Reminder: I am not the owner of Ranma 1/2 or its characters! These character belong to the creator of the manga, Rumiko Takahashi
Episode 3: I FUCKING HATE THE APOCALYPSE!/Episode 4: Never Again, Never AGAIN!
Episode 3: I FUCKING HATE THE APOCALYPSE!
As the national emergency broadcast plays in the background. All eyes land upon two people, Ranma and Genma Saotome. It also begins to rain at this time.
They themselves are sill staring at the broadcast, their minds still processing what just happened. All of the Tendos are ready to throw the pair out, until they hear what might have been their saving grace.
Do not panic, there is A WAY TO IDENTIFY THOSE WHO ARE INFECTED. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS SAMPLE THAT HAS BEEN KILLED AND PHOTOGRAPHED IN CHINA.
[A corpse on it's back was shown to the viewer from a different camera] [The corpse was infected for so long, it was pitch black with rot]
THERE IS A SCARLET LINING ON THEIR BACKS, IT CAN BE SEEN FROM THE LOWER NECK TO THE LOWER BACK. WE HAVE ALSO IDENTIFIED TRAITS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INFECTION.
SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING
[A list scrolls through known symptoms]
-Violent behavior
-Heightened sensitivity to hot and cold water
-Increased emotional states
-NEAR DEATH FROM RECOLLECTIONS OF TRAUMA
-Coughing up blood
-earlier or non-occurring periods
-TRANSFORMATION IN OTHER CREATURES WITH THE APPLICATION WATER
NOW THESE ARE THE MOST SEVERE SYMPTOMS WE ARE AWARE OF:
-Constantly covering of the back
-Paranoia
-Murderous Tendencies
-Suddenly becoming mute
-Sudden loss of feeling pain
-Unable to remember core memories
- Standing completely still where they are
NOW SOME OF THESE SYMPTOMS ARE HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT HEAR WITH US. DO NOT TRUST YOUR NEIGHBOR, DO NOT TRUST ANYONE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME. NOT EVEN A STRAY DOG OR CAT.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING . . . IT IS WITH GREAT DISMAY THAT I SAY THIS, BUT PLEASE, DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO KILL IT. THE GOVERNMENT WILL DO IT'S BEST TO KEEP THE INFECTION OUTSIDE OF JAPAN.
BUT [The Prime Minister folds his hands together] IF THE INFECTION WERE TO ENTER JAPAN AND GET PAST OUR MILITARY, THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HELP YOU.
GOODBYE AND MAY THE GODS WATCH OVER EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
There is outcry from the media that is present but the Prime Minister is led away to a secure bunker, where he, other high ranking officials and their families will be safe.
The television is then turned off, with only the rain to drown out the silence. The entire room is now looking at one, scared, confused and terrified soul
-Ranma. I believe it'd be better if you turned around so we could look at your back, but the same goes for you Genma.
-"Alright Soun, I understand, boy lets get this over with. Boy? . . . Ranma?"
Ranma had his back to Soun already, his shirt had been taken off already, without resistance or acceptance, just silent with a blank stare with no emotion.
Genma pulled the top half of his Gi down to his waist for a clear view of his back.
- O-okay lets see here. Genma, you first.
Soun then closely looked up and down Genma's back for the scarlet line shown in the emergency news broadcast.
-There's nothing to see here Genma, if seems that you are just fine. . . . Now Ranma, it's your turn, please turn around.
Ranma followed Soun's order and now Soun was checking his back, nothing was to be seen.
-Now turn into a female and we'll look again. Nadoka, thinking that this was a joke.
-THIS IS NO TIME FOR JOKES SOUN TENDO, MY SON IS NOT A GIRL! She screamed this, only realizing afterwards that nobody else was joining them.
She then had a moment to wonder, "What the- Why are they still serious? Why is Soun not trying to laugh? Whats going on?"
As she finished her thought, she saw in front of her. Her son was splashed with cold water, and he became a she with long bright red hair.
Nadoka was speechless, Genma didn't tell her earlier about this! Where was her son, why was this girl suddenly in her place?!
But before she could scream and force the wraith of the God's upon Soun and Genma, she heard a high-pitched murmur coming from the girl.
She listened in like everyone else did and they heard something that toned the tension down a little bit.
-Jeez Pops, could ya go easy with the water for once, its freakin freezin cold.
