All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyrighted to Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. I've taken the idea for the Unseelie Court from the TGS. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of SN.
Note: I'm disregarding the events of the "Goliath Chronicles", with the exception of "The Journey" because I do not wish to use the rest of the "Goliath Chronicles" as canon to my story. This story takes place one day after "In Need of Help".
The Warrior, the Wizard, and the Wolf
By SN/TVfan
Email: Sam_Nary
Sapporo, Japan
"I'm glad your magic allows us to understand Japanese," Rachel commented as she set her bags down on a moderately sized bed of the hotel room that she and Merlin had received.
"So am I," Merlin nodded, "Japanese was not one of the languages that I had time to learn over the past couple thousand years."
"I find that hard to believe," Rachel said in a disbelieving tone, "You've even said that you continued to work for England/Britain's Kings and Queens even after you served Arthur. Wouldn't at least one of them sent you to Japan as an ambassador or something?"
"I never disguised myself as any of Britain's foreign ambassadors," Merlin answered, "And I never rose to be a real help to the early Saxon kings because many remembered my help to Arthur and the early Norman kings because of my help to the Saxons. After Richard I, I was largely a butler or steward."
"That's too bad," Rachel answered, "So, how long will we be here?"
"Hopefully at least one night," Merlin answered, "Tomorrow we can see about getting a boat to South Korea."
Rachel nodded and let Merlin proceed into the bathroom to change into his sleepwear and let Rachel change into hers.
Outside, a well dressed Japanese businessman looked over at the hotel building that Rachel and Merlin had entered a few minutes earlier. He then pulled out a small cellphone and dialed a number. After a few moments he received his answer.
"Hello," the man said in a somewhat hushed voice, "this is to tell you that the Wizard and the Wolf have entered their hotel. They are in Sapporo."
"Thank you for you help," a voice on the other end answered, "Fortune will smile on you."
Tokyo
On the outside it appeared like a normal business office. What it was, in reality, was an office for the Illuminati in Japan. Four men sat around a table and looked very serious about their business.
"The Council has tasked us with capturing or killing this Merlin and his werewolf companion," the first man spoke, "We must not fail the council."
"What shall we do against a wizard that the westerners hold as the greatest of all wizards?" the second man questioned, "Unlike the European and American branches, our branch of the Illuminati is not blessed with men who will build great technological weapons that can help us."
"That is because the Council let our branch have that through the first half of the twentieth Century, and that earned us two atomic bomb blasts," the first man answered, "Now we have something that will be much more effective."
"Surely you don't mean Usagi?" the fourth man asked, "The man has been kept asleep since the Middle Ages."
"He wasn't even a Samurai in his day," the third man answered, "What good could he do against a modern day wizard and werewolf."
"Merlin is Medieval and the werewolf will be expecting a man with a gun," the first man answered, "Not a warrior as skilled as the old legends of Usagi say he was."
Southeastern Honshu, 1274
Forces of the Kamakura shogunate dove down on the small forces of attacking Mongols that had managed to escape the kamikaze that had destroyed much of their invading fleet in the ocean. Several mounted samurai urged their soldiers to move forward as they charged on horseback toward the Mongol lines.
One of these soldiers was a young nobleman named Usagi. He was too young to really be considered to gain the rank of samurai, and even that didn't matter as the samurai for his region was still alive and healthy. This hadn't stopped him from study and practice. His family and the samurai's family had been close friends and he now served his samurai as a body guard, although his master's horse easily outran him. His master plunged through the Mongol lines quickly and with relative ease and soon joined the other samurai in dealing with the Mongol cavalry.
"Come on!" Usagi urged as he reached the semi-broken line of Mongol infantry.
One of the Mongol soldiers thrust a long spear out at Usagi, who dove to a side and in quick swing of his katana, cut the point of the spear off from the rest of the lance. The Mongol then began to back off when Usagi struck again bringing his weapon down upon the invader's helmet and head, cutting the helmet in two and digging enough into the Mongol's skull to kill him.
