired or have passed on. Ranma you have what it takes to make sure that this world around you stays the way it is and that the human race is able to continue to govern itself to its destiny." "Look I think that this is a great thing but your wrong I cant help you, I can't even figure out my fiancé situation, what am I going to do, just up and leave, not tell any one where I'm going? I can't do that Pops and Mr. Tendo will just have Nabiki Hunt me down and then that will expose your group. So you see I just can't leave." "Yes on the matter of Miss Tendo, she was actually my next appointment." "Nabiki? What would you want with her all she dose is black mail people for money. I know first hand how she doses it." Ranma sighed after saying this. "That's precisely the reason were going to recruit her she has managed to make the brass uncomfortable with the amount of data she has been finding out. She's just lucky that she didn't go after Nacth, they would have just outright killed her." "Look Satome-san, I can help you out with one of your "fiancés", Khu Lon owes me a couple of favors personally and the Tribe owes the SND at least one. You're at least interested in the job right?" Xian took a drink of his coffee after speaking. "Sure I am, it's a Martial Artists Duty to protect those who can't protect themselves, and can you really help me out with the fiancés?" "I can only help you out with the Amazon problem, the other two you will have to make a decision." "A decision?" Xian sighed "Yes Satome-san you have to decide, personally I feel that it is bad practice to string along this many girls but I can understand the situation that you are in. Satome-san if you want this job you can have it, but I'm afraid I can't let ether of your other two fiancés come with you. It would be just too dangerous, they both lack the skills necessary to survive in the line of work that you would be doing." "And what exactly would I be doing in this job you have for me? You never did say, and I would like to know before I sign up for anything." Ranma looked a little worried after saying this. "Satome-san you would be doing the same job that I do, you would be out in the field dealing with any potential threats that come up from the non human populace of the world. It's quite a lot of fun actually." Xian said this all with a smile. "So you're sayin that I gotta run out on my engagement to Akane! No way I don't think I could do that to her!" Ranma once again bolted out of his seat. "I didn't explain that well enough, I didn't say leave her, I just said that you couldn't bring her with you if you take this job, Ranma you are a very special type of human you are going to live a very long time, the SND gives all of its agents several year breaks between periods of assignment, You would serve a four year stretch and then have the next four off." Xian sipped his coffee after saying all this. "Really?" "Yes Really." "Where do I sign up then?" Xian smiled "No signing a verbal contract is good enough, welcome to the real world partner."
Authors Note Thank you to every one who took the time to read and respond to the first chapter I got a lot of good feedback and will put it to good use, I apologize for taking so long to get out with this chapter but it is kind of an important chapter as it sets the basis for the future. Please keep responding I really appreciate it!
jyariku@yahoo.com