After this, the, now female, Ranma snaps out of his murmur. Everyone is now watching him with eyes of relief, relief to see something from their normal lives. But wondering, what made him go so silent?
- I'm sorry to have scared y'all for so long. I'll be back with supplies and explain everything.
Ranma then flew out of the house, too quick for anyone to get out a word before he left. Later when he had returned safely with plant seeds to grow food, hundreds of wood planks and nails and concrete to turn the former home of the Tendos into a fortress for survival, he explained everything.
-It all started the day after the nightmare. I saw everyone act differently around me, only Kasumi and everyone at school treated me normal. So I listened to your private conversations, including you guys earlier. I remembered the dream, each time it got less and less dangerous to fall unconscious . Now I remember it all and it doesn't even faze me anymore, since now it's just a nightmare.
-But what about your gender, you're a GIRL! A now stressed Nadoka said.
-That is the result of training in Jusenkyo with Pops. He can actually turn into a Panda too. Ramna felt some pleasure in making his father have to get hit with cold water
-"Eh? . . . are you . . being serious right now Ranma?"
- Mom, I really wish I was right now. Pops, could ya show her so that she doesn't think I'm crazy.
-Dammit, and here I was thinkin I would stay dry for once...
[As Genma went for the tea kettle with left over cold water from when Ranma became a girl, he smashed the sarcastic child with enough force to put him in a daze.]
-And why couldn't ya stay quiet for once! damn brat...
As sarcastic as her husband and son were being, Nadoka could decide if she was hallucinating or if she was about to see the man (or as much of a man he seemed to be) turn into a panda. She watched intensely and waited for it to happen.
When her husband was replaced by a panda, she audibly gasped at the sight, but was embarrassed to see that, other than Ryoga also being shocked by the new sight, everyone, including her son, just looked at her with a bored stare, as if to say "This is old news, we're not impressed."
-The room began to clam, but A CERTAIN SOMEBODY just had to speak up. (We all know somebody who does shit like this in one way or another right?)
-"And I can turn into a piglet!" Shouted a tensed up Ryoga, basically announcing to everyone that he was also at Jusenkyo and fell into a cursed spring.
Now the whole room was also tensed, and with looks that can knock you out with just a glance.
-Now Ryoga, you understand what this means don't you? You need to turn around and show me your back so I can see if you are infected or not.
-But what if there is an infection? Will you guys just leave me out there? In that lonely town?
-Ryoga, understand that this infection is said to be able to make a person do things they wouldn't normally do. We all have to protect ourselves in order to ensure our survival, now let me check your back as a human.
Ryoga than quickly lifts his shirt up to get examined as quick as possible
-Soun then looked for any signs of the infection, looking for that scarlet thread on the back. A "Hmm" was heard every few seconds.
-So, am I infected or not. Ryoga was ready to be thrown out like trash.
-My boy, when I was your age, I was just as lean!
Everyone including Ryoga couldn't believe how silly a man could be in a serious situation!
They all yelled the same thing, at the same time, as if choreograph by an unseen force: IS HE INFECTED OR NOT?!
-No, no, he seems to be just fine, as a human. Now Ranma, we can now check you as a girl an-
-"Sorry, I think female Ranma should be checked by another female, right?" Said a concerned, but annoyed Akane, not trying to let the other boys sneak a peek.
-Okay, that understandable, let me know what you find. [Soun was completely oblivious to Akane's thought, thinking she just wanted to help.]
Akane and Ranma went to another room, but a third person sneaked behind them.
-Alright show me your back and lets return to the others okay.
-Sounds good, here let me get the shirt off.
Ranma was a little embarrassed, even with a girl, so he kept the shirt on her chest.
Akane, now jealous after seeing Ranma's pair, began to search her back for the scarlet thread.
*Snap*
-Did ya hear that Akane?
-Hear what Ranma? A still jealous and annoyed Akane, ignored the concerns of her fiancee, thinking it was his imagination.
-And move our damn hair, it's red so I can't see your back clearly enough!
-Okay, okay, no need to get mad at me.
*Snap*
-Akane, are sure you didn't hear that?
-Will you stay still, I'm still look-
She saw a camera lens in the doorway, hidden to take pictures without being seen
-God dammit Nebiki, you're really trying to profit off of Ranma at a time like this!?
-Hey, I can score us some extra supplies with these, what do you think Ranma?
-It's fine, but give me a heads up next time!