Two Mongol swordsmen the rushed toward Usagi as the Japanese infantry began to destroy the Mongol spearmen. Usagi kicked one to the ground and blocked the other's attack with his own sword. The sword fight was brief, as after years of training, a tired Mongol who was on the defensive in a foreign land was no match for Usagi. But, as Usagi finished off the Mongol swordsman, he saw his samurai in trouble. He was surrounded by infantrymen and dealing with one Mongol cavalryman. His horse kicked a few of the infantrymen away, but his samurai couldn't beat them all.
"NO!" Usagi screamed and charged headlong toward the fight.
He first came upon an infantryman and he beaded him in a swift swing of his sword. He kicked another two as they tried to turn and face him, and landed a slash across another infantryman's back, who had not yet turned. Usagi then felt a stinging pain through his left shoulder. He looked over to see that Mongol cavalryman had stabbed the weapon through his protective armor and through his shoulder. He heard his samurai scream something as he lost consciousness.
It was dark when Usagi awoke to find himself in his samurai's home, being attended to by various helpers.
"Where am I?" Usagi asked.
"You are in my home," came the voice of his samurai from behind him.
He looked over to see his samurai standing there.
"Did we win?" Usagi asked.
"Yes," his samurai smiled, "the Mongols that ravaged China could not defeat our power. And particularly you."
"Me?" Usagi asked.
"Yes," the samurai answered, "Those who dishonored themselves by surrendering said they were afraid of you. It is a great honor."
"Thank you," Usagi said while seated.
The samurai was about say more when there was great commotion coming from outside the room as several priests broke into the room. The samurai was rather annoyed and looked on them with some frustration.
"What is it?" the samurai demanded.
The lead priest stepped forward with a very nervous look on his face.
"I have had a vision my lord," the priest said nervously.
"What did you see?" the samurai asked.
"An invasion," the priest answered.
"We've just defeated it," the samurai interrupted, "Your vision is too late."
"It was not of Mongols," the priest protested, "Let me explain."
The samurai sighed but nodded.
"First there will come two great explosions on our cities that will wipe them from the face of the Earth," the priest said slowly, "Then pale skinned men in green clothes will land from the south."
"The south?" the samurai asked, "The closest land mass is to the east."
"These invaders were not Asian," the priest answered, "A race of ghosts live to the west and south of us."
"When will these invaders come?" the samurai asked.
"In six hundred, seventy one years," the priest answered.
"That far in the future?" the samurai questioned.
"Yes," the priest nodded, "Now there is a spell that we can use that will allow you to sleep until then, so that your strength may defeat these pale invaders…"
"I can not sleep six hundred, seventy one years and govern my lands at the same time," the samurai protested, "And I would be abandoning my duties to the Shogun."
"But it must be a member of your house, of which you are the only one," the priest argued, "Otherwise the spell won't work."
"Would a servant work for this spell?" Usagi asked from his bed.
"It must be the samurai or a member of his family," the priest answered.
"You would do this task for me?" the samurai asked Usagi, "Even after you're being wounded."
"I live to serve my samurai," Usagi answered.
"Can adoption count?" the samurai asked.
The priests talked among themselves for a few moments and then nodded.
"Barely," the first priest said in a weak voice.
"Then I adopt Usagi as my son," the samurai answered, "He is a greater warrior then I will be, and will be better suited to defeating these demons."
"Very well," the priests acknowledged.
1950
A grey haired old man lead two well dressed business men through the ruins of an old manner from Japan's medieval period that was in serious need of service.
"I am surprised you wish to tour this place," the old man answered, "Ever since the 1300s this dwelling has been abandoned and cared for little."
"General MacArthur has wished that these old places be restored so that we have something to remember about our past," the first man answered.
"I doubt the General would be interested in this place given the trouble in Korea," the old man answered.