Akane the finished checking Ranma's back, clear as could be, and soft too, "lucky Ranma".
Under his breath, Ranma could barely be heard in a depressed sigh:
"I really hate the apocalypse."
End of Episode 3: I FUCKING HATE THE APOCALYPSE!
Start of Episode 4: Never Again, Never Again!
As the three went back into the common room, they saw a black piglet, with a yellow bandanna being checked. After being hit with warm water, he was Ryoga.
-Now then, all that left is to check Saotome as a panda.
Soun then checked the panda, only frightened by a red string of hair belonging to the female Ranma.
-Now that we've checked everyone, lets start boarding up the place.
Thankfully the rain had ceased and now, it was overcast.
-As everyone got to work, the men, including Akane were tasked with putting up boards an laying down concrete. Kasumi, Nebiki and Nadoka were tasked with planting the seeds, one of which was wheat.
In this time there were different conversations happening at the same time. They are all separated into pairs except Kasumi, Nebiki and Nadoka. The first was between Soun and Genma:
-So Saotome, how are you feeling? You wife has reunited with you and your son, she knows about your secrets and accepts them and you for what you are.
Genma stopped hammering a nail for a second, thinking of a response
-Ya know Soun, I may not be the best father, or the best husband. But having these two together with me, has been the best thing yet. I had entirely forgotten what Nadoka looked like until she was right in front of me, fourteen years after I took her son away for ten years to train him o be a man among men... and Ranma. Oh how it has been a journey with him. I have shown him things that most people have never seen, in lands that most only dream of. But, I've also shown him how much of thief I am and how cowardly I can be, but he still calls me Pops. I know I don't deserve them in my life, but they don't care about my past in all that I've done. As long as they call me "Pops" or "Genma Saotome", I will be there for them now more than I ever have in the past.
-Wow Saotome, I didn't know that this is how you felt. When you talk to Ranma, there are times when you two are fighting over the most basic of things. With your wife, when you saw her, you seemed almost frozen with fear. I wouldn't ave guessed that this was the result of seeing them. But what about in this situation? If I didn't know any better, than I would say the world was ending!
Genma continued to hammer nails into a board, fortifying the Tendo home.
-Even now, if anything tries to harm my family, I will fight till my last breath to protect them.
In Soun's mind, he thought: (Saotome. Has seeing you completed family changed you so much in such short amount of time?)
The second was between Ranma and Akane:
-So Ranma, are you feeling okay?
-What're ya talkin about Akane? It's me you're talkin to, I can power through anything!
-But what about this!? Your mom, who you didn't even know was alive until today, was sitting in our common room! The government just said that the apocalypse was starting, you can turn into a girl and back, you an your father were almost just put you o the streets to look for shelter, you almost died from a nightmare about seeing everyone dead and yourself dying! How can you just "power through this" if everything around you has been HELL ON EARTH for the past twenty-four hours!? How!? Answer me! How?!
At this point, Akane was nearly in tears, she just couldn't accept that her fiancee could be fine after so much has happened in their lives!
Then, Ranma did the unexpected. Instead of ordering Akane to calm down. He put down his hammer, walked up to Akane and hugged her for many moments. She was shocked! Ranma was always trying to be so manly an cool, he usually didn't take Akane's harsh words so calmly. He then softly whispered to her
-I know you're worried about me, and you're right. A lot has happened in the last day.
She saw him, he began to tear up for the first time since they met.
-But here we are. Our families are whole and together, alive even. My mom, she accepts me for who I am, as a man and as a girl. Sure, hell may be upon us but, for now, we're safe aren't we.
They embraced each other for what felt like hours, but was only a few minutes.
-Now come on now, lets get these boards put up and train afterward in the dojo okay?
-Yeah, *sniff* that sounds like a plan.
unbeknownst to the pair, Ryoga was staring at them, sadly thinking "Will I live to see their happiness?" as he nailed the boards and laid the concrete mix.
The last last is between the three women:
-So, how long have you both known?
-Known about what Ms. Saotome? Or should I call you Nadoka?
-Please, call me Nadoka, we'll be living together, so it's best that we get well acquainted with each other.
-But getting back on topic, Nadoka, I'm as confused as Kasumi, how long have we known about what?
-That my husband and son could shape shift with the hot or cold water. I just saw it happen and I was the only one to react. My son turns into a girl and my husband turns into a panda for crying out loud, is this normal?
Instead of Kasumi explaining, Nebiki started to explain instead
-Mr. Saotome and Ranma came to us like that when they first arrived. It was a cold rain just like it did today. They were drenched and we thought that your son was a legitimate girl whose father was a panda.
After all was said and done, they changed right in front of us. Yeah we were surprised at first, but now, it's daily life as we know it. Although, nobody outside of our family knows his secret.
It was Kasumi's turn to speak up.
- Yes, in fact, in the time that Ranma has been here, he has tried to adapt at being a proper woman as well as a man.
-Really? My son? Trying to be strong as a man, but proper as a woman? That sounds odd but extremely difficult. How does he do that? I mean trying to be both genders? That sounds like trying to burn and freeze something at the same time.
-It's reaally something Nadoka, I'll tell you that much. One day he's the strong Ranma that we see right now, the next day, she's an innocent girl in the crowd trying not to punch every loser that looks at her funny.
As Nebiki finished her sentence, she and Kasumi chucked at the thought, but Nadoka focused on what she was doing with a stern look about her.
-How?
The two stopped, hearing Nadoka who sounded concerned but at the same time angered by something.
How . . . What? Nebiki asked, wondering what had Nadoka riled up.
How can you laugh at something so out of the ordinary like it's nothing! They can change into something they are biologically not! How is this not odd to you!
-Ms. Saotome, you gotta understand, they've been living with us for some time now, you've only just seen them again after fourteen years! You've gotta give yourself time to accept and get used to their change in appearance.
-Nebiki is actually right for once Nadoka, time is something we have right now to adapt to our, albeit, unusual situation.
The three finished in the afternoon and went back inside the house to relax while they waited for the rest of the group to return. They didn't turn on the television because they wanted to wait for the rest of the group to return.
-At sundown, the rest of the group finally returned and they all felt that they should see if there was any more news available.
The television clicks to life and there is another emergency broadcast. It was the governor of the Saitama Prefecture It states the following:
HELLO, PEOPLE OF THE SAITAMA PREFECTURE. AS WE ARE ON THE EASTERN COAST OF JAPAN, THERE IS LESS URGENCY TO BARRICADE YOURSELVES AND GRAB SUPPLIES IF THE INFECTION WERE TO SPREAD TO RUSSIA, BUT SINCE SOUTHERN JAPAN IS CLOSER TO CHINA AND BOTH KOREAN COUNTRIES, WE URGE THAT YOU STILL GET SUPPLIES IN A QUICK AND ORDERLY FASHION. THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER SUBJECT MANNER. THE INFECTION HAS BEEN FOUND TO SPREAD THROUGH ALL POSSIBLE CONTAMINATES. FOOD, WATER, INSECTS, RODENTS AND AIR ARE ALL POSSIBLE TRANSMISSIONS. BUT DO NOT FEAR, THE PATHOGEN CAN ONLY LAST A FEW SECONDS IN THE AIR, HEAT CAN BURN THE PATHOGEN TO CINDERS AND IT CAN ONLY SURVIVE FOR THREE DAYS IN WATER, IT LAST LESS I ANY OTHER SUBSTANCE. WE ALSO URGE YOU TO HAVE A CRANK RADIO WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES ON THE FREQUENCY OF 7.030 MHz FOR EMERGENCY INFORMATION. THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE MANY UPDATES GIVEN FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. IF THE INFECTIONS REACH JAPAN, A SINGLE EMERGENCY BROADCAST IS SET TO PLAY FOR AS LONG AS THE INFECTION IS IN JAPAN. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CALMNESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION.
The broadcast turned off and all there was, was static on each and every channel. They turned off the television and called it a night. Each of the Tendo's went to their own rooms, the Saotomes went to the guest room and then there was just Ryoga. He started to sit on the floor of the common room when heard footsteps from the stairs, it was Ranma!
-Hey Ryoga, wanna sleep with me and my family? You can't just sleep her alone, it's pretty creepy with how things were goin.
Ryoga look at Ranma, wondering how he could be so generous and gave his response with tear-filled eyes.
-Would that be alright with your folks?
-It's no problem, I can change into a girl and you can turn into a pig so we can save some room for them. How's that sound?
-Thanks man, I really appreciate it.
Ryoga was just to sleep with anybody around for company.
This ended the first night that the Tendos, the Saotomes and Ryoga would remember as their last peaceful day on Earth...
End of Episode 4: Never Again, Never Again!