"Never the less, we wish to see what needs to be repaired and how to repair it," the second man said.
"Very well," the man sighed, "That was the grand tour. I'll leave the two of you to your investigation."
The old man then left, leaving the two men standing alone in what had once been a great mansion of medieval Japanese samurai.
"Will the parchment work?" the first man asked.
"It should," the second man answered, "If done correctly. The priests that held it were killed in 1941 in the Doolittle Raid. Why they toured the factories I do not know."
"And how will this man help us now?" the first questioned, "He's obviously slept longer then his intended purpose."
"True," the second nodded, "But he can help the Council. And he won't be awakened today, but when we need him."
"Very well," the first nodded.
Present Day, Tokyo
The four men descended down a carefully hidden flight of stairs to a special compartment where the sleeping body of Usagi lay asleep. Ancient parchments that the monks had left behind lay on top of the sleeping man. The first man carefully picked up the parchment as the others moved to stand around the long couch that Usagi lay on.
"Repeat after me," the first man instructed and began reading the parchment aloud.
The other men slowly repeated after the lead man as he read from the parchment. Once he had finished, the parchment took on a bright green glow, which then moved to the sleeping form of Usagi. Once the glow died down, Usagi's eyes slowly opened. Once awake the man sat up quickly, as if looking for a weapon.
"Where am I?" Usagi asked, "This is not my samurai's house!"
"You are in Tokyo," the first man said in a calm voice, "You have no need to be afraid."
Usagi swiped at the second man with one fist and then kicked the other two, and leaped over the couch to push the first man against the far wall.
"Why am I not in my samurai's house?" Usagi demanded.
"Your samurai's home was vacated almost a hundred years after you were put to sleep," the first man choked out, "You were moved here shortly after. It is time for you to be awake again."
"What two cities were destroyed?" Usagi asked, sounding pained, and remembering the words of the priests.
"Unfortunately the time that you were needed for was not the vision that your priests saw," the first man answered, "The invasion by the pale ones did occur, but it was done to overthrow an evil tyrant. Once he was gone, rule was restored to righteous people of Japan."
"Foreigners came here to fight evil?" Usagi asked, "But Japan is the most righteous nation in the world!"
"Not at the time of the pale invasion," the first man answered, "But I can explain more of that to you later. But now there is a more important matter. A second invasion by pale men."
"A second invasion?" Usagi asked.
"Yes," the first man nodded, "A man capable of doing powerful magic and a woman with the ability to turn herself into a wolf have landed and intend to wreck havoc amongst our people."
"I must stop them then," Usagi vowed, "I need a sword and armor. Where are they now?"
"In the north, in a city called Sapporo," the first man answered as he motioned for the other men to gather what Usagi would need, "We have some magics that can help you hide from the people who the evil wizard has brainwashed, but nothing that can directly stop him. Thankfully, your armor has been strengthened. The wolf can not bite or claw through it and the wizard's magic will have no effect on it."
"You have been most helpful," Usagi answered as he began to put on his armor, "When I have defeated this threat, you must tell me about the new world I've been awakened in."
"Of course," the first man nodded, "We will provide you with transport to Sapporo."
Sapporo, Dawn
Rachel stretched in her bed with a slight yawn at about the same time that sun would normally rise from the east, and while she didn't expect to see much sunlight entering their room, as all their windows were on the western side, she didn't quite expect to see what she saw. A thick fog blanketed everything. The room was almost as dark as it was at midnight because of the fog. Rachel closed her eyes and when they opened again, they had become their golden color when in her wolf form, but did not allow herself to change any further. That didn't help her much. The fog was still thick.
"Merlin," Rachel spoke, "Merlin, you need to get up!"
"What?" Merlin asked as he sat up and then looked out the window and saw the thick fog, "What the devil?"
"It's incredibly thick," Rachel answered, "Even with my 'wolf eyes' I can't see much."
Merlin slowly got up and walked over to the window. After a few moments he shuddered.
"What?" Rachel asked.
"This fog," Merlin answered, "It's tinged with magic. A sorcerer has created this."
"I can hear car horns going off below us," Rachel answered, "We've got to undo this."
"I'd need to know the original spell," Merlin answered, "And right now we don't know who cast it."
Rachel sighed and stepped over to her bag and pulled out her jumpsuit, a coat of brown fur already growing out of her skin.
"Then it's time we did some looking," Rachel answered through growing teeth.
Rachel and Merlin appeared in a flash of green light on the roof of the hotel. Merlin, actually floated in the air, while Rachel gripped the roof with her claws. She sniffed the air periodically trying to see if she could pick up anything. She could pick up human scents and the smell of car exhaust and some signs of spilt gasoline, which indicated there had been at least one major accident that had occurred.
"This fog has may have already killed someone," Rachel spoke, "I smell gas."
Merlin sighed and focused his powers, trying to see if he could sense any magical signature besides Rachel's and his own. After a few moments, he turned to the north before speaking again.
"The magician that caused this has to be to the north, about half a mile away," Merlin explained.
Rachel nodded, and turned and ran on all fours along the rooftop, once she saw that she was reaching the edge, she leaped, hoping it was enough to reach the next roof. It was nearly too much as the next building was at least one floor shorter then the hotel. Before she could try and look for the next building, Merlin came up to her and kept her from leaping again.
"I'll carry you through my magic," Merlin spoke, "I can at least use my magic to judge where the next building is so we don't jump into it or over it."
Rachel nodded.
Usagi felt awkward as he looked out into the fog that the priest had created to hide him from the wizard's enslaved soldiers. He had expected to be hunting the ones that had invaded Japan, but he could barely see anything through the fog.
"Are you sure this is wise?" Usagi asked the priest with him, "With this fog, a wizard and a kitsune would surely have the advantage."
"She is a werewolf, actually," the priest answered, "Kitsune are fox-like and usually have multiple tails. She is wolf-like and like all of her kind has one tail. And do not concern yourself with the fog. Once they arrive within the park, your eyesight will improve to the point where this fog will be like a clear pane of glass."
Usagi sighed and nodded. Even still he did not like waiting.
"I do not like this waiting," Usagi spoke, "We should be looking for this wizard and his wolf."
"That would only lead us into a trap of his choosing," the priest said from behind him, "He has no honor."
"Then wouldn't he send all his followers into the park?" Usagi asked, "Overwhelm us with sheer strength of numbers rather then face us one on one?"
At that moment a brown furred female wolf-like creature and a middle aged man with a white beard appeared in front of Usagi and the priest.
"There's something you don't see everyday," Rachel commented as she noted Usagi, "What is that?"
"Medieval Japanese Armor," Merlin answered.
"You are the creatures that invade my homeland!" Usagi said in a challenging voice, "I challenge you to a duel to the death!"
"A duel?" Rachel asked, "You can't be serious. Dueling has gone out of style."
"You are invading my country!" Usagi accused, "We will duel."
He then lunged at Rachel with his katana ready to kill her. The werewolf out of instinct backed away as he slashed at her neck, curiously sniffing the air.
"Invading?" Rachel questioned as Usagi kicked her in the stomach knocking her to the ground, "We aren't invading anyone."
Rachel then rolled to avoid being hit by the sword. She could smell some silver in the metal and didn't want to know what being slashed by it would do. Usagi remained determined to try and kill her, and Rachel continued to back away, trying to figure him out. Merlin meanwhile watched this battle begin and then turned back to the priest.
"I am to presume you've started this fog?" Merlin questioned.
"Indeed I have, Merlin," the priest answered, "The Council does not want you helping Pendragon, and our branch will succeed where the others have failed."
"Do you realize how many people have been killed or hurt because of your plans?" Merlin questioned.
"That does not matter," the priest replied, "All deaths and injuries will be blamed on you, and when Usagi kills you and your pet, you will not be able to defend yourself."
Merlin fired a lightning spell and knocked the man back against a nearby tree. Merlin then slowly approached the priest as he struggled to try and get up.
"Now, you will undo your spell," Merlin commanded, "Free the people that you've trapped in this fog, Illuminatus."
"How dare you speak to a priest that way!" Usagi roared from behind Merlin as he had abandoned his attempts to kill the werewolf, as it didn't seem to want to fight, when he saw Merlin attack the priest.
Merlin dodged the attack.
"I don't know what you've been told, sir," Merlin said in calm voice, "But I highly doubt that man has any TRUE allegiance to any order of priests in Japan. He is a member of the Illuminati Society."
Usagi attempted to strike at Merlin again, but found that the wizard had shielded himself with his magic.
"They covertly control the world and while they are not truly 'evil' they are not 'good' either," Merlin continued, "My companion and I have done nothing. The Illuminati however believe that a protégé of mine should not fight to protect his own island in what is likely to be the near future."
"Lies, Usagi!" the priest roared, "He is trying to deceive you! He wants to conquer Japan!"
Usagi lifted his sword again, but never got a chance to lower it as Rachel reappeared and leaped over Merlin's shield and tackled Usagi to the ground. Swallowing deeply she then grabbed Usagi's sword and tried to get it out of his grip. The silver in the blade burned her paw heavily and Rachel roared with pain, and the blade itself also cut into her fingers. Usagi, however, couldn't match her strength and Rachel easily pulled the sword out of his hand then the broke it, making it useless.
"Merlin doesn't lie," Rachel spoke to the man, "We've done nothing, and this fog your friend has conjured up has at least hurt someone. I can smell gasoline throughout this city. Spilt gasoline. That means at least two cars have crashed into each other in various parts of this city. People are hurt because of your friend."
Usagi kneed Rachel in the stomach and then issued an open palmed punch to the side of Rachel's face. The blow was far more powerful then Rachel anticipated and knocked her off Usagi.
"If you hadn't enslaved them, then the fog wouldn't be necessary!" Usagi said.
Usagi then ran forward, intending to fight Rachel in hand to hand combat when he was suddenly lifted into the air by a light blue light.
"We haven't enslaved anyone," Merlin said, "The Illuminatus has deceived you."
"We don't even know who you are, so don't think we're personally out to get you, either," Rachel added, "Right now, all we want to do is get rid of this fog and let everything return to normal."
"I am called Usagi," Usagi answered, "And I serve the Kamakura shogunate. That is all that I will tell you."
"That shogunate ended, years ago," Merlin told him, "Many years ago. The people that awakened you are Illuminati, which didn't have any connections to Asia, let alone Japan until 1600s."
Usagi looked down at both Merlin and Rachel with a great deal of confusion. He had been told that they wanted to conquer Japan and lacked any knowledge of honor or bushido, which he had been training to follow under his samurai. But while Rachel dead appear fearsome, she also seemed to look intelligent and was not snarling madly, but had more of a look of confusion as to why everything was going on. Merlin's face looked determined, but there was no sign of any evil in its appearance. Usagi swore he could also see wisdom in the pale man's eyes.
"But the priest…" Usagi began.
They all looked to where the priest had been earlier. He was now gone.
"Where did he go?" Rachel asked, her pointed ears shooting straight up.
"He must have run when you broke Mr. Usagi's sword and I caught him with my magic," Merlin sighed and turned his face back to Usagi, "Do you know the spell he used to cause this fog?"
"Why?" Usagi asked.
"Because if I don't know the exact spell he used, it would be dangerous to try and get rid of this fog through magic, and it will take too long for nature to clear it," Merlin answered.
"Why does this fog concern you?" Usagi asked, "You've already caught me."
"Because the fog has this city in its grasp," Merlin answered, "And people have either been hurt or killed."
Merlin then turned to where the priest had been and could barely make out Rachel's form, sniffing around.
"I think I can track him," Rachel answered, "I will have to risk exposure, but I don't see any other course."
"I'll come with you," Usagi said, "I have many questions, both for him and for you."
"We'll try to answer them as best we can, but I doubt the priest will give you any real answers."
Merlin then set Usagi down and the two began follow Rachel as she moved slowly on all fours tracking the priest's scent. The trip was long and slow as the priest made several twists and turns that they had to follow. He had fled out of the park and into a small residential area.
"I don't like this," Rachel growled, "All these houses. Some kid could see me."
"I can barely see you and you're no more then five feet away," Usagi spoke.
"Well, I don't want to be shot by anybody," Rachel answered and then turned her head to follow the priest's scent, which now lead into a nearby building, "He went in there."
They turned to see a rather plain looking door. Merlin checked it carefully, as the last thing they wanted to do was to attract attention by breaking the door in.
"No Iron," Merlin commented, "Good."
With a slow wave of his hand, Merlin opened the door through magic and let Rachel resume her tracking of the priest. She slowly padded to the center of the entrance way and then stopped. She then tapped the floor with one of her knuckles, ears twitching.
"The floor is hollow," Rachel reported.
Below them in an underground base the priest faced against the man who had awakened Usagi.
"You were supposed to insure that he believed that Merlin and the werewolf were attacking Japan," the man said sternly.
"I tried, sir," the priest whimpered, "But neither Merlin nor the werewolf had any real intention of fighting him. Their tactics were more defensive and to try and find out what was going on."
"You have failed us!" the man said sternly.
The priest had no room to answer as a new voice spoke in an extremely angry tone behind him.
"You LIED to me!" Usagi yelled at the screen.
The priest turned to see Rachel crouching a few feet away, jaws clenched teeth bared and a low growl escaping her lips. Merlin and Usagi stood behind her.
"These people are not the threat to Japan!" Usagi yelled at the screen, "YOU are!"
"Neither of us are threats to Japan," the man answered with little sign of emotion, "Merlin and his friend, however pose a threat to the Illuminati Society. It is through that Society that the world is run, and without it, we will have chaos. Now in Merlin's world of the West, there is prophesy concerning a boy who studied under him to become 'King of all Britain'. That prophesy counteracts prophesies that were laid down by the Illuminati's founder. If his prophesies fail then the world will have chaos because the Illuminati will no longer be there to maintain order."
"And killing Merlin is the honorable way to fix this?" Usagi demanded.
"The most practical," the man corrected, "I'm sorry it came down to all this."
The screen then went dead, leaving the priest alone and frightened. Rachel slowly advanced on him, snarling. She took one paw and pulled him to the ground and held him there. She then brought her muzzle up to the priest's face.
"Give Merlin the spell," Rachel ordered.
The priest nearly wet himself at the sight of Rachel's fangs right in front of him.
"He must say in Japanese, 'may the skies clear, so that people may walk, with no fear'," the priest choked out.
Rachel took her weight off of him and looked back to Merlin, "What do we do with him?"
"Kill him," Usagi spoke, "He has dishonored himself through his actions and endangering his own people. He does not have the right to live."
"Unfortunately, Usagi, that code of behavior is banned among all civilized peoples," Merlin countered, "he is unarmed and defeated. I will not allow him to die, especially when there is always a more fitting punishment."
"Like what?" Usagi asked.
"We can't let him return to the Illuminati," Merlin sighed, "They would only send him after you now. The only way is to remove his memory or at least give him a sense of duty to something else that he would never return to his current masters."
"You could do that?" Usagi asked.
"Yes," Merlin nodded, "Seeing as he is disguised as a priest right now, I will leave him with only the memories of being a priest and nothing else."
Rachel and Merlin's Hotel, One Hour Later
Usagi looked himself over in a business suit that Merlin had provided him from his suitcase and then looked at the suitcase that held his armor and a newly created sword. He had thanked Merlin for his generosity. He turned around to see Merlin and Rachel, now back in her human form, seated on the bed behind him.
"And this gargoyle named 'Kai' knows bushido?" Usagi asked.
"From what Yama told us in our brief meeting with him, we were quite certain that the Ishimuran gargoyles understand the term," Merlin answered, "They can help you more then I can."
"I thank you," Usagi said with a bow.
Merlin nodded, "What questions do you have?"
"When I was put to sleep, I was told of a great calamity that would befall Japan," Usagi explained, "I was put to sleep to try and prevent it, or at least stop the second part of what my priests saw."
"What did they see?" Rachel asked.
"They had a vision that two cities would explode, and then pale men would land on Japan," Usagi explained.
"Hiroshima and Nagasaki," Merlin mumbled.
"What?" Usagi asked.
"This will be a bit of a history lesson, so please be patient and do not interrupt," Merlin said slowly, "From what you have told us, you have come from Japan's medieval period. When that period ended, Japan was unified behind an Emperor who reigned from a city named Edo, now Tokyo. Japan would remain at that level of technological advancement until the eighteen hundreds, when an American naval commander ordered Japan to open its borders to the West. They did so, and by the twentieth Century were the most advanced nation in Asia. Unfortunately, they also picked up some of the more negative aspects of Western culture, a lust for conquest. In the 1930s they would begin a large scale attempt to conquer the world, by first conquering China."
Usagi gasped at this as Merlin continued.
"By 1941, they realized that only way that they could secure their conquests was to gain raw materials in areas controlled by the Dutch and the United States in the southern portions of the Pacific Ocean," Merlin continued, "And on December 7 of that year they attacked the American Pacific fleet by surprise and destroyed it at anchor…"
"Didn't they issue a warning?" Usagi asked, "Bushido demands a warning before any attack. To attack a man when his back is turned is dishonorable."
"There was a warning delivered, but by the time it was decoded, the attack was already an hour old," Merlin answered, "This act led to war between the United States and the Japanese Empire. By 1945, the Americans had driven Japan back to their home islands and held the island of Okinawa, from which they intended to launch the final invasion. Japan, in the previous Battle for Okinawalaunched the largest kamikaze attack of the war in an attempt to destroy the American invasion fleet, citing great storms in your time, which stopped the Mongols, as their source for victory. In the end, the Americans won the battle, but took heavy casualties. To prevent further loses, they unleashed a weapon that was new to their arsenal. The atomic bomb. One bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and a few days later, a second was dropped on Nagasaki."
Usagi nearly fainted.
"Fearing the Americans had more and seeing that the two bombs destroyed the cities they were dropped on, the Emperor surrendered," Merlin continued, "American troops did land on Japan, but the purpose was largely ceremonial to commemorate the true end to the war. The Americans let the Emperor keep his throne, but occupied the country until the 1950s. Japan has since banned any military force that could conceivably be used to attack other countries and is heavily dependent on the US for protection, but economically, it is one of Asia's great leaders."
"We were conquered but they didn't rule over us?" Usagi asked.
"No," Merlin answered, "The world you've woken up in is much more complex then the world you remember."
"And these Illuminati?" Usagi asked.
"As that man said before he turned of the communications screen, they aren't a threat to Japan, but they as an organization are not one to be easily trusted," Merlin sighed, "Partially because if you do get rid of them, some chaos is likely to occur because their covert running of world politics is so intertwined with what non Illuminati connected politics has produced that removing them will cause those who aren't Illuminati members to fall with them."
"Things are more complex," Usagi answered, "I do not suppose you could send me back to my time?"
Merlin shook his head.
"What will you do now?" Usagi asked.
"Rachel and I are headed for Tibet," Merlin sighed, "We believe that something is happening there that will help us figure out something that will help us save the island that we are from."
"I wish you the best of luck," Usagi said.
"Thank you," Merlin nodded.
The End